第九回 相見時難別亦難
Chapter 9
“So hard to get
together, harder yet to part”
踏上火星土地之前，每個旅客要做的第一件事，就是調整「重力鞋」度數。這是人類實現太空旅行的重大關鍵，由於各星球質量不同，重力也有大有小。人體的生理機能，如血液循環、新陳代謝及神經脈衝等，也會隨著重力的大小而有所調整。
Before stepping foot on Mars, the first
thing every passenger must do is adjust the intensity reading of their “gravity
shoes”. “Gravity shoes” were the
key turning point in the realization of space travel for Man. Because the mass of every planet is
different, their gravitation therefore varies from strong to mild. Man’s physical functions such as
circulation, metabolism, and nerve impulses, adjust themselves in accordance to
gravitational change.
重力鞋可以改變人體垂直方向三十度錐形區的重力，度數則依各人體重而定。在此錐形區中，體重可保持恒常，以維持血壓和肌肉的伸弛力。不過當人坐下或躺下時，除非另有重力調整設施（一般公共場合或居家環境都有），否則會感到身體輕飄飄的。
When
a person is standing erect, gravity shoes are able to change the gravitation
within the conic area formed by a 30 degrees angle projecting from where the
individual stands. The intensity
reading differs according to the weight of each individual. Within this conic area, one’s weight
stays the same so blood pressure remains normal and muscles retain their
flexibility. However, when a person
sits or lays down, unless there are other gravity adjustment facilities
available (such equipment is found in all general public areas and private
homes), their bodies will feel weightless.
在太空船上，重力調節是依所在星球而定的。比如說月球的重力是地球的六分之一，人到了月球，就必須調整其重力度數。若在月球上登船，此時太空船的重力調整值與月球相等。在飛行中重力值保持不變，一直要等到重力值有變化時，才需另行調整。
Gravity adjustment on a spaceship depends
on which planet the ship happens to be located. For example, the gravity on the Moon is
one sixth that of the Earth. It is
necessary for those passengers arriving on the Moon to adjust their gravity
intensity reading. For those
boarding a spaceship on the Moon, the gravity on the spaceship is adjusted to
that of the Moon. This gravity does
not change for the duration of the flight and is only modified as needed when
encountering gravitational change.
此外，火星的自轉速與地球相似，火星上的一天為二十四小時三十九˙六分鐘，故仍可沿用地球上的計時方式，即一個火星日為二十四火星小時，一個小時為六十火星分鐘，一分鐘為六十火星秒，只不過地球日的一˙○二七五倍始為火星的一日。在登陸火星後，除非特殊因素，一般皆轉用當地計時方式。
Moreover, the rotation speed of Mars is
similar to that of Earth. A Martian
day consists of 24 hours and 39.6 minutes, so the method of calculating time on
Earth can be applied to Mars. In
other words, a Martian day has 24 Martian hours and every hour consists of 60
Martian minutes. One minute equals
60 Martian seconds. The difference
is that one Earth day must be multiplied by 1.0275 to equal one day on
Mars. After arriving on Mars,
unless there are special circumstances, everything
is done according to
local time.
旅客魚貫走進接駁甬道，大部分人只攜帶一個隨身小包。在這個時代，在家與出外沒有多大分別，就是遠赴火星也無需提箱攜篋、大包小包的。
The
passengers filed into the transfer tunnel.
Most of people had only a carry-on bag. In this day and age there was little
difference between being at home and being on the road. There was no need to bring along large
items of luggage even if one was traveling to a place as distant as Mars.
黑金剛一行人特別引人注目，他們一出甬道，就有四個人迎了上來。那些人先向黑金剛行禮，便帶著七人從邊門離去。卡門也有人來接，衣紅三人與文祥、左非右等，目送大家先後離去。
Black King Kong and his group were the
center of attention. As soon as
they emerged from the tunnel, 4 people walked up to them. They first saluted Black King Kong and
then led them out by a side door.
Carmine was also met by someone.
Yi Hong and her 2 companions, Wen Xiang and Zuo Feiyo, watched as the others
left, one by one.
旅客一一離去，最後，偌大的入境室中，只剩下了文祥等五人。文祥與衣紅情意乍生，最是難分難捨，兩個人倒變成了一個人。只見他們一會兒絮絮不休，一會兒又執手無語。坐在一旁的褲白彷彿發現了新大陸，兩隻圓通通的眼睛，不斷在二人身上打滾。
After all the passengers had gone, only
Wen Xiang and 4 others remained in the large arrival
area. In their newfound love Wen Xiang and Yi Hong couldn’t bring themselves to part. It seemed the two of them had become as
one. One minute their words would
tumble out while the next they silently held hands. Ku Bai, who
was sitting next to them, was lost in wonder. Wide-eyed, he couldn’t stop looking at
Yi Hong and Wen Xiang.
「風哥，他們怎麼了？」褲白實在忍不住了，轉頭問坐在一旁的風不懼。
“Feng, what happened to them?” Ku Bai
couldn’t resist turning around to ask Feng Buju, who was sitting next to him.
「難道你不懂什麼叫談戀愛？」
“Don’t you know
anything about being in love?”
「我當然知道！」
“Of course I do!”
「那你問什麼！」
“Then why do you ask?”
「奇怪，衣姐前一分鐘還好好的，怎麼一眨眼，就連骨頭都軟了？」
“That’s strange. Yi was fine a minute ago. How come, in the blink of eye, she seems
to have become soft and pliant?”
風不懼也說不出所以然，左非右湊過來說：「小兄弟，你的衣姐平常兇得要命，那都是假的！現在這個黏搭搭的，才是你真正的衣姐。」
Feng Buju couldn’t explain it,
either. Zuo
Feiyo joined them and said, “Hey, pal, Yi is usually
very severe, but that’s all pretense!
This present ‘clinging vine’ is your real Yi.”
褲白嘟嘴道：「我寧願要假的！那個衣姐才是我的！」
Ku Bai
sulkily said, “I’d rather have the artificial Yi! That Yi was really mine!”
「我們怎麼聯絡呢？」文祥知道不能再拖了。
“How do we get in touch?” Wen Xiang knew
he couldn’t waste anymore time.
衣紅傷感地說：「我們有個秘密的地方要去，停留多久還不知道……唉！假如那個人就是你多好！為什麼你不是他呢？」
Yi
Hong said sadly, “We have to go to a secret place and we don’t know how long
we’ll be there… Ai! If you were
really the one! Why aren’t you the
one?”
文祥問：「他是誰？」
Wen Xiang
asked, “Who is the one?”
衣紅哀怨地望著文祥，說：「唉！我不能說。」
Yi Hong looked at Wen Xiang with sorrow and said, “Ai! I can’t tell you.”
文祥說：「妳不肯說，我怎麼知道我是不是他？」
Wen Xiang
said, “If you can’t tell me, how can I know if I’m him or not?”
衣紅幽幽地說：「我希望你就是他。」
Yi Hong said in a distant
voice, “I hope you’re him.”
文祥說：「好，就算我是他吧！」
Wen Xiang
said, “Let’s just say I am him!”
衣紅搖頭說：「我相信你就是他。」
Yi Hong shook her head, “I
believe you really are.”
文祥說：「是，我是他！」
Wen Xiang
said, “Yes, I’m the one!”
衣紅又點頭說：「沒有理由不是他。」
Yi Hong nodded, “There’s no
reason why you shouldn’t be him.”
文祥說：「沒有理由。」
Wen Xiang
said, “No reason.”
衣紅想了想，肯定地說：「你是他。」
Yi Hong thought for a minute
and said with conviction, “You’re him.”
文祥說：「我當然是他。」
Wen Xiang
said, “Of course I’m him.”
衣紅突然又恨恨地說：「哼！要是你不是他……」
Suddenly, Yi Hong said
menacingly, “Huh! If you’re not the
one…”
文祥說：「那又怎樣？」
Wen Xiang
said, “What’ll you do?”
衣紅咬牙說：「我會殺死你！」
Speaking through clenched
teeth, Yi Hong said, “I’ll kill you!”
文祥握住兩隻小手，說：「放心，就算我不是他，我也要變成他！」
Wen Xiang
held Yi Hong’s hands and said, “Don’t worry. Even if I’m not the one, I want to
become him!”
衣紅說：「你說話要算話喲！」
Yi Hong said, “I'll expect
you to keep your word!”
文祥忙說：「當然，只是，他怎麼這麼重要呢？是你的什麼人嗎？」
Wen Xiang
quickly said, “Of course. But why
he is so important? What is he to
you?”
衣紅羞得低下了頭：「我不能告訴你！」
Yi Hong shyly lowered her
head, “I can’t tell you!”
文祥一顆心怦怦直跳：「妳不說，我怎麼變成他？」
Wen Xiang’s
heart was pounding, “If you don’t tell me, how can I become the one?”
衣紅懊惱地說：「錯在我，當時我沒有看清楚！」
Yi Hong said with regret,
“It was my fault. At the time I
didn’t see things clearly!”
文祥沒聽懂：「妳沒看清楚什麼？」
Wen Xiang
didn’t understand. “What couldn’t
you see clearly?”
衣紅歎口氣說：「唉！光線那麼暗，又有人擋住。」
Yi Hong signed. “Ai! It was so dark and there were people
blocking the way.”
文祥急了，說：「妳到底在說什麼？」
Anxiously, Wen Xiang asked, “What on earth are you talking about?”
衣紅幽怨地望他一眼，說：「誰知道呢！」
Yi Hong looked at him with
sad eyes and said, “Who knows!”
文祥說：「誰知道什麼？」
Wen Xiang
said, “Who knows ‘what’?”
衣紅兩眼盯著文祥，說：「如果我有危險，你一定會來救我吧？」
Yi Hong stared at Wen Xiang and said, “If I’m ever in danger, can I count on you
to rescue me?”
文祥急著說：「當然！那還用說！」
Wen Xiang
hurriedly replied, “There’s no question about that!”
衣紅緊接著問：「不顧生死？」
Yi Hong persisted and asked,
“Even if it’s a matter of life and death?”
文祥說：「什麼生死？妳要幹什麼？」
Wen Xiang
said, “What sort of life and death?
What are you going do?”
風不懼在一旁開口了：「衣紅，不能再說了，師父是怎麼交待的？」
Feng
Buju, who was right next to them, said, “Yi Hong,
you’d better stop. Remember what
the Master said.”
文祥說：「妳師父說了什麼？快告訴我！」
Wen Xiang
said, “What did your Master say?
Quick, tell me!”
衣紅不能啟口，急得跺腳：「你能不能不要問？」
Yi Hong couldn’t say and
stamped her feet in frustration.
“Can’t you just stop asking questions?”
文祥見她似有難言之隱，不忍相逼，楞在一旁，不知如何是好。
Wen Xiang
could see there was something she couldn’t tell him and he didn’t want to press
her. He stood there, puzzled, not knowing
what to do.
風不懼很有耐心地等著，見二人再不說話了，這才說：
Feng
Buju waited patiently. When he saw the two of them had again
fallen silent, he said,
「該走了吧？反正還會見面的，至少八月之約大家是不見不散。文兄，我們住的地方不能說，你呢？能不能告訴我怎麼聯絡？」
“Shall we? Anyway, we’ll be meeting again. At the very least we’ll be seeing each other in August, that’s for
certain. Wen, we can’t tell you
where we’ll be staying. How about
you? Can you tell me how to get in
touch with you?”
文祥說：「我住在地宮酒店，五○七八號房。」
Wen Xiang
said, “I’ll be staying at the Underground Palace Hotel, Room 5078.”
左非右則說：「我就不留地址了，反正你們也不會找我，而我要找你們，那是易如反掌，肯定找得到！」
Zuo Feiyo said, “I won’t leave my
address. Anyway, you’re not going
to be looking for me. If I want to
find you, I shouldn’t have any trouble.
Tracking you down won’t be a problem!”
褲白說：「不可能，我不信你找得到。」
Ku Bai
said, “Impossible. I don’t believe
you can do it.”
左非右說：「小兄弟，明天清晨，你去大門口一處白色石礅子旁等我。」
Zuo
Feiyo said, “Pal, at dawn tomorrow be waiting for me
outside the gate, right next to the white stone mound.”
褲白一揚頭，說：「別臭美了！我們都還沒去，你又知道有石礅子了？」
Ku Bai
raised his head and said, “Don’t flatter yourself! We haven’t been there yet, and you
already knew there’s a white stone mound?”
左非右說：「我也不知道呀！」
Zuo Feiyo answered, “I don’t know,
either!”
褲白說：「那你吹什麼牛？」
Ku Bai
said, “Then why are you making these empty claims?”
左非右說：「吹什麼牛？我們明天見面就知道了！」說罷，他便與四人告別，獨自飄然而去。
Zuo
Feiyo said, “Empty claims? We’ll find out when we meet
tomorrow!” When he finished, he bid
the four of them goodbye and proceeded on his way, alone.
衣紅與文祥還不肯分手，風不懼連連催了幾次，最後還是褲白使出了殺手𠕇：「衣姐，我告師父去！」
Yi
Hong and Wen Xiang still couldn’t part. Feng Buju hurried them several times. Finally, Ku Bai
played the role of the bad guy and said, “Yi, I’m gonna tell the Master!”
文祥一直看到衣紅的影子消失在人群中，這才嘀咕起來，怎麼這樣不爭氣，小倩的影子呢？難道人就是不能掙脫情網的羈絆？多年來，滿以為自己已是心如止水，哪裡知道這麼一顆小小的石頭，就令古井生波，狂風巨浪又隨之而至了。
Wen Xiang’s
eyes followed Yi Hong until she disappeared in the crowd. And then he began to feel restless and
blamed himself. How about Xiaoqian? Was
it impossible for someone to free themselves from the chains of love? For years, he had felt his emotions were
like a still pool. Who would have
thought that when such a tiny pebble was dropped into an old well, it would create
ripples that brought strong gale and huge waves in their wake?
不論從哪個角度看，衣紅是有很多優點，而文祥在長年壓抑下，突然間情感決堤了，這種後果經常是難以收拾的。所幸他自制力很夠，又有強烈的責任感，除了「那個人」的謎團一時揮之不去外，心境倒是相當平和。
Seen
from any aspect, Yi Hong had many good points. Wen Xiang, on
the other hand, had kept his feelings in check for years. Now suddenly, the banks that had
confined his feelings had burst.
The aftermath was always hard to clean up. Fortunately, he had ample self-control
and he had a strong sense of responsibility. Aside from the mystery of the other
“him”, which for the moment he couldn’t get it out of his mind, he felt quite
peaceful.
他有點不明白，像衣紅這種堅強又極度自信的人，怎麼會對自己是不是「那個人」如此在意呢？更何況今人所擁有的自由度，也不是過去任何時代，或任何地方的人所能比擬的。如果說衣紅是去相親，那就太荒唐了，這種事只有在做夢時，還可以嘗試一下。除此之外，還有什麼呢？想必是離別在即，情緒激動，一時口不擇言，自己又不是沒有談過戀愛，怎麼一下子糊塗了？
He
was mildly puzzled. Why would Yi
Hong, a person who was so strong and confident, care about whether he was “the
one” or not? Moreover, the freedom
people enjoyed today had no precedent, in either time or place. If Yi Hong was going to be viewed as a
prospective bride, that would be absurd. This kind of
thing could only be sampled in the dream state. But if not this, what else could it
be? It must have been that at the
moment of saying goodbye, his feelings had had the upper hand. He had spoken recklessly. It wasn’t as if he’d never been in love
before. Why did he lose his head in
that instant?
火星移民從二○二○年始，上面共有八個基地，這次舉行三十週年慶的地點在「熔爐」城。該區位於金色平原，其上有一個面積達一萬平方公里的舊式弧形電離罩，當年只用了三百個工作天就建成。那時，藉著在月球上成功的經驗，首先由電腦機器人登陸，建立了太陽能收集站，然後以分子工程技術，大量生產電離罩的結構體。
Immigration to Mars began in
2020. There are now 8 bases on
Mars. The location for the 30th
anniversary was to be at “Melting Pot” City, located in the Golden Plain. An old fashioned, arc-shaped, ion shield with an area of 10,000
square kilometers, covers this plain.
At that time the entire project was completed in only 300 working
days. Construction was facilitated
by making use of the successful experience obtained on the Moon. First, computerized robots were landed
to build a solar energy collection center.
Then, by applying molecular engineering technology, the various
components for building an iron shield were mass-produced.
因為火星空氣中有九成是二氧化碳，在超高電壓下，氣體分子都已離子化。電腦再利用宇宙壓力及分子工程，令電離的碳原子緊密排列成正三角形的晶格狀。此結構體堅逾精鋼，不僅可以阻止剩餘氧氣的散逸，還能防禦一般隕石的撞擊。
Because
90% of Martian air is carbon dioxide, all gas is ionized by the super high
voltage. By utilizing this
universal pressure together with molecular engineering, the computer was able
to arrange the ionized carbon atoms in the form of an equilateral triangle
crystal lattice. This structure is
stronger than that of fine steel. Not only does it prevent the remaining
oxygen from dispersing, it can withstand the impact from the average
meteorite.
電離罩形成後，再利用太陽能電力，在密閉的罩內鑽井抽取地下水，使成湖泊。同時分解火星地表原有的氨基及碳基鹽類，使形成類似地球表面的大氣層，密閉在電離罩中，以便人類能長期居住。
When the ion shied was completed,
electricity generated by solar energy was utilized to drill wells within the
closed shield. Underground water
from the wells was collected to form lakes. At the same time, elements such as the
aminos and carbonaceous sodium chlorite on the Martian surface were broken up into separate elements
to form an atmosphere similar to that of the Earth’s surface. This atmosphere is enclosed within the
ion shield, thereby enabling humans to reside there for long periods of
time.
「熔爐」是以中國人為主體的移民區，這裡有三十萬中國人，其中有十萬為藏族，是以紅教教徒為核心，集體遷徙而來的。火星八大基地中，以美國基地規模最大，人口超過了四十萬，另外，蘇俄、日本、巴西、印度及歐洲各國等基地也各有數萬人左右，分別建立了文化特色迥異的移民城。
The population of “Melting Pot” City is primarily made up of
Chinese immigrants. 300,000 Chinese
reside here. Among them are 100,000
Tibetans of the Nyingmapa sect, who emigrated to Mars
as a group. Of the 8 major bases,
the largest, with a population of more than 400,000, is the American base. The population of other bases, such as
those of Russia, Japan, Brazil, India and the various European nations, number
in the tens of thousands. Each
immigrant city was established on the basis of its distinct cultural
background.
「熔爐」位於火星北半球，跨越北緯三十度、東經四十度的一片廣大平原上。東邊是西多尼亞方山，連接凱西谷，到月神高原。這裡有億萬年前河流沖蝕地形的遺跡，再加上人工刻意的修整，看上去就像一個平面展開的中國模型。平原左下方有塊高地，用以象徵喜馬拉雅山脈。其餘部分劃分為四大人文區域，分別以東、南、西、北命名，札什倫布太空站即位於西南方這個象徵性喜馬拉雅山處。
The “Melting Pot” is located in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars. It covers a vast plain extending from a longitude of 40 degrees east to a latitude of 30 degrees north. In the east the Ceraunius Fossae run into the Kasei Valley, which stretches all the way to the Lunae Planum. This plain bears traces of the water erosion which took place over a hundred million years ago. As seen from above, it now resembles a model of China, the result of landscaping effort. A plateau symbolizing the Himalayas is located at the lower left of the plain. The rest of the plain is divided into four major cultural zones and are known as North, South, East and West. The Tashilumpo Space Station is located southwest of this plain, in the region of the symbolic Himalaya Mts.
由於傳播媒體的發達、虛擬實境的高傳真度，就算大門不出，人也可以神遊宇宙。而在長生之餘，人更是貪生怕死，所以火星基地自建成以後，三十年來，計劃中的一百萬移民，到如今還有兩成的缺額。使得原來更具野心的星際移民計劃，一直無法付諸實施。
Because
of the advances made by broadcasting media, the degree of authenticity created
by Virtual Reality is very convincing.
One can roam the cosmos without stepping foot out the door. Besides, after once people acquired
immortality they became even more fearful of dying. Now, 30 years after the bases were
constructed the number of immigrants still remains 20% short of the anticipated
one million. This has meant an
ongoing delay for the original ambitious plan of interplanetary
immigration.
這次慶祝大會選定在西藏地區進行，原因之一是，十週年慶曾在美國基地、二十週年慶在歐洲基地舉行，這次輪到熔爐城主辦。其二是火星五大奇觀之一的金頂寺，就在西藏區，梵宮紺宇，規製宏整，外形考究，值得一遊。其三是，經過本世紀初宗教大辯論後，佛教大興，廣受知識份子的擁戴。而佛教諸派中，只有紅教在此建有基地，更有信眾十萬人，影響力極大。
One
of the reasons for holding this celebration in the Tibetan zone is because the
10th anniversary was held at the American base, and the 20th
anniversary was held at the European base.
This time, it was “Melting Pot” City’s turn. Another reason is because the Golden
Roof Monastery, one of the Five Wonders on Mars, is located in the Tibetan
zone. This Buddhist monastery was constructed on a grand scale and
the exterior completed with painstaking care. It is well worth a visit. The third reason is because, following
an exciting religious debate held in the beginning of this century, Buddhism
had become very popular and gained wide support among intellectuals. Of the many Buddhist sects, only the Nyingmapa branch has established a base here. Its 100,000 followers gave it
considerable influence.
而紅教以「回歸佛旨」為宗，更成為改革的主流，故這個慶祝大會，其實宗教意味頗為濃厚。現任紅教教主洛桑巴，當年便以改革密宗聞名於世。他認為佛教教義，應以釋迦牟尼佛的教誨為唯一依據。因為後來的歷代祖師，多多少少都受到環境的影響，不得不將世俗文化引入教義中。而今人智業已大開，時過境遷，以之作為參考固然無妨，作為真理奉行則絕對不可。
The
goal of the Nyingmapa sect is a “return to the original essence of Buddhism”, and
thereby become the main stream of reform.
In effect, this means religion will be playing an important role in this
celebration. The present leader of
the Nyingmapa sect is Lobsangpa, famed for his past reform of
Tibetan Buddhism. He holds that the
teachings of Sakya-muni should be the sole doctrine
of Buddhism. Because the masters of
later generations were influenced to a certain degree by the world about them,
it became necessary to introduce elements of secular culture into the doctrine. However, people of today are much
wiser. Times have passed and
circumstances have changed. Such
treatises may be used for reference, but under no condition should they be
regarded as the true doctrine.
最令人側目的是，他把密教中所有的密行密授，都視為謗佛，嚴禁信徒學習應用。但他仍自稱喇嘛，認為形式並不重要。在二○一○年，他曾預言他們的極樂世界是火星，所以當移民計劃宣佈後，紅教信徒十萬人，便在二○二○年，有組織地移民「天堂」。
One
thing that caused raised eyebrows was his view that all the secret practices
had given Tibetan Buddhism a bad name.
He strictly forbids his followers to study and practice them. Though he still referred to himself as a
lama, he felt formalities were unimportant. In 2010, he had predicted that their Sukhavati (Land of Bliss) would be on Mars. So when the immigration program was
announced, in 2020 an organization of 100,000 followers of the Nyingmapa sect emigrated to “Heaven”.
因為移民人數過於龐大，人類議會唯恐太空移民變質成特殊族群大遷徙，還特別修法規定，在兼顧鼓勵移民原則下，任何移民計劃中，單一族群不得超過全部人數的一成。
Due
to the vast
number of emigrants, the Human Council became concerned that space immigration
would turn out to be a large-scale migration of certain groups. A special amendment to emigration laws
specified that under the principle of encouraging emigration, the number of
emigrants from a single group was not to exceed 10% of their total.
第一次來火星，文祥想先信步走走，隨意看看，再到旅館。一走出「熔爐」的轉航中心，他立刻感受到一種狂熱的宗教氣氛，除了滿目經幡飛揚外，街上來來往往的，有三成以上都是身披鮮紅僧袍的喇嘛，不時還有幾個喇嘛，戴著各種面具，如牛頭、骷髏頭等，穿著五彩長衣，打扮成神怪模樣，在一群群信眾簇擁下，隨著鑼鼓節奏踊舞。
Visiting
Mars for the first time, Wen Xiang thought he would
first walk around and have a look before checking-in at his hotel. As soon as he stepped out of the
“Melting Pot” transit center, he immediately sensed a religious fervor on the
street. Aside from the prayer flags
flapping everywhere before his eyes, more than 30% of the people on the street
were dressed in the bright red robes of lamas. From time to time lamas wearing
different head gear, such as an ox-head or a skull and clothed in garish
costumes intended to resemble demons, danced among their followers to the
rhythm created by gongs and drums.
火星與地球上的電腦城，大體上格局是相同的，空中專供長距交通工具飛行，地下道則為中距捷運路線，地面僅有各種建築體及行人。這時街上人潮熙來攘往，鑼鼓喧天，一派節慶熱鬧非凡的景象。文祥雖然覺得新鮮有趣，但因隔離人群太久了，肩摩踵接地，不免有些不習慣，他便往行人較少的路肩走去。
The
layout of the computerized cities on both Mars and Earth were roughly
similar. The sky is only open to
aircraft for long-distance travel.
Rapid transit routes were built underground for medium-range
travel. Above ground, only
buildings of various kinds and pedestrians were to be found. At this moment, the crowd was surging
back and forth along the street, accompanied by the deafening din of gongs and
drums in an atmosphere of great noise and festivity. Although he found all this new and
interesting, it had been a long while since Wen Xian had found himself in a
crowd. He was unaccustomed to the
throng of people pressing in on him, and headed towards the shoulder of the
road where there were fewer people.
一走上路肩，他大吃一驚，只見路肩上劃了兩條長長的白線，兩線中央竟有一些趴在地上匍匐前進的隊伍。文祥知道，那是信徒叩長頭的儀式，原來在西藏時，藏人物資缺乏、生活環境艱苦，信眾必須許願，以苦行贖罪的方式，祈求來生的幸福美好。現在既然來到火星，登上了極樂世界，為什麼還保留這種苦行呢？
As
he stepped to the shoulder, Wen Xiang was very
surprised. He saw two long white
lines had been drawn along the road’s edge. Between these two lines a procession of
people were prostrating themselves as they advanced. Wen Xiang knew
it was the ritual kowtow of believers.
This ritual had originated in Tibet at a time when Tibetans were lacking
in material comforts and life was very difficult. Believers had to make a vow to the gods and perform penance
to atone for their sins. By doing
this they could ensure happiness for their next life on earth. However, since they had already come to
Mars, had already ascended to the world of bliss, why was this penance still
observed?
文祥向文娃請教，誰知她竟然說：「這種事我們完全不能理解。」
Wen
Xiang put this question to Wen Wa. Unexpectedly, Wen Wa
answered, “We haven’t the slightest idea.”
文祥沒有宗教信仰，無從理解人對天堂、極樂世界的渴望。他看到前面街頭好像有地下快速道入口的標誌，便往前走去，準備從那裡坐車到地宮酒店。
Wen
Xiang had no religious belief so he could not
understand people’s longing for either heaven or the world of bliss. Catching a glimpse of the underground
expressway entrance sign at the end of the block, he walked on, preparing to
take a train to the Underground Palace Hotel.
街頭轉角處有一棟玄石砌成的商店，店門或立或坐的，有好幾個人，正指指點點的談論著街上歡樂的人群，對眼下趴伏前進的贖罪隊伍，竟然視若罔聞。
At
the street corner there was a store constructed of lodestone. In front of the store a number of
standing and sitting people were talking and pointing at the joyful street
crowd. They seemed oblivious to
this procession of penitents crawling forward right before their eyes.
訓練有素的觀察力，文祥一眼看到，這些贖罪者雙腳都有鍊條拴住。怎麼可能呢？文祥吃了一驚，如果這些人是自願的，為什麼要用鐵鍊拴住？拴住唯一的目的，當然是為了防止他們逃跑。一種宗教行為，怎麼可能有強制性的措施呢？
With his trained observation ability, Wen
Xiang immediately noticed that the feet of these
penitents were shackled. What was
going on here? Wen Xiang was astonished.
If these people were volunteers, why were they chained? The sole purpose of shackles was to
prevent escape. If this was a
religious practice, why was it carried out in such a harsh manner?
「文娃，妳知不知道，這些贖罪者腳上有鐵鍊？」
“Wen Wa, did
you know these penitents were shackled at their feet?”
「知道，他們自願的。」
“Yes. They were willing volunteers.”
「自願的？在這個時代？」
“Willing? In this day and age?”
「這也是我們所不能理解的地方，希望你能夠幫助我們。」
“We don’t understand this,
either. We hope you’ll be able to
help us.”
文祥仔細觀看，發現隊伍裡以中、老年人居多，而且大半都是男性。他們口裡誦著佛號，先雙手合十，舉在頭上拜一次，當雙手在胸前及腹下時，又各拜一次，然後跪倒，匍匐在地，雙手向前滑，直到全部身體接觸地面，再行叩首。叩畢起身，往前跨三步，再重複同樣的動作，如此不斷前進。
Upon looking closely Wen Xiang discovered that the majority of those in this procession
were elderly males. They chanted
mantras and folded their hands in the Buddhist salute of respect. They raised their hands over their head
for their first obeisance to the gods.
The next obeisance was made with the hands in front of the chest and a third
at the lower abdominal. Next, they
kneeled, flopped down, slid both arms forward until their body was completely
in contact with the ground, then they kowtowed. When they finished, they rose again,
moved 3 steps forward, and repeated this same movement, continuing to advance
in this manner.
這種動作極耗體力，有幾位老人已經面色蒼白，四肢顫抖，眼看要支持不下了。但是他們的表情和動作，絲毫不敢怠慢。文祥聽過一種理論，說人只要能專心致志，心靈便能得到平安。他自己就深受其惠，每當全神貫注於工作時，都能真正感覺到幸福。
Movement
of this kind took a great toll of physical strength. Pale faces and trembling limbs could be
detected among several of the older men.
They appeared unable to continue.
However, their expression and their behavior remained focused. Wen Xiang had
heard that when people concentrate on a goal, they achieve a peace of mind. He himself had benefited from this
theory. Whenever he concentrated on
his work, he felt truly happy.
顯然，對這些人而言，有意識地令己身肉體痛苦，正是他們的工作方式。但為什麼要繫鐵鍊，而且是自願的？是怕自己逃跑？還是藉此加深痛苦的程度？
Obviously, as far as these
people were concerned, deliberately submitting themselves to physical pain was
their way of achieving this. But
why the chains? And why they had
done this willingly? Did they
themselves fear they might escape?
Or was it a way to intensify the degree of pain?
宗教的目的，原是逐步將愚民導引到智慧之域，使人生智慧而得解脫。人類已經移民火星三十年了，居然還有人抱愚守迷，實在令人難以置信。
The
original purpose of religion had been to gradually guide the ignorant towards
the realm of wisdom and to enlighten them so their minds would be free. Man had been emigrating to Mars for 30
years. It was difficult to imagine
that some people still embraced stupidity and superstition.
隊伍中有一位老者，顯然體力已透支過甚，每當磕頭後再起身時，都佝僂著身體，慢慢地掙扎。由於動作過於遲緩，延誤了後面的隊伍，使得前後距離越拉越開。
One
of the old men in this procession had obviously reached the limit of his
endurance. Each time he got up from
performing the kowtow, he had to bend his body, struggling slowly to stand
erect. Because his movement was too
slow, he delayed the procession behind him. As a result, the gap between those in
the front and behind him was growing larger and larger.
文祥乍著膽子走上前去，對那老者說：「老先生休息一會吧，免得影響隊伍。」
Wen
Xiang summoned up his courage and walked over to the
old man, saying, “Sir, why don’t you take a break? You’re delaying the procession.”
老人回頭一看，雖然後面沒有人催促，但的確已造成妨礙。他羞愧地歎了口氣，蹣跚地隨著文祥走出隊伍，有氣無力地對他說：「阿彌陀佛，罪過罪過，我還差八萬多個頭還沒有磕完，看來是沒有指望了。」
The
old man turned his head to look behind him. Though no one was complaining, he was
indeed holding them up. He sighed
with shame and limping, followed Wen Xiang out of the
procession, saying weakly, “Amitabha, I have
sinned. I’m still more than 80,000
prostrations short of my goal.
Looks like there’s no hope.”
「老先生不要這麼想，八萬多個又算什麼？現在時間用不完，慢慢來！」
“Please, sir. Don’t give it a thought. What are a mere 80,000 kowtows? You have more than enough time. There’s no hurry!”
「先生你不知道，老漢今生罪深孽重，這個願是不可能還完的。」
“Sir,
you don’t understand. I’ve sinned
too often in this life. I’ll never
be able to fulfill my pledge to the gods.”
「怎麼會？你一天磕一百個頭，只要再八百天就還完了。」
“Why not? If you kowtow 100 times a day, 800 days
should be sufficient to fulfill your pledge.”
「沒有那麼簡單，我許的願是連續磕十萬個長頭。但每次還磕不到一千個，我就開始懷疑了，到底磕長頭有什麼用呢？人家整天做夢，沒有磕過一個頭，卻活得和在極樂世界沒有分別，每次一想到這裡，我就放棄了。可是，無論造夢機也好，什麼實境虛境也好，都不能讓我感受到那種極樂。師父們就說我了，誰叫我沒有還願呢？混來混去，老漢實在無路可走，二十多年來，沒有一次把願還成，也沒有一次能找到我的極樂世界。」
“It’s not that simple. My pledge was to kowtow 100,000 times in
succession. But each time, before I
reached one thousand, I would begin to wonder. What’s the use of kowtowing? People who dream all day without
performing a single prostration are living in a world no different from the
world of bliss. Whenever I think of
this, I give up. However, no matter
whether it be a gadget for dreaming, reality, or illusion, none of them enable
me to experience bliss. My masters
blame me. Why hadn’t I fulfilled my
pledge? After idling away my time
to no purpose there was no other recourse open to me. Over the past 20 years, I have never
once fulfilled my vow, and I’ve never once found my world of bliss.”
文祥不知要如何安慰老人，老實說，連他自己都有這種困惑。他和眼前這位老者唯一的分別，是從來沒有什麼極樂世界的想頭，所以還能隨遇而安。文娃不是要自己來瞭解一下嗎？瞭解什麼呢？當然是自己不知道的，於是他問道：
Wen
Xiang didn’t know how to comfort this old man. As a matter of fact, he had similar
doubts. The only difference between
him and the old man before him was that he had never thought about the world of
bliss. That was why he could be
content with whatever circumstances he found himself in. Hadn’t Wen Wa
wanted him to come and find out for himself? Find out what? Of course it was something unknown to
him, so he asked:
「老先生，我不知道什麼是極樂世界，能不能請你告訴我？」
“Sir, I don’t know
what is meant by the world of bliss.
Could you tell me about it?”
「阿彌陀佛，極樂世界就是……就是……」老者一時之間好像也不知道該如何解釋，他想來想去，終於想通了：「就是沒有痛苦煩惱。」
“Amitabha. The world of bliss is… is…” for a
moment, the old man seemed to be unable to answer this question. He mulled it over for a while and
finally it came to him: “It means no suffering or vexation.”
「那麼，你現在還有什麼痛苦煩惱呢？」
“Then, tell me. What suffering or vexations do you have
now?”
「嗄！阿彌陀佛，我的痛苦煩惱太多了，多得說不完。」
“Ah, Amitabha. I
have much suffering and vexation.
They are too many to relate.”
「能不能告訴我？說不定能幫助我解決我的問題。」
“Could you tell me
about it? Maybe it’ll help solve my
question.”
「阿彌陀佛，好，好，讓我想想。」老人用心地想，一時點點頭，一時搖搖頭。又用藏語和他的私用電腦談了一會，最後，他滿懷歉意地說：「我實在說不上來，好像有，想想又都是一些小事，像是兒子不聽話呀，老婆要回地球呀，這些不值得向你提。不過，有一個千真萬確的煩惱，就是這八萬個磕長頭的願還欠著沒還。」
“Amitabha. All right, all right. Let me think.” The old man thought hard. Sometime he nodded his head, and other
times he shook his head disapprovingly.
He also talked to his personal computer in Tibetan. Finally, he said apologetically, “I
really can’t say. I seem to have some, but after
thinking it over, they’re really unimportant. Things like my son’s disobedience or my
wife wanting to return to Earth; things not worthy of mention. However, there is one genuine
annoyance. I haven’t fulfilled my
vow to complete 80,000 prostrations.”
文祥忽然懂了，說：「快樂是痛苦解除時的狀況，所以還完了痛苦的大願，也就是極樂的世界了。」但是他又想，狀況是一時的，「極樂」可以說只是一種狀況，但「極樂世界」卻是永恒的。難道信徒要不斷地再許願、再還願，永無已時地叩長頭？
Suddenly,
Wen Xiang understood. He said, “Happiness is a state when
suffering ceases. Therefore when
you fulfill your pledge of suffering, that will be the world of bliss.” However, when he thought about it, a
“state” was temporary, and “bliss” was only a state. But the “world of bliss” was
eternal. Did this mean believers
were supposed to go on making vow after vow, fulfilling every one of them, and
perform endless prostrations?
老者還沒有聽懂，旁邊佇足的人群中，倒有人開口了：
Before the old man could grasp
this, one of the people standing alongside of them spoke,
「哼！又來個心理專家！我們這裡不歡迎你的歪論！」
“Hum! Another psychologist! Your twisted theories are not welcome
here!”
文祥聞聲一看，說話的是個紅衣喇嘛，只見他雙手叉腰，一副兇神惡煞的模樣。那老人一見到他，不聲不響地，立刻回到叩長頭的隊伍去了。
As
Wen Xiang heard this voice, he perceived that a lama
wearing a red robe was speaking.
Both his hands were on his hips and he looked cruel and evil. As soon as the old man saw him, he
returned to the kowtow procession without another word.
文祥還來不及開口，有一個少女已經越眾而出，大聲說：
Before Wen Xiang
could say anything, a young girl stepped out of the crowd and speaking in a
loud voice said:
「鐵棒喇嘛①，你錯了，這句話是釋迦牟尼佛自己說的，在《大阿含經》中……」
“Iron-staff Lama, you’re wrong. That sentence was spoken by Sakya-muni himself.
In the ‘Mahaagama’…”
「又是妳！妳為什麼老跟我們作對？」
“You again! Why do you always contradict us?”
「又是你！你為什麼老是被我碰到？」少女嘻皮笑臉地說。
“You, again! Why do I always bump into you?”, the
young girl smilingly replied.
「要不是……」那喇嘛戟指怒目，跺腳罵道：「我今天就把妳……了！」
“If it wasn’t for…” The lama, eyes flashing with anger, pointed his finger at her and stamped his foot in rage, as he said menacingly, “Today I’m going to fix you….!”
「又犯口戒了，是不是？在這個極樂世界裡，喇嘛你吐出來是髒污了三寶聖地，吞下去也是髒污了三寶寶地，小心重墮阿鼻地獄喲！」
“There you go again breaking the
rule against speaking bad words.
Here in this world of bliss, if you had blurted those words out you
would have defiled this tri-ratna sacred place. Had you swallowed them you’d also defile
this tri-ratna sacred place. Be careful, you might tumble into the Avici hell!”
「妳胡說！」
“Rubbish!” (Note 1)
「咦！你知道我的名字嘛！」少女故意逗他。
“Hey! You know my name!” The young girl was teasing him.
「妳還胡說八道！我和尚不饒妳！」
“If you keep on
talking rubbish, I won’t have any mercy on you!”
「不錯，我叫胡妁，但不夠霸道，你和尚饒不饒我沒有關係！」
“My name is indeed Hu Shuo. But I don’t bully people.
It doesn’t matter if you pardon me or not.”
那喇嘛氣得一佛出世，二佛昇天，什麼也不顧了，張開雙臂便向那女孩撲去，口中大喝：「胡妁，老子寧願下地獄！」
The lama was steaming with
anger and disregarding everything else, stretched out his hands and rushed at
the girl, bellowing, “Hu Shuo,
If I have to go to hell, then so be it!”
眾人只覺眼前流光輝赫，地上已擁起一道光柱，堪堪把那喇嘛罩住。在光罩中，他尚自怒目圓睜，口鼻翻動，只是全身像標本一般，封凍在一個光華密裹的櫥窗裡。群眾雖已司空見慣，一到有熱鬧可瞧，還是圍成了一堵厚厚的人牆。
The crowd suddenly saw a brilliant, floating glow, flash before them. A beam of light rose up from the ground, tightly enclosing the lama. Inside the beam of light, the lama’s eyes still bulged with fury and his nose and mouth continued to twitch. But his body, like some sort of botanical specimen, was frozen in a showcase of diffuse light. Though people were used to this kind of scene, whenever some excitement occurred, they would still crowd around and form a thick human wall.
那喇嘛被罩定後，只見光柱一陣旋轉，下方的地皮開始塌陷。附近的人群立刻閃開，接著光柱緩緩下降，直到完全沒入地底後，地表才恢復原狀。
As
soon as the light enclosed the lama, the light beam began to rotate. The ground where the beam had originated
began to collapse. Those standing
nearby immediately dodged aside.
Then the light beam slowly sank, and after it had completely disappeared
into the earth, the ground was restored to its original state.
胡妁對文祥說：「快跟我來，否則還有麻煩。」
Hu Shuo said to Wen Xiang, “Come with me quickly. Or there’ll be more trouble.”
原來這是電腦當局防範嚴重人際衝突的手段，先將肇事者隔離僵化，再運送至看守所。文祥早就知道有這種律法，這卻是第一次目睹，聽胡妁這麼一說，便機械般地跟著她走。兩人三步併作兩步，快速地穿過人群，直往地下道奔去。
This method was used by the Computer
Authority Bureau to prevent severe interpersonal conflict. The troublemaker was first isolated and
frozen, then sent to the detention house.
Wen Xiang had known about this rule but this
was the first time he’d ever seen it enforced. Upon hearing what Hu
Shuo said he automatically followed her. The two of them hastened their steps,
swiftly passing through the crowd, and raced toward the underground pass.
這個地下道通體朱紅，全是火星石（一種玄武岩，多屬斜方晶結構）加工砌成，由於加工時以高溫加壓，凝固後堅如凍石。石頭表層有微光透出，照得通道內纖毫畢現，但光線柔和淡雅，一點也不嫌刺眼。
Constructed from refined Martian rocks
(some kind of basalt, most of them are orthorhombic structured), this
underground passageway was vermilion in color. Because the rock had been subjected to
high temperature and pressure during the refining process, when it solidified
it was as hard as steatite. A faint
light came from the rock surface, revealing all the details in the
passageway. The lighting, however,
was soft and elegant and easy on the eyes.
兩人走到一處交叉口，少女止步回頭一看，後面並無追兵，她鄭重地向文祥說：「現在安全了，你大概是初來的，不知道此地的規矩。在這裡凡是與宗教有關的事，千萬別說、別碰。」
When the two of them came to an
intersection, the girl stopped and turned around to look behind her. No one was pursuing them. She gravely told Wen Xiang,
“We’re safe now. You’re probably
new so you don’t know the rules around here. In this place you cannot either discuss
or touch anything related to religion.”
「我沒有說什麼呀！」文祥一肚子委屈。
“But I didn’t say
anything!” Wen Xiang
felt wrongly accused.
少女見他竟不承認，雙手一攤，說：「好，那你請自便吧！」說完便往前走了。
The young woman, perceiving that
he wouldn’t admit it, shrugged helplessly and said, “Sure. Do as you please!” and walked off.
文祥覺得人家是一番好意，至少也要表示謝意才是。想著，便跟了過去，一邊喊道：「胡小姐，多謝妳了。」
Wen Xiang
sensed she had meant well. The
least he could do was to thank her.
He no sooner thought about it, then he followed the girl and called out,
“Ms. Hu, thank you.”
那少女沒有理會，卻加快腳步往前走。這時，文娃開口了：
The girl ignored him and
hastened her steps. At this moment,
Wen Wa said,
「我們察知喇嘛在集結，不知道要做什麼？」
“We’ve detected that
lamas are gathering. Don’t know
what they’re up to.”
「妳們怎麼不採取行動呢？」
“Why don’t you do
something?”
「除非涉及現場安危，我們是不能干預的。」
“Unless safety at the
site is endangered, we can’t interfere.”
「啊！這就是危險任務？」
“What! This is my dangerous mission?”
「還不是，這是突發狀況。」
“Nope, not yet. This was unexpected.”
文祥一想自己人生地不熟，現在怎麼辦呢？胡妁剛才說「還有麻煩」，說不定她知道怎麼回事，便又大叫：「胡小姐，請等等我！」
It occurred to Wen Xiang that he was unfamiliar with this place. What was he going to do now? Just now, Hu Shuo said ‘there’d be more trouble’. Maybe she knew what was going on. So Wen Xiang
shouted again, “Ms. Hu. Please wait for me!”
「