Se mi zdi, da je tale zgodbica napisana forumu na kožo....  

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Death and What Comes Next
A Discworld short story
By Terry Pratchett

When Death met the philosopher, the philosopher said, rather excitedly: "At this point, you realise, I'm both dead and not dead."

There was a sigh from Death. Oh dear, one of those, he thought. This is going to be about quantum again. He hated dealing with philosophers. They always tried to wriggle out of it.

"You see," said the philosopher, while Death, motionless, watched the sands of his life drain through the hourglass, "everything is made of tiny particles, which have the strange property of being in many places at one time. But things made of tiny particles tend to stay in one place at one time, which does not seem right according to quantum theory. May I continue?"

YES, BUT NOT INDEFINITELY, said Death, EVERYTHING IS TRANSIENT. He did not take his gaze away from the tumbling sand.

"Well, then, if we agreed that there are an infinite number of universes, then the problem is solved! If there are an unlimited number of universes, this bed can be in millions of them, all at the same time!"

DOES IT MOVE?

"What?

Death nodded at the bed. CAN YOU FEEL IT MOVING? he said.

"No, because there are a million versions of me, too, And...here is the good bit ...in some of them I am not about to pass away! Anything is possible!"

Death tapped the handle of his scythe as he considered this.

AND YOUR POINT IS...?

"Well, I'm not exactly dying, correct? You are no longer such a certainty."

There was a sigh from Death. Space he thought. That was the trouble. It was never like this on worlds with everlastingly cloudy skies. But once humans saw all that space, their brains expanded to try and fill it up.

"No answer, eh?" said the dying philosopher. "Feel a bit old-fashioned, do we?"

THIS IS A CONUNDRUM CERTAINLY, said Death. Once they prayed, he thought. Mind you, he'd never been sure that prayer worked, either. He thought for a while. AND I SHALL ANSWER IT IN THIS MANNER, he added. YOU LOVE YOUR WIFE?

"What?"

THE LADY WHO HAS BEEN LOOKING AFTER YOU. YOU LOVE HER?

"Yes. Of course."

CAN YOU THINK OF ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE, WITHOUT YOUR PERSONAL HISTORY CHANGING IN ANY WAY YOU WOULD AT THIS MOMENT PICK UP A KNIFE AND STAB HER? said Death. FOR EXAMPLE?

"Certainly not!"

BUT YOUR THEORY SAYS THAT YOU MUST. IT IS EASILY POSSIBLE WITHIN THE PHYSICAL LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE, AND THEREFORE MUST HAPPEN, AND HAPPEN MANY TIMES. EVERY MOMENT IS A BILLION, BILLION MOMENTS, AND IN THOSE MOMENTS ALL THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE ARE INEVITABLE. ALL TIME SOONER OR LATER, BOILS DOWN TO A MOMENT.

"But of course we can make choices between-"

ARE THERE CHOICES? EVERYTHING THAT CAN HAPPEN, MUST HAPPEN. YOUR THEORY SAYS THAT FOR EVERY UNIVERSE THAT'S FORMED TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR 'NO', THERE MUST BE ONE TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR 'YES'. BUT YOU SAID YOU WOULD NEVER COMMIT MURDER. THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS TREMBLES BEFORE YOUR TERRIBLE CERTAINTY. YOUR MORALITY BECOMES A FORCE AS STRONG AS GRAVITY. And, thought Death, space certainly has a lot to answer for.

"Was that sarcasm?"

ACTUALLY, NO. I AM IMPRESSED AND INTRIGUED, said Death. THE CONCEPT YOU PUT BEFORE ME PROVES THE EXISTENCE OF TWO HITHERTO MYTHICAL PLACES. SOMEWHERE, THERE IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE, THE MORAL CHOICE, THE CHOICE THAT MAXIMISED THE HAPPINESS OF THEIR FELLOW CREATURES, OF COURSE, THAT ALSO MEANS THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE IS THE SMOKING REMNANT OF THE WORLD WHERE THEY DID NOT ...

"Oh, come on! I know what you're implying, and I've never believed in any of that Heaven and Hell nonsense!"

The room was growing darker. The blue gleam along the edge of the reaper's scythe was becoming more obvious.

ASTONISHING, said Death. REALLY ASTONISHING. LET ME PUT FORWARD ANOTHER SUGGESTION: THAT YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A LUCKY SPECIES OF APE THAT IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF CREATION VIA A LANGUAGE THAT EVOLVED IN ORDER TO TELL ONE ANOTHER WHERE THE RIPE FRUIT WAS?

Fighting for breath, the philosopher managed to say: "Don't be silly."

THE REMARK WAS NOT INTENDED AS DEROGATORY, said Death. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED A GREAT DEAL.

"We've certainly escaped from outmoded superstitions!"

WELL DONE, said Death. THAT'S THE SPIRIT. I JUST WANTED TO CHECK.

He leaned forward.

AND ARE YOU AWARE OF THE THEORY THAT THE STATE OF SOME TINY PARTICLES IS INDETERMINATE UNTIL THE MOMENT THEY ARE OBSERVED? A CAT IN A BOX IS OFTEN MENTIONED.

"Oh, yes," said the philosopher.

GOOD, said Death. He got to his feet as the last of the light died, and smiled.

I SEE YOU...

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Hvala za ta povzetek. Sem včeraj težila pubecu, pa mu ni blo za prevajat.

Kakor razumem:
Smrt mu pove, da stvari ostajajo nedefinirane le do takrat, ko se z njimi soočimo-jih pogledamo, vidimo. Torej je filozofova smrt zdaj določena - ker se je Smrt z njim soočila.

Je pa res, da bi v ta kontekst bolj šel pozdrav goodbye kot pa see you.

X wrote on 17.02.2004 at 09:30:59:


Točno. 8) See you ni pozdrav, pač pa zgolj dejstvo, da ga vidi. Meni je bilo to tako samoposebi umevno, da sem tej frazi šla kar vlogo poslovilne fraze pripisat.
Čeravno- saj jo ima, a ne?

Pa še prevod za tiste, ki se vam ne da ukvarjati z angleščino:

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Smrt in kar sledi
Kratka zgodba s Ploščatega sveta
Napisal Terry Pratchett


Ko je Smrt srečal filozofa, je filozof razburjeno rekel: "Najbrž veste, da sem v tem trenutku mrtev, pa tudi nisem mrtev."

Smrt je zavzdihnil. Ojej, že spet eden tistih, si je mislil. To bo spet tisto o kvantih. S filozofi se res ni maral dajati. Vedno so se poskušali izmuzniti.

"Vidite", je rekel filozof, medtem, ko je Smrt nepremično gledal kako pesek življenja odteka skozi peščeno uro, "vse je sestavljeno iz majcenih delcev, ki imajo to čudno lastnost, da se ob istem času nahajajo na kopici krajev hkrati. Stvari, ki pa so sestavljene iz majcenih delcev, so običajno ob določenem času le na enem kraju, kar se glede na kvantno teorijo ne zdi pravilno. Lahko nadaljujem?"

DA, VENDAR NE V NESKONČNOST, je rekel Smrt, VSE JE MINLJIVO. Svojega pogleda ni odmaknil od sipajočega se peska.

"No, če se torej strinjava, da obstaja neskončno število vesolij, je problem rešen! Če obstaja neskončno število vesolij, se ta postelja lahko nahaja v milijonih vesolij hkrati!"

PA SE PREMIKA?

"Kaj?"

Smrt je pokimal proti postelji. ALI ČUTITE, DA SE PREMIKA? je rekel.

"Ne, saj obstaja tudi milijon različic mene samega in...tu je tisto najboljše... nekaterim od teh različic v tem trenutku ne bije zadnja ura! Vse je mogoče!"

Smrt se je zamislil in medtem potrkaval po ročaju svoje kose.

IN VI CILJATE NA...?

"No, pravzaprav ne umiram, kajne? Vi niste več takšna nujnost."

Smrt je vzdihnil. Vesolje, si je mislil. V tem je težava. Na svetovih z večno oblačnim nebom nikoli ni bilo tako. Ko pa so ljudje videli vesolje, so se njihovi možgani razširili, da bi ga zapolnili.

"Ne najdete odgovora, a?" je rekel umorajoči filozof. "Se počutimo malce nekoristno, kaj?"

TO JE RES ZAGONETKA, je rekel Smrt. Nekoč so molili, je razmišljal. Vendar pa nikoli ni bil prepričan ali so molitve pravzaprav sploh učinkovale. Nekaj časa je razmišljal. IN TAKOLE BOM ODGOVORIL, je dodal. LJUBITE SVOJO ŽENO?

"Kaj?"

GOSPA, KI VAM JE STALA OB STRANI. JO LJUBITE?

"Da. Seveda."

SI LAHKO ZAMISLITE OKOLIŠČINE ZARADI KATERIH BI, NE DA BI SE SPREMENILA VAŠA OSEBNA ZGODOVINA, V TEM TRENUTKU VZELI NOŽ IN JO ZABODLI? je rekel Smrt. NA PRIMER.

"Prav gotovo ne!"

VAŠA TEORIJA PA PRAVI, DA MORA BITI TAKO. GLEDE NA FIZIKALNE ZAKONE VESOLJA JE TO ČISTO MOGOČE, TOREJ SE TO MORA ZGODITI IN TO CELO MNOGOKRAT. VSAK TRENUTEK JE SESTAVLJEN IZ MILIJARD IN MILIJARD TRENUTKOV IN V TEH TRENUTKIH SO VSE STVARI, KI SO MOGOČE, NEIZBEŽNE. VES ČAS SE PREJ ALI SLEJ STEČE V EN SAM TRENUTEK.

"Seveda pa vmes lahko odločamo med - "

PA MOŽNOST ODLOČITVE SPLOH OBSTAJA? VSE KAR SE LAHKO ZGODI, SE MORA ZGODITI. VAŠA TEORIJA PRAVI, DA MORA ZA VSAKO VESOLJE, KI OBSTAJA, DA OMOGOČA OBSTOJ VAŠEGA 'NE', OBSTAJATI TUDI VESOLJE, KI OMOGOČA OBSTOJ VAŠEGA 'DA'. PA VENDAR PRAVITE, DA NIKOLI NEBI MORILI. MATERIJA KOZMOSA TREPETA NAD VAŠO STRAŠNO NEOMAJNOSTJO. VAŠA MORALA POSTAJA SILA, KI JE MOGOČNA KOT TEŽNOST. In, je pomislil Smrt, vesolje je vsekakor odgovorno za mnogo stvari.

"Je bil to sarkazem?"

PRAVZAPRAV NE.MOČAN VTIS STE NAREDILI NAME IN MI VZBUDILI RADOVEDNOST, je rekel Smrt. KONCEPT, KI STE MI GA PREDSTAVILI, DOKAZUJE OBSTOJ DOSLEJ MITSKIH KRAJEV. NEKJE OBSTAJA SVET, NA KATEREM SO VSI IZBRALI PRAVO ODLOČITEV, MORALNO ODLOČITEV, ODLOČITEV, KI JE KAR NAJBOLJ OSREČILA SOBITJA TEGA SVETA. SEVEDA PA TO POMENI, DA NEKJE DRUGJE OBSTAJAJO KADEČI SE OSTANKI SVETA, KJER NISO ...

"Ah, dajte no! Vem kaj mislite, vendar nikoli nisem verjel v vse te nesmisle o nebesih in peklu!"

V sobi se je temnilo. Modri žar vzdolž roba žanjčeve kose je postajal bolj očiten.

OSUPLJIVO, je rekel Smrt. ZARES OSUPLJIVO. NAJ VAM PREDOČIM ŠE NEKAJ: DA NISTE NIČ VEČ KOT VRSTA OPIC, KI IMA SREČO IN POSKUŠA RAZUMETI ZAMOTANOST STVARJENJA S POMOČJO JEZIKA, KI SE JE RAZVIL, DA BI SI LAHKO POVEDALI, KJE JE ZRELO SADJE.

Hlastajoč za zrakom je filozof uspel reči le: "Ne bodite trapasti."

S TO PRIPOMBO VAS NISEM NAMERAVAL UŽAILITI, je rekel Smrt. GLEDE NA DANE OKOLIŠČINE STE DOSEGLI OGROMNO.

"Zagotovo smo ušli vraževerju starih dni!"

ODLIČNO, je rekel Smrt. TAKO SE DELA. TOLIKO, DA VEM.

Nagnil se je naprej.

PA POZNATE TEORIJO, KI PRAVI, DA JE STANJE NEKATERIH MAJCENIH DELCEV NEDOLOČLJIVO DOKLER JIH NE OPAZIMO? NAVADNO SE V POVEZAVI Z NJO OMENJA TUDI MAČKO V ŠKATLI.

"O ja," je rekel filozof.

DOBRO, je rekel Smrt. Ko je zamrlo še tisto malo svetlobe je vstal in se nasmehnil.

VIDIM VAS...

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Ja, bp, dobro jutro. To smo že ugotovili.

Lilith wrote on 17.02.2004 at 09:56:57:

Dobro jutro Lilith.  Kaj ste ze ugotovili ?

Quote:



Pomen zadnjega stavka.