jurassic.park-第10节

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would　later　roam。
　　　　But　increasingly　the　question　that　faced　them　was：　where　were　the　predators？
　　　　They　expected　predators　to　be　rare；　of　course。　Studies　of　predator/prey　populations　in　the　game　parks　of　Africa　and　India　suggested　that；　roughly　speaking；　there　was　one　predatory　carnivore　for　every　four　hundred　herbivores。　That　meant　a　herd　of　ten　thousand　duckbills　would　support　only　twenty…five　tyrannosaurs。　So　it　was　unlikely　that　they　would　find　the　remains　of　a　large　predator。
　　　　But　where　were　the　smaller　predators？　Snakewater　had　dozens　of　nesting　sites…in　some　places；　the　ground　was　literally　covered　with　fragments　of　dinosaur　eggshells…and　many　small　dinosaurs　ate　eggs。　Animals　like　Dromaeosaurus；　Oviraptor；　Velociraptor；　and　Coelurus…predators　three　to　six　feet　tall…must　have　been　found　here　in　abundance。
　　　　But　they　had　discovered　none　so　far。
　　　　Perhaps　this　velociraptor　skeleton　did　mean　their　luck　had　changed。　And　an　infant！　Ellie　knew　that　one　of　Grant's　dreams　was　to　study　infant…rearing　behavior　in　carnivorous　dinosaurs；　as　he　had　already　studied　the　behavior　of　herbivores。　Perhaps　this　was　the　first　step　toward　that　dream。　〃You　must　be　pretty　excited；〃　Ellie　said。
　　　　Grant　didn't　answer。
　　　　〃I　said；　you　must　be　excited；〃　Ellie　repeated。
　　　　〃My　God；〃　Grant　said。　He　was　staring　at　the　fax。

Ellie　looked　over　Grant's　shoulder　at　the　X…ray；　and　breathed　out　slowly。　〃You　think　it's　an　amassicus？〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Grant　said。　〃Or　a　triassicus。　The　skeleton　is　so　light。〃
　　　　〃But　it's　no　lizard；〃　she　said。
　　　　〃No；〃　Grant　said。　〃This　is　not　a　lizard。　No　three…toed　lizard　has　walked　on　this　planet　for　two　hundred　million　years。〃
　　　　Ellie's　first　thought　was　that　she　was　looking　at　a　hoax…an　ingenious；　skillful　hoax；　but　a　hoax　nonetheless。　Every　biologist　knew　that　the　threat　of　a　hoax　was　omnipresent。　The　most　famous　hoax；　the　Piltdown　man；　had　gone　undetected　for　forty　years；　and　its　perpetrator　was　still　unknown。　More　recently；　the　distinguished　astronomer　Fred　Hoyle　had　claimed　that　a　fossil　winged　dinosaur；　Archaeopteryx；　on　display　in　the　British　Museum；　was　a　fraud。　（It　was　later　shown　to　be　genuine。）
　　　　The　essence　of　a　successful　hoax　was　that　it　presented　scientists　with　what　they　expected　to　see。　And；　to　Ellie's　eye；　the　X…ray　image　of　the　lizard　was　exactly　correct。　The　three…toed　foot　was　well　balanced；　with　the　medial　claw　smallest。　The　bony　remnants　of　the　fourth　and　fifth　toes　were　located　up　near　the　metatarsal　joint。　The　tibia　was　strong；　and　considerably　longer　than　the　femur。　At　the　hip；　the　acetabulum　was　plete。　The　tail　showed　forty…five　vertebrae。　It　was　a　Propsognathus。
　　　　〃Could　this　X…ray　be　faked？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Grant　said。　〃But　it's　almost　impossible　to　fake　an　X…ray。　And　Propsognathus　is　an　obscure　animal。　Even　people　familiar　with　dinosaurs　have　never　heard　of　it。〃
　　　　Ellie　read　the　note。　〃Specimen　acquired　on　the　beach　of　Cabo　Blanco；　July　16。　。　。　。　Apparently　a　howler　monkey　was　eating　the　animal；　and　this　was　all　that　was　recovered。　Oh　。　。　。　and　it　says　the　lizard　attacked　a　little　girl。〃
　　　　〃I　doubt　that；〃　Grant　said。　〃But　perhaps。　Propsognathus　was　so　small　and　light　we　assume　it　must　be　a　scavenger；　only　feeding　off　dead　creatures。　And　you　can　tell　the　size〃…he　measured　quickly…〃it's　about　twenty　centimeters　to　the　hips；　which　means　the　full　animal　would　be　about　a　foot　tall。　About　as　big　as　a　chicken。　Even　a　child　would　look　pretty　fearsome　to　it。　It　might　bite　an　infant；　but　not　a　child。〃
　　　　Ellie　frowned　at　the　X…ray　image。　〃You　think　this　could　really　be　a　legitimate　rediscovery？〃　she　said。　〃Like　the　coelacanth？〃
　　　　〃Maybe；〃　Grant　said。　The　coelacanth　was　a　five…foot…long　fish　thought　to　have　died　out　sixty…five　million　years　ago；　until　a　specimen　was　pulled　from　the　ocean　in　1938。　But　there　were　other　examples。　The　Australian　mountain　pygmy　possum　was　known　only　from　fossils　until　a　live　one　was　found　in　a　garbage　can　in　Melbourne。　And　a　ten…thousand…year…old　fossil　fruit　bat　from　New　Guinea　was　described　by　a　zoologist　who　not　long　afterward　received　a　living　specimen　in　the　mail。
　　　　〃But　could　it　be　real？〃　she　persisted。　〃What　about　the　age？〃
　　　　Grant　nodded。　〃The　age　is　a　problem。〃
　　　　Most　rediscovered　animals　were　rather　recent　additions　to　the　fossil　record：　ten　or　twenty　thousand　years　old。　Some　were　a　few　million　years　old…　in　the　case　of　the　coelacanth；　sixty…five　million　years　old。　But　the　specimen　they　were　looking　at　was　much；　much　older　than　that。　Dinosaurs　had　died　out　in　the　Cretaceous　period；　sixty…five　million　years　ago。　They　had　flourished　as　the　dominant　life　form　on　the　planet　in　the　Jurassic；　190　million　years　ago。　And　they　had　first　appeared　in　the　Triassic；　roughly　220　million　years　ago。
　　　　It　was　during　the　early　Triassic　period　that　Propsognathus　had　lived…a　time　so　distant　that　our　planet　didn't　even　look　the　same。　All　the　continents　were　joined　together　in　a　single　landmass；　called　Pangaca；　which　extended　from　the　North　to　the　South　Pole…a　vast　continent　of　ferns　and　forests；　with　a　few　large　deserts。　The　Atlantic　Ocean　was　a　narrow　lake　between　what　would　bee　Africa　and　Florida。　The　air　was　denser。　The　land　was　warmer。　There　were　hundreds　of　active　volcanoes。　And　it　was　in　this　environment　that　Propsognathus　lived。
　　　　〃Well；〃　Ellie　said。　〃We　know　animals　have　survived。　Crocodiles　are　basically　Triassic　animals　living　in　the　present。　Sharks　are　Triassic。　So　we　know　it　has　happened　before。〃
　　　　Grant　nodded。　〃And　the　thing　is；〃　he　said；　〃how　else　do　we　explain　it？　It's　either　a　fake…which　I　doubt…or　else　it's　a　rediscovery。　What　else　could　it　be？〃
　　　　The　phone　rang。　〃Alice　Levin　again；〃　Grant　said。　〃Let's　see　if　she'll　send　us　the　actual　specimen。〃　He　answered　it　and　looked　at　Ellie；　surprised。　〃Yes；　I'll　hold　for　Mr。　Hammond。　Yes。　Of　course。〃
　　　　〃Hammond？　What　does　he　want？〃　Ellie　said。
　　　　Grant　shook　his　head；　and　then　said　into　the　phone；　〃Yes；　Mr。　Hammond。　Yes；　it's　good　to　hear　your　voice；　too。　。　。　。Yes　。　。　。　。〃　　He　looked　at　Ellie。　〃Oh；　you　did？　Oh　yes？　Is　that　right？〃
　　　　He　cupped　his　hand　over　the　mouthpiece　and　said；　〃Still　as　eccentric　as　ever。　You've　got　to　hear　this。〃
　　　　Grant　pushed　the　speaker　button；　and　Ellie　heard　a　raspy　old…man's　voice　speaking　rapidly：　〃…hell　of　an　annoyance　from　some　EPA　fellow；　seems　to　have　gone　off　half　cocked；　all　on　his　own；　running　around　the　country　talking　to　people；　stirring　up　things。　I　don't　suppose　anybody's　e　to　see　you　way　out　there？〃
　　　　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；〃　Grant　said；　〃somebody　did　e　to　see　me。〃
　　　　Hammond　snorted。　〃I　was　afraid　of　that。　Smart…ass　kid　named　Morris？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　his　name　was　Morris；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃He's　going　to　see　all　our　consultants；〃　Hammond　said。　〃He　went　to　see　Ian　Malcolm　the　other　day…you　know；　the　mathematician　in　Texas？　That's　the　first　I　knew　of　it。　We're　having　one　hell　of　a　time　getting　a　handle　on　this　thing；　it's　typical　of　the　way　government　operates；　there　isn't　any　plaint；　there　isn't　any　charge；　just　harassment　from　some　kid　who's　unsupervised　and　is　running　around　at　the　taxpayers'　expense。　Did　he　bother　you？　Disrupt　your　work？〃
　　　　〃No；　no；　he　didn't　bother　me。〃
　　　　〃Well；　that's　too　bad；　in　a　way；〃　Hammond　said；　〃because　I'd　try　and　get　an　injunction　to　stop　him　if　he　had。　As　it　is；　I　had　our　lawyers　call　over　at　EPA　to　find　out　what　the　hell　their　problem　is。　The　head　of　the　office　claims　he　didn't　know　there　was　any　investigation！　You　figure　that　one　out。　Damned　bureaucracy　is　all　it　is。　Hell；　I　think　this　kid's　trying　to　get　down　to　Costa　Rica；　poke　around；　get　onto　our　island。　You　know　we　have　an　island　down　there？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Grant　said；　looking　at　Ellie；　〃I　didn't　know。〃
　　　　〃Oh　yes；　we　bought　it　and　started　our　operation　oh；　four　or　five　years　ago　now。　I　forget　exactly。　Called　Isla　Nublar…big　island；　hundred　miles　offshore。　Going　to　be　a　biological　preserve。　Wonderful　place。　Tropical　jungle。　You　know；　you　ought　to　see　it；　Dr。　Grant。〃
　　　　〃Sounds　interesting；〃　Grant　said；　〃but　actually…〃
　　　　〃It's　almost　finished　now；　you　know；〃　Hammond　said。　〃I've　sent　you　some　material　about　it。　Did　you　get　my　material？〃
　　　　〃No；　but　we're　pretty　far　from…〃
　　　　〃Maybe　it'll　e　today。　Look　it　over。　The　island's　just　beautiful。　It's　got　everything。　We've　been　in　construction　now　thirty　months。　You　can　imagine。　Big　park。　Opens　in　September　next　year。　You　really　ought　to　go　see　it。
　　　　〃It　sounds　wonderful；　but…〃
　　　　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；〃　Hammond　said；　〃I'm　going　to　insist　you　see　it；　Dr。　Grant。　I　know　you'd　find　it　right　up　your　alley。　You'd　find　it　fascinating。〃
　　　　〃I'm　in　the　middle　of…〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃Say；　I'll　tell　you　what；〃　Hammond　said；　as　if　the　idea　had　just　occurred　to　him。　〃I'm　having　some　of　the　people　who　consulted　for　us　go　down　there　this　weekend。　Spend　a　few　days　and　look　it　over。　At　our　expense；　of　course。　It'd　be　terrific　if　you'd　give　us　your　opinion。〃
　　　　〃I　couldn't　possibly；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃Oh；　just　for　a　weekend；〃　Hammond　said；　with　the　irritating；　cheery　persistence　of　an　old　man。　〃That's　all　I'm　talking　about；　Dr。　Grant。　I　wouldn't　want　to　interrupt　your　work。　I　know　how　important　that　work　is。　Believe　me；　I　know　that。　Never　interrupt　your　work。　But　you　could　hop　on　down　there　t