jurassic.park-第61节

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　raft。　It　was　like　being　in　a　tunnel。　The　rubber　gunwales　often　scraped　on　the　mud　as　the　boat　was　pulled　along　by　the　swift　current。
　　　　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　Almost　nine。　The　raft　continued　downstream。
　　　　〃Hey；〃　Lex　said；　〃listen！〃
　　　　He　heard　snarling；　interspersed　by　a　repeated　hooting　cry。　The　cries　were　ing　from　beyond　a　curve；　farther　downriver。　He　listened；　and　heard　the　hooting　again。
　　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Lex　said。
　　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Grant　said。　〃But　there's　more　than　one　of　them。〃　He　paddled　the　boat　to　the　opposite　bank；　grabbed　a　branch　to　stop　the　raft。　The　snarling　was　repeated。　Then　more　hooting。
　　　　〃It　sounds　like　a　bunch　of　owls；〃　Tim　said。

Malcolm　groaned。　〃Isn't　it　time　for　more　morphine　yet？〃
　　　　〃Not　yet；〃　Ellie　said。
　　　　Malcolm　sighed。　〃How　much　water　have　we　got　here？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know。　There's　plenty　of　running　water　from　the　tap…〃
　　　　〃No；　I　mean；　how　much　stored？　Any？〃
　　　　Ellie　shrugged。　〃None。〃
　　　　〃Go　into　the　rooms　on　this　floor；〃　Malcolm　said；　〃and　fill　the　bathtubs　with　water。〃
　　　　Ellie　frowned。
　　　　〃Also；〃　Malcolm　said；　〃have　we　got　any　walkie…talkies？　Flashlights？　Matches？　Sterno　stoves？　Things　like　that？〃
　　　　〃I'll　look　around。　You　planning　for　an　earthquake？〃
　　　　〃Something　like　that；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Malcolm　Effect　implies　catastrophic　changes。〃
　　　　〃But　Arnold　says　all　the　systems　are　working　perfectly。〃
　　　　〃That's　when　it　happens；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃You　don't　think　much　of　Arnold；　do　you？〃
　　　　〃He's　all　right。　He's　an　engineer。　Wu's　the　same。　They're　both　technicians。　They　don't　have　intelligence。　They　have　what　I　call　'thintelligence。'　They　see　the　immediate　situation。　They　think　narrowly　and　they　call　it　'being　focused。'　They　don't　see　the　surround。　They　don't　see　the　consequences。　That's　how　you　get　an　island　like　this。　From　thintelligent　thinking。　Because　you　cannot　make　an　animal　and　not　expect　it　to　act　alive。　To　be　unpredictable。　To　escape。　But　they　don't　see　that。〃
　　　　〃Don't　you　think　it's　just　human　nature？〃　Ellie　said。
　　　　〃God；　no；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃That's　like　saying　scrambled　eggs　and　bacon　for　breakfast　is　human　nature。　It's　nothing　of　the　sort。　It's　uniquely　Western　training；　and　much　of　the　rest　of　the　world　is　nauseated　by　the　thought　of　it。〃　He　winced　in　pain。　〃The　morphine's　making　me　philosophical。〃
　　　　〃You　want　some　water？〃
　　　　〃No。　I'll　tell　you　the　problem　with　engineers　and　scientists。　Scientists　have　an　elaborate　line　of　bullshit　about　how　they　are　seeking　to　know　the　truth　about　nature。　Which　is　true；　but　that's　not　what　drives　them。　Nobody　is　driven　by　abstractions　like　'seeking　truth。'
　　　　〃Scientists　are　actually　preoccupied　with　acplishment。　So　they　are　focused　on　whether　they　can　do　something。　They　never　stop　to　ask　if　they　should　do　something。　They　conveniently　define　such　considerations　as　pointless。　If　they　don't　do　it；　someone　else　will。　Discovery；　they　believe；　is　inevitable。　So　they　just　try　to　do　it　first。　That's　the　game　in　science。　Even　pure　scientific　discovery　is　an　aggressive；　penetrative　act。　It　takes　big　equipment；　and　it　literally　changes　the　world　afterward。　Particle　accelerators　sear　the　land；　and　leave　radioactive　byproducts。　Astronauts　leave　trash　on　the　moon。　There　is　always　some　proof　that　scientists　were　there；　making　their　discoveries。　Discovery　is　always　a　rape　of　the　natural　world。　Always。
　　　　〃The　scientists　want　it　that　way。　They　have　to　stick　their　instruments　in。　They　have　to　leave　their　mark。　They　can't　just　watch。　They　can't　just　appreciate。　They　can't　just　fit　into　the　natural　order。　They　have　to　make　something　unnatural　happen。　That　is　the　scientist's　job；　and　now　we　have　whole　societies　that　try　to　be　scientific。〃　He　sighed；　and　sank　back。
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃Don't　you　think　you're　overstating…〃
　　　　〃What　does　one　of　your　excavations　look　like　a　year　later？〃
　　　　〃Pretty　had；〃　she　admitted。
　　　　〃You　don't　replant；　you　don't　restore　the　land　after　you　dig？〃
　　　　〃No。〃
　　　　〃Why　not？〃
　　　　She　shrugged。　〃There's　no　money；　I　guess。　。　。　。
　　　　〃There's　only　enough　money　to　dig；　but　not　to　repair？〃
　　　　〃Well；　we're　just　working　in　the　badlands。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃Just　the　badlands；〃　Malcolm　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃Just　trash。　Just　byproducts。　Just　side　effects　。　。　。　I'm　trying　to　tell　you　that　scientists　want　it　this　way。　They　want　byproducts　and　trash　and　scars　and　side　effects。　It's　a　way　of　reassuring　themselves。　It's　built　into　the　fabric　of　science；　and　it's　increasingly　a　disaster。〃
　　　　〃Then　what's　the　answer？〃
　　　　〃Get　rid　of　the　thintelligent　ones。　Take　them　out　of　power。〃
　　　　〃But　then　we'd　lose　all　the　advances…〃
　　　　〃What　advances？〃　Malcolm　said　irritably。　〃The　number　of　hours　women　devote　to　housework　has　not　changed　since　1930；　despite　all　the　advances。　All　the　vacuum　cleaners；　washer…dryers；　trash　pactors；　garbage　disposals；　wash…and…wear　fabrics　。　。　。　Why　does　it　still　take　as　long　to　clean　the　house　as　it　did　in　1930？〃
　　　　Ellie　said　nothing。
　　　　〃Because　there　haven't　been　any　advances；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Not　really。　Thirty　thousand　years　ago；　when　men　were　doing　cave　paintings　at　Lascaux；　they　worked　twenty　hours　a　week　to　provide　themselves　with　food　and　shelter　and　clothing。　The　rest　of　the　time；　they　could　play；　or　sleep；　or　do　whatever　they　wanted。　And　they　lived　in　a　natural　world；　with　clean　air；　clean　water；　beautiful　trees　and　sunsets。　Think　about　it。　Twenty　hours　a　week。　Thirty　thousand　years　ago。〃
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃You　want　to　turn　back　the　clock？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃I　want　people　to　wake　up。　We've　had　four　hundred　years　of　modern　science；　and　we　ought　to　know　by　now　what　it's　good　for；　and　what　it's　not　good　for。　It's　time　for　a　change。〃
　　　　〃Before　we　destroy　the　planet？〃　she　said。
　　　　He　sighed；　and　closed　his　eyes。　〃Oh　dear；〃　he　said。　〃That's　the　last　thing　I　would　worry　about。〃

In　the　dark　tunnel　of　the　jungle　river；　Grant　went　hand　over　hand；　holding　branches；　moving　the　raft　cautiously　forward。　He　still　heard　the　sounds。　And　finally　he　saw　the　dinosaurs。
　　　　〃Aren't　those　the　ones　that　are　poison？〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Grant　said。　〃Dilophosaurus。〃
　　　　Standing　on　the　riverbank　were　two　dilophosaurs。　The　ten…foot…tall　bodies　were　spotted　yellow　and　black。　Underneath；　the　bellies　were　bright　green；　like　lizards。　Twin　red　curving　crests　ran　along　the　top　of　the　head　from　the　eyes　to　the　nose；　making　a　V　shape　above　the　head。　The　bird…like　quality　was　reinforced　by　the　way　they　moved；　bending　to　drink　from　the　river；　then　rising　to　snarl　and　hoot。
　　　　Lex　whispered；　〃Should　we　get　out　and　walk？〃
　　　　Grant　shook　his　head　no。　The　dilophosaurs　were　smaller　than　the　tyrannosaur；　small　enough　to　slip　through　the　dense　foliage　at　the　banks　of　the　river。　And　they　seemed　quick；　as　they　snarled　and　hooted　at　each　other。
　　　　〃But　we　can't　get　past　them　in　the　boat；〃　Lex　said。　〃They're　poison。〃
　　　　〃We　have　to；〃　Grant　said。　〃Somehow。〃
　　　　The　dilophosaurs　continued　to　drink　and　hoot。　They　seemed　to　be　interacting　with　each　other　in　a　strangely　ritualistic；　repetitive　way。　The　animal　on　the　left　would　bend　to　drink；　opening　its　mouth　to　bare　long　rows　of　sharp　teeth；　and　then　it　would　hoot。　The　animal　on　the　right　would　boot　in　reply　and　bend　to　drink；　in　a　mirror　image　of　the　first　animal's　movements。　Then　the　sequence　would　be　repeated；　exactly　the　same　way。
　　　　Grant　noticed　that　the　animal　on　the　right　was　smaller；　with　smaller　spots　on　its　back；　and　its　crest　was　a　duller　red…
　　　　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　he　said。　〃It's　a　mating　ritual。〃
　　　　〃Can　we　get　past　them？〃　Tim　asked。
　　　　〃Not　the　way　they　are　now。　They're　right　by　the　edge　of　the　water。〃　Grant　knew　animals　often　performed　such　mating　rituals　for　hours　at　a　time。　They　went　without　food；　they　paid　attention　to　nothing　else。　。　。　。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　Nine…twenty。
　　　　〃What　do　we　do？〃　Tim　said。
　　　　Grant　sighed。　〃I　have　no　idea。〃
　　　　He　sat　down　in　the　raft；　and　then　the　dilopbosaurs　began　to　bonk　and　roar　repeatedly；　in　agitation。　He　looked　up。　The　animals　were　both　facing　away　from　the　river。
　　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Lex　said。
　　　　Grant　smiled；　〃I　think　we're　finally　getting　some　help。〃　He　pushed　off　from　the　bank。　〃I　want　you　two　kids　to　lie　flat　on　the　rubber。　We'll　go　past　as　fast　as　we　can。　But　just　remember：　whatever　happens；　don't　say　anything；　and　don't　move…　Okay？〃
　　　　The　raft　began　to　drift　downstream；　toward　the　hooting　dilophosaurs。　It　gained　speed。　Lex　lay　at　Grant's　feet；　staring　at　him　with　friehtened　eyes。　They　were　ing　closer　to　the　dilophosaurs；　which　were　still　turned　away　from　the　river。　But　he　pulled　out　his　air　pistol；　checked　the　chamber。
　　　　The　raft　continued　on；　and　they　smelled　a　peculiar　odor；　sweet　and　nauseating　at　the　same　time。　It　smelled　like　dried　vomit。　The　hooting　of　the　dilophosaurs　was　louder。　The　raft　came　around　a　final　bend　and　Grant　caught　his　breath。　The　dilophosaurs　were　just　a　few　feet　away；　honking　at　the　trees　beyond　the　river。
　　　　As　Grant　had　suspected；　they　were　honking　at　the　tyrannosaur。　The　tyrannosaur　was　trying　to　break　through　the　foliage；　and　the　dilos　hooted　and　stomped　their　feet　in　the　mud。　The　raft　drifted　past　them。　The　smell　was　nauseating。　The　tyrannosaur　roared；　probably　because　it　saw　the　raft。　But　in　another　moment　。　。　。
　　　　A　thump。