雙語暢銷書《艾倫圖靈傳》第7章:運轉起來(18)
Other scientists were finding the war to be awarding them a power and influence denied in the 1930s, and thrived upon it.
For Alan Turing, the war had certainly brought new experiences and ideas, and the chance to do something.
但是對於艾倫·圖靈來說，戰爭帶來的只是新的實驗和想法，以及做些實事的機會，並沒有帶來駕馭他人的興趣。But it had given him no taste for organising other people, and it had left his axioms unchanged.
他的原則始終未變，他是一個本性難移的隱者，
A confirmed solitary, he wanted something of his own again.
現在，他再次想要回頭做點自己的事了。It would also take more than the Second World War to change his mother's ideas, which in December 1943 focussed as always upon the duty of choosing Christmas presents. Alan wrote to her on 23 December:
1943年12月，他認真地履行了挑選聖誕禮物的義務。要改變他母親的想法，需要的不光是二戰。12月23日，艾倫寫信給母親：My dear Mother,
我親愛的媽媽：Thank you for your enquiry as to what I should like for Christmas, but really I think we had better have a moratorium this year.
感謝你問我我想要什麼聖誕禮物，但是我想今年最好是不要了。I can think of a lot of things I should like which I know to be unobtainable, e.g. a nice chess set to replace the one that was stolen from here while I was away, and which you gave me in 1922 or so: but I know it is useless to try at present.
我想要的禮物，肯定是得不到的。比如說，我想要一套精美的國際象棋，就像你1922年送給我的那套。但我知道目前來說這是不可能的。There is an old set here that I can use till the war is over.
我這還有一套舊的，在戰爭結束前，我就玩這套吧。I had a week's leave fairly recently. Went up to the lakes with Champernowne and stayed in Prof. Pigou's cottage on Buttermere.
我最近放了一星期假注，和晨佩儂一起待在庇古博士的木屋裏，在巴特米爾湖區。I had no idea it was worth while to go amongst the mountains at this time of year, but we had the most marvellous weather, with no rain at all and snow only for a few minutes when we were up on Great Gable.
我不知道這個季節原本是否適合爬山，但我們遇到了最好的天氣，我們高高地站在大蓋布爾山頂，那裏一點雨都沒下，只下了幾分鐘雪。Unfortunately Champernowne caught a chill and retired to bed half-way through.
但不幸的是，晨佩儂感冒了，半路就回去躺牀上休息了。This was in the middle of November, so I don't think I'll be taking Christmas leave until February....
那是11月的中旬，所以在明年2月之前，我不會再去度聖誕假了……Yours, Alan
你的艾倫
