"What a queer, excited way you have of speaking," he looked annoyed.
“你怎么用这样激动的怪调说话,”这人显得有些不大高兴。
"Tell me," I said again. "Is this the year 3000?"
“请告诉我,”我又说,“今年是不是公元3000年?”
"I haven't the faintest idea," he said.
“我一无所知,”他回答道。
"Don't you keep track of them any more?" I gasped.
“难道你们不再记载时间了吗?”我吃惊地倒抽了一口气。
"We used to," said the man. "But it died out. Why," he continued, "after we eliminated death—"
“我们曾经记载过,”那人说道。“但后来就没有了。因为,”他接着说,“在我们消灭了死亡以后——”
"Eliminated death!" I cried, sitting upright.
“消灭死亡!”我叫道,兴奋得坐直了起来。
"I was saying—after we had eliminated death, and food, and—"
“我刚才说到——在我们消灭了死亡和食物以及——”
"Stop!" I said, my brain reeling. "Tell me one thing at a time."
“等等!”我说,这时我的脑子都晕了,“请您一件一件地讲。”
"Humph!" he ejaculated. "I see, you must have been asleep a long time. Go on then and ask questions."
他突然“哼”了一声,说道:“我明白了,您肯定是睡了很长时间了。好吧,您有问题就问吧。”
Oddly enough the first question that sprang to my lips was—
奇怪的是,我脱口而出的第一个问题居然是——
"What are those clothes made of?"
“您身上穿的衣服是什么做的?”
"Asbestos," answered the man.
“石棉,”那人回答说。
"Thank you," I answered. "Now tell me where I am."
“谢谢,”我回答道,“现在请告诉我,我这是在哪里?”
"You are in a museum. The figures in the cases are specimens like yourself. But here," he said, "if you want really to find out about what is evidently a new epoch to you, get off your platform and come out on Broadway."
“您现在在一家博物馆里。那些橱窗里的人都是像您一样的展品。但是,”他说,“如果您真想了解这个对您来说显然全新的时代,您就要从这展台上走下来,出去到百老汇大街看看。”
I got down. But the moment we came out upon the street, I stood riveted in astonishment.
我走下了展台。可是我们刚走到街上,我就吃惊地站在那里,动弹不得了。