首部“自毁小说”问世

The world's first self-destructing novel is being offered by James Patterson.

世界上第一部“自毁小说”问世，作者是美国作家詹姆斯·帕特森(James Patterson)。

For £200,000 one fan will get 24 hours to read his latest book before it explodes. Although the precise detail of the destruction are unclear, a SWAT team will be on hand to deal with any issues.

这本新书售价20万英镑，书迷有24小时来阅读，随后它将自我销毁。尽管“自毁”的具体细节尚不清楚，但有一支特种武器和战术部队将会处理任何突发状况。

Patterson, author of Unlucky 13 and Cross My Heart, says that as book shops are increasingly closing publishers need to be as imaginative as film companies in creating a hype around a new novel.

帕特森的作品包括《不幸的13》(Unlucky 13)和《真心话》(Cross My Heart)等。他表示，随着愈来愈多书店结束营业，书籍更难赢得注意，所以出版商必须和电影公司一样有想象力，以掀起新一波小说阅读的热潮。

Unlike the film industry's red-carpet premieres, Hollywood luminaries and huge advertising budgets, book launches with signings and readings are a more staid affair.

与电影行业的红地毯首映、好莱坞影星助阵以及巨大的广告预算不同，书籍的签售和阅读显得一成不变。

"The publishing business needs to compete," he said. "It needs to compete with movies and the Internet."

“出版业需要竞争，”他说，“需要与电影和互联网相较量。”

For £194,000 one avid reader will be flown to an undisclosed location for a meal with Patterson and will be given a copy of Private Vegas ahead of its launch at the end of the month.

而花费19.4万英镑，热心读者将飞往一个私密的地点与帕特森共餐，同时还能提前得到帕特森月底发行的新作《私家侦探：拉斯维加斯》(Private Vegas)。

A special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team will also be on hand to handle the explosive thriller.

届时，同样会有一支特种武器和战术部队会处理突发事件。

Also as part of the promotion, 1,000 fans will be able to download free copies of the book from the website selfdestructingbook.com. Each book will have a 24-hour digital timer that cannot be paused or cancelled.

作为新书推广的一部分，一千名书迷将从“自我销毁网站”(selfdestructingbook.com)下载到免费电子书。每本电子书都设有24小时数字定时器，无法暂停或撤销。

"Twenty four hours after you start it, the book will no longer be there," said Patterson, 67. "I hope this spurs more ways to get attention."

现年67岁的帕特森表示：“超过24个小时，这本书就不复存在了。我希望这一做法能激发出更多吸引眼球的方式。”

He added: "This seemed like a terrific way to draw attention to a book in a way that has never been done before," he explained. "In the history of publishing there hasn't been anything like this."

他还称：“用先前从未有过的方式来宣传一本书，似乎非常棒。在出版行业的历史上，还从未有过这样的事。”

Private Vegas is the latest in Patterson's 'Private' series featuring Jack Morgan, who discovers a murder ring in the gambling mecca.

据悉，《私家侦探：拉斯维加斯》是詹姆斯·帕特森“私人系列”的最新作品，描述杰克·摩根(Jack Morgan)揭发赌城谋杀集团的故事。

"Hopefully this also opens up different opportunities just in terms of how we can push the boundaries in publishing in general," said copy writer Jose Funegra.

“希望这还能为我们如何推进出版的无边界化带来不同的机遇。”广告文案约瑟(Jose Funegra)说道。

Patterson, a fixture on the bestsellers list, has sold more than 300 million books worldwide, with fictional psychologist Alex Cross among his best known characters.

詹姆斯·帕特森是美国畅销书榜单作家常客，他的作品在全球销售超过三亿多册。心理学家亚历克斯·克罗斯(Alex Cross)是他作品中最著名的形象。

In addition to his more than 100 novels, Patterson has written books for young readers, including the Middle School age group.

帕特森创作了100多部小说。此外，他还为年轻读者写书，包括中学生群体。

Vocabulary

destruction: 毁灭

hype: 大肆宣传

luminary: 杰出人物

tactic: 策略

boundary: 边界

gambling: 赌博

bestseller: 畅销书