jurassic.park-第34章

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　　　　Tim　spotted　two　more　animals；　on　higher　branches　of　the　same　tree。　They　were　all　about　the　same　size。　None　of　them　were　moving。
　　　　〃Pretty　boring；〃　Lex　said。　〃They're　not　doing　anything。〃
　　　　〃The　main　herd　of　animals　can　be　found　in　the　grassy　plain　below　you；〃　said　the　voice。　〃We　can　rouse　them　with　a　simple　mating　call。〃　A　loudspeaker　by　the　fence　gave　a　long　nasal　call；　like　the　honking　of　geese。
　　　　From　the　field　of　grass　directly　to　their　left；　six　lizard　heads　poked　up；　one　after　another。　The　effect　was　ical；　and　Tim　laughed。
　　　　The　heads　disappeared。　The　loudspeaker　gave　the　call　again；　and　once　again　the　heads　poked　up…in　exactly　the　same　way；　one　after　another。　The　fixed　repetition　of　the　behavior　was　striking。
　　　　〃Hypsilophodonts　are　not　especially　bright　animals；〃　the　voice　explained。　〃They　have　roughly　the　intelligence　of　a　domestic　cow。〃
　　　　The　heads　were　dull　green；　with　a　mottling　of　dark　browns　and　blacks　that　extended　down　the　slender　necks。　Judging　from　the　size　of　the　heads；　Tim　guessed　their　bodies　were　four　feet　long；　about　as　large　as　deer。
　　　　Some　of　the　hypsilophodonts　were　chewing；　the　jaws　working。　One　reached　up　and　scratched　its　head；　with　a　five…fingered　band。　The　gesture　gave　the　creature　a　pensive；　thoughtful　quality。
　　　　〃If　you　see　them　scratching；　that　is　because　they　have　skin　problems。　The　veterinary　scientists　here　at　Jurassic　Park　think　it　may　be　a　fungus；　or　an　allergy。　But　they're　not　sure　yet。　After　all；　these　are　the　first　dinosaurs　in　history　ever　to　be　studied　alive。〃
　　　　The　electric　motor　of　the　car　started；　and　there　was　a　grinding　of　gears。　At　the　unexpected　sound；　the　herd　of　hypsilophodonts　suddenly　leapt　into　the　air　and　bounded　above　the　grass　like　kangaroos；　showing　their　full　bodies　with　massive　hind　limbs　and　long　tails　in　the　afternoon　sunlight。　In　a　few　leaps；　they　were　gone。
　　　　〃Now　that　we've　had　a　look　at　these　fascinating　herbivores；　we　will　go　on　to　some　dinosaurs　that　are　a　little　larger。　Quite　a　bit　larger；　in　fact。〃
　　　　The　Land　Cruisers　continued　onward；　moving　south　through　Jurassic　Park。

Control

〃Gears　are　grinding；〃　John　Arnold　said；　in　the　darkened　control　room。　〃Have　maintenance　check　the　electric　clutches　on　vehicles　BB4　and　BB5　when　they　e　back。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　Mr。　Arnold；〃　replied　the　voice　on　the　inter。
　　　　〃A　minor　detail；〃　Hammond　said；　walking　in　the　room。　Looking　out；　he　could　see　the　two　Land　Cruisers　moving　south　through　the　park。　Muldoon　stood　in　the　corner；　silently　watching。
　　　　Arnold　pushed　his　chair　back　from　the　central　console　at　the　control　panel。　〃There　are　no　minor　details；　Mr。　Hammond；〃　he　said；　and　he　lit　another　cigarette。　Nervous　at　most　times；　Arnold　was　especially　edgy　now。　He　was　only　too　aware　that　this　was　the　first　time　visitors　had　actually　toured　the　park。　In　fact；　Arnold's　team　didn't　often　go　into　the　park。　Harding；　the　vet；　sometimes　did。　The　animal　handlers　went　to　the　individual　feeding　houses。　But　otherwise　they　watched　the　park　from　the　control　room。　And　now；　with　visitors　out　there；　he　worried　about　a　hundred　details。
　　　　John　Arnold　was　a　systems　engineer　who　had　worked　on　the　Polaris　submarine　missile　in　the　late　1960s；　until　he　had　his　first　child　and　the　prospect　of　making　weapons　became　too　distasteful。　Meanwhile；　Disney　had　started　to　create　amusement　park　rides　of　great　technological　sophistication；　and　they　employed　a　lot　of　aerospace　people。　Arnold　helped　build　Disney　World　in　Orlando；　and　had　gone　on　to　implement　major　Parks　at　Magic　Mountain　in　California；　Old　Country　in　Virginia；　and　Astroworld　in　Houston。
　　　　His　continuous　employment　at　parks　had　eventually　given　him　a　somewhat　skewed　view　of　reality。　Arnold　contended；　only　half　jokingly；　that　the　entire　world　was　increasingly　described　by　the　metaphor　of　the　theme　park。　〃Paris　is　a　theme　park；〃　he　once　announced；　after　a　vacation；　〃although　it's　too　expensive；　and　the　park　employees　are　unpleasant　and　sullen。〃
　　　　For　the　past　two　years；　Arnold's　job　had　been　to　get　Jurassic　Park　up　and　running。　As　an　engineer；　he　was　accustomed　to　long　time　schedules…he　often　referred　to　〃the　September　opening；〃　by　which　he　meant　September　of　the　following　year…and　as　the　September　opening　approached；　he　was　unhappy　with　the　progress　that　had　been　made。　He　knew　from　experience　that　it　sometimes　took　years　to　work　the　bugs　out　of　a　single　park　ride…let　alone　get　a　whole　park　running　properly。
　　　　〃You're　just　a　worrier；〃　Hammond　said。
　　　　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Arnold　said。　〃You've　got　to　realize　that；　from　an　engineering　standpoint；　Jurassic　Park　is　by　far　the　most　ambitious　theme　park　in　history。　Visitors　will　never　think　about　it；　but　I　do。〃
　　　　He　ticked　the　points　off　on　his　fingers。
　　　　〃First；　Jurassic　Park　has　all　the　problems　of　any　amusement　park…ride　maintenance；　queue　control；　transportation；　food　handling；　living　acmodations；　trash　disposal；　security。
　　　　〃Second；　we　have　all　the　problems　of　a　major　zoo…care　of　the　animals；　health　and　welfare；　feeding　and　cleanliness；　protection　from　insects；　pests；　allergies；　and　illnesses…　maintenance　of　barriers；　and　all　the　rest。
　　　　〃And；　finally；　we　have　the　unprecedented　problems　of　caring　for　a　population　of　animals　that　no　one　has　ever　tried　to　maintain　before。〃
　　　　〃Oh；　it's　not　as　bad　as　all　that；〃　Hammond　said。
　　　　〃Yes；　it　is。　You're　just　not　here　to　see　it；〃　Arnold　said。　〃The　tyrannosaurs　drink　the　lagoon　water　and　sometimes　get　sick；　we　aren't　sure　why。　The　triceratops　females　kill　each　other　in　fights　for　dominance　and　have　to　be　separated　into　groups　smaller　than　six。　We　don't　know　why。　The　stegosaurs　frequently　get　blisters　on　their　tongues　and　diarrhea；　for　reasons　no　one　yet　understands；　even　though　we've　lost　two。　Hypsilophodonts　get　skin　rashes。　And　the　veloctraptors…〃
　　　　〃Let's　not　start　on　the　velociraptors；〃　Hammond　said。　〃I'm　sick　of　hearing　about　the　velociraptors。　How　they're　the　most　vicious　creatures　anyone　has　ever　seen。〃
　　　　〃They　are；〃　Muldoon　said；　in　a　low　voice。　〃They　should　all　be　destroyed。〃
　　　　〃You　wanted　to　fit　them　with　radio　collars；〃　Hammond　said。　〃And　I　agreed。〃
　　　　〃Yes。　And　they　promptly　chewed　the　collars　off。　But　even　if　the　raptors　never　get　free；〃　Arnold　said；　〃I　think　we　have　to　accept　that　Jurassic　Park　is　 inherently　hazardous。〃
　　　　〃Oh　balls；　〃　Hammond　said。　〃Whose　side　are　you　on；　anyway？
　　　　〃We　now　have　fifteen　species　of　extinct　animals；　and　most　of　them　are　dangerous；〃　Arnold　said。　〃We've　been　forced　to　delay　the　jungle　River　Ride　because　of　the　dilophosaurs；　and　the　Pteratops　Lodge　in　the　aviary；　because　the　pterodactyls　are　so　unpredictable。　These　aren't　engineering　delays；　Mr。　Hammond。　They're　problems　with　control　of　the　animals。〃
　　　　〃You've　had　plenty　of　engineering　delays；〃　Hammond　said。　〃Don't　blame　it　on　the　animals。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　we　have。　In　fact；　it's　all　we　could　do　to　get　the　main　attraction；　Park　Drive；　working　correctly；　to　get　the　CD…ROMs　inside　the　cars　to　be　controlled　by　the　motion　sensors。　It's　taken　weeks　of　adjustment　to　get　that　working　properly…and　now　the　electric　gearshifts　on　the　cars　are　acting　up！　The　gearshifts！〃
　　　　〃Let's　keep　it　in　perspective；〃　Hammond　said。　〃You　get　the　engineering　correct　and　the　animals　will　fall　into　place。　After　all；　they're　trainable。〃
　　　　From　the　beginning；　this　had　been　one　of　the　core　beliefs　of　the　planners。　The　animals；　however　exotic；　would　fundamentally　behave　like　animals　in　zoos　anywhere。　They　would　learn　the　regularities　of　their　care；　and　they　would　respond。
　　　　〃Meanwhile；　how's　the　puter？〃　Hammond　said。　He　glanced　at　Dennis　Nedry；　who　was　working　at　a　terminal　in　the　corner　of　the　room。　〃This　damn　puter　has　always　been　a　headache。〃
　　　　〃We're　getting　there；〃　Nedry　said。
　　　　〃If　you　had　done　it　right　in　the　first　place；〃　Hammond　began；　but　Arnold　put　a　restraining　band　on　his　arm。　Arnold　knew　there　was　no　point　in　antagonizing　Nedry　while　he　was　working。
　　　　〃It's　a　large　system；〃　Arnold　said。　〃There　are　bound　to　be　glitches。〃
　　　　In　fact；　the　bug　list　now　ran　to　more　than　130　items；　and　included　many　odd　aspects。　For　example：
　　　　The　animal…feeding　program　reset　itself　every　twelve　hours；　not　every　twenty…four　hours；　and　would　not　record　feedings　on　Sund