michael crichton.congo-第38部分

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　Amy　tell　Peter；　Amy　stay　gorillas？
　Yes。
　In　her　indifference　was　the　clear　recognition　that　Elliot　was　desperate　to　learn　what　she　knew。　Amy　was　always　very　astute　at　recognizing　when　she　had　the　upper　hand…and　she　had　it　now。
　Amy　tell　Peter；　he　signed　as　calmly　as　he　could。
　Good　gorillas　like　Amy　Amy　good　gorilla。
　That　told　him　nothing　at　all。　She　was　posing　phrases　by　rote：　another　way　of　ignoring　him。
　Amy。
　She　glanced　at　him。
　Amy　tell　Peter。　Amy　e　see　gorillas？
　Yes。
　Gorillas　do　what？
　Gorillas　sniff　Amy。
　All　gorillas？
　Big　gorillas　white　back　gorillas　sniff　Amy　baby　sniff　Amy　all　gorillas　sniff　gorillas　like　Amy。
　So　silverback　males　had　sniffed　her；　then　infants；　then　all　the　members　of　the　troop。　That　much　was　clear…remarkably　clear；　he　thought；　making　a　mental　note　of　her　extended　syntax。　Afterward　had　she　been　accepted　in　the　troop？　He　signed；　What　happen　Amy　then？
　Gorillas　give　food。
　What　food？
　No　name　Amy　food　give　food。
　Apparently　they　had　shown　her　food。　Or　had　they　actually　fed　her？　Such　a　thing　had　never　been　reported　in　the　wild；　but　then　no　one　had　ever　witnessed　the　introduction　of　a　new　animal　into　a　troop。　She　was　a　female；　and　nearly　of　productive　age。
　What　gorillas　give　food？
　All　give　food　Amy　take　food　Amy　like。
　Apparently　it　was　not　males；　or　males　exclusively。　But　what　had　caused　her　acceptance？　Granted　that　gorilla　troops　were　not　as　closed　to　outsiders　as　monkey　troops…what　actually　had　happened？
　Amy　stay　with　gorillas？
　Gorillas　like　Amy。
　Yes。　What　Amy　do？
　Amy　sleep　Amy　eat　Amy　live　gorillas　gorillas　good　gorillas　Amy　like。
　So　she　had　joined　in　the　life　of　the　troop；　living　the　daily　existence。　Had　she　been　totally　accepted？
　Amy　like　gorillas？
　Gorillas　dumb。
　Why　dumb？
　Gorillas　no　talk。
　No　talk　sign　talk？
　Gorillas　no　talk。
　Evidently　she　had　experienced　frustration　with　the　gorillas　because　they　did　not　know　her　sign　language。　（Language　using　primates　were　monly　frustrated　and　annoyed　when　thrown　among　animals　who　did　not　understand　the　signs。）
　Gorillas　nice　to　Amy？
　Gorillas　like　Amy　Amy　like　gorillas　like　Amy　like　gorillas。
　Why　Amy　e　back？
　Want　milk　cookies。
　〃Amy；〃　he　said；　〃you　know　we　don't　have　any　damn　milk　or　cookies。〃　His　sudden　verbalization　startled　the　others。　They　looked　questioningly　at　Amy。
　For　a　long　time　she　did　not　answer。　Amy　like　Peter。　Amy　sad　want　Peter。
　He　felt　like　crying。
　Peter　good　human　person。
　Blinking　his　eyes　he　signed；　Peter　tickle　Amy。　She　jumped　into　his　arms。
　
　Later；　he　questioned　her　in　more　detail。　But　it　was　a　painstakingly　slow　process；　chiefly　because　of　Amy's　difficulty　in　handling　concepts　of　time。
　Amy　distinguished　past；　present；　and　future…she　remembered　previous　events；　and　anticipated　future　promises…but　the　Project　Amy　staff　had　never　succeeded　in　teaching　her　exact　differentiations。　She　did　not；　for　example；　distinguish　yesterday　from　the　day　before。　Whether　this　reflected　a　failing　in　teaching　methods　or　an　innate　feature　of　Amy's　conceptual　world　was　an　open　question。　（There　was　evidence　for　a　conceptual　difference。　Amy　was　particularly　perplexed　by　spatial　metaphors　for　time；　such　as　〃that's　behind　us〃　or　〃that's　ing　up。〃　Her　trainers　conceived　of　the　past　as　behind　them　and　the　future　ahead。　But　Amy's　behavior　seemed　to　indicate　that　she　conceived　of　the　past　as　in　front　of　her…because　she　could　see　it…and　the　future　behind　her…　because　it　was　still　invisible。　Whenever　she　was　impatient　for　the　promised　arrival　of　a　friend；　she　repeatedly　looked　over　her　shoulder；　even　if　she　was　facing　the　door。）
　In　any　case；　the　time　problem　was　a　difficulty　in　talking　to　her　now；　and　Elliot　phrased　his　questions　carefully。　He　asked；　〃Amy；　what　happened　at　night？　With　the　gorillas？〃
　She　gave　him　the　look　she　always　gave　him　when　she　thought　a　question　was　obvious。　Amy　sleep　night。
　〃And　the　other　gorillas？〃　Gorillas　sleep　night。
　〃All　the　gorillas？〃　She　disdained　to　answer。
　〃Amy；〃　he　said；　〃gorillas　e　to　our　camp　at　night。〃　e　this　place？
　〃Yes；　this　place。　Gorillas　e　at　night。〃
　She　thought　that　over。　No。　Munro　said；　〃What　did　she　say？〃
　Elliot　said；　〃She　said　'No。'　Yes；　Amy；　they　e。〃
　She　was　silent　a　moment；　and　then　she　signed；　Things　e。
　Munro　again　asked　what　she　had　said。
　〃She　said；　'Things　e。'　〃　Elliot　translated　the　rest　of　her　responses　for　them。
　Ross　asked；　〃What　things；　Amy？〃
　Bad　things。
　Munro　said；　〃Were　they　gorillas；　Amy？〃
　Not　gorillas。　Bad　things。　Many　bad　things　e　forest　e。　Breath　talk。　e　night　e。
　Munro　said；　〃Where　are　they　now；　Amy？〃
　Amy　looked　around　at　the　jungle。　Here。　This　bad　old　place　things　e。
　Ross　said；　〃What　things；　Amy？　Are　they　animals？〃　Elliot　told　them　that　Amy　could　not　abstract　the　category　〃animals。〃　〃She　thinks　people　are　animals；〃　he　explained。　〃Are　the　bad　things　people；　Amy？　Are　they　human　persons？〃
　No。
　Munro　said；　〃Monkeys？〃
　No。　Bad　things。　not　sleep　night。
　Munro　said；　〃Is　she　reliable？〃
　What　means？
　〃Yes；〃　Elliot　said。　〃Perfectly。〃
　〃She　knows　what　gorillas　are？〃
　Amy　good　gorilla；　she　signed。
　〃Yes；　you　are；〃　Elliot　said。　〃She's　saying　she's　a　good　gorilla。〃
　Munro　frowned。　〃So　she　knows　what　gorillas　are；　but　she　says　these　things　are　not　gorillas？〃
　〃That's　what　she　says。〃
　
　2。Missing　Elements
　
　ELLIOT　GOT　ROSS　TO　SET　UP　THE　VIDEO　CAMERA　AT　the　outskirts　of　the　city；　facing　the　campsite。　With　the　videotape　running　he　led　Amy　to　the　edge　of　the　camp　to　look　at　the　ruined　buildings。　Elliot　wanted　to　confront　Amy　with　the　lost　city；　the　reality　behind　her　dreams…and　he　wanted　a　record　of　her　responses　to　that　moment。　What　happened　was　totally　unexpected。
　Amy　had　no　reaction　at　all。
　Her　face　remained　impassive；　her　body　relaxed。　She　did　not　sign。　If　anything　she　gave　the　impression　of　boredom；　of　suffering　through　another　of　Elliot's　enthusiasms　that　she　did　not　share。　Elliot　watched　her　carefully。　She　wasn't　displacing；　she　wasn't　repressing；　she　wasn't　doing　anything。　She　stared　at　the　city　with　equanimity。
　〃Amy　know　this　place？〃
　Yes。
　〃Amy　tell　Peter　what　place。〃　Bad　place　old　place。
　〃Sleep　pictures？〃　This　bad　place。
　〃Why　is　it　bad；　Amy？〃
　Bad　place　old　place。
　〃Yes；　but　why；　Amy？〃　Amy　fear。
　She　showed　no　somatic　indication　of　fear。　Squatting　on　the　ground　alongside　him　she　gazed　forward；　perfectly　calm。
　〃Why　Amy　fear？〃
　Amy　want　eat。
　〃Why　Amy　fear？〃
　She　would　not　answer；　in　the　way　that　she　did　not　deign　to　answer　him　whenever　she　was　pletely　bored；　he　could　not　provoke　her　to　discuss　her　dreams　further。　She　was　as　closed　on　the　subject　as　she　had　been　in　San　Francisco。　When　he　asked　her　to　acpany　them　into　the　ruins；　she　calmly　refused　to　do　so。　On　the　other　hand；　she　did　not　seem　distressed　that　Elliot　was　going　into　the　city；　and　she　cheerfully　waved　goodbye　before　going　to　demand　more　food　from　Kahega。
　Only　after　the　expedition　was　concluded　and　Elliot　had　returned　to　Berkeley　did　he　find　the　explanation　to　this　perplexing　event…in　Freud's　Interpretation　of　Dreams；　first　published　in　1887。
　
　It　may　happen　on　rare　occasions　that　a　patient　may　be　confronted　by　the　reality　behind　his　dreams。　Whether　a　physical　edifice；　a　person；　or　a　situation　that　has　the　tenor　of　deep　familiarity；　the　subjective　response　of　the　dreamer　is　uniformly　the　same。　The　emotive　content　held　in　the　dream…whether　frightening；　pleasurable；　or　mysterious…　is　drained　away　upon　sight　of　the　reality。　。　。　。　We　may　be　certain　that　the　apparent　boredom　of　the　subject　does　not　prove　the　dream…content　is　false。　Boredom　may　be　most　strongly　felt　when　the　dream…content　is　real。　The　subject　recognizes　on　some　deep　level　his　inability　to　alter　the　conditions　that　he　feels；　and　so　finds　himself　overe　by　fatigue；　boredom；　and　indifference；　to　conceal　from　him　his　fundamental　helplessness　in　the　face　of　a　genuine　problem　which　must　be　rectified。
　
　Months　later；　Elliot　would　conclude　that　Amy's　bland　reaction　only　indicated　the　depth　of　her　feeling；　and　that　Freud's　analysis　was　correct；　it　protected　her　from　a　situation　that　had　to　be　changed；　but　that　Amy　felt　powerless　to　alter；　especially　considering　whatever　infantile　memories　remained　from　the　traumatic　death　of　her　mother。
　Yet　at　the　time；　Elliot　felt　disappointment　with　Amy's　neutrality。　Of　all　the　possible　reactions　he　had　imagined　when　he　first　set　out　for　the　Congo；　boredom　was　the　least　expected；　and　he　utterly　failed　to　grasp　its　significance…that　the　city　of　Zinj　was　so　fraught　with　danger　that　Amy　felt　obliged　in　her　own　mind　to　push　it　aside；　and　to　ignore　it。
　
　Elliot；　Munro；　and　Ross　spent　a　hot；　difficult　morning　hacking　their　way　through　the　dense　bamboo　and　the　clinging；　tearing　vines　of　secondary　jungle　growth　to　reach　new　buildings　in　the　heart　of　the　city。　By　midday；　their　efforts　were　rewarded　as　they　entered　structures　unlike　any　they　had　seen　before。　These　buildings　were　impressively　engineered；　enclosing　vast　cavernous　spaces　descending　three　and　four　stories　beneath　the　ground。
　Ross　was　delighted　by　the　underground　constructions；　for　it　proved　to　her　that　the　Zinj　people　had　evolved　the　technology　to　dig　into　the　earth；　as　was　necessary　fur　diamond　mines。　Munro　expressed　a　similar　view：　〃These　people；〃　he　said；　〃could　do　anything　with　earthworks。〃
　Despite　their　enthusiasm；　they　found　nothing　of　interest　in　the　depths　of　the　city。　They　ascended　to　higher　levels　later　in　the　day；　ing　upon　a　building　so　filled　with　reliefs　that　they　termed　it　〃the　gallery。〃　With　the　video　camera　hooked　to　the　satellite　linkup；　they　examined　the　pictures　in　the　gallery。
　These　showed　aspects　of　ordinary　city　life。　There　were　domestic　scenes　of　women　cooking　around　fires；　children　playing　a　ball　game　with　sticks；　scribes　squatting　on　the　ground　as　they　kept　records　on　clay　tablets。　A　whole　wall　of　hunting　scenes；　the　men　in　brief　loincloths；　armed　with　spears。　And　finally　scenes　of　mining；　men　carrying　baskets　of　stones　from　tunnels　in　the　earth。
　in　this　rich　panorama；　they　noticed　certain　missing　elements。　The　people　of　Zinj　had　dogs；　used　for　hunting；　and　a　variety　of　civet　cat；　kept　as　household　pets…yet　it　had　apparently　never　occurred　to　them