michael crichton.congo-第12节

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　〃No；　it　should　be　okay。〃　He　smiled　reassuringly。　〃We　have　this　traditional　greeting；　even　though　she's　getting　a　little　big　for　it。〃　He　opened　the　door；　braced　himself；　and　said；　〃Good　morning；　Amy。〃
　A　huge　black　shape　came　leaping　out　through　the　open　door　into　his　arms。　Elliot　staggered　back　under　the　impact。　Ross　was　astonished　by　the　size　of　the　animal。　She　had　been　imagining　something　smaller　and　cuter。　Amy　was　as　large　as　an　adult　human　female。
　Amy　kissed　Elliot　on　the　cheek　with　her　large　lips；　her　black　head　seeming　enormous　alongside　his。　Her　breath　steamed　his　glasses。　Ross　smelled　a　sweetish　odor；　and　watched　as　he　gently　unwrapped　her　long　arms　from　around　his　shoulders。　〃Amy　happy　this　morning？〃　he　asked。
　Amy's　fingers　moved　quickly　near　her　cheek；　as　if　she　were　brushing　away　flies。
　〃Yes；　I　was　late　today；〃　Elliot　said。
　She　moved　her　fingers　again；　and　Ross　realized　that　Amy　was　signing。　The　speed　was　surprising；　she　had　expected　something　much　slower　and　more　deliberate。　She　noticed　that　Amy's　eyes　never　left　Elliot's　face。　She　was　extraordinarily　attentive；　focusing　on　him　with　total　animal　watchfulness。　She　seethed　to　absorb　everything；　his　posture；　his　expression；　his　tone　of　voice；　as　well　as　his　words。
　〃I　had　to　work；〃　Elliot　said。　She　sighed　again　quickly；　like　human　gestures　of　dismissal。　〃Yes；　that's　right；　people　work。〃　He　led　Amy　back　into　the　trailer；　and　motioned　for　Karen　Ross　to　follow。　Inside　the　trailer；　he　said；　〃Amy；　this　is　Dr。　Ross。　Say　hello　to　Dr。　Ross。〃
　Amy　looked　at　Karen　Ross　suspiciously。
　〃Hello；　Amy；〃　Karen　Ross　said；　smiling　at　the　floor。　She　felt　a　little　foolish　behaving　this　way；　but　Amy　was　large　enough　to　frighten　her。
　Amy　stared　at　Karen　Ross　for　a　moment；　then　walked　away；　across　the　trailer　to　her　easel。　She　had　been　finger…painting；　and　now　resumed　this　activity；　ignoring　them。
　〃What's　that　mean？〃　Ross　said。　She　distinctly　felt　she　was　being　snubbed。
　〃We'll　see；〃　Elliot　said。
　After　a　few　moments；　Amy　ambled　back；　walking　on　her　knuckles。　She　went　directly　to　Karen　Ross；　sniffed　her　crotch；　and　examined　her　minutely。　She　seemed　particularly　interested　in　Ross's　leather　purse；　which　had　a　shiny　brass　clasp。　Ross　said　later　that　〃it　was　just　like　any　cocktail　party　in　Houston。　I　was　being　checked　out　by　another　woman。　I　had　the　feeling　that　any　minute　she　was　going　to　ask…me　where　I　bought　my　clothes。〃
　That　was　not　the　oute；　however。　Amy　reached　up　and　deliberately　streaked　globs　of　green　finger　paint　on　Ross's　skirt。
　〃I　don't　think　this　is　going　too　well；〃　Karen　Ross　said。
　
　Elliot　had　watched　the　progress　of　this　first　meeting　with　more　apprehension　than　he　was　willing　to　admit。　Introducing　new　humans　to　Amy　was　often　difficult；　particularly　if　They　were　women。
　Over　the　years；　Elliot　had　e　to　recognize　many　distinctly　〃feminine〃　traits　in　Amy。　She　could　be　coy；　she　responded　to　flattery；　she　was　preoccupied　with　her　appearance；　loved　makeup；　and　was　very　fussy　about　the　color　of　the　sweaters　she　wore　in　the　winter。　She　preferred　men　to　women；　and　she　was　openly　jealous　of　Elliot's　girl　friends。　He　rarely　brought　them　around　to　meet　her；　but　sometimes　in　the　morning　she　would　sniff　him　for　perfume；　and　she　always　mented　if　he　had　not　changed　his　clothing　overnight。
　This　situation　might　have　been　amusing　if　not　for　the　fact　that　Amy　made　occasional　unprovoked　attacks　on　strange　women。　And　an　attack　by　Amy　was　never　amusing。
　Amy　returned　to　the　easel　and　signed；　No　like　woman　no　like　Amy　no　like　go　away　away。
　〃e　on；　Amy；　be　a　good　gorilla；〃　Peter　said。
　〃What　did　she　say？〃　Ross　asked；　going　to　the　sink　to　wash　the　finger　paint　from　her　dress。　Peter　noticed　that　she　did　not　squeal　and　shriek　as　many　visitors　did　when　they　received　an　unfriendly　greeting　from　Amy。
　〃She　said　she　likes　your　dress；〃　he　said。
　Amy　shot　him　a　look；　as　she　always　did　whenever　Elliot　mistranslated　her。　Amy　not　lie。　Peter　not　lie。
　〃Be　nice；　Amy；〃　he　said。　〃Karen　is　a　nice　human　per…son。〃
　Amy　grunted；　and　returned　to　her　work；　painting　rapidly。
　〃What　happens　now？〃　Karen　Ross　said。
　〃Give　her　time。〃　He　smiled　reassuringly。　〃She　needs　time　to　adjust。〃
　He　did　not　bother　to　explain　that　it　was　much　worse　with　chimpanzees。　Chimps　threw　feces　at　strangers；　and　even　at　workers　they　knew　well；　they　sometimes　attacked　to　establish　dominance。　Chimpanzees　had　a　strong　need　to　determine　who　was　in　charge。　Fortunately；　gorillas　were　much　less　formal　in　their　dominance　hierarchies；　and　less　violent。
　At　that　moment；　Amy　ripped　the　paper　from　the　easel　and　shredded　it　noisily；　flinging　the　pieces　around　the　room。
　〃Is　this　part　of　the　adjustment？〃　Karen　Ross　asked。　She　seemed　more　amused　than　frightened。
　〃Amy；　cut　it　out；〃　Peter　said；　allowing　his　tone　to　convey　irritation。　〃Amy。　。
　Amy　sat　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　surrounded　by　the　paper。　She　tore　it　angrily　and　signed；　This　woman。　This　woman。　It　was　classic　displacement　behavior。　Whenever　gorillas　did　not　feel　fortable　with　direct　aggression；　they　did　something　symbolic。　In　symbolic　terms；　she　was　now　tearing　Karen　Ross　apart。
　And　she　was　getting　worked　up；　beginning　what　the　Project　Amy　staff　called　〃sequencing。〃　Just　as　human　beings　first　became　red…faced；　and　then　tensed　their　bodies；　and　then　shouted　and　threw　things　before　they　finally　resorted　to　direct　physical　aggression；　so　gorillas　passed　through　a　stereotyped　behavioral　sequence　on　the　way　to　physical　aggression。　Tearing　up　paper；　or　grass；　would　be　followed　by　lateral　crablike　movements　and　grunts。　Then　she　would　slap　the　ground；　making　as　much　noise　as　possible。
　And　then　Amy　would　charge；　if　he　didn't　interrupt　the　sequence。
　〃Amy；〃　he　said　sternly。　〃Karen　button　woman。〃
　Amy　stopped　shredding。　In　her　world；　〃button〃　was　the　acknowledged　term　for　a　person　of　high　status。　
　Amy　was　extremely　sensitive　to　individual　moods　and　behavior；　and　she　had　no　difficulty　observing　the　staff　and　deciding　who　was　superior　to　whom。　But　among　strangers；　Amy　as　a　gorilla　was　utterly　impervious　to　formal　human　status　cues；　the　principal　indicators…clothing；　bearing；　and　speech…had　no　meaning　to　her。
　As　a　young　animal；　she　had　inexplicably　attacked　policemen。　After　several　biting　episodes　and　threatened　lawsuits；
　they　finally　learned　that　Amy　found　police　uniforms　with　their　shiny　buttons　clown　like　and　ridiculous；　she　assumed　that　anyone　so　foolishly　dressed　must　be　of　inferior　status　and　safe　to　attack。　After　they　had　taught　her　the　concept　of　〃button；〃　she　treated　anyone　in　uniform　with　deference。
　Amy　now　stared　at　〃button〃　Ross　with　new　respect。　Surrounded　by　the　torn　paper；　she　seemed　suddenly　embarrassed；　as　if　she　had　made　a　social　error。　Without　being　told；　she　went　and　stood　in　the　corner；　facing　the　wall。
　〃What's　that　about？〃　Ross　said。
　〃She　knows　she's　been　bad。〃
　〃You　make　her　stand　in　the　corner；　like　a　child？　She　didn't　mean　any　harm。〃　Before　Elliot　could　warn　against　it；　she　went　over　to　Amy。　Amy　stared　steadfastly　at　the　corner。
　Ross　unshouldered　her　purse　and　set　it　on　the　floor　within　Amy's　reach。　Nothing　happened　for　a　moment。　Then　Amy　took　the　purse；　looked　at　Karen；　then　looked　at　Peter。
　Peter　said；　〃She'll　wreck　whatever's　inside。〃
　〃That's　all　right。〃
　Amy　immediately　opened　the　brass　clasp；　and　dumped　the　contents　on　the　floor。　She　began　sifting　through；　signing；　Lipstick　lipstick；　Amy　like　Amy　want　lipstick　want。
　〃She　wants　lipstick。〃
　Ross　bent　over　and　found　it　for　her。　Amy　removed　the　cap　and　smeared　a　red　circle　on　Karen's　face。　She　then　smiled　and　grunted　happily；　and　crossed　the　room　to　her　mirror；　which　was　mounted　on　the　floor。　She　applied　lipstick。
　〃I　think　we're　doing　better；〃　Karen　Ross　said。
　Across　the　room；　Amy　squatted　by　the　mirror；　happily　making　a　mess　of　her　face。　She　grinned　at　her　smart　image；　then　applied　lipstick　to　her　teeth。　It　seemed　a　good　time　to　ask　her　the　question。　〃Amy　want　take　trip？〃　Peter　said。
　Amy　loved　trips；　and　regarded　them　as　special　treats。　After　an　especially　good　day；　Elliot　often　took　her　for　a　ride　to　a　nearby　drive…in；　where　she　would　have　an　orange　drink；　sucking　it　through　the　straw　and　enjoying　the　motion　she　caused　among　the　other　people　there。　Lipstick　and　an　offer　of　a　trip　was　almost　too　much　pleasure　for　one　morning。　She　signed；　Car　trip？
　〃No；　not　in　the　car。　A　long　trip。　Many　days。〃
　Leave　house？
　〃Yes；　leave　house。　Many　days。〃
　This　made　her　suspicious。　The　only　times　she　had　left　the　house　for　many　days　had　been　during　hospitalizations　for　pneumonia　and　urinary…tract　infections；　they　had　not　been　pleasant　trips。　She　signed；　Where　go　trip？
　〃To　the　jungle；　Amy。〃
　There　was　a　long　pause。　At　first　he　thought　she　had　not　understood；　but　she　knew　the　word　for　jungle；　and　she　should　be　able　to　put　it　all　together。　Amy　signed　thoughtfully　to　herself；　repetitively　as　she　always　did　when　she　was　mulling　things　over：　Jungle　trip　trip　jungle　go　trip　jungle　go。　She　set　aside　her　lipstick。　She　stared　at　the　bits　of　paper　on　the　floor；　and　then　she　began　to　pick　them　up　and　put　them　in　the　wastebasket。
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃　Karen　Ross　asked。
　〃That　means　Amy　wants　to　take　a　trip；〃　Peter　Elliot　said。
　
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