尋找食人族

【故事主線】

分別來自中國香港、印度、英國和澳大利亞的六位主人公為了尋找傳說中的食人族踏上了開往南美的郵輪……

Profile

【人物簡介】

小強：男，香港富豪之子，喜好探險旅游，本次探險旅行的發(fā)起人。

蜜兒：女，香港某野外生存俱樂部教練，武功出色，中國的“勞拉”。

威廉：男，英國作家，以經(jīng)常發(fā)布一些驚世奇聞的旅行游記著稱。

甘德爾：印度小男孩，印度洋海嘯后當?shù)氐奈ㄒ恍掖嬲摺?/p>

艾德里安：男，澳大利亞生物學家，喜歡研究昆蟲。

白雪：蜜兒的寵物狗，忠心耿耿，總給人帶來意外驚喜。

編?。篈drian Brookes（澳大利亞）

情節(jié)策劃：何彥平、王妮

插畫：姚薇

本欄目有償歡迎讀者參與劇情策劃

投稿信箱：contribution@bilingualtime.com

Plot Synopsis

【本集劇情】

小強在大學的最后一個暑假計劃去南美探險，帶著對神秘叔叔的巨大疑慮，他四處找尋合適的隊友，并在自己的博客上公布了自己的計劃。一天，他收到了一封神秘來信并找到了隨信照片上的女孩蜜兒，在二人踏上探險的郵輪時意外遇見了奇怪的英國人威廉，在他們準備結(jié)伴同行時突然感覺有個神秘人在監(jiān)視他們。神秘刺激的南美探險終于拉開序幕……

Beginning

【緣起】

Xiaoqiang is a handsome 23-year-old university student in Hong Kong. His father， a wealthy businessman， wants him to join him in the family business after graduation， but Xaioqiang is more interested in travelling. His last summer vacation is approaching， and he is planning to travel and enjoy himself one last time before giving in to his father's wishes. Before Xiaoqiang was born， his father's brother， the black sheep of the family， worked his passage by ship to South America. He reached Brazil and was never heard from again. The only news of him came in two confusing messages， written in bad English， from anonymous sources. One said his uncle had found the elixir of life and had set off to follow it; the other said he had been captured by a tribe of cannibals. Xiaoqiang wonders about the truth of the reports and whether cannibals really exist or are only a rumour. He writes a travel plan on his blog， but does not get the responses he expects…

小強是一個年輕帥氣的香港大學生，今年23歲。他的父親是個富有的商人，他希望小強在畢業(yè)后能夠幫他經(jīng)營家族企業(yè)，但小強更鐘情于旅行。大學的最后一個暑假快要到了，他計劃去旅行，在順從父親的心愿前最后一次好好享受一下。小強出生前，他父親的哥哥——一個敗家子，以工抵費，搭上了去南美的船。自從他抵達巴西后，就失去了聯(lián)絡(luò)。關(guān)于他的消息只有兩條令人費解的、用蹩腳的英語寫成的神秘匿名消息。一個說他的叔叔發(fā)現(xiàn)了長生不老藥并開始去尋找；另一個說他被食人族抓去了。小強懷疑這些消息是否屬實以及食人族是否真的存在，或者僅僅只是傳說。于是他在博客上寫下了旅行計劃，但沒有得到他期望的回應(yīng)……

A Mysterious Letter

神秘來信#8226;出發(fā)

SituationⅠ

情景Ⅰ

香港：小強和蜜兒在一個酒吧里討論著……

Xiaoqiang: …So that's the plan. What do you think?

Candy: (shakes her head slowly) You won't want to know what I think…

Xiaoqiang: Why， what's wrong?

Candy: (takes a deep breath) You're not kidding me， are you? You really mean to do all this stuff?

Xiaoqiang: Of course! Why not? What's the problem?

Candy: What's the…! OK， if you really want to know， the problem is that you'll kill yourself and anybody who goes with you.

Xiaoqiang: What do you mean? I told you， I'm serious.

Candy: You'd better be! That place is a death trap for people like you. It's wild. Treacherous. There are no roads， no tracks to follow， just jungle and swamps and wild animals. And then you tell me you want to go there to look for a lost tribe of cannibals! Trust me - if you try this， you're dead. I don't care how rich your family is， you can't buy yourself out of trouble in a jungle. Have you ever spent a night in real wilderness? All you've ever known is luxury. You're a business student， for goodness sake - a campus cabbage. I can't turn you into a jungle explorer just like that. You'll need full-on survival skills， and you don't have a clue. You'll just be an easy lunch for crocodiles. It's crazy!

Xiaoqiang: I know it won't be easy， but I'm going to do it - I just need the right people. That's why I'm taking you.

Candy: (jumps up and spills her drink) Hey， hold on! Who said I'm going? You said you wanted my advice - that was all.

Xiaoqiang: But you're a survival trainer， right? You've been to the toughest places on earth: the Himalayas， Sahara， Siberia… You've led expeditions there. You're just the person I need. And I'm offering you really good money for this.

Candy: You can shove your money. I'm sure the cannibals will make me an offer I can't refuse， as well. Fighting off cannibals is not the sort of survival skill I'm into. Why do you want to look for them， anyway?

Xiaoqiang: Uh… (He hesitates and slowly runs his fingers through his hair.)

Candy: Well， why?

Xiaoqiang: OK. If I tell you this， it's confidential， right? It goes no further.

Candy: (laughs incredulously) Why? Is there some big secret?

Xiaoqiang: Yes， as a matter of fact there is.

Candy: What， then?

Xiaoqiang: I had an uncle who went there - a long time ago， before I was born. He never came back. Nobody heard from him again. He just disappeared.

Candy: (cautiously) Then I'm sorry. But is that it? You mean， you want to go looking for him - after all this time?

Xiaoqiang: Not for him. Nobody thinks he's still alive. It's something he found there. I think there's a good chance it's still there， and I want to go and find it.

Candy: You said you never heard from him again， so how do you know he found something?

Xiaoqiang: I said nobody heard from him. We heard from somebody else. I can't tell you what he found， but it's important. It's worth a lot to me， more than I can explain to you now. That's why you've got to come with me， and why I'm offering you a big paycheque for it.

Candy: You just don't get it， do you? We're talking about life and death， and you reduce it all to money. I'm sorry about your uncle and all that. But there are things that money can't buy. I don't think you even know that. It's about time you learned.

（她站起來準備離開。）

Xiaoqiang: (stands up and blocks her way out) OK， maybe I'm learning. There's something else. Something you might like to see. (He draws an envelope out of his pocket and hands it to her.) Go on. Open it.

Candy: (looks at him suspiciously and takes an old black and white photo from the envelope. A shocked expression spreads across her face.) This is mine! It was stolen last year. How did you get it?

Xiaoqiang: Somebody sent it to me.

Candy: Oh， come on!

Xiaoqiang: It's true! I don't know who it is in the photo and who sent it - but this came with it. It's one of your business cards， right? Somebody's written a note on the back.

Candy:(reads the note on the card) \"Contact Candy. She won't want to go， so show her this. She'll find someone she knows in Iquitos.\" What's this about? I don't know anybody in… in Iquitos， wherever that is.

Xiaoqiang: It's in Peru， in the Amazon jungle. Are you quite sure you don't know what it's about?

Candy:(hesitates) How many people know what you're planning to do?

Xiaoqiang: I don't know. All the people who read my blog. But what about the photo - and the message? Do you know who wrote it? I think you do - or you can guess. Why don't you want to go there?

Candy: (turns to him threateningly) Look: you've got your little secrets and I've got mine. So let's just leave it there.

Xiaoqiang: OK， I guess you don't have to tell me… (He writes in a notebook， tears out the page and passes it to her). Here are the details and the schedule. If you need anything else， let me know.

Candy: (reads the page Xiaoqiang has given her) OK. I'll think about it. But understand this: if I go， it'll be on my terms.

Xiaoqiang: (to himself) We'll see…

情景Ⅰ

香港：小強和蜜兒在一個酒吧里討論著……

小強：……這就是全部的計劃。你覺得怎么樣？

蜜兒：（慢慢地搖了搖頭）你不會愿意知道我的想法。

小強：為什么？怎么了？

蜜兒：（深吸一口氣）你沒開玩笑，對吧？你確定要做這些？

小強：當然！為什么不？有什么問題嗎？

蜜兒：那么……好吧！如果你真想知道……問題在于你這是在自尋死路，也會害了跟你去的人。

小強：什么意思？我告訴過你，我沒有開玩笑。

蜜兒：你最好沒有，那個地方對于像你這樣的人來說是個極其危險的地方。是荒野，危機四伏。沒有公路、沒有小徑可循，只有叢林、沼澤和野獸。然后你告訴我你要去那里尋找不知所終的食人族。相信我——如果你真的去了，你會沒命的。我不管你家里多有錢，這都無法幫你在熱帶叢林中化險為夷。你曾經(jīng)在真正的野外待過一晚嗎？你所知道的只是奢侈享受?？丛谏系鄣姆萆?，你只是個商業(yè)系學生——一顆校園卷心菜。我可沒辦法把你變成一個叢林探險者。你需要充分的生存技巧，而你現(xiàn)在卻一無所知。你會變成食人族的可口午餐。簡直要瘋了。

小強：我知道一切不容易，但我必須去做——我只是需要合適的人。這就是我找你的原因。

蜜兒：（突然站起來，弄灑了飲料）喂，等等。誰說我要去了，我來是因為你說你需要我的建議——僅此而已。

小強：但你是個野外生存教練，對吧？你曾經(jīng)去過地球上最兇險的地方：喜馬拉雅山、撒哈拉沙漠、西伯利亞……你帶領(lǐng)探險隊去那些地方。你就是我需要的人。我會支付豐厚的報酬的。

蜜兒：你可以任意揮霍你的錢。我想食人族也會給我一張無法拒絕的“綠卡”。擺脫食人族可不是我所擅長的生存技巧。你為什么堅持一定要找到食人族？

小強：呃……（猶豫著，手指抓了抓頭發(fā)。）

蜜兒：為什么？

小強：好吧。如果我告訴了你，這就表示信任。你不能告訴別人。

蜜兒：（不相信地笑笑）為什么？難道有什么驚天大秘密嗎？

小強：事實上，的確有。

蜜兒：那么，是什么？

小強：我有一個叔叔在很久以前，也就是我出生前，去了那里。他再也沒有回來。沒有人知道他的任何消息。他就這么失蹤了。

蜜兒：（慎重地）對不起。但就是這樣嗎？你的意思是說你想去找他——在這么久以后？

小強：不是找他。大家都覺得他已經(jīng)死了。是去找他發(fā)現(xiàn)的東西。我覺得很有可能那東西還在，我想去找找看。

蜜兒：你說你再也沒有收到他的任何消息，那你怎么知道他發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些東西？

小強：我說沒有人得知他的消息，但我們從別人那里了解到了一些信息。我不能告訴你他找到了什么，這很重要。對我來說意義非同尋常。這就是我找你去并支付豐厚報酬的原因。

蜜兒：你還沒有理解我的意思。我說的是生與死的問題，你卻把它降低到錢的問題。對你的叔叔還有其它的事情我感到很抱歉，但有些東西是無法用錢買到的。我覺得你無法理解。時間久了你就明白了。

（她站起來準備離開。）

小強：（站起來，擋住了她的路）好吧，也許我正在學習。還有其它的。一些你也許會感興趣的東西。（他從口袋里拿出一封信遞給她）。拿著，打開看看。

蜜兒：（疑惑地看了看他，從信封里拿出一張黑白照片，非常震驚）這是我的，去年弄丟了。你從哪弄來的？

小強：有人給我的。

蜜兒：得了吧。

小強：是真的。我不知道照片里的人是誰還有是誰送給我的——一起寄來的還有這個。是你的名片，對吧？有人在后面寫了些話。

蜜兒：（讀卡片上的話） “聯(lián)系蜜兒。她不會想去，所以給她看看這些。她會在伊基托斯（秘魯東北部城市）碰到熟悉的人?！边@是什么意思？我從來不認識任何在伊基托斯的人，那地方在哪都不知道。

小強：在秘魯，亞馬遜叢林。你確定不知道這是什么意思嗎？

蜜兒：（遲疑地）有多少人知道你的計劃？

小強：我不知道，所有看過我博客的人都知道。但是這張照片還有這些話呢？你知道是誰寫的嗎？你應(yīng)該知道——或者你能猜到。你為什么不想去那？

蜜兒：（惡狠狠地看著他）聽著，你有你的小秘密，我也有我的。所以不要再提了。

小強：那好吧，我想你有不得已的苦衷——（他在筆記本上寫東西，撕下那頁紙遞給蜜兒。）這是細節(jié)和計劃，如果你還需要其它的什么，盡管告訴我。

蜜兒：（看了看小強遞給她的紙）好吧，我會考慮的。但要明確一點：如果我去的話，一切要聽我的。

小強：（自言自語）那得看……

Notes

1. The Meeting of the Waters

在這里指的是一個位于巴西、Rio Negro注入亞馬遜的地方。也同時指代兩種不同文化的碰撞。

2. work one's passage

以做工抵船費。大家經(jīng)常會在電視上看見這種情景，主人公沒有船費，靠在船上打工來抵去船資。

3. A Mysterious Letter

從1946年第一臺計算機問世到今天“地球村”的形成，互聯(lián)網(wǎng)通過提供電子郵件、網(wǎng)上論壇、在線聊天、個人博客等服務(wù)，改變了人際傳播的傳統(tǒng)模式。甚至電子婚貼都開始流行。而另一方面很多人認為，樸素的信紙給人一種不逝的情懷。在電視電影里大家也會經(jīng)常看到，就算是科技異常發(fā)達的今天，某些溫馨浪漫的場景都有傳統(tǒng)信件的身影。

4. death trap

危險的場所、危險的建筑物。喜歡游戲的朋友應(yīng)該知道著名的《死亡陷阱》，英文名也是Death Trap。一款手機恐怖游戲（A horror game for your mobile），當然還有大名鼎鼎的坂口博信在SQUARE初期推出的于PC-88平臺的初試啼聲之作《死亡陷阱》（《The Death Trap》），雖然不想承認，但確實是一部相當稚拙的作品。

5. a campus cabbage

校園洋白菜。是一個比喻用法。在文章中蜜兒以此來形容小強只是個不諳世事的大學生，什么都不懂。有點像我們平常所說的“溫室的花朵 ”。

6. not have a clue

毫無頭緒、什么都不知道。比喻對某事一無所知。也可用not a clue。

例句：I haven't a clue what I'll speak on the meeting tomorrow..

對于明天會議上要說些什么我真是毫無頭緒。

7. survival trainer

野外生存訓練，即人在孤立無援的山野叢林或孤島上，在儀器斷絕的情況下的求生訓練。每種情況的危險系數(shù)不盡相同，但通過野外生存訓練所獲得的技巧能夠適應(yīng)大多數(shù)情況下的需求。而文中蜜兒就是一家野外生存俱樂部的教練。那么下面就列舉一些生存技巧：

lighting and maintaining a fire 生火

finding/creating shelter 找尋或搭建庇護所

finding/preparing potable water 找尋或提取飲用水

finding and identifying food 捕獲食物

treating injuries 治療傷口

climbing， hiking， and swimming 攀巖、徒步、游泳

signaling for rescue 發(fā)求救信號

8. It goes no further

不要告訴別人。言外之意就是這是個秘密。而go further的意思是“進一步地說（做）”。

9. But is that it？

相當于Is that all/Is that everything。文中是蜜兒用來表示對小強所說的秘密的反應(yīng)。

10. good chance

表面意思是“好機會”。而在文中的意思是“很有可能”。相當于properly like。

例句：There is a good chance that I'll go to see my parents tomorrow.

明天我很有可能去看我的父母。

11. and all that

諸如此類的、等等。

12. on my terms

相當于in accordance with one's wishes。文中蜜兒指的是如果自己決定去，那么她要自己做決定，一切要聽她的安排。

SituationⅡ

情景Ⅱ

兩個星期后，蜜兒和小強登上了開往悉尼、夏威夷和巴拿馬海峽的維多利亞號郵輪。現(xiàn)在他們正在餐廳里吃飯。

Xiaoqiang: You didn't tell me about the dog. How did you get him on board?

Candy: It's \"her\" - her name's Snow White.

Xiaoqiang: But what on earth did you bring her for?

Candy: She goes everywhere with me. And besides， she's not just a dog. She's very intelligent. You'll see.

Xiaoqiang: Can she help us find our way through the Amazon? I don't think so. And what about when we find the cannibals - won't she cause a problem with them?

（威廉坐在鄰桌上。他是個快三十的英國人，有點胖，有點懶散。他站起來向他們走去。）

William: Excuse me. I was sitting nearby， and I couldn't help overhearing… You're going to look for cannibals in the Amazon.

Candy: We were having a conversation…

William: A private conversation. I quite understand. Please forgive me. It's just that I have a personal interest in the subject.

Xiaoqiang: You've met cannibals?

William: Yes - in a sense.

Candy: In a sense?

William: (sits down at their table) I have met members of a cannibal tribe in Peru， though not in their own territory. But I know someone there who can organise things. (He holds out his hand to them) I'm William.

Xiaoqiang: Xiaoqiang.

Candy: Candy.

William: Pleased to meet you.

（他們互相握手。）

Candy:(sceptically) But that's a very strange coincidence， isn't it? We're talking about cannibals in the Amazon， you're sitting at the next table， and you just happen to have been there and met them.

William: But that's life， surely - one coincidence after another?

Candy: Not my life…

Xiaoqiang: No matter. You have a contact in Peru， William. Could we meet him? Do you think he could help us?

William: She might， if we approach her the right way.

Xiaoqiang: She? A woman?

William: Yes.

Xiaoqiang: What's she doing there?

William: (glances around) I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say right now. We might perhaps continue this conversation another time. In the meantime - if you're interested - I'll think about the best approach， and then we could discuss it further.

Xiaoqiang: Yes， please…

Candy: We'll think about it. Goodnight.

William: Goodnight. And… If you wouldn't mind， I'd rather we kept this discussion just between ourselves. (He leaves.)

Candy: \"Between ourselves\". As if anyone else would be interested!

Xiaoqiang: Well… Maybe someone is.

Candy: What do you mean?

Xiaoqiang: Have you gotten the feeling that we're being watched?

Candy: Of course not. Have you?

Xiaoqiang: I'm not sure， but I think so.

Candy: Who by?

Xiaoqiang: That's just it. I don't know. But sometimes， when I look round， I see someone disappearing round a corner， and I know they weren't there a moment before. And， you know， you can feel it when somebody's watching you. And did you notice William's behaviour? He's being cagey， as well， like he's afraid somebody's watching him.

Candy: (dismissively) Forget him. He's just full of gas.

Xiaoqiang: But somebody knows what we're doing. The photo and the note on your business card - don't they bother you? Somebody was interested in us. I think they're still interested. I think they've followed us onto the ship.

Candy: You sound paranoid. Nothing can happen to us here. Stop worrying. Save it for when we get to the Amazon - then you'd better get worried!

情景Ⅱ

兩個星期后，蜜兒和小強登上了開往悉尼、夏威夷和巴拿馬海峽的維多利亞號郵輪?，F(xiàn)在他們正在餐廳里吃飯。

小強：你沒告訴我你有狗。你怎么把這位“先生”弄上來的？

蜜兒：是“女士”。它的名字叫白雪。

小強：但你帶著它干什么？

蜜兒：它一直都跟著我。而且，它不僅僅是一只狗。它非常聰明。你會知道的。

小強：它能在亞馬遜叢林里認路嗎？我可不這么認為。我們找食人族的時候怎么辦呢——它不會給我們帶來什么麻煩吧？

（威廉坐在鄰桌上。他是個快三十的英國人，有點胖，有點懶散。他站起來向他們走去。）

威廉：不好意思，打擾了。我就坐在鄰桌，不小心聽到——你們要去亞馬遜找食人族？

蜜兒：我們在談話……

威廉：私人談話。我很了解。請原諒。我只是對你們的話題很感興趣。

小強：你碰見過食人族？

威廉：是的——在某種意義上。

蜜兒：在某種意義上？

威廉：（在他們桌子前坐了下來）盡管不是在他們的領(lǐng)地，我曾經(jīng)在秘魯見過他們部落的人。但我知道那里有人能組織這些事情。（他向他們伸出手）我是威廉。

小強：小強。

蜜兒：蜜兒。

威廉：很高興認識你們。

（他們互相握手。）

蜜兒：（懷疑地）但這是很詭異的巧合，不是嗎？我們正在討論亞馬遜的食人族，你就坐在鄰桌，碰巧你去過那也見過食人族。

威廉：但這就是生活——巧合一個接著一個。

蜜兒：但不是我的生活……

小強：沒關(guān)系。威廉，你在秘魯有熟人，我們可以見見嗎？你覺得他會幫助我們嗎？

威廉：也許，如果我們用對了方法接近這位女士。

小強：她是個女人？

威廉：對。

小強：她在那是做什么的？

威廉：（環(huán)顧四周）我覺得現(xiàn)在我沒有權(quán)利說這些，也許我們下次再繼續(xù)這次談話的內(nèi)容。但同時——如果你們有興趣的話——我知道最恰當?shù)姆椒?，然后我們就可以進一步討論了。

小強：好，請……

蜜兒：我們會考慮的，晚安。

威廉：晚安。還有……如果你們不介意的話，我希望我們的談話只有我們知道（離開）。

蜜兒：“就我們知道”，好像有誰會感興趣似的。

小強：呃……或者有人有興趣。

蜜兒：你什么意思？

小強：你有沒有覺得有人在監(jiān)視我們。

蜜兒：當然沒有。難道你覺得有？

小強：我不確定，但我覺得是。

蜜兒：會是誰？

小強：問題就在這。我不知道是誰。但有時候，我環(huán)顧四周發(fā)現(xiàn)有人從墻角消失，但我確定前一刻他們并不在那。而且你知道，有人盯著你時你會感覺得到。還有，你注意到威廉的行為了嗎？他很小心，好像也在害怕被人監(jiān)視。

蜜兒：別提他，他真煩人。

小強：但有人知道我們在干什么。那張照片還有你名片后的話——難道你沒有再想過嗎？有人對我們感興趣，我想現(xiàn)在還是如此。他們已經(jīng)跟著我們上船了。

蜜兒：你想多了吧。在這里我們不會有事的。別擔心了。把你的焦慮留給到亞馬遜的時候吧——那時你可真要開始擔心了。

Notes

1. cruise ship

cruise ship也可叫cruise liner。它是以游玩為主要業(yè)務(wù)的客船，并且在旅游行業(yè)中的比重與日俱增。其中南美洲是最大的市場。而如今郵輪市場被歐洲三大公司牢牢控制，它們分別是：

★Aker Yards of Norway with two shipyards:

Aker Finnyards (the former Kvaerner Masa-Yards/Wauml;rtsilauml;， Valmet and Rauma Shipyards) in Finland.

Aker Yards France (Chantiers de l'Atlantique) in France.

★Fincantieri of Italy.

★Meyer Werft of Germany.

2. on earth

在世上；究竟、到底。

例句：What on earth is the matter there?

那里究竟發(fā)生了什么事情?

2. find one's way

找到路、認識路。設(shè)法到達。

例句：Rivers find their way to the sea.

條條江河流入大海。

3. in a sense

在某種意義上，在某種程度上。

4. at liberty

有權(quán)的、獲許可的、不受限制或支配的。

例句：We're not at liberty to discuss this matter.

我們無權(quán)討論這個問題。

5. between ourselves

秘密地、只有我們知道的。言外之意就是不要告訴別人。

6. That's just it.

相當于“That the problem is/the most important thing is ”。文中蜜兒問小強是否知道是誰在跟著他們，小強雖然知道被人跟蹤，但重要的是卻不知道是誰，所以他就回答蜜兒“問題就在這，我不知道是誰在跟蹤我們”。

7. He's just full of gas.

這是一個比喻。因為文中威廉的出場以及一系列巧合，還有他的故作神秘都讓蜜兒很反感，所以當小強提到威廉時，蜜兒就說他太煩人了，讓小強別再提他。

Continue…

下集預告

小強和蜜兒與威廉就去亞馬遜叢林進行了一次深談，尤其是威廉口中那個幾乎無所不能的女人，但威廉始終沒有全盤托出，這使得亞馬遜之旅又蒙上了一層神秘的面紗。而小狗白雪在無意中救了一個偷渡的印度小男孩，他居然知道蜜兒的名字。更不可思議的是，真的有人跟蹤他們來到了郵輪上……