He was a mere4 ten paces short of his goal when loose gravel5 beneath his heavy boot betrayed him. Even in the thin Martian atmosphere, the sound was a sharp one. The creature spun6 about, one appendage7 gripping the haft of a slim crystal tube. He froze there, watching Lloyd with odd oval-shaped eyes, yellow-orange in color. Lloyd's thumb slid back the safety catch on his automatic, slowly, carefully.
Then the creature lowered the tube and its wide lipless mouth curled in what had to be a grin. "Ookl okkl?" it said distinctly.
Lloyd looked into the alien eyes and was pleased to see the intelligence within their depths. He reholstered his pistol and held out his hand. "Lieutenant Lloyd of the Sherlock II," he said.
The alien hesitated, then inserted the four flaccid stalk-things at the end of its "arm" into Lloyd's hand. They shook these clasped appendages8 solemnly, then withdrew their own with relief.
"Boy, am I glad you Martians are friendly!" Lloyd laughed. "When I saw you up the street, I envisioned a full-scale guerrilla attack and—Damn, you're not getting a word of this, are you?"
In reply, the creature pointed9 to its thoracic region and said, "Ulkay Blet." It pointed to Lloyd again and enunciated10 carefully, "Lieutenant Lloyd."
"Glad to know you, Ulkay. Or do I call you by both names? Or just Mister Blet?"
"Ulkay," the alien said. "Blet," he added. "Ulkay Blet," he clarified, with an almost Earthlike shrug11.
It was strictly12 a take-your-pick name, Lloyd saw. He took his pick. "Ulkay, tell me, are you the last of your race, or are there others of your kind still left alive on Mars?"
Ulkay just stared, friendly but lost.
Lloyd tried again. "I—" he pointed to himself—"am here with more like me—" he pointed to himself, held up one finger to Ulkay, then pointed in a long sweep behind himself toward the end of the street and held up four fingers. His only success was an envious13 look from Ulkay at Lloyd's extra finger.
"Hoo boy!" said Lloyd, smacking14 his brow in chagrin15. "This is a rough one. Look, Ulkay, you hold on and don't be scared." He laid a hand upon Ulkay's shoulder for assurance, then turned his head and shouted, "Here! This way, men!"
The sound of heavy booted feet began, far up the cluttered16 street. Lloyd felt Ulkay grow tense. "It's all right," he said slowly, soothingly17, as one talks to a horse or dog, knowing the tone conveys what the words cannot. Ulkay seemed to sense the assurance and relaxed a little.
In another minute, Kroner, Harrison, Tandy and Craig were beside their commanding officer, gaping18 with unconcealed glee at the slightly under five-foot form of Ulkay, who stared right back, steadily19 if not boldly.
"Our first contact with a Martian!" Kroner exulted20, his voice metallic21 through the oxygen helmet.
"Does he talk?" Harrison wanted to know immediately.
"Where are his friends?" asked Tandy, frowning.
Craig, unable to think of a question, was silent. But it was to Craig that Lloyd addressed his first statement. "He speaks a language. His name is Ulkay Blet. Think you can rig a written or oral Rosetta Stone for us, Craig?"
"Is he alone, though?" said Tandy, irked that his question had gone unanswered. "His buddies23 might be around here waiting to pick us off. This is their city, after all, and we're trespassers."
Lloyd shook his head dubiously24. "I think you're wrong, Tandy. Ulkay's got some sort of weapon with him and he put it away without trying to use it. If there are others, they're probably intelligent and friendly, too."
"Unless I'm mistaken," Kroner remarked dryly, "we're about to put your statement to the test."
"What—?" said Lloyd, and looked where Kroner was now facing.
Seven creatures like Ulkay were on their way toward the group, each bearing one of those long crystal rods. At first glance, they all looked alike to Lloyd. Then, as they drew nearer, he saw that they were as different from one another as he from his own men.
"Ulkay," he said softly, "would you tell your friends that we're their friends? They look kind of trigger-happy and...."
Ulkay, catching25 Lloyd's meaning from the way he looked toward the approaching squad26, turned and babbled28 something at them. They hesitated. Then all put their crystal rods into short scabbards hanging from their belts.
Behind him, Lloyd heard Tandy's sigh of relief. He turned to Craig. "You and Ulkay see if you can set up something to bridge the language barrier, while Kroner and I go back to the ship and radio the news back to Earth."
"Okay," said Craig. He was the expedition's linguist29, but extremely shy, considering he was the liaison30 man with any aliens they encountered. "I'll start them with numbers; that's usually a good kicking-off place, and then I can work into body parts, relationships, and—"
"Whoa," said Lloyd. Craig could be talkative on his professional topics. "I don't want the details, just some results. Kroner and I should be back in about an hour. I'll talk with Ulkay then, if you can show me how to reach him."
He and Kroner strode off to their ship, set onto the cold red sands a mile away.
It would take nearly three minutes for a message to reach Earth, and another three, at least, before the reply came back, so Lloyd, dispensing31 with formality, sent, "This is Lieutenant Lloyd of the Sherlock II. We have landed successfully on Mars, discovered a decaying Martian city, and eight inhabitants, so far. If you read me, set up a recorder and signal me when you are ready to tape my report."
He sat back in the chair with a sigh. "There, that cuts out a lot of fuss," he remarked to Kroner.
"And the less time spent away from our men, the better."
"Yes," said Lloyd. "How does this thing—well, how does it feel to you?"
"Too easy," said Kroner without hesitation32. "Of course, there's no reason why it should feel at all hard, is there?"
"No," Lloyd admitted reluctantly. "No reason at all why we shouldn't establish contact with these Martians, find them friendly, get our information about their city, way of life, and so on, and go back safely to Earth and home. But—"
"Yeah," said Kroner. "'But!'"
"They act friendly."
"Maybe that's all it is, an act. But if they're not going to be chums, why go to all this trouble? You know what I mean, sir?"
Lloyd leaned back in the padded chair and scratched his short-cropped head. "Beats me. And yet I can't help feeling uncomfortable about—There's the blinker. Earth's ready to record." He dropped the conversation and set himself to telling Earth of developments so far.
"Is it some sort of taboo33 or what?" Lloyd demanded irritably34 of Craig. It was three hours since he and Kroner had returned from the ship, and communication with Ulkay and his bunch had been established—but with one annoying and unexpected feature.
"I can't seem to find out, sir," Craig said miserably35. "He's responsive on almost every other topic, but when I ask him about the city here, he says he can't tell me. I've asked him why, but his answer escapes me."
"When he says he 'can't' tell you, does he mean he is physically36 unable to, or forbidden to?"
"I'm not even sure if it's 'can't.' It might just be 'won't.' But I am sure it's a negative of some sort. They shake their heads and nod same as we do for yes and no."
"Let's see that list," Lloyd said, his voice tired.
Craig held it out, but Kroner took it. "You've looked at it ten times in the past hour, sir," he apologized. "Let me have a whack37 at it."
Lloyd started to argue the point, then gave it up. "Okay, Sergeant38. See what you can make of it. If you can ask a clear question of Ulkay and Company with those choice bits of language, I'll put in your name for a decoration."
Kroner scanned the list, noting with fading hope the vocabulary he had to work with. "Wish we had more verbs!" he said.
"They're the hardest, always," said Craig. "Active ones are easy enough, though the tenses and irregularities can be tough, but the non-active—the intransitive—can't be demonstrated the way actions and things can."
"Well, we've got Mars, and city, and—that's a good one—men. That's them?"
Craig nodded.
"Hey, weren't there eight of those guys a while back? We're two short!"
"What?" said Lloyd, looking over at the aliens. "You're right, Kroner! Ulkay's gone, and—let me see—that heavy-set one with the big shoulder-span. Where the hell—?"
Tandy and Harrison came up at that moment.
"Sir," Tandy looked disgusted, "we can't find out a thing from the rubble. No heavy radiation present, so it kind of discounts an atomic war, although—"
One side of Tandy's mouth twisted. "Yes, sir. Very little of the rubble seems to be due to any heavy damage. I mean, no buildings have collapsed40 or anything like that. It's just as though time had crumbled41 off a brick hole here and there, and nobody bothered sweeping42 the street."
"The city gates were knocked down," Lloyd protested.
Tandy shook his head. "Not knocked down, sir—fallen. It's my opinion this place is just obsolete43, a sort of last-year's model that needs a new coat of paint and an engine overhaul44. Except for all the dust, sand and crumbled material, it's in pretty good shape."
"You mean it's unfashionable but serviceable?" said Kroner. "Like a spring-driven phonograph?"
"That's about it, Sergeant," Tandy nodded. "Anything else, you're going to have to ask the Martians themselves."
"Which brings me back to my earlier apprehension," said Kroner. "I don't like the idea of two of those guys being missing. Hold on—there they come! And with a small cannon45, unless I miss my guess!"
The Earthmen were all on their feet now, facing the pair of aliens who lugged46 a heavy contraption with a tubular nozzle on the front of it up the street toward the waiting group.
"It can't be a cannon," said Lloyd, puzzled. "Why would they bother, when hand-weapons would do?"
By that time, Ulkay and his crony had the gadget47 set down on a tripod base and were turning dials on its side. The Earthmen, every one of them, loosened pistols in their holsters, but only Tandy actually brought his out.
Then they jumped as a metallic voice came out through the gadget's nozzle. "Men!" said the voice. "Do not possess fear."
"A miracle!" gasped48 Craig. "It's a translating machine!" He rushed forward to view this thing, his face glowing with delight.
Lloyd, recovering from his start, saw that Ulkay was speaking into a tube at the side of the machine, and realized that his translated voice had been the one heard.
"Ulkay," he said, going toward the machine, "does this work both ways?"
Ulkay nodded and pointed to the nozzle on the front. "This," said his voice from the nozzle, "picks up as well as recepts."
"Receives," said Craig automatically.
"—as receives," said the nozzle automatically. "There will exist some few ungrammatics but it will mostly make sensible."
"Man, this simplifies everything!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Ulkay, do you mind if we ask you some questions?"
Ulkay, via the nozzle, replied with dignity, "You and your Craig have questioned with relentless49 of us. Can we be allowed the similar luck?"
"I beg your pardon," Lloyd said sincerely. "Go ahead and ask."
"These transparents you wear upon your faces, why?" asked the nozzle, in a mechanical monotone.
"The air." Lloyd gestured with a sweep of his arm. "It is too thin to support our kind of life without these masks."
"Strange," said the nozzle. "And where are your women?"
"We did not bring them with us," said Lloyd. "We made this trip strictly to find you."
Ulkay stared at Lloyd a long moment. Then the nozzle asked, "What trip?"
"To your city," said Lloyd. "To your planet."
Ulkay frowned, then fiddled50 a moment with a dial on the side of the machine. The nozzle spoke51 slowly this time. "Repeat your response. It was not a sensible."
"We came here. To Mars. To find you." Lloyd said it carefully and distinctly, feeling very uneasy.
"But this is Earth," said the nozzle loudly.
"To you it is Earth," said Lloyd, with a tolerant smile. "I think we're having a semantic problem, Ulkay. Each planet's self-name would translate as 'Earth.' This machine cannot make the proper distinction."
"No, no, no!" came the nozzle's voice. "You say your planet is called 'Earth'. Why do you now call it 'Mars'?"
"We don't," said Lloyd, bewildered. "We call this planet Mars. Our planet is called Earth—"
"Sir!" Kroner grasped his arm tightly. "Wait a minute! I think I get it!... Ulkay! Is this your planet?"
"No," said the nozzle. "Is it not yours?"
"Numbers!" said Craig. "Ask him by the number of the planet from the sun."
"We are from Earth, the third planet from the sun," said Lloyd, holding up three fingers for emphasis. "Where are you from?"
"Venusians?" Tandy squawked, while Harrison doubled up in a fit of laughter as the idea sank in. In another moment, both groups—Ulkay's and Lloyd's—had joined him in a tension-breaking paroxysm of mirth.
Ulkay, still chuckling54, pointed in the opposite direction to that in which the Sherlock II was standing55. "Outside the west gate of the city," said the nozzle. "Where are you?"
"Outside the east gate. We thought you were Martians—people of this, the fourth planet."
"And we in turn thought you were Martians," said Ulkay, through the nozzle. There was more laughter in both groups.
"For Pete's sake!" muttered Lloyd. "For Pete's sake! Look, Ulkay, why don't both our groups get some rest and we'll make our inspection56 tour of the city tomorrow, the two groups together?"
Ulkay, after a babble27 of discussion with his men, was in agreement with this plan, and they and the Earthmen shared a large room within one of the old abandoned buildings.
"Not on these," Lloyd explained. "They're not tank masks; they're compression masks. A hydraulic58 system inside the suit keeps a compressor running in this gadget on our backs, as long as we're moving about. Martian air is thin but non-poisonous."
"But if you sleep?"
"The air runs low, which makes us fidget, which pumps more air through the compressors," Lloyd explained.
Ulkay expressed admiration59 at the cleverness of Earth scientists, and then joined his men in slumber60. The Earthmen, tired and happy, fell soundly asleep.
It was still dark, the chill purple dark of Mars at night, when Lloyd awakened61 abruptly62. His body was tense and his mind keenly alert. Something was wrong. He felt it, but couldn't place the source of his uneasiness.
He sat up and looked about him. Starlight, coming in bright pinpoints63 through a high arched window, glinted reassuringly64 off the helmets of his men, lying in pools of deep shadow all about him. He looked for Ulkay and his group, and saw their smaller silhouettes65 huddled66 on the stone flooring. Feeling a little better, he lay down once more and tried to fall back to sleep. But there was a gnawing67, nagging68 something in his mind that would not allow sleep to come.
"What's bothering me?" he asked himself. "Is it something about Ulkay and his bunch? The only really odd thing about them is that they don't wear any breathing equipment in this thin air, right? And didn't Ulkay explain that the atmosphere on Venus is just as thin? It didn't jibe69 with Harrison's opinion about atmospheres, but Harrison hasn't actually been to Venus, after all, and the cloudiness still keeps its atmosphere a secret from Earth's spectroscopes, right?"
His mind assured him that this was right and he felt a little better, but not much.
"So what's eating me? A hunch70? Intuition? Or just alien-planet nerves?" he went on. "Why should I wake up in the middle of the night feeling scared? Aren't my men all present and accounted for? Aren't they sleeping quietly, just as they should be?"
Feeling annoyed with his own nebulous fears, Lloyd sat up again and looked over the groups, Ulkay's and his own. As he watched, Kroner grunted71 in his sleep and rolled over. Tandy's helmet emitted gentle snoring noises. Harrison and Craig lay more quietly, but their chests could be seen, even in that dim light, rising and falling normally. Lloyd excoriated72 his imagination for worrying him—it had fed him a quick suggestion that perhaps his companions' masks had been slit73, suffocating74 them silently to death.
"I must trust Ulkay; it's necessary," said Lloyd to himself. "I can't let these groundless fears spoil future relations between Earth and Venus. The Venusians are friendly and intelligent, and not really odd-looking, once you discount the number of digits on their hands and a few unearthly color schemes on their torsos. So what am I scared of?"
Cold touched his spine75, shocking him into alertness, as he isolated76 his fear. He rolled over and shook Kroner awake with barbaric callousness77.
"Huh? Wha?" said Kroner, sitting up.
"Sergeant," said Lloyd, trying to confide78 his fear to the other man, "when we got here, we were nervous about making contact with aliens, right?"
"Yeah," Kroner said sleepily. "But it turned out okay, sir, didn't it?" He shook his groggy79 head. "I mean, Ulkay and his bunch are okay, aren't they?"
"Yeah," said Lloyd shakily. "They are fine—but, Kroner, they're not the right aliens!"
It took Kroner a moment to get it. When he did, he came awake with a jolt80. "And we haven't even posted a guard!"
His men—and Ulkay's a few seconds later—were up, everybody snapping on portable torches and setting the chamber82 alive with flashing lights.
"Ulkay!" Lloyd said, rushing to the Venusian. "If you're not the Martians, and we're not the Martians, then there is still a chance that someone else is the Martians!"
Ulkay yelled something to his men, and Lloyd watched with horror as each Venusian fumbled83 at an empty scabbard upon his belt. Lloyd's hand shot to his holster and found there just what his men were finding in their own holsters: nothing.
Then the glaring overhead lights of the room came on, revealing the surrounding phalanx of hard-eyed, armed creatures.
"Unless I'm mistaken," Lloyd said, "the Martians have discovered us."
An instant later, there was nothing in the center of the alien room but half-molten air compressors and the charred85, smoking remains86 of a funny-looking little nozzle, still echoing a bilingual chorus of agony.
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收听单词发音
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1
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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rubble
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| n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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appendage
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| n.附加物 | |
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appendages
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| n.附属物( appendage的名词复数 )；依附的人；附属器官；附属肢体（如臂、腿、尾等） | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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enunciated
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| v.（清晰地）发音( enunciate的过去式和过去分词 )；确切地说明 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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smacking
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| 活泼的，发出响声的，精力充沛的 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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cluttered
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| v.杂物，零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的过去式和过去分词 )；乱糟糟地堆满，把…弄得很乱；（以…） 塞满… | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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exulted
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| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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22
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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23
buddies
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| n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人 | |
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dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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27
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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babbled
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| v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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linguist
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| n.语言学家；精通数种外国语言者 | |
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liaison
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| n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通 | |
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31
dispensing
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| v.分配( dispense的现在分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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taboo
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| n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止 | |
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irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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whack
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| v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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surmises
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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42
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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obsolete
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| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
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overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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46
lugged
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| vt.用力拖拉（lug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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gadget
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| n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿 | |
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48
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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49
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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50
fiddled
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| v.伪造( fiddle的过去式和过去分词 )；篡改；骗取；修理或稍作改动 | |
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51
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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digits
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| n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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hydraulic
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| adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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pinpoints
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| 准确地找出或描述( pinpoint的第三人称单数 )； 为…准确定位 | |
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reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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silhouettes
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| 轮廓( silhouette的名词复数 )； （人的）体形； （事物的）形状； 剪影 | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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nagging
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| adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
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jibe
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| v.嘲笑，与...一致，使转向；n.嘲笑，嘲弄 | |
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hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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excoriated
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| v.擦伤( excoriate的过去式和过去分词 )；擦破（皮肤）；剥（皮）；严厉指责 | |
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slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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callousness
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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groggy
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| adj.体弱的；不稳的 | |
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jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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abetted
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| v.教唆（犯罪）( abet的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；怂恿；支持 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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