查理和巧克力工厂 作者:[英]罗尔德·达尔-第8部分

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t　important　rooms　in　my　factory　are　deep　down　below　the　surface！'
　　'Why　is　that？'　somebody　asked。
　　'There　wouldn't　be　nearly　enough　space　for　them　up　on　top！'　answered　Mr　Wonka。　'These　rooms　we　are　going　to　see　are　enormous！　They're　larger　than　football　fields！　No　building　in　the　world　would　be　big　enough　to　house　them！　But　down　here；　underneath　the　ground；　I've　got　all　the　space　I　want。　There's　no　limit　—　so　long　as　I　hollow　it　out。'
　　Mr　Wonka　turned　right。
　　He　turned　left。
　　He　turned　right　again。
　　The　passages　were　sloping　steeper　and　steeper　downhill　now。
　　Then　suddenly；　Mr　Wonka　stopped。　In　front　of　him；　there　was　a　shiny　metal　door。　The　party　crowded　round。　On　the　door；　in　large　letters；　it　said：
　　THE　CHOCOLATE　ROOM
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　　The　Chocolate　Room
　　'An　important　room；　this！'　cried　Mr　Wonka；　taking　a　bunch　of　keys　from　his　pocket　and　slipping　one　into　the　keyhole　of　the　door。　'This　is　the　nerve　centre　of　the　whole　factory；　the　heart　of　the　whole　business！　And　so　beautiful！　I　insist　upon　my　rooms　being　beautiful！　I　can't　abide　ugliness　in　factories！　In　we　go；　then！　But　do　be　careful；　my　dear　children！　Don't　lose　your　heads！　Don't　get　over…excited！　Keep　very　calm！'
　　Mr　Wonka　opened　the　door。　Five　children　and　nine　grown…ups　pushed　their　ways　in　—　and　oh；　what　an　amazing　sight　it　was　that　now　met　their　eyes！
　　They　were　looking　down　upon　a　lovely　valley。　There　were　green　meadows　on　either　side　of　the　valley；　and　along　the　bottom　of　it　there　flowed　a　great　brown　river。
　　What　is　more；　there　was　a　tremendous　waterfall　halfway　along　the　river　—　a　steep　cliff　over　which　the　water　curled　and　rolled　in　a　solid　sheet；　and　then　went　crashing　down　into　a　boiling　churning　whirlpool　of　froth　and　spray。
　　Below　the　waterfall　（and　this　was　the　most　astonishing　sight　of　all）；　a　whole　mass　of　enormous　glass　pipes　were　dangling　down　into　the　river　from　somewhere　high　up　in　the　ceiling！　They　really　were　enormous；　those　pipes。　There　must　have　been　a　dozen　of　them　at　least；　and　they　were　sucking　up　the　brownish　muddy　water　from　the　river　and　carrying　it　away　to　goodness　knows　where。　And　because　they　were　made　of　glass；　you　could　see　the　liquid　flowing　and　bubbling　along　inside　them；　and　above　the　noise　of　the　waterfall；　you　could　hear　the　never…ending　suck…suck…sucking　sound　of　the　pipes　as　they　did　their　work。
　　Graceful　trees　and　bushes　were　growing　along　the　riverbanks　—　weeping　willows　and　alders　and　tall　clumps　of　rhododendrons　with　their　pink　and　red　and　mauve　blossoms。　In　the　meadows　there　were　thousands　of　buttercups。
　　'There！'　cried　Mr　Wonka；　dancing　up　and　down　and　pointing　his　gold…topped　cane　at　the　great　brown　river。　'It's　all　chocolate！　Every　drop　of　that　river　is　hot　melted　chocolate　of　the　finest　quality。　The　very　finest　quality。　There's　enough　chocolate　in　there　to　fill　every　bathtub　in　the　entire　country！　And　all　the　swimming　pools　as　well！　Isn't　it　terrific？　And　just　look　at　my　pipes！　They　suck　up　the　chocolate　and　carry　it　away　to　all　the　other　rooms　in　the　factory　where　it　is　needed！　Thousands　of　gallons　an　hour；　my　dear　children！　Thousands　and　thousands　of　gallons！'
　　The　children　and　their　parents　were　too　flabbergasted　to　speak。　They　were　staggered。　They　were　dumbfounded。　They　were　bewildered　and　dazzled。　They　were　pletely　bowled　over　by　the　hugeness　of　the　whole　thing。　They　simply　stood　and　stared。
　　'The　waterfall　is　most　important！'　Mr　Wonka　went　on。　'It　mixes　the　chocolate！　It　churns　it　up！　It　pounds　it　and　beats　it！　It　makes　it　light　and　frothy！　No　other　factory　in　the　world　mixes　its　chocolate　by　waterfall！　But　it's　the　only　way　to　do　it　properly！　The　only　way！　And　do　you　like　my　trees？'　he　cried；　pointing　with　his　stick。　'And　my　lovely　bushes？　Don't　you　think　they　look　pretty？　I　told　you　I　hated　ugliness！　And　of　course　they　are　all　eatable！　All　made　of　something　different　and　delicious！　And　do　you　like　my　meadows？　Do　you　like　my　grass　and　my　buttercups？　The　grass　you　are　standing　on；　my　dear　little　ones；　is　made　of　a　new　kind　of　soft；　minty　sugar　that　I've　just　invented！　I　call　it　swudge！　Try　a　blade！　Please　do！　It's　delectable！'
　　Automatically；　everybody　bent　down　and　picked　one　blade　of　grass　—　everybody；　that　is；　except　Augustus　Gloop；　who　took　a　big　handful。
　　And　Violet　Beauregarde；　before　tasting　her　blade　of　grass；　took　the　piece　of　world…record…breaking　chewing…gum　out　of　her　mouth　and　stuck　it　carefully　behind　her　ear。
　　'Isn't　it　wonderful！'　whispered　Charlie。　'Hasn't　it　got　a　wonderful　taste；　Grandpa？'
　　'I　could　eat　the　whole　field！'　said　Grandpa　Joe；　grinning　with　delight。　'I　could　go　around　on　all　fours　like　a　cow　and　eat　every　blade　of　grass　in　the　field！'
　　'Try　a　buttercup！'　cried　Mr　Wonka。　'They're　even　nicer！'
　　Suddenly；　the　air　was　filled　with　screams　of　excitement。　The　screams　came　from　Veruca　Salt。　She　was　pointing　frantically　to　the　other　side　of　the　river。　'Look！　Look　over　there！'　she　screamed。　'What　is　it？　He's　moving！　He's　walking！　It's　a　little　person！　It's　a　little　man！　Down　there　below　the　waterfall！'
　　Everybody　stopped　picking　buttercups　and　stared　across　the　river。
　　'She's　right；　Grandpa！'　cried　Charlie。　'It　is　a　little　man！　Can　you　see　him？'
　　'I　see　him；　Charlie！'　said　Grandpa　Joe　excitedly。
　　And　now　everybody　started　shouting　at　once。
　　'There's　two　of　them！'
　　'My　gosh；　so　there　is！'
　　'There's　more　than　two！　There's　one；　two；　three；　four；　five！'
　　'What　are　they　doing？'
　　'Where　do　they　e　from？'
　　'Who　are　they？'
　　Children　and　parents　alike　rushed　down　to　the　edge　of　the　river　to　get　a　closer　look。
　　'Aren't　they　fantastic！'
　　'No　higher　than　my　knee！'
　　'Look　at　their　funny　long　hair！'
　　The　tiny　men　—　they　were　no　larger　than　medium…sized　dolls　—　had　stopped　what　they　were　doing；　and　now　they　were　staring　back　across　the　river　at　the　visitors。　One　of　them　pointed　towards　the　children；　and　then　he　whispered　something　to　the　other　four；　and　all　five　of　them　burst　into　peals　of　laughter。
　　'But　they　can't　be　real　people；'　Charlie　said。
　　'Of　course　they're　real　people；'　Mr　Wonka　answered。　'They're　Oompa…Loompas。'
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　　The　Oompa…Loompas
　　'Oompa…Loompas！'　everyone　said　at　once。　'Oompa…Loompas！'
　　'Imported　direct　from　Loompaland；'　said　Mr　Wonka　proudly。
　　'There's　no　such　place；'　said　Mrs　Salt。
　　'Excuse　me；　dear　lady；　but　。　。　。'
　　'Mr　Wonka；'　cried　Mrs　Salt。　'I'm　a　teacher　of　geography
　　'Then　you'll　know　all　about　it；'　said　Mr　Wonka。　'And　oh；　what　a　terrible　country　it　is！　Nothing　but　thick　jungles　infested　by　the　most　dangerous　beasts　in　the　world　—　hornswogglers　and　snozzwangers　and　those　terrible　wicked　whangdoodles。　A　whangdoodle　would　eat　ten　Oompa…Loompas　for　breakfast　and　e　galloping　back　for　a　second　helping。　When　I　went　out　there；　I　found　the　little　Oompa…Loompas　living　in　tree　houses。　They　had　to　live　in　tree　houses　to　escape　from　the　whangdoodles　and　the　hornswogglers　and　the　snozzwangers。　And　they　were　living　on　green　caterpillars；　and　the　caterpillars　tasted　revolting；　and　the　Oompa…Loompas　spent　every　moment　of　their　days　climbing　through　the　treetops　looking　for　other　things　to　mash　up　with　the　caterpillars　to　make　them　taste　better　—　red　beetles；　for　instance；　and　eucalyptus　leaves；　and　the　bark　of　the　bong…bong　tree；　all　of　them　beastly；　but　not　quite　so　beastly　as　the　caterpillars。　Poor　little　Oompa…Loompas！　The　one　food　that　they　longed　for　more　than　any　other　was　the　cacao　bean。　But　they　couldn't　get　it。　An　Oompa…Loompa　was　lucky　if　he　found　three　or　four　cacao　beans　a　year。　But　oh；　how　they　craved　them。　They　used　to　dream　about　cacao　beans　all　night　and　talk　about　them　all　day。　You　had　only　to　mention　the　word　〃cacao〃　to　an　Oompa…Loompa　and　he　would　start　dribbling　at　the　mouth。　The　cacao　bean；'　Mr　Wonka　continued；　'which　grows　on　the　cacao　tree；　happens　to　be　the　thing　from　which　all　chocolate　is　made。　You　cannot　make　chocolate　without　the　cacao　bean。　The　cacao　bean　is　chocolate。　I　myself　use　billions　of　cacao　beans　every　week　in　this　factory。　And　so；　my　dear　children；　as　soon　as　I　discovered　that　the　Oompa…Loompas　were　crazy　about　this　particular　food；　I　climbed　up　to　their　tree…house　village　and　poked　my　head　in　through　the　door　of　the　tree　house　belonging　to　the　leader　of　the　tribe。　The　poor　little　fellow；　looking　thin　and　starved；　was　sitting　there　trying　to　eat　a　bowl　full　of　mashed…up　green　caterpillars　without　being　sick。　〃Look　here；〃　I　said　（speaking　not　in　English；　of　course；　but　in　Oompa…Loompish）；　〃look　here；　if　you　and　all　your　people　will　e　back　to　my　country　and　live　in　my　factory；　you　can　have　all　the　cacao　beans　you　want！　I've　got　mountains　of　them　in　my　storehouses！　You　can　have　cacao　beans　for　every　meal！　You　can　gorge　yourselves　silly　on　them！　I'll　even　pay　your　wages　in　cacao　beans　if　you　wish！〃
　　'〃You　really　mean　it？〃　asked　the　Oompa…Loompa　leader；　leaping　up　from　his　chair。
　　'〃Of　course　I　mean　it；〃　I　said。　〃And　you　can　have　chocolate　as　well。　Chocolate　tastes　even　better　than　cacao　beans　because　it's　got　milk　and　sugar　added。〃
　　'The　little　man　gave　a　great　whoop　of　joy　and　threw　his　bowl　of　mashed　caterpillars　right　out　of　the　tree…house　window。　〃It's　a　deal！〃　he　cried。　〃e　on！　Let's　go！〃
　　'So　I　shipped　them　all　over　here；　every　man；　woman；　and　child　in　the　Oompa…Loompa　tribe。　It　was　easy。　I　smuggled　them　over　in　large　packing　cases　with　holes　in　them；　and　they　all　got　here　safely。　They　are　wonderful　workers。　They　all　speak　English　now。　They　love　dancing　and　music。　They　are　always　making　up　songs。　I　expect　you　will　hear　a　good　deal　of　singing　today　from　time　to　time。　I　must　warn　you；　though；　that　they　are　rather　mischievous。　They　like　jokes。　They　still　wear　the　same　kind　of　clothes　they　wore　in　the　jungle。　They　insist　upon　that。　The　men；　as　you　can　see　for　yourselves　across　the　river；　wear　only　deerskins。　The　women　wear　leaves；　and　the　children　wear　nothing　at　all。　The　women　use　fresh　leaves　every　day　。　。　。'
　　'Daddy！'　shouted　Veruca　Salt　（the　girl　who　got　everything　she　wanted）。　'Daddy！　I　want　an　Oompa…Loompa！　I　want　you　to　get　me　an　Oompa…Loompa！　I　want　an　Oompa…Loompa　right　away！　I　want　to　take　it　home　with　me！　Go　on；　Daddy！　Get　me　an　Oompa…Loompa！'
　　'Now；　n