English Original
Afternoon was Mrs. Conroy's favorite time of day. After a hard day at work, she enjoyed a long nap on the bus. Her friend, the driver Mr. Angstrom, always woke her before her stop. She would get off feeling fresh as a daisy.
But today was different. A new, unfriendly driver was at the wheel. Mrs. Conroy decided not to sleep, but the bus's gentle rocking had a lulling effect. Despite her resolve, she fell fast asleep.
She was shaken awake. "We've come to the end of the line," the driver said. Confused and panicked, Mrs. Conroy peered outside. It wasn't her stop. "Where am I? How do I get home?" she asked in a shrill voice.
"Cool off, lady. We all make it here sooner or later," he replied, refusing to let her ride back. The bus drove away, leaving her alone in a strange, empty landscape with an awfully bright sun. She squinted, seeing no signs, trees, or people.
"Are you ready, Madam?" a voice asked from behind. A tall man in a blue pin-striped suit stepped forward. He knew her name. "It's time to go now."
Mrs. Conroy was terrified and refused. "There must be some mistake!" she insisted, threatening to report the driver.
The man smiled kindly and patiently explained, "He was just doing his job... following orders. You see, Mrs. Conroy, this is the end of the line. Our passengers only go one way."
中文翻译
下午是康罗伊夫人一天中最喜欢的时光。辛苦工作一天后，她喜欢在公交车上小睡一会儿。她的朋友，司机安斯特伦先生，总会在她到站前叫醒她。下车时，她通常感到精神饱满。
但今天不同了。一位陌生而不友好的司机握着方向盘。康罗伊夫人决定今天不睡觉，但公交车轻柔的摇晃具有催眠效果。尽管她下定决心，还是很快睡着了。
她被摇醒了。“我们到终点站了，”司机说。康罗伊夫人又困惑又惊慌，望向窗外。这不是她的车站。“我在哪儿？我怎么回家？”她用尖厉的声音问道。
“冷静点，女士。我们迟早都会来到这里的，”他回答道，拒绝让她坐车回去。公交车开走了，留下她独自在一个陌生、空旷、阳光异常刺眼的地方。她眯起眼，看不到任何路标、树木或人。
“您准备好了吗，夫人？”一个声音从身后传来。一位穿着蓝色细条纹西装的高个子男子走上前来。他知道她的名字。“现在该走了。”
康罗伊夫人很害怕，拒绝了。“这一定是个误会！”她坚持道，并威胁要投诉那个司机。
男子和蔼地微笑着，耐心地解释道：“他只是在做他的工作……执行命令。你看，康罗伊夫人，这里是终点站。我们的乘客都是单程旅行。”