jurassic.park-第68章

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　　　　〃They　got　my　glove；〃　Lex　said。　〃My　Darryl　Strawberry　special。〃
　　　　They　started　walking　again。　Tim　put　his　arm　around　her　shoulders。　〃Are　you　all　right？〃
　　　　〃Of　course；　stupid；〃　she　said；　shaking　him　off。　She　looked　upward。　〃I　hope　they　choke　and　die；〃　she　said。
　　　　〃Yeah；〃　Tim　said。　〃Me；　too…〃
　　　　Up　ahead；　they　saw　the　boat　on　the　shore。　Grant　looked　at　his　watch。　It　was　eight…thirty。　He　now　had　two　and　a　half　hours　to　get　back。

Lex　cheered　as　they　drifted　beyond　the　silver　aviary　dome。　Then　the　banks　of　the　river　closed　in　on　both　sides；　the　trees　meeting　overhead　once　more。　The　river　was　narrower　than　ever；　in　some　places　only　ten　feet　wide；　and　the　current　flowed　very　fast。　Lex　reached　up　to　touch　the　branches　as　they　went　past。
　　　　Grant　sat　back　in　the　raft　and　listened　to　the　gurgle　of　the　water　through　the　warm　rubber。　They　were　moving　faster　now；　the　branches　overhead　slipping　by　more　rapidly。　It　was　pleasant。　It　gave　a　little　breeze　in　the　hot　confines　of　the　overhanging　branches。　And　it　meant　they　would　get　back　that　much　sooner。
　　　　Grant　couldn't　guess　how　far　they　had　e；　but　it　must　be　several　miles　at　least　from　the　sauropod　building　where　they　had　spent　the　night。　Perhaps　four　or　five　miles。　Maybe　even　more。　That　meant　they　might　be　only　an　hour's　walk　from　the　hotel；　once　they　left　the　raft。　But　after　the　aviary；　Grant　was　in　no　hurry　to　leave　the　river　again。　For　the　moment；　they　were　making　good　time。
　　　　〃I　wonder　how　Ralph　is；〃　Lex　said。　〃He's　probably　dead　or　something。〃
　　　　〃I'm　sure　he's　fine。〃
　　　　〃I　wonder　if　he'd　let　me　ride　him。〃　She　sighed；　sleepy　in　the　sun。　〃That　would　be　fun；　to　ride　Ralph。〃
　　　　Tim　said　to　Grant；　〃Remember　back　at　the　stegosaurus？　Last　night？〃
　　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　　〃How　e　you　asked　them　about　frog　DNA？〃
　　　　〃Because　of　the　breeding；〃　Grant　said。　〃They　can't　explain　why　the　dinosaurs　are　breeding；　since　they　irradiate　them；　and　since　they're　all　females。〃
　　　　〃Right。〃
　　　　〃Well；　irradiation　is　notoriously　unreliable　and　probably　doesn't　work。　I　think　that'll　eventually　be　shown　here。　But　there　is　still　the　problem　of　the　dinosaurs'　being　female。　How　can　they　breed　when　they're　all　female？〃
　　　　〃Right；〃　Tim　said。
　　　　〃Well；　across　the　animal　kingdom；　sexual　reproduction　exists　in　extraordinary　variety。〃
　　　　〃Tim's　very　interested　in　sex；〃　Lex　said。
　　　　They　both　ignored　her。　〃For　example；〃　Grant　said；　〃many　animals　have　sexual　reproduction　without　ever　having　what　we　would　call　sex。　The　male　releases　a　spermatophore；　which　contains　the　sperm；　and　the　female　picks　it　up　at　a　later　time。　This　kind　of　exchange　does　not　require　quite　as　much　physical　differentiation　between　male　and　female　as　we　usually　think　exists。　Male　and　female　are　more　alike　in　some　animals　than　they　are　in　human　beings。〃
　　　　Tim　nodded。　〃But　what　about　the　frogs？〃
　　　　Grant　heard　sudden　shrieks　from　the　trees　above；　as　the　microceratopsians　scattered　in　alarm；　shaking　the　branches。　The　big　head　of　the　tyrannosaur　lunged　through　the　foliage　from　the　left；　the　jaws　snapping　at　the　raft。　Lex　howled　in　terror；　and　Grant　paddled　away　toward　the　opposite　bank；　but　the　river　here　was　only　ten　feet　wide。　The　tyrannosaur　was　caught　in　the　heavy　growth…　it　butted　and　twisted　its　head；　and　roared。　Then　it　pulled　its　head　back。
　　　　Through　the　trees　that　lined　the　riverbank；　they　saw　the　huge　dark　form　of　the　tyrannosaur；　moving　north；　looking　for　a　gap　in　the　trees　that　lined　the　bank。　The　microceratopsians　had　all　gone　to　the　opposite　bank；　where　they　shrieked　and　scampered　and　jumped　up　and　down。　In　the　raft；　Grant；　Tim；　and　Lex　stared　helplessly　as　the　tyrannosaur　tried　to　break　through　again；　But　the　trees　were　too　dense　along　the　banks　of　the　river。　The　tyrannosaur　again　moved　downstream；　ahead　of　the　boat；　and　tried　again；　shaking　the　branches　furiously。
　　　　But　again　it　failed。
　　　　Then　it　moved　off；　heading　farther　downstream。
　　　　〃I　hate　him；〃　Lex　said。
　　　　Grant　sat　back　in　the　boat；　badly　shaken。　If　the　tyrannosaur　had　broken　through；　there　was　nothing　be　could　have　done　to　save　them。　The　river　was　so　narrow　that　it　was　hardly　wider　than　the　raft。　It　was　like　being　in　a　tunnel。　The　rubber　gunwales　often　scraped　on　the　mud　as　the　boat　was　pulled　along　by　the　swift　current。
　　　　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　Almost　nine。　The　raft　continued　downstream。
　　　　〃Hey；〃　Lex　said；　〃listen！〃
　　　　He　heard　snarling；　interspersed　by　a　repeated　hooting　cry。　The　cries　were　ing　from　beyond　a　curve；　farther　downriver。　He　listened；　and　heard　the　hooting　again。
　　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Lex　said。
　　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Grant　said。　〃But　there's　more　than　one　of　them。〃　He　paddled　the　boat　to　the　opposite　bank；　grabbed　a　branch　to　stop　the　raft。　The　snarling　was　repeated。　Then　more　hooting。
　　　　〃It　sounds　like　a　bunch　of　owls；〃　Tim　said。

Malcolm　groaned。　〃Isn't　it　time　for　more　morphine　yet？〃
　　　　〃Not　yet；〃　Ellie　said。
　　　　Malcolm　sighed。　〃How　much　water　have　we　got　here？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know。　There's　plenty　of　running　water　from　the　tap…〃
　　　　〃No；　I　mean；　how　much　stored？　Any？〃
　　　　Ellie　shrugged。　〃None。〃
　　　　〃Go　into　the　rooms　on　this　floor；〃　Malcolm　said；　〃and　fill　the　bathtubs　with　water。〃
　　　　Ellie　frowned。
　　　　〃Also；〃　Malcolm　said；　〃have　we　got　any　walkie…talkies？　Flashlights？　Matches？　Sterno　stoves？　Things　like　that？〃
　　　　〃I'll　look　around。　You　planning　for　an　earthquake？〃
　　　　〃Something　like　that；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Malcolm　Effect　implies　catastrophic　changes。〃
　　　　〃But　Arnold　says　all　the　systems　are　working　perfectly。〃
　　　　〃That's　when　it　happens；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃You　don't　think　much　of　Arnold；　do　you？〃
　　　　〃He's　all　right。　He's　an　engineer。　Wu's　the　same。　They're　both　technicians。　They　don't　have　intelligence。　They　have　what　I　call　'thintelligence。'　They　see　the　immediate　situation。　They　think　narrowly　and　they　call　it　'being　focused。'　They　don't　see　the　surround。　They　don't　see　the　consequences。　That's　how　you　get　an　island　like　this。　From　thintelligent　thinking。　Because　you　cannot　make　an　animal　and　not　expect　it　to　act　alive。　To　be　unpredictable。　To　escape。　But　they　don't　see　that。〃
　　　　〃Don't　you　think　it's　just　human　nature？〃　Ellie　said。
　　　　〃God；　no；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃That's　like　saying　scrambled　eggs　and　bacon　for　breakfast　is　human　nature。　It's　nothing　of　the　sort。　It's　uniquely　Western　training；　and　much　of　the　rest　of　the　world　is　nauseated　by　the　thought　of　it。〃　He　winced　in　pain。　〃The　morphine's　making　me　philosophical。〃
　　　　〃You　want　some　water？〃
　　　　〃No。　I'll　tell　you　the　problem　with　engineers　and　scientists。　Scientists　have　an　elaborate　line　of　bullshit　about　how　they　are　seeking　to　know　the　truth　about　nature。　Which　is　true；　but　that's　not　what　drives　them。　Nobody　is　driven　by　abstractions　like　'seeking　truth。'
　　　　〃Scientists　are　actually　preoccupied　with　acplishment。　So　they　are　focused　on　whether　they　can　do　something。　They　never　stop　to　ask　if　they　should　do　something。　They　conveniently　define　such　considerations　as　pointless。　If　they　don't　do　it；　someone　else　will。　Discovery；　they　believe；　is　inevitable。　So　they　just　try　to　do　it　first。　That's　the　game　in　science。　Even　pure　scientific　discovery　is　an　aggressive；　penetrative　act。　It　takes　big　equipment；　and　it　literally　changes　the　world　afterward。　Particle　accelerators　sear　the　land；　and　leave　radioactive　byproducts。　Astronauts　leave　trash　on　the　moon。　There　is　always　some　proof　that　scientists　were　there；　making　their　discoveries。　Discovery　is　always　a　rape　of　the　natural　world。　Always。
　　　　〃The　scientists　want　it　that　way。　They　have　to　stick　their　instruments　in。　They　have　to　leave　their　mark。　They　can't　just　watch。　They　can't　just　appreciate。　They　can't　just　fit　into　the　natural　order。　They　have　to　make　something　unnatural　happen。　That　is　the　scientist's　job；　and　now　we　have　whole　societies　that　try　to　be　scientific。〃　He　sighed；　and　sank　back。
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃Don't　you　think　you're　overstating…〃
　　　　〃What　does　one　of　your　excavations　look　like　a　year　later？〃
　　　　〃Pretty　had；〃　she　admitted。
　　　　〃You　don't　replant；　you　don't　restore　the　land　after　you　dig？〃
　　　　〃No。〃
　　　　〃Why　not？〃
　　　　She　shrugged。　〃There's　no　money；　I　guess。　。　。　。
　　　　〃There's　only　enough　money　to　dig；　but　not　to　repair？〃
　　　　〃Well