11 The Future’s Future 650 Million AD

CHAPTER 11 THE FUTURE'S FUTURE We swirl and swirl and swirl some more until we finally stop swirling. 'I've got some good news and some bad news,' says Terry, looking out of the bin. 'The bad news is we're 650 million years in the future. The good news is

第十一章未来的未来我们不停地旋转，旋转，再旋转，直到我们停止旋转。 “我有一些好消息和一些坏消息，”特里看着垃圾桶外说。 “坏消息是，我们身处6.5亿年之后的未来。 好消息是

we're at the beach.' I look around. It's a weird beach. The sea is black. The sky is red. Oh yeah, and we're surrounded by giant crabs. 'I can't understand why there are giant crabs everywhere,' says the inspector. 'I'm sure I left the giant-crab eliminator button on back at Safety Central Headquarters.' 'Um,' says Terry, 'I think I might have turned it off again when you weren't looking. I couldn't help it. I just really wanted to see a giant crab.'

我们在海滩上。”我环顾四周。 这是一个奇怪的海滩。海是黑色的。 天空是红色的。对了，我们被大螃蟹包围了。 “我不明白为什么到处都是大螃蟹，”检查员说。 “我肯定我把消灭巨蟹的按钮忘在安全中心总部了。“嗯，”特里说，“我想我可能趁你不注意的时候又把它关了。” 我没办法。我真的很想看一只大螃蟹。”

'You idiot, Terry!' I say. 'Thanks to you the future Earth is now overrun with giant crabs.' 'Yeah, I know,' says Terry, 'and I'm sorry. But look on the bright side: giant crabs are pretty cool.' 'Yeah, you're right,' I say, 'they are extremely cool

“你这个白痴，特里！”我说。 “多亏了你们，未来的地球现在到处都是巨型螃蟹。“是的，我知道，”特里说，“我很抱歉。” 但往好的方面想：大闸蟹很酷。“是的，你说得对，”我说，“它们非常酷。

…and very, very dangerous!' 'It's interesting, though,' says Terry, 'because this is

而且非常非常危险！“不过这很有趣，”特里说，“因为这是……

just like what happens at the end of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. The time traveller goes into the future as far as he can—almost to the end of time—and lands on a beach and there are giant crabs all over the place!' 'I thought that book was fiction,' I say. 'So did I!' says Terry. 'But it was obviously based on actual fact. H.G. Wells must have time-travelled here himself… otherwise, how could he have described it all so exactly?'

就像h。g。《时光机器》的结尾一样 井。时间旅行者尽其所能进入未来——几乎到了时间的尽头——在海滩上着陆，到处都是巨大的螃蟹！“我还以为那本书是虚构的呢，”我说。 “我也是！”特里说。但这显然是基于事实。 h·g·威尔斯一定是亲自穿越到这里来的……否则，他怎么能如此准确地描述这一切呢？”

'Oh dear,' says the inspector. 'Look over there. One of the giant crabs has got hold of an old-fashioned man and is waving him around in its giant crab claw!'

“哦，天哪，”巡查员说。 “看那边。一只大螃蟹抓住了一个老掉牙的人，用它巨大的蟹爪把他摇来摇去！”