變形記

Metamorphoses

1/91

根據發生在英雄們身上的事情的不可思議性，讀者可能會覺得這個故事太過牽強，無法包含任何真實的成分。但情況並非如此。首先，頭腦永遠無法想出這樣的東西；其次，你上次看到的奇幻小說中，英雄們對發生的事情感到驚訝，並認為這一切都非常不可能？

Judging by the improbability or even the total incredulity of the things that were happening to theheroes, it might appear to the reader that this story is too far- fetched to contain any grain of truth. But this is not the case. Firstly, the mind could never come up with stuff like this and secondly, when did you last come across a fantasy novel in which the heroes themselves were surprised by what was happening and considered it all highly improbable?

2/91

這個故事是現實的描述，儘管是以不熟悉的形式呈現的現實，或者可以說是現實的隱藏面。僅僅因為一些事情看似難以置信，並不意味著它們永遠不會發生。即使是不可思議的事情，也從來不是完全、絕對和無可爭議地不可能。

This tale is an account of reality, albeit reality in an unfamiliar guise or, you could say, the hidden side of reality. Just because some things seem beyond belief does not mean that they can never actually happen. And even the incredulous is never totally, categorically and indisputably impossible.

3/91

人類對世界的了解太少，甚至無法有權威地斷言什麼是可能的，什麼是不可能的。一旦你從通常的刻板印象之外看待事物，你就不得不承認我們生活在一個非常奇怪的世界中，這個世界似乎極不願意讓我們完全理解它。例如，我們對宇宙了解多少？非常少。

Mankind has too little knowledge of the world to even hope to assert with any authority what is possible and what is not. As soon as you look at things outside the context of the usual stereotypes, you have to acknowledge that we live in a very strange world, which seems extremely reluctant for us to come to understand it fully. What do we know of the Universe, for example? Very little.

4/91

可觀測的宇宙延伸了120億光年。這是宇宙學視界的時間限制，超過這個範圍就看不到其他東西。但那之外是什麼？大概是人類眼睛無法觀察到的宇宙的其餘部分。

The observable universe extends for 12 billion light-years. This is the temporal limit of the cosmological horizon beyond which nothing else can be seen. But what does lie beyond? Presumably, the rest of the universe that cannot be observed by the human eye.

5/91

據我們所知，宇宙在140億年前誕生。假設大爆炸理論關於「一切的開始」是正確的，這是相對於當前觀察點的絕對過去。

As far as we know, the universe came into being 14 billion years ago. Assuming that the Big Bang theory of ‘how it all began’, is correct, this is an absolute past in relation to the current point of observation.

6/91

在宇宙學視界的限制之外，還有大量看不見的星系延伸了誰知道多少億光年。但那之外是什麼？無限的空虛？很難相信，特別是考慮到只有很小一部分的現實展現在眼前。

Beyond the limits of the cosmological horizon, a huge number of invisible galaxies stretch for another who knows how many billion light years. But what lies beyond that? Infinite emptiness? Hard to believe, particularly taking into account the fact that only a tiny fraction of reality is revealed to the eye.

7/91

其他一切仍然是無盡的未知。

Everything else remains the endless unknown.

8/91

宇宙中的星星比地球上的沙粒還多，而一粒沙子中的原子比所有星星加起來還多。在一粒沙子中有一個完整的原子宇宙。而在一個原子中發現多少個獨立的宇宙，無法計算，因為內部平面和外部一樣無限。

There are more stars in the Universe than there are grains of sand on Earth and there are more atoms in one grain of sand than all the stars put together. Inside a single grain of sand there is an entire universe of atoms. And how many separate universes are to be found inside a single atom, is beyond calculation because the internal plane goes on as infinitely as the external.

9/91

在這一切的光芒下，頭腦對宇宙或日常現實到底能知道什麼？更何況，我們的日常現實只是現實的一個方面。完整的現實包括曾經存在的、現在存在的和可能存在的一切。相對而言，這個列表中的第一和第三項，曾經存在的和可能存在的，與超現實有關。第二項，現在存在的，與日常物理現實有關。所以，你能說一個現實和另一個現實的根本區別是什麼？

In the light of all this, what can the mind really know of the Universe or, let’s say, everyday reality? Moreover, our everyday reality is just one aspect of reality. Reality in its entirety includes everything that ever was, that is and that could ever be. Relatively speaking, the first and the third in this list, what was and what could be, relate to meta-reality. The second, what is, relates to everyday physical reality. So, what could you say is the fundamental difference between one reality and the other?

10/91

我們故事中的英雄們還沒有弄清楚夢境世界與日常物理世界有何不同。目前，他們正在超現實中體驗「不可能的事情」。但誰敢斷言這樣的事情永遠不會在日常現實中發生？「可能」和「不可能」只是從理性思維的角度來決定的。但什麼是「真實」或「不真實」則是完全不同的問題，與理性無關。

The heroes of our story have yet to work out how the world of dreams differs from the everyday, physical world. For now, they are experiencing ‘the impossible’ in meta-reality. But who would dare state unequivocally that such things could never take place in everyday reality? The ‘possible,’ and the ‘impossible’ are only determined from the point of view of the rational mind. But what is ‘real’ or ‘not real’ is quite another matter altogether and bears no relation to the rational.

11/91

* * *

12/91

當我們離開女祭司伊特福特和歌后瑪蒂爾達在巨石中入睡後，她們在一個不同的空間中醒來。她們也在一種通常不可能經歷的狀態中醒來。

After we left priestess Itfut and diva Matilda asleep in the megalith, they woke up in a different space. They also woke up in a condition that it would not normally be possible for them to experience.

13/91

「蒂莉，這是你的夢嗎？！」伊特福特驚呼道。「抱歉，什麼？我不明白，」瑪蒂爾達回答。

“Tili, what is this, your dream?!” exclaimed Itfut. “Sorry what? I don’t understand,” Matilda replied.

14/91

「我在問我們是不是在你的夢裡。你在入睡前想了什麼？」

“I was asking whether we’re inside your dream. What were you thinking about just before you fell asleep?”

15/91

「我不記得了。我們在哪裡？」

“I don’t remember. Where are we?”

16/91

「我在一個盤子上。你在哪裡？你能看到什麼？」「哦，我想我也在一個盤子上。福蒂！發生了什麼？」

“I’m on a plate. Where are you? What can you see?” “Ooh, I think I’m on a plate too. Futi! What’s happening?”

17/91

「你真是個美食家，這就是為什麼！」「為什麼？」

“You’re a complete gourmet, that’s what!” “Why?”

18/91

「因為即使我想也想不出這樣的情景。你知道我們是誰嗎？」「不，我們是誰？」瑪蒂爾達喃喃道，還沒完全醒來。

“Because I could not have made this up if I tried. Do you realize who we are?” “No, who are we?” Matilda mumbled not yet fully awake.

19/91

「我是哈爾瓦！」

“I’m halva!”

20/91

「你瘋了嗎？」「那你呢？看看你自己！」「哦啦啦，福蒂！我是個餅乾！」

“Have you lost your mind?” “And you? Look at yourself!” “Ooh lala, Futi! I’m a cookie!”

21/91

在可見的空間現實中，有一張桌子從上方被照亮。桌上躺著兩個盤子，一個盤子上放著鑲有鑽石邊緣的哈爾瓦，另一個盤子上放著用粉紅色蝴蝶結綁著的餅乾。看不到其他東西。

In the reality that is visible space, there stood a table lit from above. Lying on the table were two plates, one displaying halva with a diamond-like rim and another holding a cookie tied with a pink bow. Nothing else could be seen.

22/91

「啊，哈哈哈！」瑪蒂爾達咯咯笑。

“Ah, ha, ha, ha!” Matilda giggled.

23/91

「還在玩得開心嗎？！」伊特福特對她喊道。「恭喜！你是一個用蝴蝶結包裹的餅乾！」

“Still having fun?!” Itfut shouted at her. “Congratulations! You’re a cookie wrapped in a bow!”

24/91

「而你也是，帶著領子的荒唐東西！哈哈哈！」「至少我很好吃！」

“And you too, something preposterous with a collar! Ha, ha, ha, ha!” “At least I’m tasty!”

25/91

「我比你好吃！」「不，我比你好吃！」「不，我更好吃！」

“I’m tastier than you are!” “No, I’m tastier than you are!” “No, I’m tastier!”

26/91

不知為何，朋友們開始爭吵，幾乎要打起來了，彷彿他們不太像自己，雖然從外表看，他們確實不是自己。

For some reason, the friends started to argue and almost ended up having a fight as if they were not quite themselves, although, it was obvious from their appearance, that they were indeed not themselves.

27/91

「好了，福蒂，我們冷靜下來。你感覺怎麼樣？」

“Alright, Futi, let’s calm down. How do you feel?”

28/91

「我是哈爾瓦，我喜歡碎裂、分解，讓一切都黏黏的。」

“I’m halva, I like to crumble, disintegrate and make everything sticky.”

29/91

「我是餅乾。我是圓的，由甜麵團製成，上面撒著糖和堅果。」

“I’m a cookie. I’m round, made of sweet dough and sprinkled with sugar and nuts.”

30/91

「我是哈爾瓦！」

“I’m halva!”

31/91

「我是餅乾！」「而我是哈爾瓦！」

“I’m a cookie!” “And I’m halva!”

32/91

「而我是餅乾！」

“And I’m a cookie!”

33/91

「好了，夠了！」伊特福特說。「蒂莉，我們有問題。我感覺我要失去意識了。」

“Okay, that’s enough!” said Itfut. “Tili, there’s something wrong with us. I feel like I’m losing consciousness.”

34/91

「我也是，我的頭腦變得模糊不清，」瑪蒂爾達說。「我們怎麼會變成這樣？」

“Me too, my mind has gone all foggy,” Matilda said. “How did we end up looking like this?”

35/91

「我告訴過你，我們進入了你的夢境，美食家你！」「為什麼是我的夢而不是你的？」

“I told you, we ended up inside your dream, gourmet you!” “Why in my dream and not in yours?”

36/91

「我猜是因為在你開始做夢之前，我還沒睡著。」「我們怎麼才能離開這裡？再睡一覺？」

“I’m guessing because I had not fallen asleep before you started dreaming.” “How are we ever gonna get out of here? Fall asleep again?”

37/91

「一定有其他辦法。我們需要學會如何在這個空間中移動。精確控制何時入睡太難了。」

“There must be another way. We need to learn how to move about in this space. It’s too difficult to control exactly when we might fall sleep.”

38/91

「我們曾嘗試用觸發器旅行，並想像我們的‘目的地’，」瑪蒂爾達說。「記得我們被壓扁的時候嗎？」

“We’ve tried travelling about using the trigger-jigger and visualizing our ‘destination’,” said Matilda. “Remember when we got flattened?”

39/91

「在巨石裡。」伊特福特回答。「巨石的反應太強烈了。」「那我們現在在哪裡？」

“Back in the megalith.” Itfut replied. “The megalith responds too powerfully.” “Where are we now then?”

40/91

「我不知道。我看不到你盤子和我盤子以外的東西，但我們肯定不在巨石裡。」

“I have no idea. I can’t see anything beyond your plate and mine but we’re definitely not in the megalith.”

41/91

「我們也曾在鏡子前嘗試移動，但它只是像屏幕一樣給我們看了一部電影。」

“And we tried shifting about when we were at the mirror but all it did was show us a film as if it were a screen.”

42/91

「也許它只能做到這些？」

“Maybe that’s all it does?”

43/91

「我們試過從夢境停止的地方重新開始，但那次直到我們入睡才成功。也許這是我們現在能做的最好的事情？」

“And we tried relaunching the dream from where it had stopped and that time it did not work until we fell asleep. Maybe that’s the best thing we can do now?”

44/91

「沒時間了，蒂莉！」伊特福特喊道。「我快要被吃掉了！」

“There’s no time, Tili!” Itfut shouted. “I’m about to get eaten!”

45/91

就在那時，一個湯匙舀起了一塊哈爾瓦，迅速被帶向上方。

At that very moment, a spoon scooped off a piece of halva and was quickly carried upwards.

46/91

「福蒂，不可能！」瑪蒂爾達興奮地說。「我，我……被吃掉了，被吃掉了！」伊特福特哭喊著。

“Futi, no way!” Matilda said excitedly. “I’m, I’m... being eaten, eaten!” Itfut cried.

47/91

「福蒂！快！啟動你的觸發器，把我們帶出去！」「好，我正在嘗試。我只希望我們能一起離開。」

“Futi! Quick! Activate your trigger and get us out of here!” “Okay, I’m trying. I just hope we leave together.”

48/91

「想像我們在一起！然後我們就會一起消失！快！在他們吃完你之前！」

“Imagine us together! Then we’ll disappear together! Quick! Before they finish y-y-you!”

49/91

「我現在就做，馬上！」

“I’m doing it now, right now!”

50/91

湯匙再次猛地下降，舀起另一塊哈爾瓦。

The spoon came plunging downwards once again to scoop up another portion of halva.

51/91

「快點，福蒂！」

“Hurry, Futi!”

52/91

就在那一刻，他們周圍的一切開始旋轉，扭曲成一個點，然後開始向相反方向移動，直到它真的變成了一個漩渦。當歌后和女祭司清醒過來時，她們發現自己身處一片深海中。顯然，根據珊瑚、水晶般清澈的水和豐富多彩的魚類判斷，離環礁不遠。

In that moment everything around them began to spin, twisted into a dot and then began moving in the opposite direction until it had literally transformed into a whirlpool. When the diva and the priestess came to, they found themselves in a deep, deep sea. Evidently, somewhere not far from an atoll reef judging by the corals, crystal clear water and abundant, colorful fish.

53/91

「福蒂，你還好嗎？」瑪蒂爾達立刻問道。「我想是的。」伊特福特回答。

“Futi, are you okay?” asked Matilda instantly. “I think so.” Itfut replied.

54/91

「我們在哪裡？為什麼是海裡？」

“Where are we? Why the sea?”

55/91

「抱歉，純屬巧合。海洋恰好是我想到的第一件事。」

“Sorry, pure coincidence. The sea happened to be the first thing that came into my mind.”

56/91

「真是的！你至少可以讓我們降落在岸上！我們現在該怎麼辦？」

“Honestly! You could at least have landed us on the shore! What are we going to do now?”

57/91

「總比當一個隨時可能被吃掉的甜點要好。」

“Anything’s got to be better than being a sweet treat that could get gobbled up at any moment.”

58/91

「你覺得我們在這裡不會被吃掉嗎？哦！我們怎麼能說話？怎麼能呼吸？」瑪蒂爾達一連串地問。

“And you think we won’t get eaten here? Ooh! How are managing to talk? How are breathing?” Matilda asked in a whole run of questions.

59/91

「那你當餅乾的時候怎麼能說話和呼吸，蒂莉？如果你沒忘記的話，我們在夢境空間裡？」

“And how did you manage to talk and breathe when you were a cookie, Tili? We’re in the dream space if you hadn’t forgotten?”

60/91

「哦，當餅乾真是件奇妙的事！但這和我在這裡的感覺比起來不算什麼。這太神奇了！」

“Oh, it was quite something being a cookie! But it’s nothing to how I feel here. This is amazing!”

61/91

歌后檢查了一下自己，翻動她的鰭，拍打她的尾巴，張開她的嘴，磨著她強壯的牙齒，似乎對自己非常滿意。而女祭司則完全無法適應她的新形象，只是張著嘴盯著她的朋友。

The diva looked herself over, flipped her fins, flapped her tail, gaped her mouth open, gnashed her strong teeth, and seemed altogether quite pleased with herself. The priestess, on the other hand, could not get used to her new guise at all and just stared at her friend, her mouth gaping.

62/91

「蒂莉，看在眾神的份上，我們是誰？！」

“Tili, for the sake of all the Gods, who are we?!”

63/91

「我們是巨大的魚，福蒂！超級大的魚！梭魚般的魚！我在海洋館見過類似的東西。」

“We’re huge fish, Futi! Mega-huge fishes! Barracudishy-fishes! I’ve seen something like it in the oceanarium.”

64/91

「所以，這是我的夢還是你的夢？」

“So, is this my dream or yours?”

65/91

「我不知道。也許這是某種共享的夢……」「我們還沒學會如何旅行。這不太好。」

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s somehow a shared dream...” “We still haven’t learned to travel about. It’s not good.”

66/91

「哦，福蒂！我們去游泳吧！我們什麼時候才能再有這樣的機會？看看你自己。你看起來很棒！你甚至還有你的小領子。」「而你有你的蝴蝶結。」

“Oh, Futi! Let’s go for a swim! When will we ever get another opportunity like this? Look at yourself. You look great! You’ve even got your little collar still.” “And you’ve got your bow.”

67/91

的確，女祭司在她的前鰭外有一個鑽石邊緣，而歌后在她的尾巴上有一個粉紅色的蝴蝶結。

It was true, the priestess had a diamond rim just beyond her front fins and the diva had a pink bow on her tail.

68/91

「這裡的食物鏈中有人吃我們嗎？」伊特福特問。

“Does anyone down here in the chain eat us?” asked Itfut.

69/91

「不，沒有人吃我們。我們吃其他所有人，比我們小的任何東西。」

“No, no-one eats us. We eat everyone else, anyone smaller than us that is.”

70/91

「嘿，那我們就吃吧！自從有人想吃我，我一直很想吃別人！」

“Hey, then let’s eat! Since someone tried to eat me, I’ve been feeling quite up for eating someone else!”

71/91

「好吧！」魚女祭司四處張望，而魚歌后則充分利用這一刻，游到她的朋友後面，輕咬她的尾巴。

“Okay!” The fish-priestess looked around in all directions while the fish-diva, making the most of the moment, swam up behind her friend and nibbled her tail.

72/91

「喂！你這頭牛！你咬我！」伊特福特喊道，追著她那可惡的朋友。「我忍不住，福蒂——！」瑪蒂爾達全力擺動著她的蝴蝶結。

“Oy! You cow! You bit me!” Itfut cried and chased after her wretch of a friend. “I could not help myself, Futi-i-i!” Matilda was in full swing, wiggling her bow.

73/91

兩位朋友胡鬧著，互相追逐著還有一些小魚。

The two friends messed about, chasing after each other and some of the smaller fish.

74/91

「你在那裡吞了誰不和我分享？」伊特福特問。

“Who are you swallowing there without sharing with me?” asked Itfut.

75/91

「哦，我明白了，我現在要和你商量我應該或不應該吞誰？」瑪蒂爾達回答。「嗯！」

“Oh, I see, I have to consult with you now on who I should or shouldn’t swallow?” Matilda replied. “Um!”

76/91

「分享很重要！」

“It’s important to share!”

77/91

「我怎麼能和你這樣一條貪吃的魚分享？」「看！石頭間有一隻章魚！我敢打賭那很好吃！」

“How am I supposed to share with such a voracious fishy as you?” “Look! There’s an octopus between the stones! I bet that’s scrum!”

78/91

「別碰章魚。她很好！我們游到那邊去。看！有一群愚蠢的鯡魚！我們要不要攻擊它們？」

“Don’t touch the octopus. She’s nice! Let’s swim over there. Look! There’s a shoal of stupid herring! Shall we attack them instead?”

79/91

「好啊！」

“Yes!”

80/91

游得心滿意足，吃得飽飽的，梭魚般的魚在沙質海床上休息。

Having swum to their heart’s content and eaten their full, the barracudishy-fishes rested on the sandy sea-bed.

81/91

「那接下來呢，福蒂？」

“What next then, Futi?”

82/91

「我們需要考慮如何離開這裡。我們不屬於這裡。」

“We need to think about getting out of here. We don’t belong here.”

83/91

「游泳和狩獵真是太有趣了！我們以後再來這裡，好嗎？」

“It’s been so much fun swimming and hunting! Let’s come back here again some time, shall we?”

84/91

「蒂莉，我們需要回到物質世界。我們應該考慮這個，而不是在這裡游來游去。」

“Tili, we need to get back to the material world. We ought to be thinking about that not swimming about here.”

85/91

「但是怎麼辦？」

“But how?”

86/91

「我不知道，但我們必須嘗試。我們必須學會穿越空間。現在輪到你了。試著把我們移到一個更熟悉的環境中。」

“I don’t know but we have to try. We have to learn to travel through space. Now it’s your turn. Try and shift us into a more familiar environment.”

87/91

「對誰熟悉？在我們相遇之前，我們生活在完全不同的世界，記得嗎？」

“Familiar to whom? We lived in completely different worlds, before we met, remember.”

88/91

「好吧，那就去你的環境。最重要的是，小心我們要進入自己的假人裡，否則我們會再次變成奇怪的東西。」

“Okay, well, to your environment then. Most importantly, be careful that we end up in our own mannequins, otherwise we’ll turn into something weird again.”

89/91

「對，我明白了，」瑪蒂爾達說。「我們必須回到我們自己的假人裡，是的，我們應該在我們自己的假人裡……」

“Right. I get it,” said Matilda. “We have to travel back to our mannequins, our own mannequins, yes, we should be in our own mannequins...”

90/91

就在這時，海洋空間在一個巨大的漩渦中旋轉，捲曲成一個點，然後向相反方向旋轉。

At that, the marine space swirled in a giant whirlpool, curled up into a point and then span in the opposite direction.

91/91

購物中心燈光昏暗。看起來像是夜晚，沒有一個人影。兩個由白色塑料製成的假人站在玻璃櫥窗後。穿著最新時尚的女士服裝，其中一個假人脖子上有鑲鑽的領子，另一個假人的下背部有一個大粉紅色蝴蝶結。

The shopping center was dimly lit. It looked as if it was nighttime and there was not a soul to be seen. Two mannequins made of white plastic were standing behind a glass showcase. Dressed in ladies’ outfits of the latest fashion, among other things, they had two distinguishing accessories: a diamond-studded collar at the neck of one mannequin and a large pink bow at the lower back of the other.

變形記

Metamorphoses

變形記

Metamorphoses

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