經典科幻文學:《宇宙盡頭的餐館》第6章6

“Nothing particularly exciting,” it admitted, “but they are alternatives.”
“Holy Zarquon,” muttered Zaphod, “did I ask for an existentialist elevator?” he beat his fists against the wall.
“What’s the matter with the thing?” he spat.
“It doesn’t want to go up,” said Marvin simply, “I think it’s afraid.”
“Afraid?” cried Zaphod, “Of what? Heights? An elevator that’s afraid of heights?”
“No,” said the elevator miserably, “of the future…”
“The future?” exclaimed Zaphod, “What does the wretched thing want, a pension scheme?”
At that moment a commotion broke out in the reception hall behind them. From the walls around them came the sound of suddenly active machinery.
“We can all see into the future,” whispered the elevator in what sounded like terror, “it’s part of our programming.”
Zaphod looked out of the elevator – an agitated crowd had gathered round the elevator area, pointing and shouting.
Every elevator in the building was coming down, very fast. He ducked back in.
“Marvin,” he said, “just get this elevator go up will you? We’ve got to get to Zarniwoop.”
“Why?” asked Marvin dolefully.
“I don’t know,” said Zaphod, “but when I find him, he’d better have a very good reason for me wanting to see him.”

“沒什麼特別讓人興奮的，”它承認道，“不過它們全都可供選擇。”
“天啊，”贊福德喃喃地說，“乘坐一部信奉存在主義的電梯！我提過這種要求嗎？”他舉起拳頭砸在牆上。
“這玩意兒究竟是怎麼了？”他吐了口唾沫，說。
“它不願意往上走，”馬文簡潔地說，“我想它是害怕了。”
“害怕？”贊福德叫了起來。“怕什麼？高度嗎？一部電梯居然會有恐高症？”
“不，”電梯悲慘地說，“是害怕未來……”
“未來？”贊福德喊到。“這個該死的傢伙究竟想要什麼？一份養老金計劃嗎？”
就在這時，他們身後的接待大廳裏起了一陣騷動。而他們周圍的牆壁裏則傳出機械突然開始運行的聲音。
“我們都可以預見未來，”電梯小聲地說，聽起來有些恐懼，“是我們程序的一部分。”
贊福德朝電梯外看去——激動的人羣聚攏到電梯區，指指劃劃，大聲嚷嚷着。
大樓內所有的電梯都降下來了，速度非常快。
“馬文，”他說，“快讓這部電梯上去，你能行嗎？我們一定要見到扎尼烏普。”
“爲什麼？”馬文憂鬱地問。
“我也不知道，”贊福德說，“不過當我找到他時，他最好能提供一個很好的解釋，說明我爲什麼想來見他。”