羊毛战记 Part 3 Casting Off 30

　　30,　　Bernard watched the cleaning from the cafeteria while his techs gathered their supplies in Peter’soffice. It was his habit to view these things alone—his techs rarely joined him. They lugged ¹ theirequipment out of the office and headed straight for the stairwell. Bernard was ashamed sometimes ofthe superstitions ², the fears, he fostered even in his own men.,　　First the dome ³ of her helmet, and then the shiny specter of Juliette Nichols staggeredaboveground. She lumbered ⁴ up the ramp ⁵, her movements stiff and unsure. Bernard checked the clockon the wall and reached for his cup of juice. He settled back to see if he could gauge ⁶ anothercleaner’s reaction to what they were seeing: a world crisp, bright, and clean, studded with soaringlife, grass wavering in a fresh breeze, a glimmering ⁷ acropolis beckoning ⁹ from over the hills.,　　He had watched nearly a dozen cleanings in his day, always enjoying that first pirouette as theytook in their surroundings. He had seen men who had left families behind dance before the sensors,waving as if to beckon ⁸ their loved ones out, trying to pantomime all the false goodness displayed ontheir visor screens, all to no avail, to no audience. He had seen people reaching madly for flyingbirds, mistaking them for insects much closer to their faces. One cleaner had even gone back downthe ramp and presumably beaten on the door as if to signal something, before finally getting tocleaning. What were any of these various reactions but the proud reminder ¹¹ of a system that worked?,　　That no matter the individual psychology ¹², the sight of all their false hopes eventually drove them todo what they promised they wouldn’t.,　　Perhaps that’s why Mayor Jahns could never bear to watch. She had no idea what they wereseeing, feeling, responding to. She would come up with her weak stomach the next morning and takein a sunrise, mourn in her own way, the rest of the silo granting her some space. But Bernardcherished this transformation ¹³, this delusion ¹⁴ he and his predecessors ¹⁵ had honed to perfection. Hesmiled and took a sip ¹⁶ of fresh fruit juice and observed this Juliette as she staggered around, coming toher misguided senses. There was the barest coat of grime on the sensor ¹⁰ lenses, not even worth a hardscrub, but he knew from double cleanings in the past that she would do it anyway. No one had evernot.,　　He turned away from Peter’s office and back to the view—and nearly dropped his paper cup ofjuice.,　　The silvery form of Juliette Nichols was already trudging ¹⁷ up the hill. The grime on the sensorswas still in place.,　　Bernard stood abruptly ¹⁸, knocking his chair over backward. He staggered toward the wallscreen,almost as if he could chase after her.,　　And then he watched, dumbfounded, as she strode up that dark crease ¹⁹ and paused for a momentover the still form of two other cleaners. Bernard checked the clock again. Any moment now. Anymoment. She would collapse ²⁰ and fumble ²¹ for her helmet. She would roll in the dusty soil, kicking up acloud, sliding down that slope until she came to a dead rest.,　　But the second hand ticked along, and so did Juliette. She left the two cleaners behind, her limbsstill climbing with power, her steady gait guiding her far up to the crest ²² of the hill, where she stood,taking in a view of who knew what, before disappearing, impossibly, out of sight.,They used to yell that at football when you lugged the ball. 踢足球的时候 ，逢着你抢到球
，人们总是对你这样嚷嚷 。 来自辞典例句,Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的
。