At times his mind wandered farther afield, and he plodded on, a mere automaton, strange conceits and whimsicalities gnawing at his brain like worms.

• 有时候，他越想越远，只好一面凭本能自动向前跋涉，一面让种种奇怪的念头和狂想，像蛀虫一样地啃他的脑髓。