time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第30章

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ish。　Since　the　word　'love'　occurs　so　frequently　in　ancient　English　literature；　I　thought　my　failure　to　understand　that　word　might　be　the　block　that　keeps　me　from　thinking　in　English。〃　…
　　
　　〃Well；　let's　shift　to　Galacta　and　take　a　swing　at　it。　In　the　first　place；　very　little　thinking　was　ever　done　in　English；　it　is　not　a　language　suited　to　logical　thought。　Instead；　it's　an　emotive　lingo　…beautifully　adapted　to　concealing　fallacies。　A　rationalizing　language；　not　a　rational　one。　But　most　people　who　spoke　English　had　no　more　idea　of　the　meaning　of　the　word　'love'　than　you　have；　even　though　they　used　it　all　the　time。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　added；　〃Minerva！　We're　going　to　take　another　hack　at　the　word　'love。'　Want　to　join　in？　If　so；　shift　to　your　personal　mode。〃　…
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　Lazarus。　Hello；　Ira…Ishtar…Hamadryad…Galahad；〃　the　disembodied　contralto　voice　answered。　〃I　am　and　have　been　in　personal　mode；　and　usually　am；　now　that　you　have　given　me　permission　to　use　my　judgment。　You're　looking　well；　Lazarus…younger　every　day。〃
　　
　　〃I　feel　younger。　But；　dear；　when　you　go　to　personal　mode；　you　should　tell　us。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Grandfather！〃…　…
　　
　　〃Don't　sound　so　humble。　Just　say；　'Howdy；　I'm　…here；'　that's　all。　If　you　could　manage　to　tell　me；　…or　Ira；　just　once；　to　go　tc　bell；　it　'ud　be　good　for　you。　Clean　your　circuits。〃
　　
　　〃But　I　have　no　wish　to　say　that　to　either　of　you。〃
　　
　　〃That's　what's　wrong。　If　you　hang　around　Dora；　you'll　learn　to。　Have　you　spoken　to　her　today？〃
　　
　　〃I'm　speaking；　with　Dora　now；　Lazarus。　We're　playing　fairy　chess　in　five　dimensions；　and　she's　teaching　me　songs　you　taught　her。　She　teaches　me　a　song；　then　I　sing　a　tenor　lead　while…　she　harmonizes　in　soprano。　We're　doing　this　in　real　time　because　we're　outing　through　the　speakers　in　your　controt　room　and　listening　to　ourselves。　Right　now　we're…　singing　the　story　of　One…Ball　Riley。　Would　you　care　to　hear　us？〃　…　…　…　……
　　
　　Lazarus　flinched。　〃No；　no；　not　that　one。〃……
　　
　　〃We've　practiced　several　others。　'Rangy　Lil'　and　'The　Bal
　　
　　lad　…of　Yukon　Jake'　and　…　'Barnacle　Bill'…I　sing　the　story　on　that　one　while　Dora　does　soprano　and　bass。　…Or　perhaps　'Four　Whores　Came　Down　from　Canada'…that　one　is　fun。〃
　　
　　〃Nb；　Minerva。　I'm　sorry；　Ira；　…　my　puter　is　corrupting　your　puter。〃　Lazarus　sighed。　〃I　didn't　plan　it　that　way；　I　just　wanted　Minerva　to　baby…sit　for　me。　Since　I've　got　the　only　retarded　ship　in　this　sector。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；〃　Minerva　said　reproachfully；　〃I　don't　think　it　is　correct　to　say　that　Dora　is　retarded'。　She's　quite　intelligent；　I　think。　I　do　not　understand　why　you　say　that　she　is　corrupting　me。〃
　　
　　Ira　had　been　lying　on　the　grass；　sunbathing　with　a　kerchief　over　his　eyes。　He　rolled　to　one　elbow。　〃Nor　I；　Lazarus。　That　last　one　I'd　like　to　hear。　I　recall　where　Canada　is…was。　North　of　the　country　you　were　born　in。〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　counted　silently；　then　said；　〃Ira；　I　know　I　have　prejudices　ridiculous　to　a　civilized　modern　man　such　as　yourself。　I　can't　help　it；　I'm　canalized　…by　early　childhood；　liii…　printed　like　a　baby　duckling。　If　you　want　to　hear　bawdy　songs　from　a　barbaric　era；　please　listen　to　them　in　your　apartments…not　up　here。　Minerva；　Dora　doesn't　understand　those　songs；　to　her　they　are　nursery　rhymes。〃
　　
　　〃Nor　do　I　understand　them；　sir；　other　than　theoretically。　But　they　arc　jolly；　and　I　have　enjoyed　being　taught　to　sing。〃
　　
　　〃Well…　All　right。　Has　Dora　been；　behaving　herself　otherwise？〃
　　
　　〃She's　been　a　good　girl；　Grandfather　Lazarus；　and　I　think　she　is　contented　with　my　pany。　She　pouted　a　little　at　not　having　her　bedtime　story　last　night。　But　I　told　her　that　you。　were　very　tired　and　already　asleep；　and　told　her　a　story　myself。〃
　　
　　〃But…　Ishtar！　Did　I　miss　a　day？〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　
　　〃Surgery？　I　didn't　notice　any　new　heated　places。〃
　　
　　The　Master　Chief　Technician　hesitated。　〃Grandfather；　I　will　discuss　procedures　only　if　you　insist。　It　does　a　client　no　good　to　be　reminded　of　such　things。　I　hope　that　you　will　not　insist。　I　do　hope　so；　sir。〃　…
　　
　　〃Urn。　All　right；　all　right。　But　next　time　you　chop　out　a　day…or　a　week；　or　whatever…warn　me。　So　that　I　can　leave　a　bedtime　story　on　file　with　Minerva。　No；　that　won't　do；　you　don't　want　me　to　know。　Okay；　I'll　keep　stories　on　file　with　Minerva　and　you　warn　her；　instead。〃
　　
　　〃I　will；　Grandfather。　It　does　help　when　the　client　cooper…
　　
　　ates；　especially　by　paying　as　little　…attention　…to　what　we　do　as　possible。〃　Ishtar　smiled　briefly。　〃The　client　we　dread　is　another　rejuvenator。　Worries　and　tries　to　run　things。〃
　　
　　〃Small　wonder。　I　know；　dear；　I　have　that　horrid　habit　of　trying　to　run　things。　myself。　The　only　way　I　can　keep　from　It　is　by　staying　out　of　the　control　room。　So　when　I　get　too　nosy；　tell　me　to　shut　up。　But　how　are　we　doing？　How　much　longer　do　I　have　to　go？〃
　　
　　Ishtar　answered　hesitantly；　〃Perhaps　this　is　a　time　when　I　should　tell　you　to　。　。　'shut　up。〃
　　
　　〃That's　it！　But　firmer；　dear。　'Get　out　of　my　control　room；　you　custardtheaded　dolt；　and　stay　out！'　Make　him　realize　that；　if　he　doesn't　jump；　you'll　toss　him　into　the　brig。　Now　try　it　again。〃
　　
　　Ishtar　grinned　widely。　〃Grandfather；　you're　an　old　fraud。〃
　　
　　〃So　I've　long　suspected。　I　was　hoping　it　didn't　show。　All　right；　the　subject　is　'love。'　Minerva；　the　Hamadarling　says　you　told　her　that　it　can't　be　defined　in　Galacta。　Got　anything　to　add　to　that？〃
　　
　　〃Tei~t~ely　yes；　Lazarus。　May　I　reserve　my　answer　until　the　others　speak？〃
　　
　　〃Suit　yourself。　Galahad；　you　talk　less　and…　listen　more　than　anybody　else　in　the　family。　Want　to　try　it？〃
　　
　　'~Well；　sir；　I　hadn't　realized　that　there　was　any　mystery
　　
　　…　about　'love'　until　I　heard　Hamadryad　ask　about　it。　But　I'm　still　learning　English。　By　the　naturalistic　method　the　way　a　child　learns　his　milk　language。　No　grammar；　no　syntax；　no　dictionary…just　listen　and　talk　and　read　it。　Acquire　new　words　by　context。　By　that　method　I　acquired　a~　f~ling　that　'love'　means　the　shared　ecstasy　that　can　be　attained　through　sex。　Is　that　right？〃　…　…　。　…
　　
　　〃Son；　I　hate　to　say　this…because；　if　you've　been　reading　a　lo？　of　English；　I　see　how　you　reached　that　opinion…but　you　are　one　hundred　percent　wrong。〃
　　
　　Ishtar　looked　startled。　Galahad　simply　looked　thoughtful。　〃Then　I　must　go　back　and　read　some　more。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　bother；　Galahad。　Most　of　those　writers　1ou've　been　reading　misuse　the　word　just　that　way。　Shucks；　F　misused　it　for　years　myself；　it's　a　prime　example　of　the　slipperiness　of　the　English　tongue。　But；　whatever　'love'　is1　it's　not　sex。　I'm　not　running　down　sex。　If　there　is　a　purpose　in　life　more　important　than　two　people　cooperating　in　making　a　baby；　all　the　philosophers　in　history　haven't　been　able　to　find　it。　And　between　babies；　the　practice　runs　keep　up　our　zest　m　hfe　and
　　
　　make　tolerable　the　…fact　that　raising　S　…　baby　is　…one　hell　of　a　lot　of　work。　But　that's　not　love。　Love　is　something　that　still　goes　on　when　you　are　not　sexually　excited。　It　being　so　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　rai