午饭后，史密斯和琳达回到了自己的房间，他们还在议论着上午发生的事。史密斯脱下自己的外套挂在衣架上，把双手垫在脑后往床上一躺，他感到有些累。琳达坐在梳妆台前，往指甲上涂着指甲油。琳达问：“今天的事你怎么看？”

“这件事可不简单呢！”史密斯意味深长地说，“也许已经引起了国家安全部门的注意；不知你留心了没有，跟在洛克后面的两个便衣根本不像是普通警察，我怀疑他们是联邦调查局的。”

Chapter 9 Is It True Or False

After lunch Smith and Linda returned to their room to be still talking about what happened in the morning. Smith took off his coat on a hanger lay on the bed and put his hands to the back of the head, or he felt a little tired. Linda sat in front of the toilet table to polish nails and painted enamel. Linda asked: ‘What do you think what happened today?’

‘It is not easy!’ Meaningfully Smith said, ‘May have attracted the attention of the national security department, do you look out what the two men who followed Locke don't like ordinary police, I suspect they're Federal Bureau of Investigation.’

“我也有同感，你看那个洛克警官问得多仔细，跟审犯人似的，可是，他们为什么要管这件事呢？”

“当然是因为国家利益啦！如果能人为控制生命，这对人类社会的影响可就大了，从商业角度来看，它是一个赚大钱的好机会，出于人类求生的本能，这个需求量是很大的；从探索宇宙方面来说，它可能为星际旅行解决了一道难题，在这个问题上的意义是很深远的；人类工业的发展，科技的进步，使得地球变得太狭小了；哥伦布发现新大陆的惊喜，在当今世界已经不会再出现，向外太空发展，已经变得十分迫切。”

‘I feel the same way, you see that Locke officer asked more carefully, as if the interrogation of criminal suspects, but, why do they interfere of this matter?’

‘Of course it is the interest of the state! If homo can control of life, the impact on human society is large, from a business perspective, it is a good chance to make a lot of money, for human survival instinct, the demand is very big. From the aspects of the exploration of the universe, it can solve the problem for interstellar travel, on the issue of meaning is very profound. The development of human industry, the progress of science and technology, makes the earth become too narrow. Columbus discovered the new world to be surprised, has won't appear in the world now, and to the outer space development, have become very urgent.’

“你说的这些当然不错，不过我想，要是人类生而不死，地球上很快就会人满为患的。”

“实际上这种事情可能很复杂，并不像你想象得那么糟糕。我感觉这种作业的成本一定很高，并不是所有的人都能承受得起这种消费。”

‘Of course, that you said is good, but I think, if human just to give birth not to die, soon the earth will be crowded.’

‘In fact this kind of thing can be complex, is not so bad as you think. I feel this job must have a high cost, not all people can afford of this consumption.’

琳达摇摇头说：“你说的情况只是暂时的，只要竞争对手一出现，价格就会一落千丈。椐报道说，世界人口照目前的增长速度来看，到这个世纪末，地球上的人类可能达到一百亿；如果这种生而不死的生意再一发展起来，也许到时候二百亿都不止，恐怕你的子孙得为没有地方站脚而发愁了。”

“哈哈哈……，”史密斯笑了起来，“琳达，你为我们画了一幅十分可怕的图画，我想事情不会糟糕到那个程度吧！自然界会根椐自己的意志进行调整的。”

Linda shook her head and said: ‘you say the situation is only temporary, as long as the competitors appeared, the price will fall. And reported that the population of the world according to current growth rates, in end of this century, earth humans could reach ten billion; if the born and the undead business developed again, maybe has more than twenty billion, but I afraid your son has to worry about no ground to stand feet.’

‘Ha ha ha......,’ Smith laughed, ‘Linda, you painted a horrible picture for us, I don't think that something to be terrible of this extent! Nature will adjust in accordance with his will.’

“看来，好像你已经相信那个小男孩真的是我爸爸了？”

“这事很蹊跷，你若不相信他是真的吧？可是，那孩子说话的态度，走路的姿势和思维的方式都与你爸爸完全一样，一个六岁的小孩儿如果不是一个大人，根本做不到这一点；克莱门特说是有人教唆的，这个观点不能成立，在有些微妙的细节和特点上，是教不会的；可是，你若相信他是真的，那么他是怎么变化而来的呢？你爸爸的骨头架子已经长得那么大，可怎么缩小呢？他的皮肉，器官已经老化，怎么更换呢？就算是找到了这个途径，也不可能在短短的五个小时里就进行得如此完美彻底；此外，要知道人类的大脑也会老化，就算你爸爸的脑袋是世界上使用寿命最长的，可怎么给他搬家呢？开刀吗？你看见手术刀痕了吗？所以移植也是不行的；总之，我还没有想象出他们是怎么干的。也许，像那些小虫子，先做茧，然后一脱壳，就变成美丽的蝴蝶了。”

“哈哈哈……，你这是凭空幻想，实际上根本不可能。”

‘Looks alike, you have believed that the little boy is really my dad?’

‘This thing is very strange, if you don't believe that he is real, but, the child to speak, to walk and the way of thinking with exactly the same to your father, a six-year-old child can't do these things, if it is not an *****. Clement said the boy was instigated, this idea cannot be established, about on some subtle details and features, anyone can not teach, but, if you believe that he is real, so how did he change? Your father's skeleton already grow so big, how can it shrink? His flesh and organs have been aging, how to change? Even someone found this way, it is impossible to do thoroughly in as little as five hours just so perfect. In addition, to know that the human brain will be aging, even if your dad's head is the longest service life in the world, but how to give him to move? Operation? Have you seen surgical scar? So transplantation that it is can not do, in short, I haven't even imagine how they do. Maybe, like those crawlers, cocoon is done first, and then to shell, to turn into a beautiful butterfly.’

‘Ha ha ha, butterfly? You are just fantasy that actually impossible.’

“所以说，这事很蹊跷。”

“那个谢尔曼真是个医界天才，我倒是有些佩服他了，真不简单。”琳达赞叹地说。

“有些事也不尽然，对于门外汉来说可能是高不可攀的很玄妙，可是一旦进了门，也许就跟吃饭睡觉一样简单，根本不用动什么脑筋。”

“你说得真轻巧。”

“对于这种事，有人比我们更关心。”

‘So to say this thing is very strange.’

‘The Sherman is a genius of the medical profession, and I some admire him who he really is not easy.’ Linda said with compliment.

‘Some things maybe very complicated for layman what mysterious and unattainable, but once entered the door, may be as simple as eating sleeping, it completely doesn't need your mind.’

‘You said easily.’

‘For this sort of thing, someone care more about that than us.’

“你指的是联邦**？”

“是的，”史密斯点点头说，“好了，别在这些事上浪费时间了，我想我还是回公司去，那边还有很多事情等着我去处理呢！有时间的话，我一定去查查那个谢尔曼博士倒底是个什么人。”背景

“好吧！你先回去，”琳达说，“我继续留在这儿观察动向；刚才，听说庄园门口围了一大群记者，警察还设了岗，你一出去准会被他们围住，我想你还是走侧门吧！”

正当史密斯夫妇谈论小托马斯的时候，克莱门特夫妇也不例外。索菲亚说：“你跟他闹翻了，我真为你担心。”

“这是没有办法的事，难道你想把一切都留给那个孩子？”克莱门特说。

‘What do you mean to be about the federal government?’

‘Yes,’nodded Smith said, ‘well, don't waste time on these things, I think I'll go back to the company, there are a lot of things waiting for me to deal! If enough to have time, I must check the Dr Sherman what is the man really backdrop of hidden card.’

‘OK! You go back first,’ Linda said, ‘I continue to stay here and to watch movements, just now I heard that farm surrounded by a swarm of journalists, the police still have the sentry on the gate, you go out would have surrounded by them, I think you will walk side door!’

When Mr And Mrs Smith talked about Small Thomas, Clement couple were no exception. Sophia said: ‘You fell out with him, and I really worried about you.’

‘This is no way to it, don't you want to leave everything to the child?’ Clement said.

“当然不能！不过我真有些担心。”

“坦率地说，我真的不知道我做得对不对，我只是从直觉感到，我必须反抗。”

“如果经过调查，那孩子真是你爸爸变的，当局也承认这一点，那么我们就完了。”

‘Of course not it is. But some I really worry.’

‘Frankly, I really don't know what I am doing that is the right, I just from the intuitive feel, I must resist.’

‘If they had been investigated, the child is really your dad to change, authorities also admit it, then we all finished.’

“即使不跟他闹翻也没用，他现在才六岁，过不了多久，他就会把持一切；你想，他那么年轻，而我已经五十岁了，我们永远也没有机会。”

“到时候，你也可以返老还童呀！”

“那又有什么意思呢？还不是在他的控制之下。”意义

“那是没办法的，也许你的命该如此。”

‘If we don't fall out with him, it's even no use, because he is only six years old now, before long, he will control everything. You want to think, what he is so young, and I'm already fifty years old, so we will never have the chance.’

‘At that time, you can also rejuvenation!’

‘What fun does it have? Is not under his control?’

‘That is no way, maybe your fate.’

“命该如此？我看不一定吧！就算他真是我爸爸变的，对于这种返老还童的现象，至少现在法律上还不承认，等到美国产生相应的法律来调整这种关系时，可能时间早已过了很多年；我们不承认他是托马斯，别人也没有什么办法。”

“你现在总经理的位置，暂时还不会有什么问题，我想你是不是应该为以后做些准备。”

“我知道，我该回去工作了，你留在这儿。”

‘Is it my fate? I don’t think so! Even if he is my father, for this kind of phenomenon of rejuvenation, at least now the law also denied it, and waits for America to produce corresponding legislation to adjust the relationship, may be past a long time even years, we don't admit that he is Thomas, others have no way.’

‘You now the position of the general manager, that it temporary also won't have what problem, I think you should do to prepare for later.’

‘I know, I should go back to work, and you stay here.’

小托马斯面对眼前的事非常头痛，根本没有心思顾及到沃德先生请来的客人。琼斯夫妇和莱昂斯小姐这时表现得很大度，他们不愿意在这个时候再去烦扰主人。他们凑在一起谈论着上午发生的惊涛骇浪，准备休息片刻便告辞。

对于沃德先生的巨大变化，莱昂斯小姐并不反感，她甚至更喜欢这个小托马斯，也许以后，她还可以经常陪着小托马斯下下象棋。

但是，琼斯先生对此却有不同的感受，他觉得小托马斯是个孙辈的小孩子，以后难以再和他进行同层次的交往了。他倒反而留恋起与老沃德在一块儿的那种融恰，他为自己永远失去了一位好朋友而百感交集。

Small Thomas had a very bad headache to face these things, didn't have a mind to take care of the guests who by Mr Ward please of. Miss Lyons and Mr Jones couple were very magnanimous, they didn't want to disturb the master at this time. They together talking about the huge waves in the morning, ready to rest for a moment then left.

For the great changes in Mr Ward, Miss Lyons did not hate, and she even more like this little Thomas, maybe later she could often play chess also with Small Thomas.

However, Mr Jones had a different feeling, he felt little Thomas is a grandchild of boy who he is the diverse level, after he hard again contacted him. He instead is nostalgia that kind harmony to stay with the old Ward together, and he felt of mixed feelings for lost a good friend forever.

“别胡思乱想了，”琼斯太太劝道，“若是返老还童真有此事，你也可以去变一变，你们不是就可以重新在一起了吗？”

说的也是，一句话让琼斯先生茅塞顿开，脸上的表情也渐渐松弛舒展开了。他们现在更关心的是，这返老还童是真还是假。

‘Don't think much,’ Mrs Jones persuaded, ‘if rejuvenation really has it, you can also go to a change, you can be back together with him, isn't it?’

The sentence made Mr Jones suddenly enlightened, on his face of the expression slowly relaxed to spread out. Now they were more concerned about the rejuvenation case is true or false.

沃德先生的巨大变化，在奥特明内外各处都引起了动荡，人们议论纷纷，焦点就是真假的问题。除此之外，对于奥特明的雇工阶层，他们更关心的是：小托马斯与克莱门特之战究竟谁会赢。有的人暗地里正在用着心，希望自己在今后的较量中，不要帮错了人。

Mr Ward's great changes, both inside and outside of the Autumn everywhere caused turmoil, people talk about the center issue that is true or false. In addition, for the Autumn’s classes of workers, they were more care about is: Small Thomas of the battle with Clement who will win. Some people secretly were in the heart, hope oneself in the future of the contest, not to help the wrong man.

作为事件的中心人物，小托马斯，这时在沃德太太的房间里。沃德太太和埃米莉正陪着他说话呢！

沃德太太说：“你走的这些天，可把我急死了。”

“对不起，非常抱歉！”小托马斯说。

As a central figure in the event, the Small Thomas was at this time in the room of Mrs Ward. Mrs Ward and Emily accompanied him to talk!

Mrs Ward said: ‘In these days of you have left, but I'm very worried.’

‘I'm sorry, I'm very sorry!’ Thomas said.

“你为什么不跟我说一声？”

“我怕你不让我走。”

“那不一定，我也许会陪你去。”

“是吗！”小托马斯的脸上露出了笑容，“反正事情已经过去了，别再提它了。”

‘Why didn't you say with me?’

‘I'm afraid you don't let me go.’

‘That is not necessary, maybe I will accompany you.’

‘Is that so!’ Small Thomas's face with a **ile, ‘Anyway, the things have past and don't mention it again.’

“是啊，不去说它了。”路易丝说。

“亲爱的，”小托马斯说，“你什么时候也到马尔科姆那儿去呢？”

“我？……那也得等这件事有个说法再说。”

“你不相信我？”

‘Yeah, don't say it.’ Louise said.

‘Honey,’ the Small Thomas said, ‘when will you also go to Malcolm there?’

‘Me? It must wait this matter to have a conclusion then for to that.’

‘You don't believe me?’

“怎么会呢？”

“在返老还童之前，要提前七、八年进行身体检查，我建议你尽快到谢尔曼那里去一次。”

“我相信你，我会去的，”路易丝说，“要是我也返老还童了，亲爱的，你还会娶我吗？”

“难道我们解除了婚姻？”

‘Why don't believe you?’

‘Before the rejuvenation, there is an appointment in advance about seven or eight years for physical examination, so I suggest you to Sherman as soon as possible.’

‘I believe you, and I'll go to there,’ Louise said, ‘dear if I'm rejuvenation, will you marry me again?’

‘Do we divorce the marriage?’

“当然没有。”路易丝楞了一下说。

“那就对了，我们本来就是夫妻，用不着再次结婚，即使让我重新选择，我还是会娶你的。自从我们结合以来，你给我带来了很多好运气，我想这是上帝的意思。”

听小托马斯这么说，沃德太太激动地把他搂在怀中，眼睛里闪动着幸福的泪花，这一老一小紧紧地拥抱在一起。

‘Of course not.’ Louise is a little hesitation.

‘That's the right, already we are the couples so don't have to get married again, even if let me choose again, I will marry you. Since we combine after you brought me a lot of good luck, I think this is the meaning of God."

Mrs Ward excitedly hugged him in her arms, eyes flashing with tears of happiness, when her listening of little Thomas to say, whereupon the old and the **all tightly embraced together.

埃米莉看着他们沉浸在幸福里，心中十分欣慰。从感情上来说，她十分愿意相信小托马斯就是她爷爷变的，但是，现实存在的许多疑团层层地困扰着她。她回到自己的房间，陷入了深深地思索中。

埃米莉是克莱门特的独生女，沃德先生的长孙女，大学毕业前在耶鲁[2]读书。她在学校里的时候，一直为在校的男生们所瞩目，这不仅是因为她的学习成绩名列前矛，而且，她有一副令人赏心悦目的容貌。

Emily watched of them filled with happiness, in the heart to be very gratified. In feelings, she is very willing to believe that little Thomas is her grandfather to change, however, that is a fact of many layers of mystery to haunt her. She went back to her room to get into of deep thinking.

Emily is Clement's only daughter, Mr Ward's elder granddaughter, before graduating from university she read in Yale. In the school, she had been attention by school boys, not only because of her grades in the top spear, and she had a pleasing appearance.

即使你没见过沙伦·斯通[3]本人，也一定看过她的银幕形像，眉清目秀，红唇皓齿，冰肌玉骨，仪态万方，不知迷倒了多少影迷。而我们这位埃米莉的容貌，却与之有着惊人的相似。按照当时的学生会主席，一位全校公认的帅哥儿，布卢姆菲尔德同学的观点来看，两人相比，风度翩翩的埃米莉在某些指标上还稍占上风。

像许多美国人一样，埃米莉很关心自己的健康。为了对付一时有些发胖的身体，医生告诫她应该增加体育锻炼，于是，她选中了慢跑。在最初的日子里，一到早晨五点钟，学生们总能看见她正在运动的身影。

Even if you haven't seen Sharon Stone herself, also must have seen her screen image, sharply cut eyes, red lips and white teeth, **ooth and fair, appear in all her glory, don't know when her comes how many of the fans to be crazy. And our Emily's looks are striking resemblance with her. According to the student body president at that time, a boy who recognized handsome in the whole school, Bloomfield student of point of view, Emily compares with Sharon Stone on some indicators also slightly to have the upper hand.

Like many Americans, Emily concerned about her health. In order to deal of the a few fat body, the doctor told her should increase physical exercise, so she chose jogging. In the first days, when to five o'clock in the morning, the students always could see her in motion.

她的系里有一位中国留学生，名叫凯西·陈，现在在一家私人公司服务。他长得并不怎么出众，像很多亚洲人一样黑头发，黑眼睛。每当埃米莉想跟他聊上几句时，他就变得十分腼腆。他向埃米莉讲述了许多中国的事情，什么兵马俑啦，长城啦，故宫啦，黄山啦，漓江啦，冰糖葫芦啦，还有臭豆腐啦等等。然而，能让埃米莉着迷的还是围棋，那些围棋子是凯西·陈从中国带来的；它们个个做工精细，园滑匀称。只要有一大把黑子，一大把白子，就可以在棋盘上攻城掠地了；多么神奇的构想呀！埃米莉虽然喜欢，但是却下不好，远不如下国际象棋那么得心应手。在与凯西·陈的交往之中，对埃米莉影响最大的是，他会打一套十分利落的“少林拳”。几年下来，埃米莉也变成了武林好手；习武防身，在时有暴力发生的社会里，可能是个明智的选择。毕业前一年的署假，她和一群美国同学特意去了一次中国；在那次旅游中，他们到了很多地方。

Her department there was a Chinese student named Kathy Chen who was now that an employee of private companies. He looks not so outstanding, like a lot of Asians are the black eye and black hair. When Emily wants to talk with him a few words, he became very shy. He told Emily for many Chinese things, what the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Huangshan mountain, Lijiang river, ice-sugar gourd a hawthorn fruit food, and stinky tofu, and so on. But fascinated, however, can let Emily that is"go" that is a kind of chess, it was what Kathy Chen brought from China, these chess pieces are fine workmanship, circular and are uniform like the buttons. As long as some chess pieces black and white, like soldiers of two teams combat on the chess board, what an amazing idea! Although Emily like it too, then plays no well, far not good as comfortable as chess. In contact with Kathy Chen, the greatest influence for Emily is that he will play a "Shaolin boxing" very agile. A few years later, Emily became the martial arts player, and the martial arts can be self-defense in the society where against violence, so it might be a wise choice. In summers off of one year before graduation, she and a group of American students specially went to the Chinese of many places in the trip.

年轻的大学生们常常在课余之时光顾的士高舞厅，有力的节奏的确也让埃米莉喜欢。但是，她对此并不太热衷，她把省下来的时间花在了侦探小说上。她喜欢追根问底，从福尔摩斯[4]到比利时人波洛[5]，最后是詹姆士·邦德[6]，这样的书她看了一本又一本。然而，她没想到，命运之神这次将她推入了难解的迷宫，不是在书本上，而是在活生生的现实里。

今天的事，使得埃米莉又惊奇，又疑惑，在一阵犹豫和彷徨之后，她终于下定了决心。为了她的爷爷，她要去揭开这件事情的真相。

她想起了一份杂志曾经介绍过的脑外科专家，利奥·布罗德黑德博士，以及有关神经、大脑方面的论述。他是这方面的权威；埃米莉决定去找一下他。

Young students often in their spare time patronage disco dance halls, strong rhythm also let Emily like indeed. But, she isn't too keen on, and she put her the saving time to spend on detective novel. She likes tracing the end asked, from Sherlock Holmes to the Belgian Poirot, the last of James Bond, these stories that she read a book and a book again. She didn't expect, however, the God of destiny pushed her into a abstruse labyrinth, not on books but in the actual life.

Today, it makes Emily of surprise and confusion, and after a moment of hesitation and uncertainty, she finally determined. For the sake of her grandfather, she is going to uncover the truth.

She remembered a magazine that had been introduced, the surgeon of Dr Leo, Broad black, and discourse on nerve and the brain. He is the authority on the subject, Emily decided to look for him.

注 [1]这个世纪末，这里是指二十一世纪。

[2]耶鲁大学是美国的一所著名的大学。

[3]沙伦·斯通，美国著名影星。

[4]福尔摩斯是英国作家柯南道尔笔下的探案专家。

[5]波洛是作家阿加莎·克里斯蒂的小说里的探长。他在《尼罗河上的惨案》里有杰出的表现。

[6]詹姆士·邦德是英国悬念小说大师——伊恩·弗来明——笔下的超级间谍，代号007便是。