time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　
　　At　last　the　Day　arrived。　David　graduated；　was　missioned。
　　
　　…then　went　to　the　chapel　and　remarried　his　wife。　If　her　belly　bulged　a　little；　that　was　not　unusual　in　brides　even　in　those　days；　and　was　always　ignored；　and　condoned　once　a　young　couple　married。　It　was　widely　known　though　rarely　mentioned　that　an　eager　young　bride　could　acplish　in　seven　months　or　less　what　takes　nine　for　cow　or　countess。
　　
　　Dave　was　safely　past　all　rocks　and　shoals；　he　need　never　again　fear　going　back　to　that　mule　and　〃honest　work。〃
　　
　　But　life　as　a　junior　officer　in　a　warship　turned　out　to　be　less　than　perfect。　It　had　good　points…servants；　a　fortable　bed；　easy　work　that　rarely　got　David's　hands　dirty；　and　twice　as　much　money。　But　he　needed　that　and　more；　to　support　a　wife；　and　his　ship　was　at　sea　enough　that　he　often　lacked　the　pleasant　pensations　of　marriage。　Worst　of　all；　he　stood　heel…and…toe　watches　on　a　short　watch　list；　this　meant　a　fourhour　night　watch　about　every　other　night…standing　up。　He　was　sleepy　much　of　the　time　and　his　feethurt。
　　
　　So　David　applied　for　training　as　an　aeronaut。　This　Navy　had　recently　grasped　an　idea　called　〃air　power〃　and　was　trying　to　grab　as　much　of　it　as　possible　in　order　to　keep　it　out　of　the　wrong　hands…the　Army's　hands；　that　is。　They　were　behind　as　the　Army　had　grabbed　first…so　volunteers　for　flying　Were　wele。
　　
　　David　was　quickly　ordered　to　shore　duty　to　see　if　he　had　the　makings　of　an　aeronaut。
　　
　　He　had　indeed！　He　not　only　had　the　mental　and　physical　qualities　but　also　was　highly　motivated…as　his　new　work　was　done　sitting　down；　whether　in　classroom　or　in　the　air；　and　he　stood　no　night　watches　and　received　pay…and…a…half　for　sitting　down　and　sleeping　at　home；　flying　was　classed　as　〃hazardous　duty〃　and　extra　pay　was　awarded。
　　
　　I　had　best　say　something　about　these　aeroplanes　since　they　resemble　not　at　all　the　aerodynes　you　are　used　to。　In　a　way　they　were　hazardous。　So　is　breathing。　They　were　not　as　hazardous　as　the　automotive　ground　vehicles　then　in　use；　and　not　nearly　as　hazardous　as　being　a　pedestrian。　Accidents；　fatal　and　otherwise；　usually。　could　be　traced　to　a　mistake　on　the　part　of　the　aeronaut…David　never　let　that　sort　of　accident　happen　to　him。　He　had　no　wish　to　be　the　hottest　pilot　in　the　sky；　he　merely　wanted　to　be　the　oldest。
　　
　　Aeroplanes　were　weird　monstrosities　looking　like　nothing　in　the　sky　today；　save　possibly　a　child's　kite…they　were　often　called　〃kites。〃　They　had　two　wings；　one　above　the　other；　and　the　aeronaut　sat　between　them。　A　small　baffle　helped　to　detect　wind　from　his　face。　Don't　look　surprised；　these　flimsy　structures　flew　very　slowly；　pulled　through　the　air　by　a　powered　screw。
　　
　　Wings　were　made　of　varnished　cloth　held　rigid　by　struts…　you　can　see　from　this　alone　that　their　speeds　could　never　be　any　large　fraction　of　the　speed　of　sound…except　on　sad'　occasions　when　an　overly　eager　pilot　would　dive　straight　down；　then　pull　the　wings　off　through　tiying　too　abruptly　to　recover　a　normal　attitude。
　　
　　Which　David　never　did。　Some　people　are　natural　fliers。　The　first　time　David　examined　an　aeroplane　he　understood　its　strengths　and　weaknesses　as　thoroughly　as　he　understood　the　milking　stool　he　had　left　behind　him。
　　
　　He　learned　to　fly　almost　as　quickly。　as　he　had　learned　to　swim。
　　
　　His　instructor　said；　〃Dave；　you're　a　natural。　rm　going　to　remend　you　for　fighter　training。〃
　　
　　Fighter　pilots　were　the　royalty　of　aeroplane　fliers；　they　went　up　and　engaged　enemy　pilots　in　single　bat。　A　fighter　who　did　this　successfully　five　times…killed　the　opposing　pilot　instead　of　being　killed…was　called　an　〃Ace；〃　which　was　a　high　honor；　for；　as　you　can　see；　the　average　chance　of　doing　this　is　the　fifth　power　of　one…half；　or　one　in　thirty…two。　Whereas　the　chance　of　getting　killed　instead　is　the　plement；　close　to　certainty。
　　
　　Dave　thanked　his　mentor　while　his　skin　crawled　and　his　brain　went　whir…click　as　it　considered　ways　to　avoid　this　honor　without　giving　up　pay…and…a…half　and　the　fort　of　sitting　down。
　　
　　There　were　other　disadvantages　to　being　a　fighter　pilot　besides　the　prime　hazard　of　getting　your　ass　shot　off　by　some　stranger。　Fighter　pilots　flew　in　one…man　kites　and　did　their　own　navigation…without　puters；　homing　devices；　or　anything　that　would　be　taken　for　granted　today…or　even　later　that　century。　The　method　used　was　called　〃dead　reckoning；〃　because；　if　you　didn't　reckon　it　correctly；　you　were　dead…since　Navy　flying　was　done　over　water；　from　a　small　floating　aerodrome；　with　a　margin　of　safety　in　fuel　for　a　fighter　plane　of　only　minutes。　Add　to　this　the　fact　that　a　fighter　pilot　in　bat　had　to　choose　between　doing　navigation　or　giving　single…
　　
　　minded　attention　to　attempting　to　kill　。a　stranger　before　that　stranger　killed　him。　If　he　wanted　to　be　an　〃Ace〃…or　even　eat　dinner　that　night…he　must。　put　first　things　first　and　worry　about　navigation　later。
　　
　　~n　addition　to　the　chance　of　being　lost　at　sea　and　drowned　in　a　kite　that　was　out　of？gas…did　I　say　how　these　things　were　powered？　The　air　screw　was　driven　by　an　engine　powered　by　a　chemical　exothermic　reaction…oxidation　of　a　hydrocarbon　fluid　called　〃gas；〃　which　it　was　not。　If　you　think　this　unlikely；　I　assure　you　that　it　was　unlikely　even　then。　The　method　was　woefully　inefficient。　A　flier　was　not　only　likely　to　run　out　of　gas　with　nothing　around　him　but　ocean；　but　also　this　temperamental　engine　often　coughed　and　quit。　Embarrassing。　Sometimes　fatal。
　　
　　The　lesser　drawbacks　to　being　a　fighter　pilot　were　not　all　physical　danger；　they　simply　did　not　fit　David's　master　plan。　Fighter　pilots　were　assigned　to　floating　aerodromes；　or　carriers。　In　peacetime；　which　this　nominally　was；　a　flier　did　not　work　too　hard　nor　stand　many　watches　and　spent　much　of　his　time　ashore　at　a　land　aerodrome　even　though　he　was　carried　on　the　muster　rolls　of　a　carrier　ship…thereby　credited　with　sea　duty；　necessary　for　promotion　and　。pay。
　　
　　But　for　several　weeks　each　year　a　ifier　assigned　to　a　carrier　ship　would　actually　be　at　sea；　practicing　mock　warfare…　which　involved　getting　up　an　hour　before　dawn　to　warm　those　cantankerous　engines　and　stand　by　ready　to　fly　at　the　first　hint　of　real　or　simulated　danger。
　　
　　David　hated　this…he　would　not　willingly　attend　Judgment　Day　if　it　was　held；before　noon。
　　
　　There　was　another　drawback：　landing　on　these　floating　aerodromes。　On　land；　David　could　land　on　a　dime　and　give　back　change。　But　that　depended　on　his　own　skill；　highly　developed　because　his　own　skin　was　at　stake。　But　landing　on　a　carrier　depended　on　another　pilot's　skill…and　David　held　a　dark　opinion　of　entrusting　his　skin　to　the　skill；　good　intentions；　and　alertness　of　someone　else。
　　
　　Ira；　this　is　so　unlike　anything　you　are　likely　to　have　seen　in　your　life　that　I　am　at　loss。　Consider　your　skyport　here　at　New
　　
　　Rome：　In　landing；　a　ship　is　controlled　from　the　ground…　right？　So　it　was　with　aeroplanes　landing　on　carriers…but　the　analogy　breaks　down　because　a　landing　on　a　carrier　in　those　days　used　no　instruments。　None。　I'm　not　fooling。
　　
　　It　was　done　by　eye　alone；　just　as　a　boy　in　a　game　of　catch　snatches　a　ball　out　of　the　air…but　David　was　the　ball；　and　the
　　
　　skill　used　ta　catch　him　was　not　his　own　but　that　of　a　pilot　standing　on　the　carrier。　David　had　to　suppress　his　own　skill；　his　own　opinions；　and　place　utter　faith　in　the　pilot　on　the　carrier…anything　less　brought　disaster。
　　
　　David　had　always　followed　his　own　opinion…against　the　whole　world　if　necessary。　To　place　that　much…faith　in　another　man　ran　counter　to　his　deepest　emotions。　A　carrier　landing　was　like　baring　his　belly　to　a　surgeon　and　saying；　〃Go　ahead　and　cut〃…when　he　was　not　sure　that　surgeon　was　petent　to　slice　ham。　Carrier　landing　came　closer　to　causing　David　to　give　up　p3y…and…a…half　and　easy　hours　than　any　other　aspect　of　flying；　so　torn　was　he　by　the　necessity　of　accepting　another　pilot's　decision…and　one　not　even　sharing　his　danger；　at　that！
　　
　　It　took　all　his　willpower　to　do　it　the　first　time；　and　it　never　became　easy。　But　he　learned　one　lesson　that　he　never　expected　to　learn…that　is；　that　。　there　were　circumstances　in　which　another　man's　opinion　was　not　only　better　than　his　own；　but　inparably　better。
　　
　　You　see…no；　perhaps　you　don't；　I　have　not　explained　the　circumstances。　An　aeroplane　landed　on　a　carrier　in　a　controHed　crash；　through　a　hook　in　its　tail　catching　a　wire　rope　stretched　across　the　top　deck。　But　if　the　flier　'follows　his　own　judgment　based　on　experience　in　landing　on　a　flying　field；　he　is　certain　to　crash　into　the　stern　of　the　ship…or；　if　he　knows　this　and　tries　to　allow　for　it；　he　will　fly　too　high　and　miss　the　rope。　Instead　of　a　big　flat　field　and　plenty　of　room　for　minor　mistakes；　he　has　only　a　tiny　〃w鉵dow〃　which　he　must　hit　precisely；　neither　right　nor　left；　nor　up　nor　down；　nor　too　fast　nor　too　slow。　l~ut　he　can't　see　what　he　is　doing　well　enough　to　judge　these　variables　correctly。
　　
　　（Later　on；　the　process　was　made　semiautomatic；　then　automatic；　but　when　it　was　finally　perfected；　carriers　for　aeroplanes　were　obsolete…a　capsule　description　of　most　human　〃progress〃：　By　the　time　you　learn　how；　it's　too　late。
　　
　　（But　it　often　turns　out　that　what　you　have　learned　applies　to　some　new　problem。　Or　we　would　still　be　swinging　from　trees。）
　　
　　So　the　flier　in　the　aeroplane　must　trust　a　pilot　on　deck　who　can　see　what　is　going　on。　He　was　called　〃the　landing　signal　officer〃　and　used　wigwag　flags　to　signal　orders　to　the　aeroplane's　pilot。
　　
　　The　first　time　David　tried　this　unlikely　stunt　he　chased　around　the　sky　three　times　for　fresh　approaches　before　he　controlled　his　panic；　quit　trying　to　override　the　judgment　of　the　LSO；　and　was　allowed　to　land。
　　
　　Only　then　did　he　discover　how　scared　be　was…his　bladde　cut　loose。
　　
　　That　evening　he　was　awarded　a　fancy　certificate：　the　Roya　Order　of　the　Wet　Diaper…signed　by　the　ISO。　endorsed　by　hi　squadron　mander；　ates。　It　wa　a　low　point　in　his　life；　worse　than　any　his　plebe　year；　and　i　was　little　consolation　that　the　order　was　awarded　so　frequentl~　that　certificates　were　kept　ready　and　waiting　for　each　nev　group　of　still…da