[24, Cr, Chromium, 铬, 51.996]
She was a dual-cam ’57 Chevy, with a Pentium 88 CPU, raked tail fins, and chrome up to here. She put the top down when she saw me coming, and I vaulted over the side and into the driver’s seat. She fit me snug as a glove.
她是辆有着双摄像头的57型保时捷，配有一颗奔腾88CPU，尾鳍倾斜，全身镀铬。看到我来，她把车顶摘下，我从侧面跳进驾驶席。她为我调整好座位，完全合我意。
“Where to, boss?” she asked.
“去哪儿，头儿？”她问。
“Anywhere you like, Babe. Let’s go cruising.”
“你想去哪就去哪，贝贝。咱们去兜兜风。”
And we hit the road. Top down, radio blasting, and a big fat harvest moon chasing us down the night.
我们上了路。上上下下，收音机开着，整宿整夜那轮大圆月都在跟在我们的屁股跑。
We were somewhere in northern Oklahoma when a pale white convertible blasted by us as if we were standing still. It was driven by a woman with long blonde hair that waved behind her like a flag. She was young, and she had great breasts. I could tell because she wasn’t wearing a blouse.
我们在俄克拉荷马州北部的某个地方时遇到一辆浅白色敞篷车，它轰鸣着超过我们，就好像我们原封不动一样。驾驶员是个女人，一头长长的金发在她身后飘扬，就像面旗帜一样。她很年轻，胸脯很大。我很肯定这一点，毕竟她没穿上衣。
She flipped us the finger as she roared past.
她驾车咆哮而过时，冲我们伸出一根手指。
There was a hand-made sign taped to the trunk: IF YOU CATCH ME, YOU CAN HAVE ME.
在车屁股上贴着一张手工制作的牌子：如果你能追上我，我人就是你的了。
“Whaddaya think, Babe? Can we catch her?”
“你觉得怎么样，贝贝？咱们能追上她吗？”
“She’s as good as yours, boss.”
“她的车和你的一样好，头儿。”
Babe surged forward.
贝贝冲了上去。
Three states and as many hours later, we caught up to the pale convertible. Babe feinted left, then sped to the right, and passed it on the shoulder. She got right in front of our quarry, then slowed her to a stop, right at the lip of the Grand Canyon.
过了数不清个小时之后，我们在三个州之远的地方追上了这个白色敞篷车。贝贝佯装要左转，然后迅速右转超过了它。她随后又追了上来，然后慢慢地，正好在大峡谷的边缘停下了车。
I took my reward in the back seat of the stranger’s car. Its AI wasn’t programmed for personality, and didn’t mind being turned off to give us privacy. Afterwards, we talked.
我要领取奖励了。我进了陌生人的车后座里。这车没有搭载专门定制的AI，当我们俩为了有一些私人空间而关掉它时，它丝毫不会介意 。事后，我们聊了聊。
The lady’s name was Celeste. We really hit it off. We were kindred spirits. By the time that dawn came up over the Canyon, we were both head-over-heels in love.
这位女士的名字叫西莉斯特。我们俩真的很合拍。我们志趣相投。到黎明到达峡谷的时候，我们已经进入热恋状态了。
I didn’t have any permanent abode, so Celeste offered to let me live with her. I figured that maybe it was time I gave up my rootless ways, so I said yes. We agreed that I’d drive, and her car could follow us home. I ripped the sign off her trunk, and threw it away.
我没有永久居留的地点，所以西莉斯特请我跟她一起住。我想也许是时候结束自己的浪子之路了，就同意了。我们商量好我来开车，她的车可以跟在我们身后，一路到家。我把她车屁股上的牌子撕了下来，扔得远远的。
But when I got back to Babe, the top was up, and she wouldn’t open the doors. “C’mon,” I said. “Stop kidding around.”
不过当我回到贝贝旁边时，车顶已经升了回去，她不肯开门。“拜托，”我说，“别闹了。”
“How could you?” Babe began to cry. “Haven’t I always been here for you? What can that slut possibly offer you that I can’t?”
“你怎么能这么做？”贝贝叫喊了起来，“我不是一直都在这等你吗？有什么事是那个婊子能给你，而我却做不到的？”
“Well, see, when a man and a woman ?”
“你是说，当一个男人和一个女人凑一块时吗？”
“It’s about sex, isn’t it? Always sex! Damn it, love is more than just body parts going at it. Love is the spiritual union of true hearts and true minds. I thought we had that! I thought we had something special.”
“你们可以做爱，对吧？永远是性！该死，爱情可远不只肉体方面的事！爱情是两颗真心、两个独立的灵魂的结合。我以为我们就是这样！我以为我们不一样。”
“Now, don’t be like that,” I said, embarrassed. “I’m not getting rid of you or anything. Celeste and I?”
“我说，别这样，”我有点尴尬地说，“我不会抛弃你的。我是说，西莉斯特和我，我们不会。”
“I won’t share you! I won’t!”
“我才不会和别人分享你！绝不会！”
Wheels squealing, Babe threw herself into reverse. Then she stopped, raced her engine until it screamed, and surged forward.
车轮发出刺耳的尖叫声。贝贝快速倒车，停车，发动机隆隆作响时，她窜了出去。
“Celeste!” I yelled. “Run!”
“西莉斯特！”我喊道，“快跑！”
But she wasn’t trying to run down Celeste after all, or me either for that matter. She hit full speed, and went right over the lip of the Grand Canyon. Briefly, she flew.
可她并不是朝西莉斯特去的。也不是冲我而来。她用能达到的最大速度，直接冲向了大峡谷。有那么一小会儿，她飞了起来。
When she hit bottom, she burst into flame.
当她掉到谷底时，一阵爆炸的火光闪过。
Celeste gently placed an arm around my waist. I shook my head sadly.
西莉斯特轻轻地把一只胳膊绕在我的腰上。我摇摇头，难过地说：
“Women,” I said. “Who can figure them?”
“女人啊，谁能搞懂她们呢？”