time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第16章

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　　〃I'm　not　ready　to　be　promoted；　I've　been　in　the　Vocation　less　than　ten　years。　As　I'm　sure　you　know。　Let's　take　a　look　at　your　wardrobe。〃　…
　　
　　〃What　are　you　going　to　wear；　dear？〃
　　
　　〃Doesn't　matter　what　I　wear；　the　Senior　is　male　and　all　the　stories　and　myths　about　him　indicate　that　be　has　remained　canalized　by　the　primitive　culture　he　was　born　in。　Not　sensually　polymorphous。〃
　　
　　〃How　can　you　be　sure？　Myths；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃Ishtar；　all　myths　tell　the　truth　if　you　know　how　to　read　them。　I'm　guessing；　but　it　is　a　reasoned　guess；　as　this　is　something　I　used　to　be　somewhat　expert　in。　Until　I　was　rejuvenated
　　
　　…until　you　rejuvenated　me…then　I　went　into　something　more　active。〃
　　
　　…　〃What；　dear？〃
　　
　　〃Some　other　time。　I　was　simply　saying　that　I　don't　think　it　matters　what…I　wear。　A　chiton。　Shorts　and　singlet。　Kilt。　Even　the　underwear　I　had　on　under　isolation　gear。　Oh；　I~ll　wear
　　
　　…lively　colors　and　something　different　each　watch…but　he　won't　look　at　me；　he'll　look　at　you。　So　let's　pick　out　something　he　would　like　to　see　you　in。〃
　　
　　〃How　will　you　know；　Galahad？〃
　　
　　〃Very　simple。　I'll　choose　something　I　would　like　to　see　a　long…legged　beautiful　blonde　wear。〃
　　
　　He　was　surprised　to　see　how　little　Ishtar　had　in　her　wardrobe。　In　all　his　varied　experience　with　women　she　was　the　only　one　he　could　remember　who　seemed　to　lack　the　vanity　needed　to　buy　unnecessary　clothes。　As　he　searched；　mind　preoccupied；　he　hummed　and　then　sang　a　snatch　of　doggerel。
　　
　　Ishtar　said；　〃You　speak　his　milk　language！〃
　　
　　〃Eh？　What？　Whose？　The　Senior's？　I　certainly　don't。　But　I　must　learn　it；　I　suppose。〃
　　
　　〃But　you　were　singing　in　it。　A　little　song　he　always　sings　when　he's　busy　with　something。〃
　　
　　〃You　mean　this？　'Therza　poolyawl　。　。　Bytha　paunshot…'　I　have　a　phonographic　ear；　that's　all；　I　don't　understand　the　words。　What　do　they　mean？〃
　　
　　〃I'm　not　sure　they　mean　anything。　Most　of　them　are　not　in　the　vocabulary　I've　learned　so　far。　I　suspect　that　it　is　just　amphigoric　rhythm；　a　self…tranquilizer。　Semantically　null。〃
　　
　　〃On　the　other　hand；　it　might　be　a　key　to　understanding　him。　Have　you　tried　asking　a　puter？〃
　　
　　〃Galahad；　I　haven't　been　given　access　to　the　puter　that　records　what　goes　on　in　his　suite。　But　I　doubt　if　anyone　can　understand　him；　in　depth。　He's　a　primitive；　dear…a　living　fossil。〃　…
　　
　　〃I　would　certainly　like　to　try　to　understand　him。　This　language　he　uses…　Is　it　difficult？〃
　　
　　〃Very。　I'rrational；　plicated　syntax；　and　so　loaded　with　idioms　and　multivalues　that　I　trip　even　on　words　I　think　I　know。　I　wish　I　had　your　recording　ear。〃
　　
　　〃The　Chairman　Pro　Tern　seemed　to　have　no　difficulty。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　he　has　'a　special　talent　for　languages。　But　if　you　want　to　try；　dear；　I　have　the　instructional　programs　here。〃
　　
　　〃Accepted！　What　is　this？　A　party　dress？〃
　　
　　〃That？　That's　not　clothing。　I　bought　it　as　a　throw　cover　for　a　couch…then　got　it。　home　and　saw　that　it　did　not　fit　my　lounging　room。〃
　　
　　〃It's　a　dress。　Stand　there　and　hold　still。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　tickle！〃
　　
　　VARIATIONS　ON　A　THEME
　　
　　…I
　　
　　Affairs　of　State
　　
　　Despite　what　I　told　the　Senior；　my　ancestor　Grandfather　Lazarus；　I　work　hard　in　governing　Secundus。　But　only　in　thinking　about　policy　and　in　judging　the　work　of　others。　I　don't　do　donkey　work；　I　leave　that　to　professional　administrators。　Even　so；　the　problems　of　a　pla　with　more　than　a　billion　people　can　keep　a　man　busy；　especially　if　his　intention　is　to　govern　as　little　as　possible…as　that　means　he　must　keep　a　sharp　eye　out　and　his　ear　tuned　for　signs　that　subordinates　are　doing　unnecessary　governing。　Half　my　time　is　used　in　the　negative　work　of　plucking　such　officious　officials　and　ordering　that　they　never　again　serve　in　any　public　capacity。
　　
　　第8节
　　
　　Then　I　usually　abolish　their　jobs；　and　all　jobs　subordinate　te　them。
　　
　　I　have　never　noticed　any　harm　from　such　pruning　save　thai　parasites　whose　jobs　are　eliminated　must　find　some　other　way　to　avoid　~tarvation。　（They　are　wele　to　starve…better　ii　they　do。　But　they　don't。）　…
　　
　　The　important　thing　is　to　spot　these　malignant　growths　'and　remove　them　while　they　are　small。　The　more　skill　a　Chairman　Pro　Tern　acquires　in　this；　the　more　emerging　ones　he　finds；　which　keeps　him　busier　than　ever。　Anyone　can　see　a　forest　fire；　skill　lies　in　sniffing　the　first　smoke。
　　
　　This　leaves　me　too　little　time　for　my　prime　work：　thinking　about　policy。　The　purpose　of　my　government　is　never　to　do　good；　but　simply　to　refrain　from　doing　eviL　This　sounds　simple　but　is　not。　For　example；　although　prevention　of　armed　revolution　is　obviously　part　of　my　main　duty；　i。e。；　to　keep　order；　I　began　to　have　doubts　about　the　wisdom　of　transporting　potential　revolutionary　leaders　years　before　Grandfather　Lazarus　called　my　attention　to　it。　But　the　symptom　that　roused　my　worry　was　so　null　that　it　took　ten　years　for　me　to　notice　it：
　　
　　During　those　ten　years　there　was　not　one　attempt　to　assassinate　me。
　　
　　By　the　time　Lazarus　Long　returned　to　Secundus　for　the
　　
　　Al
　　
　　purpose　of　dying　this　disturbing　symptom　had　continued　twenty　years。
　　
　　This　was　ominous；　and　I　realized　it。　A　population　of　one　billion…plus　so　contented；　so　uniform；　so　smug　that　not　one　determined　assassin　shows　up　in　a　double　decade　is　seriously　ill　no　matter　how　healthy　it　looks。　In　the　ten　years　that　elapsed　after　I　noticed　this　lack　I　worried　about　it　every　hour　I　could　spare…and　found　myself　asking　myself　over　and　over　again：
　　
　　What　would　Lazarus　Long　do？
　　
　　I　knew　in　broad　outline　what　he　had　done…and　that　was　why　I　decided　to　migrate…either　lead　my　people　off　pla　or　go　alone　if　none　would　follow。
　　
　　（In　rereading　this；　it　sounds　as　if　I　sought　to　be　assassinated　in　some　mystic　The　King　Must　Die　sense。　Not　at　all！　I　am　surrounded　at　all　times　by　powerful　and　subtle　safeguards　the　nature　of　which　I　will　not　divulge。　But　there　is　no　harm　in　mentioning　three　negative　precautions；　my　facial　appearance　is　not　known　to　the　public；　I　almost　never　appear　in　public　anyhow；　and　when　I　do；　it　is　never　announced。　The　job　of　ruler　is　dangerous…or　should　be…but　I　don't　intend　…　to　die　from　it。　The　〃disturbing　symptom〃　was　not　that　I　am　alive　but　that　there　are　no　dead　assassins。　No　one　seems　to　hate　me　enough　to　try。　Frightening。　Where　have　I　failed　them？）
　　
　　When　the　Howard　Clinic　notified　me　that　the　Senior　was　awake　（with　a　reminder　that　only　one　〃night〃　had　passed　for　him）　I　was　not　only　awake　but　had　pleted　necessary　work　and　bucked　the　rest；　I　went　at　once　to　the　Clinic。　After　they　decontaminated　me　I　found　him　dawdling　over　coffee；　having　just　finished　breakfast。
　　
　　He　glanced　up　and　grinned。　〃Hi；　Ira！〃
　　
　　〃Good　morning；　Grandfather。〃　I　went　to　him　ready　to　offer　a　respectful　salutation　such　as　he　had　permitted　when　I　bade　him　goodnight　the　night　〃before〃…but　watching　for　signs　that　say　Yes；　or　No；　before　the　mouth　speaks。　Even　among　the　Families　there　is　wide　variety　in　such　customs…and　Lazarus　is；　as　always；　a　law　unto　himself。　So　I　closed　the　last　of　the　gap　with　great　deliberation。
　　
　　He　answered　me　by　drawing　back　so　slightly　that　it　would　have　been　unnoticeabl'e　had　I　not　been　alert　for　it。　He　added　a　gentle　warning：　〃Strangers　present；　Son。〃
　　
　　I　stopped　at　once。　〃At　least　I　think　they　are　strangers；〃　he　added。　〃I've　been　trying　to　get　acquainted；　but　all　'we　share　is　some　pidgin　speech　plus　a　lot　of　handwaving。　But　it's　nice　to
　　
　　have　people　around　instead　of　those　zombies…we　get　alon　Hey；　dear！　e　here；　that's　a　good　girL〃…
　　
　　He　motioned　to　one　of　his…rejuvenation　technicians…two　watch；　as　usual；　and　this　morning　one　was　female；　one　w　male。　I　was　pleased　to　see　that　my　order　that　females　shou　〃dress　attractively〃　had　been　carried　out。　This　woman　was　blonde；　graceful　and　not　unattractive　if　one　likes　tallness　in　female。　（I　don't　dislike　it；　but　there　is　something　to　be　sa　for　one　small　enough　to　fit　on　one's　lap…not　that　I've　hi　much　time　for　that　lately。）
　　
　　She　glided　forwa