●百萬殺人實驗(The Box) ／【英文原著／Richard Matheson《漂亮美語》2010 一月號】 @ ✍ 碧琴司の →ße

百萬殺人實驗 Button, Button: Uncanny Stories

〈百萬殺人實驗〉改編自科幻驚悚大師理查麥特森 (Richard Matheson) 的短篇小說 Button, Button，《漂亮美語》特別摘錄了原著中精彩的部分內文，讓大家一睹大師原汁原味的經典文句。在品賞原著的同時，別忘了問自己：我會按下按鈕嗎？

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1.天降大禮
A Present from Heaven

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一天，一個署名給「劉易士夫婦」的包裹被放在門口，女主人諾瑪把它拿進屋子，並將它拆開。

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Inside the carton was a push-button unit fastened to a small wooden box. A glass dome covered the button. Norma tried to lift it off, but it was locked in place. She turned the unit over and saw a folded piece of paper Scotch-taped to the bottom of the box. She pulled it off: “Mr. Steward will call on you at eight p.m.”

紙箱裡頭有一個按鈕裝置，固定在一只小木盒上。按鈕上頭罩著一個圓頂玻璃罩。諾瑪想要拿掉玻璃罩，但玻璃罩鎖得很牢。她把它翻過來，看到一張摺起來的紙，被膠帶黏在盒子底下。她扯下來一看，上面寫著︰「晚上八點史都華先生將會造訪兩位。」

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2.怪異訪客
A Visitor from Nowhere
史都華先生果然按時出現了，看起來不像是要推銷什麼東西。諾瑪和先生亞瑟在一陣猶疑之後，決定讓他進到屋子裡來說清楚。

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He reached into an inside coat pocket and withdrew a small sealed envelope. “Inside here is a key to the bell-unit dome,” he said. He set the envelope on the chairside table. “The bell is connected to our office.”

“What’s it for?” asked Arthur.

“If you push the button, ” Mr. Steward told him, “somewhere in the world, someone you don’t know will die. In return for which you will receive a payment of fifty thousand dollars.”

Norma stared at the small man. He was smiling.

他伸手從外套裡面的口袋裡掏出一只封了口的小信封。「這裡面是開啟那個玻璃罩的鑰匙，」說著把信封擱在椅子旁邊的小桌子上。「那個鈕會連到我們的辦公室。」
「這是做什麼用的？」亞瑟問。
「按下鈕，」史都華告訴亞瑟，「在這個世界上的某一個地方，就會有一個你不認識的人死掉，而你則會收到五萬元的酬金。」
　諾瑪睜大眼看著這個矮小的男子。此人在微笑。

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3.疑雲密布
In a State of Suspense

史都華先生離開之後，留下了名片。諾瑪把名片撕成兩半，卻撕不去她心中的疑惑。她納悶地想著，這到底是哪個怪咖想出來的變態遊戲？

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After lunch, she took the card halves from her purse again and Scotch-taped the edges together. Why am I doing this? She thought. Just before five, she dialed the number.“Good afternoon,” said Mr. Steward's voice.

Norma almost hung up but restrained herself. She cleared her throat.

“This is Mrs. Lewis,” she said.“Yes, Mrs. Lewis.” Mr. Steward sounded pleased.

“I'm curious.”“That's natural,” Mr. Steward said. “Not that I believe a word of you told us.”

“Oh, it's quite authentic,” Mr. Steward answered.

“Well, whatever...” Norma swallowed. “When you said someone in the world would die, what did you mean?”

“Exactly that,” he answered.“It could be anyone. All we guarantee is that you don't know them. And, of course, that you wouldn't have to watch them die.”

吃過午飯，她又從皮包裡拿出那兩半的名片，用膠帶把邊緣黏在一起。我為什麼這麼做？她暗忖。就在下午五點以前，她撥了那個電話號碼。「午安，」電話裡傳來史都華的聲音。諾瑪差點就要掛掉電話，但是她克制住了。她清了清嗓門。
「我是劉易士太太。」「妳好，劉易士太太。」史都華的聲音聽起來很高興。
「我覺得好奇。」「那是很自然的事，」史都華說。
「雖說你跟我們講的話我一個字也不信。」
「哦，我的話都是真的，」史都華回答道。
「好吧，隨便……」諾瑪吞了一口口水。
「當你說這個世界上會有個人死掉，那是什麼意思？」
「就是那個意思，」他答道。「任何人都有可能。我們只保證是妳不認識的人。還有，當然了，妳不需要看著他們死去。」

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4.天人交戰
Push It or Not
只要按下按鈕，五萬美金就從天而降，許多夢想因而得以實現。只是，一個不認識的人會因此喪命。諾瑪和亞瑟持續爭辯著這個棘手的難題。

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“The point is, Norma,” he continued, “that who you kill makes no difference. It's still murder.”

“The point is,” Norma broke in, “if it's someone you've never seen in your life and never will see, someone whose death you don't even have to know about, you still wouldn't push the button?”

Arthur stared at her, appalled.“You mean you would?”

“Fifty thousand dollars, Arthur,”“What has the amount...”

“Fifty thousand dollars, Arthur,” Norma interrupted.“A chance to take that trip to Europe we've always talked about.”

「諾瑪，重點在於，」他繼續往下說，「不論殺的對象是誰，殺人就是殺人。」
「重點在於，」諾瑪插嘴道，「如果是你一輩子從來沒見過，將來也不會見到的人，你甚至不需要知道他死了，你還是不會按那個鈕嗎？」
亞瑟驚駭地瞪著她看。「妳的意思是妳會按下去？」
「五萬元耶，亞瑟。」「那個金額有什麼……」
「五萬元耶，亞瑟，」諾瑪插口。「到歐洲一遊的機會耶，這是我們一直在討論的。」

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紙上電影觀賞後記： 讀到這裡，你是不是很想知道，諾瑪到底有沒有按下按鈕？她和亞瑟會不會完成歐洲的旅遊？到底會不會有人真的因而死去？死去的人又可能會是誰？倘若「按鈕」是個指涉生命抉擇的隱喻，那麼身為讀者的你可曾想過，在你的生命中，又曾按過多少次這樣的按鈕而不自知？你自以為認識的人，又真正了解他多少？

令你意想不到的答案，就在精彩的原著小說《百萬殺人實驗》(Button, Button: Uncanny Stories) 裡。而改編自小說的驚悚電影 The Box 更有著與原著截然不同的結局。想知道這對劉易士夫婦的「按鈕命運」究竟會如何？相信你應該知道接下來該怎麼做……

【英文原著／Richard Matheson，翻譯／夏荷立，文字整理／Tony】

【完整內容請見《漂亮美語》2010 NO.27 一月號】