time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第22部分

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e　service。
　　
　　This　was　intended　for　young　conscripts；　but　there　was　nothing　to　keep　a　career　officer　from　taking　advantage　of　it；　Dave　could　claim　it　and　did。　With　three…quarters　pay　not　subject　to　taxation；　with　the　subsidy…also　not　taxable…of　a　married
　　
　　veteran　going　to　school；　Dave　had　about　the　ine　he　had　had　on　active　duty。　More；　really；　as　he　no　longer　had　to　buy　pretty　uniforms　or　keep　up　expensive　social　obligations。　He　could　loaf　and　read　books；　dress　as　he　pleased；　and　not　worry　about　appearances。　Sometimes　he　would　stay　up　late　and　prove　that　there　were　more　optimists　playing　poker　than　mathematicians。　Then　sleep　late。　For　he　never；　never　got　up　early。
　　
　　Nor　did　he　ever　again　go　up　in　an　aeroplane。　Dave　had　never　trusted　flying…machines；　they　were　much　too　high　in　case　they　stalled。　They　had　never　been　anything　to　him　but　a　means　to　avoid　something　worse；　once　they　had　served　his　purpose；　he　put　them　aside　as　firmly　as　he　had　put　aside　fencing　foils…and　with　no　regrets　in　either　case。
　　
　　Soon　he　had　another　diploma；　one　which　stated　that　he　was　a　Bachelor…　of　Science　in　agronomy…a　〃scientific〃　farmer。
　　
　　This　certificate；　with　the　special　preference　extended　to　veterans；　coUld　have　obtained　him　a　civil　service　job；　telling　other　people　how　to　farm。　Instead；　he　took　some　of　the　money　that　had　piled　up　in　the　bank　while　he　loafed　in　school　and　went　way　back　into　those　hills　he　had　left　a　quarter　of　a　century　earlier…and　bought　a　farth。　That　is；　he　made　a　down　payment；　with　mortgage　on　the　balance　through　a　government　Joan　at　a……subsidized；　of　course…very　low　rate　of　interest。
　　
　　Did　he　work　the　farm？　Let's　not　be　silly；　Dave　never　took　his　hands　out　of　his　pockets~　He　made　one　crop　with　hired　labor　while　he　negotiated　still　another　deal。
　　
　　Ira；　the　pletion　of　Dave's　grand　plan　involves　one　factor　so　unbelievable　that　I　must　ask　you　to　take　it　on　faith
　　
　　…it　is　too　much　to　ask　any　rational　man　to　understand　it。
　　
　　At　that　pause　between　wars；　Earth　held　over　two　billion　people…at　least　half　on　the　verge　of　starvation~　Nevertheless
　　
　　…and　here　is　where　I　must　ask　you　to　believe　that　I　was　there　and　would　not　lie　to　you…despite　this　shortage　of　food　which　never　got　better　other　than　temporarily　and　locally　in　all　the　years　that　followed；　and　could　not；　for　reasons　we　need　not　go　i？to…in　spite　of　this　disastrous　shortage；　the　government　of　David's　country　paid　farmers　not　to　grow　food。
　　
　　Don't　shake　your　head；　the　ways　of　God　and　government　and　girls　are　all　mysterious；　and　it　is　not　given　to~　mortal　man　to　understand　them。　Never　mind　that　you　yourself　are　a　government；　go　home　tonight　and　think　about　it…ask　yourself　if　you　know　why　you　do　what　you　do…and　e　back　tomorrow　and　tell　me。
　　
　　As　may　be…　David　never　made　but　one　crop。　The　following　year　his　acreage　was　〃soil…banked；〃　and　he　received　a　fat　check　for　not　working　it；　which　suited　him　just　fine。　Dave　loved　those　hills；　he　had　always　been　homesick　for　them；　he　had　left　them　simply　to　avoid　work。　Now　he　was　being　paid　not　to　work　in　them…which　suited　him；　he　had　never　thought　that　their　charms　were　enhanced　…by　plowing　and　getting　them　all　dusty。
　　
　　The　〃soil　bank〃　payments　took　care　of　the　mortgage；　and　his　retired　pay　left　a　tidy　sum　over；　so　he　hired　a　man　to　do　those　chqres　a　farm　requires　even　though　it　is　not　being　worked　for　a　crop…feed　the　chickens；　milk　a　cow　or　two；　tend　a　vegetable　garden　and　some　fruit　trees；　repair　fences…　while　the　hired　man's　wife　helped　David's　wife　with　the　house。　For　himself；　David　bought　a　hammock。
　　
　　But　David　was　not　a　harsh　employer。　He　suspected　that　cows　did　not　want　to　be　waked　at　five　in　the　morning　any　more　than　he　did…and　he　undertook　to　find　out。
　　
　　He　learned　that　cows　would　happily　change　their　circadian　to　more　reasonable　hours；　given　the　chance。　They　had　to　be　milked　twice　a　day；　they　were　bred　for　that。　But　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　suited　them　for　a　first　milking　quite　as　well　as　five；　as　long　as　it　was　regular。
　　
　　But　it　did　not　stay　that　way；　Dave's　hired　man　had　the　nervous　habit　of　work。　To　him　there　was　something　sinful　in　milking　a　cow　that　late。　So　David　let　him　have　his　way；　and　hired　man　and　cows　went　back　to　their　old　habits。
　　
　　As　for　Dave；　he　strung　that　hammock　between　two　shade　trees　and　put　a　table　by　it　to　hold　a　frosty　drink。　He　would　get　up　in　the　morning　when　he　woke；　whether　it　was　nine　or　noon；　eat　breakfast；　then　walk　slowly　to　his　hammock　to　rest　up　for　lunch。　The　hardest　work　he　did　was　endorsing　checks　for　deposit；　and；　once　a　month；　balancing　his　wife's　checkbook。　He　quit　wearing　shoes。　…
　　
　　He　did　not　take　a　newspaper　or　listen　to　radio；　he　figured　that　the　Navy　would　let　him　know　if　another　war　broke　out
　　
　　…and　another　did　break　out　about　the　time　he　started　this　routine。　But　the　Navy　had　no　need　for　retired　admirals。　Dave　paid　little　attention　to　that　war；　it　was　depressing。　Instead；　he　read　everything　the　state　library　had　on　ancient　Greece　and　bought　books　about　it。　It　was　a　soothing　subject；　one　he　had　always　wanted　to　know　more　about。
　　
　　Each　year；　on　Navy　Day；　he　got　all　spruced　up　and　dressed　as　an　admiral；　with　all　his　medals；　from　the　Good　Conduct
　　
　　medal　of　an　enlisted　man　to　the　one　for　bravery　under　fire　that　had　made　him　an　admiral…let　his　hired　man　drive　him　to　the　county　seat　and　there　addressed　a　luncheon　of　the　Chamber　of　merce　on　some　patriotic　subject。　Ira；　I　don't　know　why　he　did　this。　Perhaps　it　was　noblesse　oblige。　Or　it　may　have　been　his　odd　sense　of　humor。　But　each　year　they　invited　him；　each　year　he　accepted。　His　neighbors　were　proud　of　him；　he　was　the　epitome　of　Local　Boy　Makes　Good…then　es　home　and　lives　as　his　neighbors　lived。　His　success　brought　credit　to　them　all。　They　liked　it　that　he　was　still　just　〃home　folks〃…and　if　they　noticed　that　he　never　did　a　lick　Of　work；'　nobody　mentioned　it。
　　
　　I've　skipped　lightly　over　Dave's　career；　Ira；　had　to。　I　haven't　mentioned　the　automatic　pilot　he　thought　up；　then　had　developed　years　later　when　he　w~s　in　a　position　to　get　such　things　done。　Nor　the　overhaul　he　made　of　the　duties　of　the　crew　of　a　flying　boat…except　to　say　now　that　it　was　to　get　more　done　with　less　effort　while　leaving　the　mand　pilot　with　nothing　to　do　save　to　stay　alert…or　to　snore　on　his　copilot's　arm　if　the　situation　did　not　require　his　alertness。　He　made　changes　in　instruments　and　controls；　too；　when　at　last　he　found　himself？in　charge　of　development　for　all　Navy　patrol　planes。
　　
　　Let　it　go　with　this~　I　don't　think　Dave　thought　of　himself　as　an　〃efficiency　expert〃　but　every　job　he　ever　held　he　simplified。　His　successor　always　had　less　work　to　do　than　his　predecessor。
　　
　　That　his　successor　usually　reorganized　the　job　again　to　make　three　times　as　much　any　subordinates…says　little　about　Dave's　oddity　other　than　by　contrast。　Some　people　are　ants　by　nature；　they　have　to　work；　even　when　it's　useless。　Few　people　have　a　talent　for　constructive　laziness。
　　
　　So　ends　the　Tale　of　the　Man　Who　Was　Too　Lazy　to　Fail。　Let's　leave　him　there；　in　his　hammock　under　the　shade　trees。　So　far　as　I　know；　he　is　still　there。
　　
　　VARIATIONS　ON　A　THEME
　　
　　III
　　
　　第11节
　　
　　Domestic　Problems
　　
　　〃After　more　than　two　thousand　years；　Lazarus？〃
　　
　　〃Why　not；　Ira？　Dave　was　my　age；　near　enough　as　not　to　matter。　I'm　still　here。〃~'
　　
　　〃Yes；　but…　Was　David　Lamb　a　member　of　the　Families？　Under　another　name？　There　is　no　'Lamb'　in　the　lists。〃
　　
　　〃I　never　asked；　Ira。　Nor　did　he　ever　offer　me　a　passwor~d。　In　those　days　a　member　kept　the　fact　to　himself。　Or；　if　he　was；　Dave　might　not　have　known　it；　si1~ce　he　left　home　so　young　and　so　abruptly。　Back　…then　a　youngster　wasn't　told　until　he　or　she　was　old　enough　to　think　about　marriage。　Eighteen　for　boys；　usually；　and　sixteen　for　girls。　Reminds　inc　what　a　shock　it　was　when　I　was　told…at　less　than　eighteen。　By　Gramp；　because　I　was　about　to　do　something　foolish。　Son；　one　of　the　weirdest　things　about　the　human　animal　is　that　it　grows　up　physically　years　and　years　before　its　brain　grows　up。　I　was　seventeen；　young　and　horny　and　wanted　to　get　married　the　worst　way。　Gramp　took　me　out　behind　the　barn　and　convinced　me　that　it　was　indeed　the　worst　way。
　　
　　'〃Woodie；'　he　said；　'if　you　want　to　elope　with　this　girl；　nobody　will　stop　you。'
　　
　　〃I　told　him　belligerently　that　nobody　could　stop　me；　because　just　over　the　state　line　I　could　swing　it　without　my　parents'　consent。
　　
　　〃'That's　what　I'm　telling　you；'　he　said。　'Nobody　will　stop　you。　But　nobody　will　help　you。　Not　your　parents；　nor　your　other　grandparents…nor　me。　Not　a　one　of　us　will　even　stake　you　to　the　price　of　a　marriage　license；　much　less　help　you　sup…　port　a　wife。　Not　a　dollar；　Woodie；　not　a　thin　dime。　If　you　don't　believe　me；　ask　any　of　them。'
　　
　　〃I　said　sullenly　that　I　didn't　want　any　help。
　　
　　〃Gramp　had　bushy　eyebrows；　they　shot　up。　'Well；　well；'　he　said。　'Is　she　going　to　support　you？　Have　you　looked　at　the　〃Help　Wanted〃　in　the　paper　lately？　If　not；　be　sure　to　do　so。　And　glance　at　the　financial　section　while　you'r