time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第34部分

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o　stipulated；　who　wants　to　try　it？　Ira；　how　about　you？　You　know　English　better　than　the　others；　you　speak　it　almost　as　well　as　Ido。〃
　　
　　第17节
　　
　　〃I　speak　it　better　than　you　do；　Gramp；　I　speak　it　grammatically；　which　you　do　not。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　praggle　me；　boy；　I'll　quang　you　proper。　Shakespeare　and　I　never　…　let　grammar　interfere　with　expressing　ourselves。　Why；　he　said　to　me　once…〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　stop　it！　He　died　three　centuries　before　you　were　born。〃
　　
　　〃He　did；　huh？　They　opened　his　grave　once　and　found　it　empty。　The　fact　is；　he　was　a　half　brother　of　Queen　Elizabeth　and　dyed　his　hair　to　make　the…　truth　less　obvious。　The　；other　fact　is　that　they　were　closing　in…　on　him；　so　he…'　switched。　I've　died　that　way　several…　times。　Ira；　his　will　left　his　'second…best　bed'　to　his　wife。　…Look　up　who　got　his　best　bed　and　you'll　begin　to　figure　out　what　really　happened。　Do　you　want　to　try　to　define　'love'？〃
　　
　　〃No。　You　would　change　the　rules　'again。　All　you　have　done　so　far　is　to　divide　the　field　of　experience　called　'love'　into　the　same　categories　Minerva　divided　it　into；　when　you　asked　her　this　same　question　weeks　ago…namely；　'Eros'　and　'Agate。'　But　you　avoided　using　those　technical　words　for　the　subfleld~　and　by　this　sophistry　you　attempted　to　exclude　the　general　term　from　one　subfield　and　thereby　claimed　that　the　term　tObe　defined　was　limited　to　…　the　other　subfield…which　set　it　up…'　for　you　to　define　'love'　as　identically　equal　to　'Agape。'　But　again　without　using　…that　word。　It　won't　work；　Lazarus　…　To…　use　your　own　metaphor；。　I　saw　you　palm　that　card。〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　shook　his　head　admiringly。　〃There　are　no　thea　on　you；　boy；　I　did　a　good　job　when　I　thought　you　up。　Someday　when　we　have　time　to　waste；　let's　have　a　go　at　solipsism。〃
　　
　　〃e　cuff　it；　Lazarus。　You　can't　bulldoze　me　the　way　you　did　Galahad。　The　subcategories　are　still　'Eros'　and　'Agape。'　'Agape'　is　~e；　'Eros'　is　so　mon　that　it　is　almost　inevitable　that　…Galahad　a~鐀uired　the　feeling　that　'Eros'　is　the　total　meaning　of　tbm~QTd　love'　Now　you　have　unfairly　confused　him　since　he　ai~ibnes…sncortectly…that　you　are　a　reliable　authority　with　respect　to　the　English　language。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　chuckled。　〃Ira；　m'boy；　when　I　was　a　kid；　they　sold　that　Stuff　by　the　wagonload　to　grow　alfalfa。　Those　technical
　　
　　~vords　were　thought　up　by　armchair　experts　of　'the　same　sort　as　theologians。　Which　gives　them　the　same　standing　as　sex　manuals　written　by　celibate　priests。　Son；　I　avoided　those　fancy　categories　because　they　are　useless；　incorrect；　and　misleading。　There　can　be　sex　without　love；　and　love　without　sex；　and　situations　so　intermixed　that　nobody　can　sort　out　which　is　which。　But　love　can　be　defined；　an　exact　definition　that　does　not　resort　to　the　word　'sex；'　or　to…　question…begging　by　exclusion　through　the　use　of　such　words　as　'Eros'　and　'Agape。'〃
　　
　　〃So　define　it；〃　said　Ira。　〃I　promise　not　to　laugh。〃　…
　　
　　〃Not　yet。　The　trouble　with　defining　in　words　anything　as　basic　as　love　is　that　the　definition　can't　be　understood　by　anyone　who　has　not　experienced　it。　It's　like　the　ancient　dilemma　of　explaining　a　rainbow　to　a　person　blind　from　birth。　Yes；　Ishtar；　I　know　that　you　can　fit　such　a　person　with　cloned　…eyes　today…but　that　dilemma　was　inescapable　in　my　youth。　In　those　days　one　could　teach　such　an　unfortunate　all　the　physical　theory　of　the　electromagic　spectrum；　tell　him　precisely　an　eye　can　pick　up；　define　colors　to　him　in　terms　of　those　frequencies；　explain　exactly　how　the　mechanisms　of　refraction　and　reflection　produce　a　rainbow　ima~and　what　its　shape　is　and　how　the　frequencies　are　distributed　until　he　knew　all　about　rainbows　in　the　scientific　sense　。　…　but　you　still　couldn't　make　him　feel　the　breathless　wonder　that　the　sight　of　a　rainbow　inspires　in　a　man。　Minerva　is　better　off　than　that　man；　because　she　can　see。　Minerva　dear；　do　you　ever　look　at　rainbows？〃　…
　　
　　〃Whenever　possible；　Lazarus。　Whenever　one　of　my　sensor　extensionals　can　see　one。　Fascinating！〃
　　
　　〃That's　it。　Minerva　can　see　a　rainbow；　a　blind　man　can't。　Electromagic　Theory　is　irrelevant　to　the　experience。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；〃　Minerva　added；　〃it　may　be　that　I　can　see　a　rainbow　better　than　a　flesh…and…blood　can。　My　visual　range　is　three　…octaves；　fifteen　hundred　to　twelve　thousand　angstroms。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　whistled。　〃Whereas　I　chop　off　just　short　of　one　octave。　Tell　me；　girl；　do　you　see　chords　in　those　colors？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　certainly！〃
　　
　　〃Hmm！　Don't　try　to　explain　to　me　those　othe'P　colors；　I'll　have　to　go　on　being　half　blind。〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　added；　〃Puts　me　in　mind　of　a　blind　man　I　knew　on　Mars；　Ira；　when　I　was　managing　that；　uh；　recreation　center。　He…〃
　　
　　〃Gramp；〃　the　Chainnan　Pro　Tem　interrupted　in　a　tired　voice；　〃don't　treat　us　as　children。　Surely；　you're　the　oldest
　　
　　man　alive　…。　。　but　the　youngest　person　…　here…that　offspring　of　mine　sitting　there；　making　cow…eyes　at　you…is　as　old　as　Gramp　Johnson　was　when　you　last　saw　him；　Hamadryad　will　be　~eighty　her　next　birthday。　Ham；　my　darling；　how　many　paramours　have　you　had？〃
　　
　　〃Goodness；　Ira…who　counts？〃…
　　
　　〃Ever　taken　money　for　it？〃
　　
　　〃None　of　your　business；　Father。　Or　were　you　about　to　offer　me　some？〃　…　…
　　
　　〃Don't　be　flip；　dear；　I'm　still　your　father。　Lazarus；　do　you　think　you　can　shock　Hamadryad　by　plain　talk？　Prostitution　isn't　big　business　here；　there　are　too　many　amateurs　as　willin…g　as　she　is。　Nevertheless；　the　few　bordellos　we　have　in　New　Rome　are　members　of　the　Chamber　of　merce。　But　you　should　try　one　of　our　better　holiday　houses…say；　the　Elysium。　After　you　are　fully　rejuvenated。〃
　　
　　〃Good　idea；〃　agreed　Galahad。　〃To　celebrate。　As　soon　as　Ishtar　gives　you　your　final　physical　check。　As　my　guest；　Grandfather；　I'd　be　honored。　The　Elysium　has　everything；　from　massage　and　hypnotic　conditioning　to　the　be；sI~　gourmet　food　and　best　shows。　Or　name　it　and　they'll　supply　it。〃　；　…。
　　
　　〃Wait　a　moment；〃　protested　Hamadryad。　〃Don't　be~selfish　arsfardel；　Galahad。　We'll　make　it　a　foursome　celebration
　　
　　Ishtar？〃……
　　
　　〃Certainly；　dear。　Fun。〃…；。
　　
　　〃Or　a　sixsome；　with　a　'panion　for　Ira~　Father？〃
　　
　　〃I　could　be　tempted；　dear；　for　Lazarus'　birthday　party…　although　you　know　I　usually　avoid　public　places。　How　manyrejuvenations；　Lazarus？　That's　how…　we　count　this　sort　of　birthday　party。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　be　nosy；　Bub。　As　your　daughter　says：　'Who　counts？'　Wouldn't　mind　a　birthday　cake；　such　as　I　used　to　have　a~　a　child。　But　just　one　ca~4le　in　the　middle　is　enough。〃
　　
　　〃A　phallic　symbol；〃　agreed　Galahad。　〃An　ancient　fertility　sign…appropriate　for　a　rejuvenation。　And　its　flame　is　an　equally　ancient　symbol　of　life。　It　should　be　a　working　candle；　not　a　fake。　If　we　can　fled　one。〃　…
　　
　　lshtar　looked　happy。　〃Of　course！　There　must　be　a　candlemaker　somewhere。　If　not；　I'll　learn　how　and　make　it　myself。　I'll　design　it；　too…semirealistic　but　somewhat　stylized。　Although　I　could　make　it　true　portraiture；　Grandfather；　I'm　a　fair　amateur　sculptor；　I　learned　it　when　I　studied　cosmetic　surgery。〃
　　
　　〃Wait　a　minute！〃　Lazarus　protested。　〃All　I　want　is　a　plain
　　
　　wax　candle…then　blow　it　out　and　make　a　wish。　Thank　you；　Ishtar；　but　don't　botber。　And　thanks；　Galahad；　but　I'll　pick　up　the　tab…although　it　may　be　a　family　party　right　here；　where　Ira　won't　feel　like　a　duck　in　a　shooting　gallery。　Look；　kids；　I've　seen　every　possible　type　of　joy　house　and　pleasure　dome。　Happiness　is　in　the　heart；　not　in　that　stuff。〃
　　
　　〃L？zarus；　can't　you　see　that　the　kids　want　to　treat　you　to　a　fancy　party？　They　like　you…though　Prime　Cause　alone　knows　why~〃
　　
　　〃Well…〃…
　　
　　〃But　there　might　be　no　tab。　I　think　I　recall　something　'from　that　list　appended　to　your　will。　Minerva…who　owns　the
　　
　　Elysiuxn？〃　……
　　
　　〃It　is　a　daughter　corporation　of　Service　Enterprises　of　New　Rome；　Limited；　which　in　turn　is　owned　by　Sheffield…Libby　Associates。　In　short；　Lazarus　owns　it。〃
　　
　　…　〃Be　damned！　Who　invested　my　money　in　that？　Andy　Libby；　bless　his　sweet　shy　soul；　would　be　spinning　in　his　grave…if　I　hadn't　placed　him　spinning　in　orbit　around　the　last　pla　we　discovered　together；　where　he　was　killed。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　that's　not　in　your　memoirs。〃
　　
　　〃lEa；　I　keep　telling　you；　lots　of　things　not　in　my　memoirs。　Poor　little　guy　got　to　thinking　one　of　his　deep　thoughts　and　didn't　stay　alert。　I　put　him　in　orbit　because　I　promised　him；　when　he　was　dying；　to　take　him　back　to　his　native　Ozarks。　Tried　to；　about　a　hundred　years　later；　but　couldn't　find　him。　Beacon　dead；　I　suppose。　All　right；　kids；　we'll　have　a　party　at　my　happy　house　and　you　can　sample　anything　the　place　has　to　offer。　Where　were　we？　Ira；　you　were　about　to　define　'love。'〃
　　
　　〃No；　you　were　about　to　tell　us　about　a　blind　man　on　Mars；　when　you　were　managing　that　whorehouse。〃
　　
　　〃Ira；　you're　as　crude　as　Gramp　Johnson　was。　This　guy　'Noisy'…don't　recall　his　right　name；　if　he　had　one…Noisy　was　one　of　those　people　like　yourself　who　just　will　work；　regardless。　A　blind　man　could　get　by　in　those　days　quite　well　by　begging；　and　nobody　thought　the　less　of　him；　since　there　was　no　way　then　to　restore　a　man's　sight。