jurassic.park-第30节

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　　　　〃That's　Richard　Kiley；〃　Ed　Regis　said。　〃We　spared　no　expense。〃
　　　　The　Land　Cruiser　passed　through　a　grove　of　low；　stumpy　palm　trees。　Richard　Kiley　was　saying；　〃Notice；　first　of　all；　the　remarkable　plant　life　that　surrounds　you。　Those　trees　to　your　left　and　right　are　called　cycads；　the　prehistoric　predecessors　of　palm　trees。　Cycads　were　a　favorite　food　of　the　dinosaurs。　You　can　also　see　bennettitaleans；　and　ginkgoes。　The　world　of　the　dinosaur　included　more　modern　plants；　such　as　pine　and　fir　trees；　and　swamp　cypresses。　You　will　see　these　as　well。〃
　　　　The　Land　Cruiser　moved　slowly　among　the　foliage。　Tim　noticed　the　fences　and　retaining　walls　were　screened　by　greenery　to　heighten　the　illusion　of　moving　through　real　jungle。
　　　　〃We　imagine　the　world　of　the　dinosaurs；〃　said　Richard　Kiley's　voice；　〃as　a　world　of　huge　vegetarians；　eating　their　way　through　the　giant　swampy　forests　of　the　Jurassic　and　Cretaceous　world；　a　hundred　million　years　ago。　But　most　dinosaurs　were　not　as　large　as　people　think。　The　smallest　dinosaurs　were　no　bigger　than　a　house　cat；　and　the　average　dinosaur　was　about　as　big　as　a　pony。　We　are　first　going　to　visit　one　of　these　average…size　animals；　called　hypsilophodonts。　If　you　look　to　your　left；　you　may　catch　a　glimpse　of　them　now。〃
　　　　They　all　looked　to　the　left。
　　　　The　Land　Cruiser　stopped　on　a　low　rise；　where　a　break　in　the　foliage　provided　a　view　to　the　east。　They　could　see　a　sloping　forested　area　which　opened　into　a　field　of　yellow　grass　that　was　about　three　feet　high。　There　were　no　dinosaurs。
　　　　〃Where　are　they？〃　Lex　said。
　　　　Tim　looked　at　the　dashboard。　The　transmitter　lights　blinked　and　the　CD…ROM　whirred。　Obviously　the　disk　was　being　accessed　by　some　automatic　system。　He　guessed　that　the　same　motion　sensors　that　tracked　the　animals　also　controlled　the　screens　in　the　Land　Cruiser。　The　screens　now　showed　pictures　of　hypsilophodonts；　and　printed　out　data　about　them。
　　　　The　voice　said；　〃Hypsilophodontids　are　the　gazelles　of　the　dinosaur　world：　small；　quick　animals　that　once　roamed　everywhere　in　the　world；　from　England　to　Central　Asia　to　North　America。　We　think　these　dinosaurs　were　so　successful　because　they　had　better　jaws　and　teeth　for　chewing　plants　than　their　contemporaries　did。　In　fact；　the　name　'hypsilophodontid'　means　'high…ridge　tooth；'　which　refers　to　the　characteristic　self…sharpening　teeth　of　these　animals。　You　can　see　them　in　the　plains　directly　ahead；　and　also　perhaps　in　the　branches　of　the　trees。〃
　　　　〃In　the　trees？〃　Lex　said。　〃Dinosaurs　in　the　trees？〃
　　　　Tim　was　scanning　with　binoculars；　too。　〃To　the　right；〃　he　said。　〃Halfway　up　that　big　green　trunk　。　。　。〃
　　　　In　the　dappled　shadows　of　the　tree　a　motionless；　dark　green　animal　about　the　size　of　a　baboon　stood　on　a　branch。　It　looked　like　a　lizard　standing　on　its　hind　legs。　It　balanced　itself　with　a　long　drooping　tail。
　　　　〃That's　an　othnielia；〃　Tim　said。
　　　　〃The　small　animals　you　see　are　called　othnielia；〃　the　voice　said；　〃in　honor　of　the　nineteenth…century　dinosaur　hunter　Othniel　Marsh　of　Yale。〃
　　　　Tim　spotted　two　more　animals；　on　higher　branches　of　the　same　tree。　They　were　all　about　the　same　size。　None　of　them　were　moving。
　　　　〃Pretty　boring；〃　Lex　said。　〃They're　not　doing　anything。〃
　　　　〃The　main　herd　of　animals　can　be　found　in　the　grassy　plain　below　you；〃　said　the　voice。　〃We　can　rouse　them　with　a　simple　mating　call。〃　A　loudspeaker　by　the　fence　gave　a　long　nasal　call；　like　the　honking　of　geese。
　　　　From　the　field　of　grass　directly　to　their　left；　six　lizard　heads　poked　up；　one　after　another。　The　effect　was　ical；　and　Tim　laughed。
　　　　The　heads　disappeared。　The　loudspeaker　gave　the　call　again；　and　once　again　the　heads　poked　up…in　exactly　the　same　way；　one　after　another。　The　fixed　repetition　of　the　behavior　was　striking。
　　　　〃Hypsilophodonts　are　not　especially　bright　animals；〃　the　voice　explained。　〃They　have　roughly　the　intelligence　of　a　domestic　cow。〃
　　　　The　heads　were　dull　green；　with　a　mottling　of　dark　browns　and　blacks　that　extended　down　the　slender　necks。　Judging　from　the　size　of　the　heads；　Tim　guessed　their　bodies　were　four　feet　long；　about　as　large　as　deer。
　　　　Some　of　the　hypsilophodonts　were　chewing；　the　jaws　working。　One　reached　up　and　scratched　its　head；　with　a　five…fingered　band。　The　gesture　gave　the　creature　a　pensive；　thoughtful　quality。
　　　　〃If　you　see　them　scratching；　that　is　because　they　have　skin　problems。　The　veterinary　scientists　here　at　Jurassic　Park　think　it　may　be　a　fungus；　or　an　allergy。　But　they're　not　sure　yet。　After　all；　these　are　the　first　dinosaurs　in　history　ever　to　be　studied　alive。〃
　　　　The　electric　motor　of　the　car　started；　and　there　was　a　grinding　of　gears。　At　the　unexpected　sound；　the　herd　of　hypsilophodonts　suddenly　leapt　into　the　air　and　bounded　above　the　grass　like　kangaroos；　showing　their　full　bodies　with　massive　hind　limbs　and　long　tails　in　the　afternoon　sunlight。　In　a　few　leaps；　they　were　gone。
　　　　〃Now　that　we've　had　a　look　at　these　fascinating　herbivores；　we　will　go　on　to　some　dinosaurs　that　are　a　little　larger。　Quite　a　bit　larger；　in　fact。〃
　　　　The　Land　Cruisers　continued　onward；　moving　south　through　Jurassic　Park。

Control

〃Gears　are　grinding；〃　John　Arnold　said；　in　the　darkened　control　room。　〃Have　maintenance　check　the　electric　clutches　on　vehicles　BB4　and　BB5　when　they　e　back。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　Mr。　Arnold；〃　replied　the　voice　on　the　inter。
　　　　〃A　minor　detail；〃　Hammond　said；　walking　in　the　room。　Looking　out；　he　could　see　the　two　Land　Cruisers　moving　south　through　the　park。　Muldoon　stood　in　the　corner；　silently　watching。
　　　　Arnold　pushed　his　chair　back　from　the　central　console　at　the　control　panel。　〃There　are　no　minor　details；　Mr。　Hammond；〃　he　said；　and　he　lit　another　cigarette。　Nervous　at　most　times；　Arnold　was　especially　edgy　now。　He　was　only　too　aware　that　this　was　the　first　time　visitors　had　actually　toured　the　park。　In　fact；　Arnold's　team　didn't　often　go　into　the　park。　Harding；　the　vet；　sometimes　did。　The　animal　handlers　went　to　the　individual　feeding　houses。　But　otherwise　they　watched　the　park　from　the　control　room。　And　now；　with　visitors　out　there；　he　worried　about　a　hundred　details。
　　　　John　Arnold　was　a　systems　engineer　who　had　worked　on　the　Polaris　submarine　missile　in　the　late　1960s；　until　he　had　his　first　child　and　the　prospect　of　making　weapons　became　too　distasteful。　Meanwhile；　Disney　had　started　to　create　amusement　park　rides　of　great　technological　sophistication；　and　they　employed　a　lot　of　aerospace　people。　Arnold　helped　build　Disney　World　in　Orlando；　and　had　gone　on　to　implement　major　Parks　at　Magic　Mountain　in　California；　Old　Country　in　Virginia；　and　Astroworld　in　Houston。
　　　　His　continuous　employment　at　parks　had　eventually　given　him　a　somewhat　skewed　view　of　reality。　Arnold　contended；　only　half　jokingly；　that　the　entire　world　was　increasingly　described　by　the　metaphor　of　the　theme　park。　〃Paris　is　a　theme　park；〃　he　once　announced；　after　a　vacation；　〃although　it's　too　expensive；　and　the　park　employees　are　unpleasant　and　sullen。〃
　　　　For　the　past　two　years；　Arnold's　job　had　been　to　get　Jurassic　Park　up　and　running。　As　an　engineer；　he　was　accustomed　to　long　time　schedules…he　often　referred　to　〃the　September　opening；〃　by　which　he　meant　September　of　the　following　year…and　as　the　September　opening　approached；　he　was　unhappy　with　the　progress　that　had　been　made。　He　knew　from　experience　that　it　sometimes　took　years　to　work　the　bugs　out　of　a　single　park　ride…let　alone　get　a　whole　park　running　properly。
　　　　〃You're　just　a　worrier；〃　Hammond　said。
　　　　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Arnold　said。　〃You've　got　to　realize　that；　from　an　engineering　standpoint；　Jurassic　Park　is　by　far　the　most　ambitious　theme　park　in　history。　Visitors　will　never　think　about　it；　but　I　do。〃
　　　　He　ticked　the　points　off　on　his　fingers。
　　　　〃First；　Jurassic　Park　has　all　the　problems　of　any　amusement　park…ride　maintenance；　queue　control；　transportation；　food　handling；　living　acmodations；　trash　disposal；　security。
　　　　〃Second；　we　have　all　the　problems　of　a　major　zoo…care　of　the　animals；　health　and　welfare；　feeding　and　cleanliness；　protection　from　insects；　pests；　allergies；　and　illnesses…　maintenance　of　barriers；　and　all　the　rest。
　　　　〃And；　finally；　we　have　the　unprecedented　problems　of　caring　for　a　population　of　animals　that　no　one　has　ever　tried　to　maintain　before。〃
　　　　〃Oh；　it's　not　as　bad　as　all　that；〃　Hammond　said。
　　　　〃Yes；　it　is。　You're　just　not　here　to　see　it；〃　Arnold　said。　〃The　tyrannosaurs　drink　the　lagoon　water　and　sometimes　get　sick；　we　aren't　sure　why。　The　triceratops　females　kill　each　other　in　fights　for　dominance　and　have　to　be　separated　into　groups　smaller　than　six。　We　don't　know　why。　The　stegosaurs　frequently　get　blisters　on　their　tongues　and　diarrhea；　for　reasons　no　one　yet　understands；　even　though　we've　lost　two。　Hypsilophodonts　get　skin　rashes。　And　the　veloctraptors…〃
　　　　〃Let's　not　start　on　the　velociraptors；〃　Hammond　said。　〃I'm　sick　of　hearing　about　the　velociraptors。　How　they're　the　most　vicious　creatures　anyone　has　ever　seen。〃
　　　　〃They　are；〃　Muldoon　said；　in　a　low　voice。　〃They　should　all　be　destroyed。〃
　　　　〃You　wanted　to　fit　them　with　radio　collars；〃　Hammond　said。　〃And　I　agreed。〃
　　　　〃Yes。　And　they　promptly　chewed　the　collars　off。　But　even　if　the　raptors　never　get　free；