Caramilla-Maravilla

Caramilla-Maravilla

我們把「探險蓋」成員留在廣場上，他們坐在那裡感到完全迷失，因為電影已經停止，所有由瘋狂作家帶領的角色都像雕像一樣凍住了。

We left our ‘expedition lid’ members at the square, where they sat feeling totally lost because the movie had stopped, and all the characters led by the crazy writer had frozen like statues.

「我們現在該怎麼辦？」黃色潛水艇問了她慣常的問題，但這次她自己提供了答案。「如果我們把膠片倒回到一切停止的那一幀，然後再往前一點呢？」

“What are we going to do now?” Yellow Submarine asked her usual question, but this time provided the answer herself. “What if we were to rewind the film strip to the frame where everything stopped and then a bit further still?”

「這可能很有趣，」綠色傻瓜說。「更有趣的是，一個膚淺的金髮女郎怎麼會有這麼深刻的想法。」

“That could be interesting,” said Eejit Green. “Even more interesting is how a superficial blonde comes to have such profound thoughts.”

「而你這麼聰明，我們沒有你就迷路了！」潛水艇回答。

“And you’re such a smart-fart, we’d be lost without you!” Submarine replied.

「這一切都很貓咪好奇，」普西拉說。「你希望在之前的幀中找到什麼？畢竟，我們只會看到自己，不是嗎？」

“It’s all very catty-curious,” said Puscilla. “What do you hope to find on the previous frames? After all, we’ll just see ourselves, won’t we?”

「也許會，也許不會，」橙色奶牛說。「如果傻瓜是對的，而我們在一個暫停的電影片場中徘徊，那麼我們一定已經離開了膠片，這意味著在那之後的幀中我們不應該出現。」

“Maybe, and maybe not,” said Orange Cow. “If Eejit is right and we are wandering through a movie set on pause, then we must have left the film which means we shouldn’t be anywhere in the frames after that point.”

「沒錯，如果我們倒回膠卷，發現自己在裡面，那就不合邏輯了，」野獸說。

“Quite, it would be illogical if we rewound the roll and find ourselves in it,” said Beast.

「但如果我們不在電影停止之前的幀中，那也不合邏輯。畢竟，我們當時在裡面。」奶牛補充道。

“But if we aren’t in the frames prior to when the movie stopped, that would be illogical too. We were there, inside it after all.” Cow added.

「無論結果如何，如果要發生不合邏輯的事情，也許膠卷會再次開始運行，」傻瓜說。「我們已經過了三幀，所以這意味著我們需要回到第四幀，看看那裡會發生什麼。」

“Whichever way it turns out, if something illogical is going to happen, maybe the film roll will start moving again,” said Eejit. “We’ve passed three frames, so that means we need to go back to the fourth frame and see what happens there.”

「走吧，」布倫希爾達女王命令道。

“Let’s go,” Queen Brunhilda commanded.

儘管大家都很累，但他們決定返回。他們跨過三個幀之間的空隙，來到了電影停止的那一幀。他們再次看向咖啡館，那裡的一切和以前一樣：靜止的假人保持著相同的姿勢。最後，他們跨過第四個幀之間的空隙。那裡也沒有任何變化。一切都完全靜止，就像一張照片。我們的朋友們不斷感覺自己在一張照片中行走，只是這個世界是三維的。這是一種奇特的感覺，讓他們都覺得詭異和不安。

They decided to go back on themselves despite the fact that they were all very tired. The friends crossed three gaps between frames and ended up in the frame where the movie had stopped. They looked in on the cafe again, and everything there was as before: motionless mannequins frozen in the same poses. Finally, they crossed the fourth gap between frames. Nothing had changed there either. Everything was totally static, like in a photograph. Our friends continually had the sense that they were walking about in a photograph, only this world was three-dimensional. It was a peculiar feeling and they all found it eerie and uncomfortable.

突然間，他們周圍的空間開始移動，微風出現。樹葉在樹上沙沙作響，其他聲音也能聽到，假人行人重新活過來，汽車開始在路上行駛，先是慢動作，然後加速，直到一切最終達到自然速度。

Suddenly, the space around them began to move and a light breeze appeared. The leaves rustled in the trees and other sounds could be heard as mannequin pedestrians came back to life and cars started driving down the road, first in slow motion, then quickening until everything eventually reached natural speed.

「哇！」潛水艇驚呼。

“Wow!” Submarine uttered.

他剛說完，其他人也發出了類似的驚呼，鬆了一口氣。「我們不會再讓任何人‘貓咪崩潰’，除非在極端情況下，」布倫希爾達說。

No sooner had he spoken than the others let out similar exclamations and sighed with relief. “We’re not going to ‘catty-kaputt’ anyone anymore except in extreme circumstances,” said Brunhilda.

「是的，當然是貓咪！」普西拉同意。

“Yes, of catty-course!” Puscilla agreed.

朋友們來到了廣場。除了偶爾的路人，廣場是空的，書店關門了。他們又走了一個街區，然後停在熟悉的咖啡館門口。

The friends arrived at the square. With the exception of the occasional passer-by, the square was empty, and the bookstore was closed. They walked another block and then stopped at the doors of the familiar cafe.

「我們要進去看看嗎？」傻瓜建議。

“Shall we take a look?” suggested Eejit.

進去後，他們發現所有的訪客都已經離開。唯一在那裡的是正在拖地和移動椅子的清潔工。之前的那位女服務員出現並宣布：「我們要關門了！你們還想點什麼嗎？明天再來吧。」

Once inside they found that all the visitors had already left. The only person there was the cleaner who was washing the floor and moving chairs about. The same waitress as before appeared and announced, “We’re closing! Did you want to order something else? Come back tomorrow.”

「真的嗎？」傻瓜代表大家回答。「好吧，謝謝，再見。」

“Really?” Eejit replied on behalf of the group. “Okay, thank you, goodbye.”

他們轉身走到街上。

They turned and walked outside onto the street.

「哇，她真是很實事求是，考慮到一切！」潛水艇驚訝地說。

“Wow, she was very matter of fact, all things considered!” said Submarine in surprise.

「是的，好像什麼都沒發生過，或者她根本不記得，」奶牛說。「而且電影似乎被快進了，」普西拉說。

“Yes, as if nothing had happened or as if she did not remember,” said Cow. “And the movie had somehow been fast-forwarded,” said Puscilla.

「至少沒有被倒帶，」野獸指出。

“At least it hasn’t been rewound,” Beast noted.

此時，天色已經漸漸暗下來。

Meanwhile, it was already getting dark.

「我們需要找個地方過夜，」女王說。

“We need to find somewhere to stay,” said the queen.

「我會邀請你們來我家，」普西拉猶豫地說，「但我不知道你們會不會覺得舒適。我家很小，而且我過著相當節儉的生活，你明白我的意思。」

“I would invite you to stay at mine,” said Puscilla hesitantly, “but I don’t know whether you’ll be comfortable. It’s quite small and I live as quite a frugal-mog, if you see what I mean.”

「別擔心，普西拉，我們會找一家旅館的，」奶牛安慰普西拉。

“Don’t worry, Puscilla, we’ll find a hotel somewhere,” said Cow setting Puscilla’s mind at ease.

「那我也跟你們一起去，」普西拉說。「我想那邊有一家旅館。」

“Then I’ll come with you, too,” said Puscilla. “I think there’s a guest house over there.”

不遠處，一座城市別墅閃閃發光，吸引著他們。它被裝飾得非常華麗，有球、絲帶和燈泡。前門廊上用大霓虹字母寫著「Villa Maravilla」。¹

Not far away, a town house shone invitingly. It was decorated in grandiose fashion with balls, ribbons and bulbs. Above the front porch in large neon letters were the words, ‘Villa Maravilla.’¹

他們按了門鈴，門自動打開。一進去，大家就發現自己置身於一個寬敞的大廳，中央是一張大而沉重的桌子，周圍擺放著同樣華麗的椅子。天花板上懸掛著一盞同樣華麗的吊燈，遠處的牆壁上燃著一個舒適的壁爐。一個宏偉的木製樓梯通向二樓的欄杆。

They rang the bell and the door opened automatically. Once inside, the group found themselves in a spacious hall, in the middle of which stood a large heavy table with similarly grandiose chairs arranged around it. An equally grandiose chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a fireplace burned cozily in the far wall. An imposing wooden staircase led up to the balustrade on the second floor.

一位中年女士以自命不凡的姿態悠閒地從樓梯上走下來，穿著一件鑲有珠子和各種絲帶和褶邊的華麗長裙，她的頭髮堆得半米高，比其他一切都更顯華麗。

A middle-aged lady with a self-important manner leisurely descended the stairs wearing a magnificent dress trimmed with beads and all manner of ribbons and ruffles, and her hair, which had been piled up about half a meter high, was styled in a manner more grandiose than everything else put together.

「真是一個奇怪的貓咪拼貼！」普西拉脫口而出。

“What a weird catty-collage!” Puscilla blurted out.

「噓！」奶牛對她嘶聲說。「你可以看到一切看起來多麼令人印象深刻。」

“Shh!” Cow hissed at her. “You can see how impressive everything looks.”

「真是一個儀式般的隨行隊伍！」女士宣布。「我是卡拉米拉，你們在Villa Maravilla的女主人！」

“Rather a ceremonial entourage!” the woman proclaimed. “I’m Caramilla, your hostess at Villa Maravilla!”

布倫希爾達上前一步。

Brunhilda stepped forward.

「你好，我們想知道你這裡是否有房間可以過夜？」 「你是尊貴的嗎？」女士問道。

“Hello, we were wondering whether you might have rooms for the night?” “Are you majestic?” the woman asked.

「什麼？」女王不太明白她的意思。

“What?” asked the queen not quite understanding what the woman meant.

「極其尊貴！」傻瓜迅速回答，顯然感覺到了什麼。「看，這是普西拉-貓咪。」

“To the extreme!” said Eejit, who was quick off the mark, evidently having sensed something. “Look, this is Puscilla-Puss.”

他讓開，把普西拉推到前面。普西拉抬起爪子，蓬鬆了尾巴，擺出一副長臉。

He stepped aside, shoving Puscilla forward. Puscilla lifted up her paws, fluffed up her tail and made a long face.

女主人仔細地從兩側打量普西拉，似乎很滿意。

The hostess examined Puscilla from both sides staring at her intently and seemed satisfied.

「是的，你看起來確實很尊貴。那麼，我是優雅的卡拉米拉，熱情歡迎你們來到Villa Maravilla！」女士用高亢的嗓音說話，盡力強調這一刻的莊嚴。「請跟我來，跟我來！」

“Yes, you do appear to be majestic. Well then, I am gracious Caramilla and I welcome you most indulgently to Villa Maravilla!” The woman spoke in a high, throaty voice, doing her best to emphasize all the apparent pathos of the moment. “Do follow me, follow me!”

優雅的卡拉米拉飄然走向桌子，然後以最正式的方式繞著它走了一圈，我們的朋友們跟在她後面。

Gracious Caramilla floated up to the table and then circled it in a manner of upmost formality while our friends followed her.

「一場充滿抱負的華爾滋！」優雅的卡拉米拉說。「請坐到桌子旁，大家都到桌子旁！」

“An aspirational waltz!” said gracious Caramilla. “Please, sit at the table, all to the table!”

朋友們各就各位，女主人抱著雙臂觀察他們。布倫希爾達坐在靠近壁爐的桌子首位。其他人坐在兩側。野獸抓了抓頭，不知道該坐在女王旁邊還是普西拉旁邊。他決定保持中立，所以坐在奶牛和潛水艇之間。

The friends took their places while the hostess observed them with her arms folded. Brunhilda sat at the head of the table closest to the fireplace. The others sat along the sides. Beast scratched his head not knowing where to sit, next to the queen or beside Puscilla. He decided it best to remain neutral and so sat between Cow and Submarine.

「一個很好的平衡！」優雅的卡拉米拉顯然滿意地說。「相當裝飾性！我會請你們稍等片刻，不要感到悲傷。你們將會享用一頓輕盈、飄渺而不突兀的晚餐！」

“A fine balance!” said gracious Caramilla with obvious satisfaction. “Quite ornamental! I would ask you to wait a little without sorrow. You will be offered a light, ethereally-unobtrusive dinner!”

「謝謝你，令人難以置信，簡直是天文數字的，優雅的卡拉米拉，如此熱情好客的歡迎！」傻瓜說。

“Thank you, incredible, simply astronomical, gracious Caramilla, for such a radically hospitable welcome!” said Eejit.

女主人在她的髮型允許的範圍內點了點頭，然後以華麗的步伐退場，肩膀來回擺動，手肘抬起。離開時，她又補充了一句同樣難以理解的話。「官方時尚！」

The hostess nodded as far as it was possible to given her hairstyle and then she withdrew with a flamboyant gait, moving her shoulders back and forth, her arms raised at the elbows. As she was leaving, she added another equally incomprehensible phrase. “Official fashion!”

「好吧，傻瓜，」奶牛說，「看來你終於找到了個配得上你口才的伴侶。」

“Well, Eejit,” said Cow, “it looks like you’ve found a companion worthy of your eloquence at last.”

「小聲點，他們可能會聽到我們，」布倫希爾達警告道。「多麼奇怪的人！」潛水艇輕聲驚呼。

“Talk quietly, they might hear us,” Brunhilda warned. “What a strange individual!” Submarine exclaimed softly.

「嗯，如果你問我，比起那位粗魯直接的女服務員，這種誇張的禮貌要好得多，」傻瓜說。

“Well, if you ask me, better bombastic politeness than rude directness like that other waitress,” Eejit said.

「是的，到目前為止一切都很好，」普西拉說。

“Yes, so far so good,” said Puscilla.

「你本可以坐在我右邊，野獸，」女王帶著一絲責備的語氣說，雖然以前這種願望對她來說並不常見。

“You could have sat here to my right, Beast,” said the queen a note of reproach in her voice although formerly, such a desire would have been uncharacteristic on her part.

「或者坐在我旁邊，我的主人，」普西拉插話道。

“Or next to me, my lord,” Puscilla interjected.

「對不起，我的女王，還有你，普西拉。」野獸發現自己在找藉口。「我還沒有適應我的新外貌，感覺有點像魚離了水。」

“I’m sorry, my queen and you, Puscilla.” Beast found himself making excuses. “I have not yet settled into my new appearance and feel a bit like a fish out of water.”

「請允許我對這份榮譽表示感謝，陛下。」傻瓜同樣覺得他應該為自己辯解。

“Allow me to express my gratitude for the honor, Your Majesty.” Eejit likewise felt he should justify himself.

（傻瓜坐在布倫希爾達的右邊，奶牛坐在她的左邊。）「沒關係，」女王說。

(Eejit sat to Brunhilda’s right and Cow to her left.) “It doesn’t matter,” said the queen.

與此同時，優雅的卡拉米拉迅速回到他們的桌子旁。她帶來了巨大的平盤，並儀式性地放在每位客人面前，利用桌子的巨大尺寸。然後，與大盤形成對比的是，她用無數小碟子裝滿了輕食和餅乾。她擺放的餐具同樣多樣和豐富。最後，女主人端出一個沉重的茶壺和一套小茶杯。

In the meantime, gracious Caramilla was swift in returning to their table. She brought huge, flat plates with her and ceremoniously placed them in front of each guest taking advantage of the table’s huge proportions. Then, in contrast to the sizeable plates, she covered the rest of the table with light snacks and biscuits served on numerous, tiny saucers. The cutlery she laid out was just as numerous and varied. In conclusion, the hostess brought out a hefty teapot and a collection of small teacups.

「一場史詩般的音樂會！」優雅的卡拉米拉在完成服務後驚呼。「你會發現Villa Maravilla的一切都極其精緻！」

“An epic concert!” gracious Caramilla exclaimed as she finished serving. “You will find that everything is magnificently exquisite at Villa Maravilla!”

「確實如此，優雅的卡拉米拉，」傻瓜以同樣高調的方式說。「你的桌子簡直令人眼花繚亂，迷人，令人屏息！」

“Quite so, gracious Caramilla,” said Eejit in a similarly highfalutin manner. “Your table is simply dazzling, mesmerizing, breathtaking!”

「裝飾性，」優雅的卡拉米拉放縱地補充道。當她準備離開時，她又補充了一句話。

“Ornamental,” added gracious Caramilla indulgently. And as she was about to leave, she threw in another phrase for good measure.

「短暫的影響！」

“Fleeting influences!”

「抱歉，這些影響到底應該影響什麼？」潛水艇忍不住問道。女主人驚訝地轉過身來。

“Sorry, what exactly are these influences supposed to be influencing?” asked Submarine unable to restrain himself. The hostess turned around in surprise.

「當然是粗心大意！」

“Carelessness of course!”

「那麼，這些影響是誰的？」潛水艇繼續問，希望至少能理解女主人所說的內容。

“And whose influences, are they?” continued Submarine in the hope of comprehending at least something of what his hostess was saying.

「星體影響！」優雅的卡拉米拉反駁道，對於她的客人們不懂這些基本概念感到震驚。「但如果你們更喜歡高深的哲學對話而不是我這裡的供應，我可以給你們一個哲學問題來解決。」

“Astral influences!” retorted gracious Caramilla, shocked that her guests were ignorant of such basic notions. “But if elevated, philosophical conversation is more to your taste than my offerings here, I can always set you a philosophical problem to solve.”

「什麼樣的問題？」潛水艇被她的回答震驚了。

“What kind of problem?” asked Submarine stunned by her reply.

「好吧，一個這樣的問題：‘恢復一個雄心勃勃的夢想的體積’。」

“Well, a problem such as this: ‘restore the volumes of an ambitious dream’.”

「不，不，不需要。真的，非常感謝，優雅的卡拉米拉，」奶牛打斷道。「我們更想品嚐你這些看起來美味的供應！」

“No, no, there’s no need. Really, many thanks, gracious Caramilla,” Cow interrupted. “We’d much rather become acquainted with your delicious-looking offerings!”

「如你所願！」優雅的卡拉米拉說，然後在情況變得更複雜之前感激地退場。

“As you wish!” said gracious Caramilla and then withdrew, thankfully, before the situation became any more complicated.

朋友們開始用餐，悠閒地享受他們的晚餐。儘管女主人的行為奢華，別墅的整體氛圍卻非常適合舒適地消磨時光。此外，優雅的卡拉米拉體貼地處理自己的事務，不打擾客人的聚會，因此我們的朋友們終於有機會靜靜地討論事情。

The friends began to eat and took unhurried pleasure in their evening meal. The whole atmosphere at the villa turned out to be highly conducive to comfortably passing the time despite their hostess’ extravagant behavior. Moreover, gracious Caramilla was considerate enough to go about her own affairs without intruding on the company of her guests and so our friends had the opportunity to quietly talk things over at last.

「那麼，我們該怎麼辦？」潛水艇問。「什麼意思？」野獸回應。

“So, what are we going to do?” asked Submarine. “In what sense?” Beast responded.

「問題的本質很清楚，」傻瓜說，承擔起回答其他人的責任。「除了蓋子，我們現在還有另一個謎題要解決

“The essence of the problem is clear,” Eejit said, taking it upon himself to answer for the others. “Aside from the lid, we now have another riddle to solve

——電影。」

— the movie.”

「為什麼電影會突然凍結？」奶牛補充道。

“And why a movie might suddenly freeze?” Cow added.

「還有那些奇怪的發光編織物，像辮子一樣延伸到假人身上，還有消失在地面的藍光……這一切是怎麼回事？」普西拉插話道。「我從未見過這樣的東西。」

“And those strange luminous, woven extensions the mannequins have, like plaits, and the blue rays that disappear into the ground... what is all that about?” Puscilla interjected. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

「最重要的是我們要試著弄清楚我們在哪裡？」布倫希爾達說。

“The most important thing is for us to try and work out where we are?” said Brunhilda.

「問題是我們所處的世界是真實的還是幻覺？」傻瓜繼續說。

“The question is whether the world we have ended up in is real or an illusion?” Eejit continued.

「我們到了另一個世界……？」潛水艇問。「我們不一定在另一個世界。可能只是我們自己的世界發生了一些奇怪的事情。畢竟，蓋子的問題始於我們自己的世界。」

“We’ve ended up in a different world...?” asked Submarine. “We might not necessarily be in a different world. It might just be that something weird is happening to our own world. The whole issue with the lid began in our own world, after all”

「是的，但我們的現實從未像這樣停止過，」奶牛指出。「而且在我們的世界裡，我們從未遇到過奇怪的、無法穿透的物體。記得那面後面有海浪拍打的隱形牆嗎？」

“Yes, but our reality has never stopped like this,” Cow noted. “And never in our world did we come across strange, impenetrable objects. Remember the invisible wall with the sea splashing behind it?”

「普西拉說她的當地現實也有問題，」野獸說。

“Puscilla was saying that something is wrong with her local reality, too,” said Beast.

「普西拉，你見過那面牆嗎？」女王問。

“Puscilla, have you ever seen the wall?” asked the queen.

「不，我不知道你在說什麼，陛下，」普西拉回答。

“No, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Majesty,” answered Puscilla.

「那一定意味著你從未去過那裡。你在這裡待了多久？」 「不久，但我其實不記得我是怎麼來到這裡的。」

“That must mean that you haven’t ever been there. Have you been here long?” “No, not long but I don’t actually remember how I got here.”

「你能告訴我們這個地方的什麼？」

“What can you tell us about this place?”

「除了我已經告訴你的，真的沒什麼。這個世界就像不真實一樣，裡面的人也不真實。總之，這是一個‘木偶劇場’。它不符合任何其他貓學。」

“Nothing really apart from what I’ve already told you. It is like this world is not real and the people in it aren’t real either. In a word, it’s a ‘puppet theatre’. It doesn’t fit any other cattology.”

「你提到角色可以出現然後消失，取決於書中寫了什麼……」

“You mentioned that characters can appear and then disappear depending on what’s written in a book…”

「是的，在這裡，無論你寫什麼，都會一一實現，細節都不會錯過。唯一不管用的是寫關於蓋子的內容。出於某種原因，你寫的任何東西都無法影響蓋子。」

“Yes, here, whatever you write, it all comes true down to the smallest detail. The only thing that didn’t work for me was writing about the lid. For some reason, nothing you write can influence the lid.”

「另一方面，這裡的一切看起來都很真實，除了當地居民的奇怪行為，」傻瓜說。「比如食物。對我來說似乎很真實。」

“On the other hand, everything here looks very real with the exception of the strange behavior of the local inhabitants,” said Eejit. “Take the food, for example. Seems pretty real to me.”

「是的，但當你做夢時，你吃的食物對你來說也很真實，」奶牛說。

“Yes, but when you dream you are eating the food seems real to you then, too,” Cow said.

「所以，你是說這一切都是夢？」潛水艇問。「我們不可能同時做同一個夢，對吧？」

“So, you’re saying that all this is a dream?” asked Submarine. “We can’t all be having the same dream at the same time, though, can we?”

「也許只有我們其中一個在做夢，」野獸推測。

“Maybe only one of us is dreaming,” Beast surmised.

「更好的是，」潛水艇驚呼。「所以，你是說比如說，你在做夢，而我不是真實的。我只是你夢的一部分？」

“Even better,” Submarine exclaimed. “So, you’re saying for example, that you’re the one having a dream and I’m not really real. I’m just a fragment of your dream?”

「夢中的角色都不是真實的，包括做夢的人，」奶牛說。「不，這都是胡說八道。我們需要弄清楚我們在哪裡。很明顯，我們不在自己的世界裡。」

“None of the characters in a dream are real including the person whose dream it is,” Cow said. “No, this is all nonsense. We need to find out where we are. It’s totally obvious that we aren’t in our own world.”

「我肯定不在我的世界裡，」普西拉確認。「我告訴你，這個世界不是真實的，這完全是貓咪的，雖然非常令人擔憂。」

“I’m definitely not in mine,” Puscilla confirmed. “I’m telling you, this world isn’t real, that’s totally mogious, although highly catty-concerning.”

「還有一件事我們需要做！」潛水艇說。「我們需要記住我們是誰！」其他人沒有回應，靜靜地思考了一會兒剛才所說的一切。

“And there’s one other thing we need to do!” said Submarine. “We need to remember who we are!” The others did not respond quietly contemplating for a moment all that had been said.

傻瓜終於打破了沉默。

Eejit finally broke the silence.

「我覺得自己就像一張完全乾淨的白紙，就像我們尊敬的女王所說的那樣。」

“I feel like a completely clean sheet as our esteemed queen put it.”

「正如野獸所說，我感覺自己像是重生了一樣，」奶牛說。「尤其是我不再是橙色奶牛，而是一個胖胖的紅髮，毫無理由地變了樣。」

“And as Beast said, I feel like I’ve been born again,” said Cow. “Especially as I’m no longer an orange cow but a chubby red-head, transformed without rhyme or reason.”

「而且沒有明顯的原因，我不再是潛水艇，而是一個金髮女郎，」潛水艇補充道。

“And for no apparent reason, I’m no longer a submarine but a blonde,” added Submarine.

「而長毛野獸不再是長毛野獸，而是一個外貌有趣的神秘年輕人，」女王補充道。

“And Shaggy Beast is no longer a long-haired beast but a mysterious young man of interesting appearance,” added the queen.

「我受寵若驚，我的女王，」野獸鞠躬說。

“I’m flattered, my queen,” said Beast with a bow.

「而我已經告訴過你們關於我和我的貓咪樣子，」普西拉說，結束了這個話題。

“And I’ve already told you about myself and my catty-likeness,” said Puscilla closing the circle.

「據我所知，我們在遇到那個牆物體的那一刻起就無法記住自己，」布倫希爾達說。「至少，這是我的印象。」

“As far as I understand it, we stopped being able to remember ourselves the moment we came across the wall object,” said Brunhilda. “At least, that’s the impression I get.”

「看來是這樣，」傻瓜同意。「不過，我們對自己有模糊的認識，不是嗎？我的意思是，我們確實對自己有一個大概的了解。」

“So, it would seem,” Eejit agreed. “We do vaguely know ourselves, though, don’t we. I mean, we definitely have a rough sense of who we are.”

「是的，」奶牛說。「例如，我知道傻瓜是我們中最聰明和最理性的，而布倫希爾達女王是最睿智和最明智的。」

“Yes,” said Cow. “For example, I know that Eejit is the smartest and most rational of us all and that Queen Brunhilda is the wisest and most judicious.”

「奶牛是最有禮貌的，而潛水艇是最輕浮的，」傻瓜繼續說。

“Cow is the politest and Submarine the most frivolous,” continued Eejit.

「不，不是輕浮，而是心思輕盈！」潛水艇反對。「只是我的所有想法都很輕，不像你，哲學家。」

“No, not frivolous but light of mind!” objected Submarine. “It’s just that all my thoughts are light, not like you, the philosopher.”

「隨你怎麼說，」傻瓜再次同意地說。「我不敢與金髮女郎爭論。」

“Whatever you say,” Eejit said agreeing again. “I would not dare argue with a blonde.”

「野獸是最粗魯的，雖然現在正好相反。你怎麼解釋這一點？」奶牛繼續說。「而普西拉……可能是最精緻的。」

“Beast is the most uncouth, although now it’s the opposite. How do you explain that?” Cow continued. “And Puscilla... is probably the most refined.”

「最有品味的，」普西拉高興地說。

“The most sophisticat,” said Puscilla happily.

「我們在某種意義上了解自己，但同時又不認識自己，」女王說。

“We know ourselves in one sense and at the same time, we don’t,” said the queen.

「總之，我們需要確定我們在哪裡，以及我們要怎麼離開這裡，」傻瓜總結道。「也許我們會想起自己。」

“In short, we need to determine where we are and how we’re going to get out of here,” Eejit said summing up. “Maybe we’ll remember ourselves, then.”

「也許我們應該回家？」潛水艇建議。

“Maybe we should go home?” Submarine suggested.

聽到這些話，他們又一次陷入沉默。

At these words, they all fell silent again.

「但這會有效嗎？」奶牛說出了他們都感到的疑慮。「你知道該走哪條路嗎？」普西拉問。「我的意思是，我不知道。」

“But will it work?” said Cow expressing the doubt they all felt. “Do you know which way to go?” asked Puscilla. “I mean, I don’t.”

「我想我甚至不記得怎麼回到那個奇怪的物體，」傻瓜說。「有人記得嗎？」沒有人回答。

“I don’t think I could even remember how to get back to the strange object,” said Eejit. “Does anyone remember?” No-one answered.

「這次我也幫不上忙，」奶牛說，「現在我沒有翅膀了。」

“I can’t help this time either,” said Cow, “now that I am without my wings.”

「但這樣做有什麼意義呢？」布倫希爾達問。「我們不是走了這麼遠的路就為了夾著尾巴回去的，不是嗎？讓我們先弄清楚我們來這裡要做什麼。」

“But what would be the point?” asked Brunhilda. “We did not come all this way to return with our tails between our legs, did we? Let’s first sort out what we came to do.”

大家都同意，於是他們把注意力轉回到探險的目的上。

Everyone agreed and they shifted their attention back to the purpose of the expedition.

就在這時，優雅的卡拉米拉再次出現，親切地問：「有什麼願望、追求或意願需要實現的嗎？」

At that moment, gracious Caramilla was kind enough to reappear. “Any desires, strivings or expressions of will to hand, perhaps?”

「作為客人，表達意願似乎不太合適，優雅的卡拉米拉。」一如既往，傻瓜擔任發言人的角色。「首先，我們充滿感激，其次，有一個謙遜的請求：我們累了，想休息，如果可以的話。」

“Expressions of will are hardly appropriate in a guest, gracious Caramilla.” As usual, Eejit took on the role of spokesperson. “Firstly, we are filled with gratitude, and secondly, a humble request: we are tired and would like to rest, now, if you will.”

「你們有現金嗎？」最優雅的卡拉米拉詢問。「多少錢？」布倫希爾達問。

“Do you have cash to hand?” inquired the most gracious Caramilla. “How much is it?” asked Brunhilda.

優雅的卡拉米拉從她的華麗裙子口袋裡拿出一張紙條，轉身面對客人，然後儀式性地把紙條遞給女王。女王看了一眼紙條，表示同意，然後數出所需的金額交給女主人。

The gracious Caramilla reached into the elegant pocket of her full skirt, pulled out a scrap of paper, turned her back to her guests and handed the note ceremoniously to the queen. The queen glanced at the note, agreed and then counted out the necessary sum and handed it over to their hostess.

「那麼在Villa Maravilla，你們將在無法衡量的床上獲得無法衡量的休息！請跟我來，跟我來！」優雅的卡拉米拉說，帶領大家上樓到二樓。

“Then in Villa Maravilla, you will be triumphantly laid out in encompassable beds for unencompassable rest! Please, follow me, follow me!” said gracious Caramilla and led the group up the stairs to the second floor.

床確實是壯觀的。厚重的鐵床架上覆蓋著豪華的床墊和毯子，堆著各種尺寸的枕頭金字塔。由於只有五間客房，而奶牛和潛水艇說，「我們可以共用，我們更喜歡共用」，所以他們分到了一間房，這意味著其他人都有自己的房間。於是，大家都很滿意。這一天結束得很好。

The beds were indeed triumphal. On heavy iron bases covered with lush mattresses and blankets, rose entire pyramids of pillows in all different sizes. Given that there were only five guests rooms, and Cow and Submarine said, ‘we can share, we’d prefer to share,’ they were given one room which meant that the others all had a room each. So, everyone was happy. The day ended well.

西班牙語：「Maravilla」意為奇蹟，令人驚奇的事物。

Spanish: ’Maravilla’ meaning a marvel, something wondrous, astounding.

卡拉蜜拉-瑪拉維拉

Caramilla-Maravilla

我們把‘expedition lid’的成員留在了廣場上，他們坐在那裡，顯得完全迷失，因為電影已經停了，而所有由那瘋狂作家帶領的角色也像雕像一樣凍在原地。

We left our ‘expedition lid’ members at the square, where they sat feeling totally lost because the movie had stopped, and all the characters led by the crazy writer had frozen like statues.

「我們接下來該怎麼辦？」Yellow Submarine如常提出疑問，但這一次她自己也給出了答案：「要是我們把膠卷倒退到所有事物停下的那一幀，再稍微倒回一些呢？」

“What are we going to do now?” Yellow Submarine asked her usual question, but this time provided the answer herself. “What if we were to rewind the film strip to the frame where everything stopped and then a bit further still?”

「那或許會很有趣，」Eejit Green說道，「更有趣的是，一個看似膚淺的金髮女郎竟能擁有如此深刻的思想。」

“That could be interesting,” said Eejit Green. “Even more interesting is how a superficial blonde comes to have such profound thoughts.”

「而你這個機靈鬼，要不是有你，我們早就無措了！」Submarine回應道。

“And you’re such a smart-fart, we’d be lost without you!” Submarine replied.

「一切都充滿著那種充滿好奇心的調皮氣息，」Puscilla說道，「你打算在前一幀中找到什麼呢？畢竟，我們只會看到自己，不是嗎？」

“It’s all very catty-curious,” said Puscilla. “What do you hope to find on the previous frames? After all, we’ll just see ourselves, won’t we?”

「也許吧，也可能不然，」Orange Cow說道，「如果Eejit說得沒錯，而我們正徘徊在一個暫停的電影場景中，那麼我們必定已經脫離了影片，這意味著在那之後的幀中我們就不應該再出現了。」

“Maybe, and maybe not,” said Orange Cow. “If Eejit is right and we are wandering through a movie set on pause, then we must have left the film which means we shouldn’t be anywhere in the frames after that point.”

「沒錯，如果我們倒回來後竟發現自己，那就太不合理了，」Beast說道。

“Quite, it would be illogical if we rewound the roll and find ourselves in it,” said Beast.

「但如果我們在電影停止前的幀中不見蹤影，同樣也不符邏輯——畢竟，我們曾身處其中，」Cow補充道。

“But if we aren’t in the frames prior to when the movie stopped, that would be illogical too. We were there, inside it after all.” Cow added.

「無論結果如何，只要要發生不合理的事，也許膠卷就會重新開始運動，」Eejit說道，「我們已經跨過了三幀，這意味著我們需要返回到第四幀，看看那裡會發生什麼事情。」

“Whichever way it turns out, if something illogical is going to happen, maybe the film roll will start moving again,” said Eejit. “We’ve passed three frames, so that means we need to go back to the fourth frame and see what happens there.”

「走吧，」Queen Brunhilda命令道。

“Let’s go,” Queen Brunhilda commanded.

雖然大家都極度疲倦，但他們還是決定逆向行走。朋友們跨過了三個幀間的空隙，來到了電影停下的那一幀。他們再次窺視咖啡館，一切如故：靜止的蠟像依舊保持著相同的姿勢凍結著。最終，他們穿過了第四個幀間空隙，那裡依然毫無變化，一切都靜止得宛如一幅照片。朋友們不禁覺得，自己彷彿正在一張三維的照片中行走，這種奇異的感覺令人毛骨悚然且不舒服。

They decided to go back on themselves despite the fact that they were all very tired. The friends crossed three gaps between frames and ended up in the frame where the movie had stopped. They looked in on the cafe again, and everything there was as before: motionless mannequins frozen in the same poses. Finally, they crossed the fourth gap between frames. Nothing had changed there either. Everything was totally static, like in a photograph. Our friends continually had the sense that they were walking about in a photograph, only this world was three-dimensional. It was a peculiar feeling and they all found it eerie and uncomfortable.

忽然間，周遭空間開始運動，一陣微風輕拂而來。樹葉在風中沙沙作響，各種聲音隨之傳來——蠟像行人重新活躍起來，車輛也開始沿著道路駛過，最初是以慢動作，隨後逐漸加速，直到所有事物最終恢復到了正常速度。

Suddenly, the space around them began to move and a light breeze appeared. The leaves rustled in the trees and other sounds could be heard as mannequin pedestrians came back to life and cars started driving down the road, first in slow motion, then quickening until everything eventually reached natural speed.

「哇！」Submarine驚嘆道。

“Wow!” Submarine uttered.

他話音未落，其他人也紛紛爆出類似的讚嘆聲，並舒了一口氣。「除非在極端情況下，否則我們再也不會‘catty-kaputt’（貓樣崩潰）任何人了，」Brunhilda說道。

No sooner had he spoken than the others let out similar exclamations and sighed with relief. “We’re not going to ‘catty-kaputt’ anyone anymore except in extreme circumstances,” said Brunhilda.

「當然，catty-course（貓樣當然）！」Puscilla附和道。

“Yes, of catty-course!” Puscilla agreed.

朋友們來到了廣場。除了一些偶爾路過的行人外，廣場上空無一人，而書店也已關門。他們又走了一個街區，最後停在那家熟悉咖啡館的門前。

The friends arrived at the square. With the exception of the occasional passer-by, the square was empty, and the bookstore was closed. They walked another block and then stopped at the doors of the familiar cafe.

「我們要不要去看看？」Eejit提議道。

“Shall we take a look?” suggested Eejit.

進入後，他們發現所有訪客早已離去，現場只剩下一位清潔工在拖地和搬椅子。與之前相同的女服務員現身並宣佈：「我們即將打烊！你們還想點點其他嗎？明天再來吧。」

Once inside they found that all the visitors had already left. The only person there was the cleaner who was washing the floor and moving chairs about. The same waitress as before appeared and announced, “We’re closing! Did you want to order something else? Come back tomorrow.”

「真的嗎？」Eejit代表大家回答，「好吧，謝謝，再見。」

“Really?” Eejit replied on behalf of the group. “Okay, thank you, goodbye.”

他們轉身走出來，踏上街道。

They turned and walked outside onto the street.

「哇，考慮到各種情況，她講話真是直截了當！」Submarine驚訝地說。

“Wow, she was very matter of fact, all things considered!” said Submarine in surprise.

「是啊，就像什麼都沒發生，或是她根本不記得似的，」Cow說道。「而且，電影似乎已被快轉了，」Puscilla補充道。

“Yes, as if nothing had happened or as if she did not remember,” said Cow. “And the movie had somehow been fast-forwarded,” said Puscilla.

「至少它還沒被倒帶，」Beast指出。

“At least it hasn’t been rewound,” Beast noted.

與此同時，天色已悄然暗下。

Meanwhile, it was already getting dark.

「我們得找個落腳之處，」女王說道。

“We need to find somewhere to stay,” said the queen.

「我本來想邀請你們住我那裡，」Puscilla猶豫地說，「但我不確定你們會不會適應。住的地方很小，而且我過著極為節儉的生活，你懂我的意思吧。」

“I would invite you to stay at mine,” said Puscilla hesitantly, “but I don’t know whether you’ll be comfortable. It’s quite small and I live as quite a frugal-mog, if you see what I mean.”

「別擔心，Puscilla，我們總會在某處找到一家旅館的，」Cow安慰道。

“Don’t worry, Puscilla, we’ll find a hotel somewhere,” said Cow setting Puscilla’s mind at ease.

「那我也跟你們一起去，」Puscilla說，「我想那邊應該有家招待所。」

“Then I’ll come with you, too,” said Puscilla. “I think there’s a guest house over there.”

不遠處，一棟聯排住宅燦爛奪目，裝飾得極盡華麗，球狀飾品、絲帶與燈泡點綴其中。正門走廊上方以大號霓虹字寫著『Villa Maravilla』¹。

Not far away, a town house shone invitingly. It was decorated in grandiose fashion with balls, ribbons and bulbs. Above the front porch in large neon letters were the words, ‘Villa Maravilla.’¹

他們按下了門鈴，門自動開啟。進入後，大家發現自己置身於一個寬敞的大廳，中央擺放著一張沉重的大桌，周圍排列著同樣華麗的椅子。天花板上懸掛著一盞極盡奢華的吊燈，遠牆上壁爐裡火光閃爍，溫暖宜人。一座氣勢磅礴的木製樓梯通向二樓的欄杆處。

They rang the bell and the door opened automatically. Once inside, the group found themselves in a spacious hall, in the middle of which stood a large heavy table with similarly grandiose chairs arranged around it. An equally grandiose chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a fireplace burned cozily in the far wall. An imposing wooden staircase led up to the balustrade on the second floor.

一位自視甚高的中年婦人身著華麗長裙下樓，裙子上飾以串珠、各式絲帶與荷葉邊，她那盤起約半米高的秀髮造型之華麗，遠勝過其他所有裝飾。

A middle-aged lady with a self-important manner leisurely descended the stairs wearing a magnificent dress trimmed with beads and all manner of ribbons and ruffles, and her hair, which had been piled up about half a meter high, was styled in a manner more grandiose than everything else put together.

「多麼怪異的catty-collage！」Puscilla突然脱口而出。(Note:此處“catty-collage”保留原詞)

“What a weird catty-collage!” Puscilla blurted out.

「嘘！」Cow低聲嚅嚅地對她說，「你看看，一切看起來多麼令人印象深刻。」

“Shh!” Cow hissed at her. “You can see how impressive everything looks.”

那名女子宣稱：「真是一群儀式感十足的隨從！我是Caramilla，你在Villa Maravilla的接待員！」

“Rather a ceremonial entourage!” the woman proclaimed. “I’m Caramilla, your hostess at Villa Maravilla!”

Brunhilda上前邁出了一步。

Brunhilda stepped forward.

「你好，我們想知道今晚是否有房間？」女子問道，「你們看起來威風凜凜嗎？」

“Hello, we were wondering whether you might have rooms for the night?” “Are you majestic?” the woman asked.

「什麼？」女王問道，似乎不太明白那女子的意思。

“What?” asked the queen not quite understanding what the woman meant.

「簡直到極致！」Eejit迅速反應，顯然感受到些什麼，他說，「看，這就是Puscilla-Puss。」

“To the extreme!” said Eejit, who was quick off the mark, evidently having sensed something. “Look, this is Puscilla-Puss.”

他退到一旁，推了Puscilla一把。Puscilla豎起前爪，捲起尾巴，露出一副苦臉。

He stepped aside, shoving Puscilla forward. Puscilla lifted up her paws, fluffed up her tail and made a long face.

接待員從左右端詳著Puscilla，專注地盯著她，然後露出滿意的神情。

The hostess examined Puscilla from both sides staring at her intently and seemed satisfied.

那女子用高昂、低沉的嗓音說道：「是的，你確實看起來很威風。那麼，我是優雅的Caramilla，最寬容地歡迎你們來到Villa Maravilla！請跟我來，跟我來！」

“Yes, you do appear to be majestic. Well then, I am gracious Caramilla and I welcome you most indulgently to Villa Maravilla!” The woman spoke in a high, throaty voice, doing her best to emphasize all the apparent pathos of the moment. “Do follow me, follow me!”

優雅的Caramilla悠然移步到桌旁，隨後以極為正式的態度環繞桌子一周，朋友們則跟隨其後。

Gracious Caramilla floated up to the table and then circled it in a manner of upmost formality while our friends followed her.

Caramilla優雅地說：「一支充滿抱負的華爾滋！請各位就坐吧，都來一起就座！」

“An aspirational waltz!” said gracious Caramilla. “Please, sit at the table, all to the table!”

眾人各就各位，接待員雙臂交叉注視著他們。Brunhilda坐在靠近壁爐的桌首，其餘人則沿著桌邊就座。Beast抓著頭，不知該坐在女王旁邊還是Puscilla旁邊，最後決定保持中立，坐在Cow和Submarine之間。

The friends took their places while the hostess observed them with her arms folded. Brunhilda sat at the head of the table closest to the fireplace. The others sat along the sides. Beast scratched his head not knowing where to sit, next to the queen or beside Puscilla. He decided it best to remain neutral and so sat between Cow and Submarine.

優雅的Caramilla滿意地說：「真是一個極佳的平衡！多麼具裝飾性啊！我請各位暫且稍作等待，不必憂傷。稍後將為你們奉上一頓輕盈、不唐突的晚餐！」

“A fine balance!” said gracious Caramilla with obvious satisfaction. “Quite ornamental! I would ask you to wait a little without sorrow. You will be offered a light, ethereally-unobtrusive dinner!”

Eejit讚嘆道：「謝謝你，真是太神奇、簡直是宇宙級的優雅Caramilla，給予我們這樣徹底好客的歡迎！」

“Thank you, incredible, simply astronomical, gracious Caramilla, for such a radically hospitable welcome!” said Eejit.

接待員隨著自己那頗具戲劇感的髮型點了點頭，然後以一副誇張的步態退去，肩膀前後擺動，手臂在肘部處豎起彷彿在表演。離開時，她還補上一句同樣難以理解的話：「官方時尚！」

The hostess nodded as far as it was possible to given her hairstyle and then she withdrew with a flamboyant gait, moving her shoulders back and forth, her arms raised at the elbows. As she was leaving, she added another equally incomprehensible phrase. “Official fashion!”

「好啦，Eejit，」Cow說道，「看來你終於找到了那位足以匹配你口才的伴侶了。」

“Well, Eejit,” said Cow, “it looks like you’ve found a companion worthy of your eloquence at last.”

「說話小聲點，他們可能會聽到我們的，」Brunhilda警告道。「真是個怪異的傢伙！」Submarine輕聲驚嘆。

“Talk quietly, they might hear us,” Brunhilda warned. “What a strange individual!” Submarine exclaimed softly.

「依我看，浮誇有禮總比那個粗魯直接的女服務員強，」Eejit說。

“Well, if you ask me, better bombastic politeness than rude directness like that other waitress,” Eejit said.

「是啊，到目前為止還不錯，」Puscilla說。

“Yes, so far so good,” said Puscilla.

「Beast，你本來可以坐在我右邊，」女王帶著些許責怪的語氣說道，儘管往常她從不會有這樣的要求。

“You could have sat here to my right, Beast,” said the queen a note of reproach in her voice although formerly, such a desire would have been uncharacteristic on her part.

「或者坐在我旁邊，我的主，」Puscilla插話道。

“Or next to me, my lord,” Puscilla interjected.

「對不起，我的女王，也對不起你，Puscilla。」Beast急忙辯解說，「我還沒完全適應我的新模樣，感覺就像離水的魚一樣。」

“I’m sorry, my queen and you, Puscilla.” Beast found himself making excuses. “I have not yet settled into my new appearance and feel a bit like a fish out of water.”

「請允許我對這份榮譽致以真摯的感謝，陛下。」Eejit同樣覺得有必要為自己辯護。

“Allow me to express my gratitude for the honor, Your Majesty.” Eejit likewise felt he should justify himself.

(Eejit坐在Brunhilda的右側，而Cow坐在她左側。)「沒關係，」女王說。

(Eejit sat to Brunhilda’s right and Cow to her left.) “It doesn’t matter,” said the queen.

與此同時，優雅的Caramilla迅速回到了他們的桌邊。她帶來巨大扁平的盤子，並依據桌子的寬敞比例，莊重地將盤子逐一置於每位客人眼前。隨後，與這些大盤子形成鮮明對比的是，她用許多微小的茶碟盛放著輕盈的小點心和餅乾，並擺上數量繁多、款式各異的餐具。最後，接待員端出一個厚重的茶壺和一組精巧的小茶杯。

In the meantime, gracious Caramilla was swift in returning to their table. She brought huge, flat plates with her and ceremoniously placed them in front of each guest taking advantage of the table’s huge proportions. Then, in contrast to the sizeable plates, she covered the rest of the table with light snacks and biscuits served on numerous, tiny saucers. The cutlery she laid out was just as numerous and varied. In conclusion, the hostess brought out a hefty teapot and a collection of small teacups.

「一場史詩般的音樂會！」優雅的Caramilla在端完餐後驚呼，「你們會發現，在Villa Maravilla，一切都美輪美奐，令人嘆為觀止！」

“An epic concert!” gracious Caramilla exclaimed as she finished serving. “You will find that everything is magnificently exquisite at Villa Maravilla!”

「確實如此，優雅的Caramilla，」Eejit也以同樣浮誇的語調說道，「你的桌子簡直耀眼奪目、迷人至極，令人屏息不已！」

“Quite so, gracious Caramilla,” said Eejit in a similarly highfalutin manner. “Your table is simply dazzling, mesmerizing, breathtaking!”

「還多了些裝飾感呢，」優雅的Caramilla寬容地補充道。正當她準備離去時，她還隨口再拋出一句話以作點綴。

“Ornamental,” added gracious Caramilla indulgently. And as she was about to leave, she threw in another phrase for good measure.

「轉瞬即逝的影響！」

“Fleeting influences!”

「抱歉，這些影響究竟應該影響什麼呢？」Submarine按捺不住發問。接待員驚訝地轉過身來。

“Sorry, what exactly are these influences supposed to be influencing?” asked Submarine unable to restrain himself. The hostess turned around in surprise.

「當然是粗心大意！」

“Carelessness of course!”

「那到底是誰的影響呢？」Submarine帶著至少想明白接待員所說內容的希望繼續問道。

“And whose influences, are they?” continued Submarine in the hope of comprehending at least something of what his hostess was saying.

「星體的影響！」優雅的Caramilla回道，她對客人竟對此等基本概念一無所知感到震驚，「但如果高雅的、哲學性的對話比我這邊的供應來得更合你們口味，我隨時都可以給你們出一道哲學問題來解答。」

“Astral influences!” retorted gracious Caramilla, shocked that her guests were ignorant of such basic notions. “But if elevated, philosophical conversation is more to your taste than my offerings here, I can always set you a philosophical problem to solve.”

「什麼樣的問題？」Submarine被她的回答驚愕地問道。

“What kind of problem?” asked Submarine stunned by her reply.

「比如說這樣一道題：『恢復一場雄心壯志夢想的規模』。」

“Well, a problem such as this: ‘restore the volumes of an ambitious dream’.”

「不，不，根本不需要這麼做。真的，非常感謝你，優雅的Caramilla，」Cow打斷道，「我們更願意認識你那看起來令人垂涎的供應！」

“No, no, there’s no need. Really, many thanks, gracious Caramilla,” Cow interrupted. “We’d much rather become acquainted with your delicious-looking offerings!”

「如你所願！」優雅的Caramilla回答後便退下，幸好在情況變得更為複雜之前離去。

“As you wish!” said gracious Caramilla and then withdrew, thankfully, before the situation became any more complicated.

朋友們開始用餐，悠然自得地品味著晚餐。儘管女主人行為揮霍奢華，整個別墅的氛圍卻極適合舒適地消磨時光。此外，優雅的Caramilla十分體貼地各自忙著自己的事，絲毫不打擾客人的陪伴，讓大家終於有機會靜下心來交談。

The friends began to eat and took unhurried pleasure in their evening meal. The whole atmosphere at the villa turned out to be highly conducive to comfortably passing the time despite their hostess’ extravagant behavior. Moreover, gracious Caramilla was considerate enough to go about her own affairs without intruding on the company of her guests and so our friends had the opportunity to quietly talk things over at last.

「那麼，我們接下來該怎麼辦？」Submarine問道；「你是指哪方面？」Beast接著回答。

“So, what are we going to do?” asked Submarine. “In what sense?” Beast responded.

「問題的本質很明顯，」Eejit說，替眾人發聲，「除了那個蓋子之外，我們現在還有一道謎題要解——」

“The essence of the problem is clear,” Eejit said, taking it upon himself to answer for the others. “Aside from the lid, we now have another riddle to solve

——電影。

— the movie.”

「還有，為什麼電影會突然凍結呢？」Cow補充道。

“And why a movie might suddenly freeze?” Cow added.

「以及那些奇怪的會發光、編織成辮狀的延伸物，還有那些融入地下消失的藍光……這一切究竟是怎麼回事？」Puscilla插話道，「我從未見過這樣的事。」

“And those strange luminous, woven extensions the mannequins have, like plaits, and the blue rays that disappear into the ground... what is all that about?” Puscilla interjected. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

「最重要的是我們必須試著弄清楚我們到底身處何處，」Brunhilda說道。

“The most important thing is for us to try and work out where we are?” said Brunhilda.

「問題在於，我們最終所處的這個世界究竟是真實的，還是一場幻覺呢？」Eejit繼續道。

“The question is whether the world we have ended up in is real or an illusion?” Eejit continued.

「我們竟然來到了另一個世界……？」Submarine問道。「也不一定真的是換了一個世界，可能只是我們那個世界出現了某些怪異狀況。畢竟，蓋子這件事最初也是從我們的世界開始的。」

“We’ve ended up in a different world...?” asked Submarine. “We might not necessarily be in a different world. It might just be that something weird is happening to our own world. The whole issue with the lid began in our own world, after all”

「是啊，但我們的現實從來沒有像現在這樣突然停擺，」Cow指出，「而且在我們的世界裡從來沒遇過那些奇怪得無法穿透的物體。記得那堵背後海浪拍打的隱形牆嗎？」

“Yes, but our reality has never stopped like this,” Cow noted. “And never in our world did we come across strange, impenetrable objects. Remember the invisible wall with the sea splashing behind it?”

「Puscilla也曾說過她那邊的現實出了問題，」Beast說道。

“Puscilla was saying that something is wrong with her local reality, too,” said Beast.

「Puscilla，你見過那堵牆嗎？」女王問道。

“Puscilla, have you ever seen the wall?” asked the queen.

「不，陛下，我根本不知道你在說什麼，」Puscilla回答。

“No, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Majesty,” answered Puscilla.

「那表示你從來沒去過那裡。你在這裡待了很久嗎？」「不，沒多久，但我根本不記得我是怎麼到這裡的。」

“That must mean that you haven’t ever been there. Have you been here long?” “No, not long but I don’t actually remember how I got here.”

「你能告訴我們這地方的情況嗎？」

“What can you tell us about this place?”

「除了我之前說的之外，真的沒什麼其他可說的。這裡的世界好似不是真的，裡面的人也仿佛虛幻。總之，這就像一場『puppet theatre』（傀儡劇），完全不屬於其他任何形式的catology (Note:catology保留原詞)。」

“Nothing really apart from what I’ve already told you. It is like this world is not real and the people in it aren’t real either. In a word, it’s a ‘puppet theatre’. It doesn’t fit any other cattology.”

「你曾提過，人物能根據書中的內容而出現或消失……」

“You mentioned that characters can appear and then disappear depending on what’s written in a book…”

「是的，在這裡，無論你寫下什麼，連最細微的細節都能變成現實。唯一對我沒用的，就是寫那個蓋子的事。不知怎的，無論你怎麼寫，似乎都無法改變那個蓋子。」

“Yes, here, whatever you write, it all comes true down to the smallest detail. The only thing that didn’t work for me was writing about the lid. For some reason, nothing you write can influence the lid.”

「另一方面，除了當地居民怪異的舉止外，這裡的一切看起來都十分真實，」Eejit說道，「拿食物來說吧，對我來說真的非常逼真。」

“On the other hand, everything here looks very real with the exception of the strange behavior of the local inhabitants,” said Eejit. “Take the food, for example. Seems pretty real to me.”

「是啊，但當你做夢時，吃的東西在夢裡看起來也非常真實，」Cow說道。

“Yes, but when you dream you are eating the food seems real to you then, too,” Cow said.

「所以，你是說這一切都是一場夢？」Submarine問道，「不可能我們所有人同時都在做同一場夢，對吧？」

“So, you’re saying that all this is a dream?” asked Submarine. “We can’t all be having the same dream at the same time, though, can we?”

「或許只有我們其中的一個在做夢，」Beast推測道。

“Maybe only one of us is dreaming,” Beast surmised.

「那就更妙了，」Submarine驚呼道，「也就是說，比方說，是你在做夢，而我根本不是真的，我只不過是你夢中的一個碎片？」

“Even better,” Submarine exclaimed. “So, you’re saying for example, that you’re the one having a dream and I’m not really real. I’m just a fragment of your dream?”

「夢中的角色都不是真實的，連做夢的人也一樣，」Cow說。「不，這完全是胡說。我們必須搞清楚自己究竟身在何處，顯然我們不在自己的世界裡。」

“None of the characters in a dream are real including the person whose dream it is,” Cow said. “No, this is all nonsense. We need to find out where we are. It’s totally obvious that we aren’t in our own world.”

「我肯定不在我的世界裡，」Puscilla確認道，「我告訴你，這個世界不是真的，這簡直太mogious了，儘管又極其catty-concerning。」

“I’m definitely not in mine,” Puscilla confirmed. “I’m telling you, this world isn’t real, that’s totally mogious, although highly catty-concerning.”

「還有一件事我們必須做！」Submarine說道，「我們得記住我們是誰！」其他人默然沉思，靜靜反覆揣摩剛才所談的一切。

“And there’s one other thing we need to do!” said Submarine. “We need to remember who we are!” The others did not respond quietly contemplating for a moment all that had been said.

Eejit終於打破了沉默。

Eejit finally broke the silence.

「正如我們尊貴的女王所說，我感覺就像一張全新的白紙。」

“I feel like a completely clean sheet as our esteemed queen put it.”

「正如Beast所說，我覺得自己彷彿重獲新生，」Cow說，「尤其是我不再是一頭橙色牛，而變成一個圓滾滾的紅髮人，轉變得毫無道理可言。」

“And as Beast said, I feel like I’ve been born again,” said Cow. “Especially as I’m no longer an orange cow but a chubby red-head, transformed without rhyme or reason.”

「而且莫名其妙地，我不再是潛水艇，而成了一個金髮女郎，」Submarine補充道。

“And for no apparent reason, I’m no longer a submarine but a blonde,” added Submarine.

「而Shaggy Beast也不再是一個長髮野獸，而變成了一位外表頗具魅力的神秘年輕人，」女王補充說。

“And Shaggy Beast is no longer a long-haired beast but a mysterious young man of interesting appearance,” added the queen.

「我受寵若驚，女王陛下，」Beast鞠躬道。

“I’m flattered, my queen,” said Beast with a bow.

「而我早就跟你們說過我自己的狀況和那份catty-likeness，」Puscilla說，話題於此告一段落。

“And I’ve already told you about myself and my catty-likeness,” said Puscilla closing the circle.

「據我所理解，自從我們遇上那道牆般的物件後，我們便失去了記住自己的能力，」Brunhilda說，「至少我是這麼感覺的。」

“As far as I understand it, we stopped being able to remember ourselves the moment we came across the wall object,” said Brunhilda. “At least, that’s the impression I get.”

「看來確實如此，」Eejit贊同道，「我們多少還是對自己有著模糊的認知，畢竟，我們對自己到底是誰已有個大致概念。」

“So, it would seem,” Eejit agreed. “We do vaguely know ourselves, though, don’t we. I mean, we definitely have a rough sense of who we are.”

「是的，」Cow說，「比如說，我知道Eejit是我們中最聰明、最理性的人，而女王Brunhilda則是最智慧、最明辨是非的。」

“Yes,” said Cow. “For example, I know that Eejit is the smartest and most rational of us all and that Queen Brunhilda is the wisest and most judicious.”

「Cow最有禮，而Submarine最為輕浮，」Eejit接著說。

“Cow is the politest and Submarine the most frivolous,” continued Eejit.

「不，不是輕浮，而是心胸開闊！」Submarine反駁道，「只是我的所有念頭都輕盈明快，可不像你這個哲學家。」

“No, not frivolous but light of mind!” objected Submarine. “It’s just that all my thoughts are light, not like you, the philosopher.”

「隨你怎麼說吧，」Eejit再次點頭贊同地說，「我怎敢和一個金髮女郎爭辯。」

“Whatever you say,” Eejit said agreeing again. “I would not dare argue with a blonde.”

「Beast以往固然粗鄙，但如今卻恰好相反。你怎麼解釋這一點？」Cow繼續道，「至於Puscilla……大概是最精緻的了。」

“Beast is the most uncouth, although now it’s the opposite. How do you explain that?” Cow continued. “And Puscilla... is probably the most refined.”

「最世故的，」Puscilla快樂地說。

“The most sophisticat,” said Puscilla happily.

「我們在某種意義上了解自己，但同時又似乎不盡然，」女王說道。

“We know ourselves in one sense and at the same time, we don’t,” said the queen.

「簡而言之，我們必須搞清楚自己身在何處，以及如何才能離開這裡，」Eejit總結道，「或許到時候我們會重新記起自己。」

“In short, we need to determine where we are and how we’re going to get out of here,” Eejit said summing up. “Maybe we’ll remember ourselves, then.”

「也許我們該回家？」Submarine建議道。

“Maybe we should go home?” Submarine suggested.

說完這話，他們又都陷入沉默。

At these words, they all fell silent again.

「但這方法能行嗎？」Cow表達著大家的疑慮說。「你知道該往哪個方向走嗎？」Puscilla問道，「我是說，我完全不知道。」

“But will it work?” said Cow expressing the doubt they all felt. “Do you know which way to go?” asked Puscilla. “I mean, I don’t.”

「我恐怕連怎麼回到那個奇異物件的路都記不起來了，」Eejit說，「有誰記得嗎？」卻無人回答。

“I don’t think I could even remember how to get back to the strange object,” said Eejit. “Does anyone remember?” No-one answered.

「這次我也無能為力了，」Cow說，「畢竟我現在已失去了雙翼。」

“I can’t help this time either,” said Cow, “now that I am without my wings.”

「但那又有何意義？」Brunhilda問道，「我們可不是辛苦趕來，最後還捲縮著尾巴走回去，對吧？我們先搞清楚來這裡的目的吧。」

“But what would be the point?” asked Brunhilda. “We did not come all this way to return with our tails between our legs, did we? Let’s first sort out what we came to do.”

人人皆同意，便將注意力重新轉向這次探險的真正目的。

Everyone agreed and they shifted their attention back to the purpose of the expedition.

就在這時，優雅的Caramilla再次慷慨現身，「有什麼願望、追求或意志的表達之類的嗎？」

At that moment, gracious Caramilla was kind enough to reappear. “Any desires, strivings or expressions of will to hand, perhaps?”

「客人本就不宜表露意志，優雅的Caramilla。」照慣例，Eejit擔當起發言人的角色，「首先，我們心懷感激；其次，有個小小的請求：我們已感疲憊，倘若可以，現在請讓我們休息一會兒。」

“Expressions of will are hardly appropriate in a guest, gracious Caramilla.” As usual, Eejit took on the role of spokesperson. “Firstly, we are filled with gratitude, and secondly, a humble request: we are tired and would like to rest, now, if you will.”

「您那裡有現金嗎？」最優雅的Caramilla詢問道。「多少錢呢？」Brunhilda問。

“Do you have cash to hand?” inquired the most gracious Caramilla. “How much is it?” asked Brunhilda.

優雅的Caramilla伸手進入她那飽滿裙擺上精緻的口袋，抽出一張便條紙，轉過身背向客人，莊重地將便條遞給了女王。女王看了一眼便條，點頭同意後，清點出所需金額，並交給了接待員。

The gracious Caramilla reached into the elegant pocket of her full skirt, pulled out a scrap of paper, turned her back to her guests and handed the note ceremoniously to the queen. The queen glanced at the note, agreed and then counted out the necessary sum and handed it over to their hostess.

「那麼，在Villa Maravilla，你們將會享受那無邊無際、使人極盡放鬆的床榻！請跟我來，請跟我來！」優雅的Caramilla如此說著，隨後領著眾人上樓來到二樓。

“Then in Villa Maravilla, you will be triumphantly laid out in encompassable beds for unencompassable rest! Please, follow me, follow me!” said gracious Caramilla and led the group up the stairs to the second floor.

床榻確實是令人稱頌的。厚重的鐵架上覆蓋著豐厚的床墊與毯子，各式尺寸的枕頭彷彿堆成一座座小金字塔。由於賓客房僅有五間，而Cow與Submarine都說「我們可以共用，我們寧願一起共用」，因此他們共用了一間房，其餘賓客則各自獲得一間。這樣大家都很滿意，這一天也圓滿落幕。

The beds were indeed triumphal. On heavy iron bases covered with lush mattresses and blankets, rose entire pyramids of pillows in all different sizes. Given that there were only five guests rooms, and Cow and Submarine said, ‘we can share, we’d prefer to share,’ they were given one room which meant that the others all had a room each. So, everyone was happy. The day ended well.

西班牙語中，'Maravilla'意指奇蹟、令人驚異之物。

Spanish: ’Maravilla’ meaning a marvel, something wondrous, astounding.