2 A spaceship made of plastic 
　  
　　I couldn't believe what I'd done．I'd run away—me！ 
　　I'm not very brave and I love my parents very much．I never thought I could ever disobey them． 
　　I was afraid．And I felt sad for my parents．Poor mother and father！ 
　　But I had to live my own life．I couldn't get married to a horrible old man like Buffalo！ 
　　I knew they would follow me quickly so I told the spaceship to take me to a very quiet part of the Galaxy，a long way from any planets with people on． 
　　The spaceship went． 
　　How can a spaceship travel across the Galaxy in no time at all？ 
　　Well，I learnt the answer to that in school．There are a lot of little black holes in space．They are about as big as a potato．A spaceship goes into one black hole and comes out of another black hole on the other side of the Galaxy． 
　　Don't ask me how a big thing like a spaceship can go into a thing as small as a potato．I was probably asleep when the robot teacher told me the answer to that！ 
　　Nobody could find me now．I was in the middle of the Galaxy in empty space． 
　　There were stars above my head，stars below my feet，starson my left hand，stars on my right hand． 
　　Strange．I knew all these stars were a long，long way away but they didn't look far away．They looked very close；I wanted to reach out my hand and touch them． 
　　And the silence．So very，very， very quiet． 
　　The Book of Remembering says how I felt：'Their hearts were empty．' 
　　My heart was empty．I saw millions of stars but there was no life in the Galaxy except us humans．Well，there are potatoes and wheat and rice but you can't talk to vegetables． 
　　We are alone． 
　　The Book of Remembering says we did it．We polluted Earth and so killed all the animals． We ran away from Earth and we're still running．That was twenty thousand years ago and we still can't forget． 
　　The Book of Remembering gives names for thousands of animals．Fantastic！Could there really be thousands of animals？The idea of animals is so strange．What did they look like？The Book of Remembering has no pictures， but says there are birds that fly，and fish that swim．There are animals with no legs，and animals with lots of legs—ugh！What a horrible idea！ 
　　Can anybody believe stories like that？ 
　　And now I was running away too．Perhaps I was wrong to run away． 
　　Suddenly the spaceship went'PING！' 
　　'Yes，what is it？'I asked． 
　　'There is something near us．' 
　　'Oh！'I said．'I thought we were a long way from anything out here．Take me closer．' 
　　We moved closer，but I couldn't see anything． 
　　Then one star disappeared，then another star，and another．It was too dark to see what the thing was．It was just a big black shape between me and the stars． 
　　It was probably just a big old rock，which had broken off a moon or a planet． 
　　Well，perhaps it contained gold or something．Then I could show the Star Council I was doing important work．Perhaps that would be a good reason not to marry Buff． 
　　I said，'Find out what it is made of．' 
　　The spaceship shot a laser at the thing and said，'It is not natural．It may be a spaceship，although it is moving too slowly to arrive at a star．It is made of plastic．' 
　　A spaceship made of plastic？ You can't make spaceships out of plastic！And spaceships don't travel slowly． 
　　I was a little afraid，but this was something really important；nobody could make me get married after I had discovered something as strange as this．I was afraid but also excited．Most girls just get married once a year and have another baby．That's enough excitement for them．Not me！ 
　　I was going to visit this spaceship and meet…the people inside it． 
　　'Show me this plastic spaceship，'I said． 
　　My spaceship shone out light．The thing was big，big，BIG．Who would build a spaceship so big？ The plastic was full of holes and the spaceship looked old and dead．Would anybody be left alive inside？ I didn't think so． 
　　The spaceship was round like a ball．It turned slowly，which made things inside just heavy enough to stay on the ground． 
　　I saw a door on it and said，'Land there．' 
　　My spaceship landed．I put on a spacesuit， went outside and moved to the big round door．I pulled and pushed and hit it．At last something moved and the door opened． 
　　Inside，there was a tunnel．A long black tunnel．I climbed in and the door closed behind me．  
　 
2 塑料做的飞船 
　  
　　我的所作所为真是难以置信。我跑掉了——天啊！ 
　　我的胆子不是很大，我也非常爱我的父母。我从没想过我会不听他们的。 
　　我害怕。我为我的父母感到难过。可怜的妈妈、爸爸！ 
　　但我要过自己的生活。我不能嫁给水牛那样的糟老头子！ 
　　我清楚他们会很快跟上我的，所以我吩咐飞船把我带到银河系的一个特别宁静的角落，离任何一个有人类居住的星球都很远很远。 
　　飞船进发了。 
　　飞船怎么能在瞬间横穿银河系呢？ 
　　喔，我是在学校里知道这答案的。宇宙空间里有好多小黑洞。它们跟土豆差不多大小。飞船从一个黑洞进去，从另一个黑洞出来时就到了银河系的另一侧。 
　　别问我为什么飞船这样的庞然大物能钻进土豆这样小的东西里。机器人老师给我讲这个答案时我可能睡着了！ 
　　现在没人能找到我了。我在茫茫太空中，在银河系的中间。 
　　我的头上是星星，脚下是星星，左边是星星，右边是星星。 
　　奇怪，我知道所有这些星星都很遥远很遥远，但看上去并不远。他们似乎非常近；我想伸出手去触摸它们。 
　　还有寂静。静极了，静极了。 
　　《往事追忆》道出了我的感受：“他们的心里空荡荡的。” 
　　我的心里空荡荡的。我能看见好几百万颗星星，除了我们人类，银河系里就再也没有别的生命了。当然，有土豆、小麦和水稻，可你不能跟植物说话啊。 
　　我们孤零零的。 
　　《往事追忆》上说那是我们造成的。我们污染了地球，也就害死了所有的动物。我们从地球逃了出来，直到现在还在东奔西跑。那是两万年以前的事了，可我们至今难忘。 
　　《往事追忆》上罗列了几千种动物的名字。难以置信！真的可能有几千种动物吗？有关动物的想法太离奇了。它们长得什么样？《往事追忆》上没有插图，但说有会飞的鸟，会游泳的鱼。有的动物没有腿，而有的动物有好多条腿——呜！多可怕的想法！ 
　　真有人会相信这种故事吗？ 
　　如今我也在逃亡。我逃跑可能错了。 
　　突然飞船“砰！”地响了一声。 
　　“哎，怎么了？”我问。 
　　“我们旁边有个东西。” 
　　“啊！”我说，“我以为我们离哪儿都很远呢。让我靠近点儿。” 
　　我们靠近了些，可我什么也看不见。 
　　接着，一颗星星不见了，又有一颗不见了，又是一颗。天太黑，看不见那是什么东西。只能看见我和星星之间黑乎乎的一大块。 
　　它可能只是一块从卫星或行星上脱落的巨大的古岩石。 
　　哎，那上面可能有金子什么的。那样我就可以让星际理事会看到我是在做重要的工作。也许这可以作为我不嫁给牛子的正当理由。 
　　我说：“看看是什么材料制成的。” 
　　飞船对着那个东西发出一束激光，然后说，“它不是天然的。它可能是个飞船，尽管它的运动速度太慢，无法抵达星球。它是塑料做的。” 
　　一个塑料做的飞船？不可能用塑料做飞船！因为飞船的运行速度不能太低。 
　　我有点害怕，可这是一件真正重要的事；我发现了这么一个希奇的东西，不会有人再逼我结婚了。我害怕，但又兴奋。多数姑娘每年结婚一次，再生一个孩子。这对她们就够刺激了。可我不！ 
　　我要上这只飞船，去见——里面的人。 
　　“让我看看这塑料飞船，”我说。 
　　我的飞船发射出灯光。这个东西真大，大极了。谁会制造这么大的飞船？塑料上到处是洞，飞船看上去很破旧，死一般的沉寂。里面会有活着的人吗？我想不会。 
　　这个飞船象球一样圆。它慢慢地旋转着，仅能够使里面的东西有足够的重量呆在地面上。 
　　我看到上面有扇门，就说道：“在那儿着陆。” 
　　我的飞船着陆了。我穿上太空服，出了飞船，朝那个大圆门移动过去。我又拉又推又打。最后不知动了什么机关，门打开了。 
　　里面是一条隧道。又长又黑的隧道。我爬了进去，身后的门关上了。 
　　　    


 