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

世界上第一部“自毀小說”問世，作者是美國作家詹姆斯·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.

這本新書售價20萬英鎊，書迷有24小時來閱讀，隨后它將自我銷毀。盡管“自毀”的具體細節尚不清楚，但有一支特種武器和戰術部隊將會處理任何突發狀況。

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《真心話》（Cross My Heart）等。他表示，隨著愈來愈多書店結束營業，書籍更難贏得注意，所以出版商必須和電影公司一樣有想象力，以掀起新一波小說閱讀的熱潮。

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.

與電影行業的紅地毯首映、好萊塢影星助陣以及巨大的廣告預算不同，書籍的簽售和閱讀顯得一成不變。

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

“出版業需要競爭，”他說，“需要與電影和互聯網相較量。”

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.

而花費19.4萬英鎊，熱心讀者將飛往一個私密的地點與帕特森共餐，同時還能提前得到帕特森月底發行的新作《私家偵探：拉斯維加斯》（Private Vegas）。

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

?屆時，同樣會有一支特種武器和戰術部隊會處理突發事件。

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.

作為新書推廣的一部分，一千名書迷將從“自我銷毀網站”（selfdestructingbook.com）下載到免費電子書。每本電子書都設有24小時數字定時器，無法暫停或撤銷。

"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."

現年67歲的帕特森表示：“超過24個小時，這本書就不復存在了。我希望這一做法能激發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."

他還稱：“用先前從未有過的方式來宣傳一本書，似乎非常棒。在出版行業的歷史上，還從未有過這樣的事。”

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

據悉，《私家偵探：拉斯維加斯》是詹姆斯·帕特森“私人系列”的最新作品，描述杰克·摩根（Jack Morgan）揭發賭城謀殺集團的故事。

"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.

“希望這還能為我們如何推進出版的無邊界化帶來不同的機遇。”廣告文案約瑟（Jose Funegra）說道。

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·帕特森是美國暢銷書榜單作家常客，他的作品在全球銷售超過三億多冊。心理學家亞歷克斯·克羅斯（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.

帕特森創作了100多部小說。此外，他還為年輕讀者寫書，包括中學生群體。

Vocabulary

destruction: 毀滅

hype: 大肆宣傳

luminary: 杰出人物

tactic: 策略

boundary: 邊界

gambling: 賭博

bestseller: 暢銷書

（譯者：490252028 編輯：王偉）