time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第9部分

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　　Lazarus　looked　thoughtful。　〃I　never　thought　of　him　ai　'colorful。'　Matter　of　facC　he　was　an　unsavery　old　coot…nol　a　'good　influence'　…　for　a　growing　boy　by　the　standards　~o1
　　
　　…　those　times。　Mmm；　there　was　something　about　a　young　school。　mann　and　him　in　the　town…　my　family　had　lived　in；　some　scandal…'scandal'　for　thos~　days；　I　mean…and　I　think　that　was　why　we　moved。　I　never　got　the　straight　of　it　as　the　grownups　wouldn't　talk　about　it　in　front　of　me。
　　
　　〃But　I　did　learn　a　lot　from　him；　ha　had　more　time　to　talk　with　me…or　took　more　time…than　my　parents　had；　Some　of　it　stuck。　'Always　cut　the　cards；　Woodie；'　he　would　say。　'You　may　lose　anyhow…but　not　as　often；　nor　as　much。　And　when　you　do；　lose；　smile。'　Things　like　that。〃　…
　　
　　〃Can　you　remember　any　more　of　what　he　said？〃
　　
　　〃Huh？；　After　all　these　years？　Of　course　not。　Well；　maybe。　He　had　me　Out　south　of　town　teaching　me　to　shoot。　I　was　maybe　ten　and　he　was…oh；　I　don't　know；　he　always　seemed　niy　years　older　'than　God　to　me。*　He　pinned　up　a　target；　put　one　in　the　black　to　show　me　it　could　be　…　done；　then　handed　me　the　rifle…little　。22　single…shot；　not　good　for　much　but　targets　and　tin　cans…'All　right；　it's　loaded；　do　just　what　I　did；　get　steady　on　it；　relax　and　squeeze。'　So　I　did；　and　all　I　heard　was　a　click…it　didn't　fire。
　　
　　〃I　said　so；　and　started　to　open　the　breech。　He　slapped　my　hand　away；　took　the　rifle　from　me　with　his　other　hand…then　clouted　me　a　good　one。　'What　did　I　tell　you　about　hangflres；　Woodie？　Are　you　aching　to　walk　around　with　one　eye　the　rest　of　your　life？　Or　merely　trying　to　kill　yourself？　If　the　latter；　I　can　show　you　several　better　ways。'
　　
　　〃Then　he　said；　'Now　watch　closely'…and　he　opened　the　breech。　Empty。　So　I　said；　'But；　Granip；　you　told　me　it　was　loaded。'　Shucks；　Ira；　I　saw　him　load。　it…I　thought。
　　
　　*　Ira　Johnson　was　seventy　when　Lazarus　Long　was　ten。
　　
　　…J。F。　45th
　　
　　〃'So　I　did；　Woodle；'　he　agreed。　'And　I　lied　to　you。　I　went　through　the　motions　and　palmed　the　cartridge。　Now　what　did　I　tell　…you　about　loaded　guns？　Think　hard　and　get　it　right　。　。　or　I'll　be　forced　to　clout　you　again　to　shake　up　your　brains　and　make　'em　work　better。'
　　
　　〃I　thought　fast　and　got　it　right；　Gramp　had　a　heavy　hand。　'Never　take　anybody's　word　about　whether　a　gun　is　loaded。'
　　
　　〃'Correct；'　he　…agreed。　'Remember　that　all　your　life…and　follow　it！…or　you　won't　live　long。'　*
　　
　　〃Ira。　I　did　remember　that　all　my　life…plus　its　application　to　analogous　situations　after　such　firearms　went　out　of　style…　and　it　has　indeed　kept　me　alive　several　times。
　　
　　〃Then　he　had　me　load　it　myself；　then　said；　'？oodie；　I'll　bet　you　half　a　dollar…do　you　have　half　a　dollar？'　I　had　considerably　more；　but　I　had　bet　with　him　before；　so　I　admitted　to　only　a　quarter。　'Okay；'　he　said；　'Make　it　two…bits；　I　never　let　'a　man　bet　on　credit。　Two…bits　says　you　can't　hit　the　target；　much　less　stay　in　the　black。'
　　
　　〃Then　he　pocketed　my　two…bits　and　showed　me　what　was　wrong　with　what　I　had　done。　By　the　time　he　was　ready　to　knock　off　I　had　the　basics　of　how　to　make　a　gun　do　what　I　wanted　it　to　do；　and　wanted　to　bet　him　again。　He　laughed　at　me　and　told　me　to　be　thankful　the　lesson　was　so　cheap。　Pass　the　salt；　please。〃
　　
　　Weatheral　did　so。　〃Lazarus；　if　I　could　find　a　way　to　entice　you　into　reminiscing　about　your　grandfather…or　about　anything…I'm　certain　we　could　extract　froth　such　record　endless　things　you　have　learned；　important　things…whether　you　choose　to　call　them　wisdom　or　not。　In　the　last　ten　minutes　you　have　stated　half　a　dozen　basic　truths；　or　rules　for　living…call　them　what　you　will…apparently　without　trying。〃
　　
　　〃Such　as？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　for　example；　that　most　people　learn　Qflly　by　experience…〃
　　
　　〃Correction。　Most　people　won't　learn　even　by　experience；　Ira。　Never　underestimate　the　power　of　human　stupidity。〃
　　
　　〃There's　another　one。　And　you　'made　a　couple　of　ments　on　the　fine　art　of　lying…three；　really；　as　you　also　mentioned　that　a　lie　should　never　be　too　plicated。　You　said　also　that　belief　gets　in　the　way　of　learning；　and　some…
　　
　　*　This　anecdote　is　too　obscure　to　be　elaborated　here。　See　Howard　Encyclopaedia：　Ancient　weapons；　chemical…explosives　firearms。
　　
　　thing　about　knowing　a　situation　was　the　essential　first　step　in　coping　with　it。〃
　　
　　〃J　didn't　say　that…although　I　could　have　said　it。〃
　　
　　〃I　generalized　something　；you　did　say。　You　said　also　that　you　never　'argued　with　the　weather　。。　which　I　would　generalize　to　mean：　Don't　indulge　in　wishful　thmkmg。　Or　as　'Face　up　to　the　facts　and　act　accordingly。'　Though　I　prefer　the　way　you　put　it；　it　has　more　flavor。　And　'Always　cut　the　cards。'　I　…haven't　played　card　games　in　many　years；　but　I　took　that　to　mean：　Never；　neglect　any　available　means　of　maximizing　one's　chances　in　a　situation　controlled　by　random　events。〃
　　
　　〃Hmm。　Gramp　would　have　said；　'Stow　the　fancy　talk；
　　
　　Sonny。'〃
　　
　　〃So　we'll　put　it　back　into　his　words：　'Always　cut　the　cards　。　…　and　smile　when　you　lose。'　If　indeed　that　is　not　your　own　phrasing　and　simply　attributed　to　him。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　his　all　right。　Well；　I　think　it　is。　Damn　it；　Ira；　after　a　long　time　it　is　…　hard　to　tell　a　real　memory　from　a　memory　of　a　memory　of　a　memory　of　a　real　memory。　That's　what　happens　when　you　think　about　the　past：　You　edit　it　and　rearrange　it；　make　it　more　tolerable…〃
　　
　　〃That's　another　one！〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　hush　up。　Son；　I　don't　want　to　reminisce　about　the　past；　it's　a　sure　sign　of　old　age。　Babies　and　young　children　live　in　the　present；　the　'now。'　Mature　adults　tend　to　live　in　the　future。　Only　the　senile　live　in　the　past　。　。　and　that　was　the　sign　that　made　me　realize　that　I　had　lived　long　enough；　when　I　found　I　was　spending　more　and　more　time　thinking　about　the　past　。　。　less　of　it　thinking　about　now…and　not　at　all　about　the　future。〃　…
　　
　　The　old　man　sighed。　〃So　I　knew　I　had　had　it。　The　way　to　live　a　long　time…oh；　a　thousand　years　or　more…is　something　between　the　way　a　child　does　it　and　the　way　a　mature　man　does　it。　Give　the　future　enough　thought　to　be　ready　for　it…but　don't　worry…　about　it。　Live　each　day　as　if　you　were　to　die　next　sunrise。　Then　face　each　sunrise　as　a　fresh　creation　and　live　for　it；　joyously。　And　never　think　about　the　past。　No　regrets；　ever。〃　Lazarus　~Long　looked　sad；　then　suddenly　smiled　and　repeated；　〃'No　regrets。'　More　wine；　Ira？〃
　　
　　…　〃Half　a　glass；　thank　you。　Lazarus；　if　you　are　determined　to…　die　soon…your　privilege；　certainly　！…what　harm　could　there　be　in　remembering　the　past　now　。　…　and　getting　those
　　
　　memories　on　record　for　the　benefit　of　your　descendants？　It　would　be　a　much　greater　legacy　than　leaving　your　wealth　to　us。'；
　　
　　Lazarus'　eyebrows　shot　up。　〃Son；　you　are　beginning　to　bore　me。〃
　　
　　〃Your　pardon；　sire。　May　I　have　permission　to　leave？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　shut　u？　and　sit　down。　Finish　your　dinner。　You　remind　me　of…　Well；　there　was　this　man　on　Novo　Brasil　who　plied　with　the　local　custom　of　serial　bigamy　but　was　always　careful　to　see　that　one　of　his　wives　was　as　utterly　homely　as　the　other　was　startlingly　beautiful；　so　that…　Ira；　that　dingu~　you　have　listening　to　us：　Can　it　be　keyed　to。　pick　out　particular　statements　and　arrange　them　as　a　separate　memorandum'？〃
　　
　　〃Certainly；　'sir。〃
　　
　　〃Good。　There's　no　point　in　telling　how　Ranch　Master
　　
　　Silva？…yes；　I　think　'Silva'　was　his　name；　Dom…　Pedro　Silva…　how　he　coped　with　it　when　he　found　himself　stuck　with　two　beautiful　wives　at　once；　except　to　note　that　when　a　puter　makes　a　mistake；　it　is　even　more　stupidly　stubborn　about　correcting　it　than　a　man　is。　But　if　I　thought　long　and　hard；　I　might　be　able　to　dig　out　those　'gems　of　wisdom'　you　think　I　have。　Paste　diamonds；　that　is。　Then　we　wouldn't　have　to　load　up　the　machine　with　dull　stories　about　Dom　Pedro　and　the　like。　A　key　word？'
　　
　　〃　'Wisdom'？〃
　　
　　〃Go　wash　out　your　mouth　with　soap。〃
　　
　　〃I　will　not。　You　stuck　your　chin　into　that　one；　Senior。
　　
　　'mon　sense'？〃
　　
　　…　〃Son；　that　phrase　is　self…contradictory。　'Sense'　is　never　'mon。'　Make　the　keying　word　'Notebook'…that's　all　I　have　in　mind；　just　a　notebook　to　jot　down　things　I've　noticed　and　which　might　be　important　enough　to　place　on　record。〃
　　
　　〃Fine！　Shall　I　amend　the　'programming　now？〃
　　
　　〃You　can　do　it　from　here？　I　don't　want'　you　to　interrupt　your　dinner。〃
　　
　　〃It's　a　very　flexible　machine；　Lazarus；　the　total　plex　is　the　one　I　use　to　govern　this　pla…to　the　mild　extent　that
　　
　　I　do　govern　it。〃4　；　…
　　
　　〃In　that　case　I　feel　sure　you　can　hang　an　auxiliary'　printout　In　here；　one　triggered　for　the　keying　word。　I　might　want　to　revise　my　sparkling　gems　of　wisdom…meaning　that　extemporaneous　remarks　sound　better　when　they　aren't　extemporaneous…or　why　politicians　have　ghost　writers。〃　…
　　
　　〃'Ghost　writers'？　'My　mand　of　Classic　English　is　les　than　peEfect；　I　don't　recognize　the　idiom。〃
　　
　　'qra；　don't　tell　me　you　write　your　own　speeches。〃
　　
　　第5节
　　
　　…　〃But；〃　Lazarus；　I　don't　make　speeches。　Never。　I　just　giv~　orders；　and…very　seldom…make　written　reports　to　thi　Trustees。〃
　　
　　〃Congratu