time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第90部分

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　　〃She　calls　me　that　when　I've　been　naughty；〃　the　Senior　confided　to　me。　〃It's　her　way　of　spanking　me。　Ish　darling；　you'　are　young　and　sweet　and　have　spent　your　life　studying　biology；　not　history。　Earth　was　doomed　in　any　case；　space　travel　just　hurried　it　along。　By　2012　it　wasn't　fit　to　live　on…so　I　spent　the　next　century　elsewhere；　although　the　other　real　'estate　in　the　Solar　System　is　far　from　attractive。　Missed　seeing　Europe　destroyed；　missed　a　nasty　dictatorship　in　my　home　country。　Came　back　when　things　appeared　to　be　tolerable；　found　that　they　weren't…and　that's　when　the　Howards　had　to　'run　for　it。
　　
　　〃But　space　travel　can't　ease　the　pressure　on　a　pla　grown　too　鑢owded；　not　even　with　today's　ships　and　probably　not　with　any　future　ships…because　stupid　people　won't　leave　the　slopes　of　their　home　volcano…even　when　it　starts　to　smoke　and　rumble。　What　space　travel　does　do　is　drain　off　the　best　brains：
　　
　　those　smart　enough　to　see　a　catastrophe　before　it　happens　and　with　the　guts　to　pay　the　price…。abandon　home；　wealth；　friends；　relatives；　everything…and　go。　That's　a　tiny　fraction　of　one　percent。　But　that's　enough。〃
　　
　　〃It's　the　bell　curve　again；〃　I　said　to　Ishtar。　〃If…as　Lazarus
　　
　　thinks；　and　statistics　back　him　up…every　migration　es　primarily　from　the　right…hand　cOd　of　the　normal…incidence　curve　of　hum'an　ability；　then　this　acts　as　a　sorting　device　whereby　the　new　pla　will　show　a　bell　curve　'0th　a　much　higher　intelligence　norm　than　the　population　it　came　from
　　
　　and　the　old　pla　will　average　almost　imperceptibly　stupider。〃
　　
　　〃Imperceptible　except　for　one　thing！〃　Lazarus　objected。
　　
　　〃That　tiny　fraction　that　hardly　shows　statistically　is　the　brain。　I　recall　a　country　that　lost　a　key　war　by　chasing　out　a　mere　half　dozen　geniuses。　Most　people　can't　think；　most　of　the　remainder　all　fraction　who　do　think　mostly　can't　do　it　very　well。　The　extremely　tiny　fraction　who　think　regularly；　accurately；　creatively；　and　without　self…delusion…in　the　long　run　these　are　the　only　people　who　count
　　
　　and　they　are　the　very　ones　who　migrate　when　it　is　physically　possible　to　do　so。　T
　　
　　〃As　Justin　said；　statistically　it　hardly　shoakes　all　the　difference。　Chop　off　a　chicken's　head　and　it　doesn't　die　at　once；　it　flops　around　more　energetically　than　ever。　For　a　while。　Then　it　dies。
　　
　　〃That's　what　space　travel　did　to　Earth：　chopped　its　head　off。　For　two　thousand　years　its　best　brains　have　been　migrating。　What's　left　is　flopping　harder　than　ever　。　。　to　no　purpose　and　will　die　that　much　sooner。　Soon；　I　think。　I　don't　feel　guilty　about　it；　I　see　no　sin　in　those　smart　enough　to　escape　escaping　if　they　can…and　the　death。　rattle　of　Earth　was　clear　and　strong　back　in　the　twentieth　century；　Earth　reckoning；　when　I　was　a　young　man　and　space　travel　had　barely　started…not　even　started　in　interstellar　terms。　It　took　two　more　centuries　and　then　some　to　get　it　rolling。　Can't　count　the　first　migration　of　the　Howards；　it　was　involuntary；　and　they　weren't　the　best　brains。
　　
　　〃The　later　Howard　migration　to　Secundus　was　more　important；　it　shook　out　some　of　the　dullards；　left　them　behind。　The　non…Howard　migrations　were　even　more　important。　I've　often　wondered　what　would　have　happened　if　there　had　been　no　political　restraints　against　migrating　from　China；　the　few　Chinese　who　did　reach　the　stars　seem　always　to　be　winners；　I　suspect　that　the　Chinese　average　smarter　than　the　rest　of　Earth's　spawn。
　　
　　〃Not　that　slant　of　eye　or　color　of　skin　matters　today；　or　even　matters　at　the　moment　of　truth。　One　of　the　early　Howards　was　Robert　C。　M。　Lee；　of　Richmond；　Virginia…anybody　know　what　his　name　was　originally？〃
　　
　　〃I　do；〃　I　answered。
　　
　　〃Of　course　you　do；　Justin；　so　keep　quiet…and　that　include　you；　Athene。　Anyone　else？〃
　　
　　No　one　answered；　Lazarus　went　on：　〃His　birth　name　wa
　　
　　Lee　'Choy　Moo；　he　was　born　in　Singapore；　and　his　parent
　　
　　came　from　Canton　in　China…and　of　the　people　in。　the　'Nev
　　
　　Frontiers'　he　was　a　mathematician　second　only　to　And~
　　
　　Libby。〃
　　
　　〃Goodness！〃　said　Hamadryad。　〃I'm　descended　from　him…　but　I　didn't　know　he　was　a　great　mathematician。〃
　　
　　〃Did　you　know　he　was　Chinese？〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　I'm　not　sure　what　'Chinese'　means；　I　haven〃　studied　much　terrestrial　history。　Isn't　it　a　religion？　Lik~　'Jewish'？〃
　　
　　〃Not　exactly；　dear。　The　point　is　that　it　no　longer　matters　Just　as　few　know　and　no　one　cares　that　the　famous　Zaccui　Barstow；　my　partner　in　crime；　was　a　quarter　Negro。　Does　tha　word　mean　anything　to　you；　Hamadarling？　Not　a　religion。〃
　　
　　〃The　word　means　'black；'　so　I　assume　that　one　of　his　grand。　parents　was　from　Africa。〃
　　
　　〃Which　shows　what　es　of　assuming　anything　on　one　datum。　Two　of　Zack's　grandparents；　both　mulatto；　came　from　Los　Angeles　in　my　homeland。　Since　my　line　mixed　with　his　a　long　time　back；　probably　any　of　you　can　claim　African　ancestry。　Which　is　statistically　equivalent　to　claiming　descent　from　Charlemagne。　I've　gone　far　afield；　and　it　is　time　we　picked　a　new　Stimulator　and　a　new　Respondent。　Space　travel　ruined　old　Earth…that's　one　viewpoint。　The　other　side　of　the　coin；　happier　and　more　important　in　the　long　run；　is　that　it　improved　the　breed。　Probably　saved　it　as　well　but　'improved'　is　certai~s　Homo　sapiens　is　now　not　only　far　more　numerous　than　he　ever　was　on　Earth；　he　is　a　better；　smarter；　more　efficient　animal　in　every　measurable　fashion。　Further　this　Respondent　sayeth　not；　somebody　else　grab　it。　Lazi；　quit　trying　to　tickle　me　and　go　bother　Galahad；　Minerva　needs　a　rest。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；〃　Ishtar　said；　〃just　one　more　responding；　please。　Something　you　said　about　Howards　made　me　wonder。　You　seemed　to　place　all　emphasis　on　intelligence。　Don't　you　consider　long…life　important？〃
　　
　　I　was　astonished　to　see　the　oldest　human　alive　frowning　over　this；　slow　to　answer。　Surely　it　was　a　question　he　had　settled　in　his　mind　at　least　a　thousand　years　earlier。　I　tried　to　forstalt　the　quandary；　found　I　could　not　soothly　norom　it。
　　
　　〃Ishtar~　the　only　correct　verbal　answer　to　that　is　Yes　and
　　
　　No…which　merely　says　I　lack　language　to　define　something　that　is　crystal　clear　。inside　me　and　has　been　for　centuries。　But　here　is　paft　of　the　truth：　A　long　time　ago　a　short…lifer　proved　to　me　that　we　all　live　the　same　length　of　time。〃　He　glanced　at　Minerva；　she　looked　solemnly　back。　〃Because　we　all　live　now。　She…he…was　not　asserting　that　fallacy　of　Georg　Cantor　which　distorted　pre…Libby　mathematics　so　long；　uh；　he
　　
　　…was　asserting　a　verifiable　objective　truth。　Each　individual　lives　her　life　in　now　independently　of　how　others　may　measure　that　life　in　years。
　　
　　〃But　here　iS；another　piece　of　truth。　Life　is　too　long　when　one　is　not　enjoying　now。　You　recall　when　I　was　not　and　wished　to　terminate　it。　Your　skjll…and　trickery；　my　darling；　and　don't　blush…changed　that　and　again　I　savor　now。　But　perhaps　I　have　never　told　you　that　I　approached　even　my　first　rejuvenation　with　misgivings；　afraid　that　it　would　make　my　body　young　without　making　my　spirit　young　again…and　don't　bother　to　tell　me　that　'spirit'　is　a　null　word；　I　know　that　it　is　undefinable
　　
　　but　it　means　something　to　me。
　　
　　〃But　here　is　still　more　of　the　truth　and　all　I'll　try　to　say　about　it。　Although　long…life　can　be　a　burden；　mostly　it　is　a　blessing。　It　gives　time　enough　to　learn；　time　enough　to　think；　time　enough　not　to　hurry；　time　enough　fQr　love。'
　　
　　〃Enough　of　weighty　matters。　Galahad；　pick　a　light　subject　and；　Justin；　you　plant　the　barbs；　I've　talked　enough。　Ishtar；　my　darling；　fetch　your　long　lovely　carcass　over　here；　stretch　Out；　and　let　me　ply　you　with　brandy；　I　want　you？relaxed　enough　for　what　I　intend　to　do　with　you　later。〃
　　
　　She　came　readily　to；　him；　stopping　only　to　kiss　Ira　a　promise；　then　saying　softly　but　clearly　to　our　Ancestor；　〃Our　beloved；　it　takes　no　brandy　to　make　me　utterly　willing　for　whatever　you　have　iniisind。〃
　　
　　〃Anesthesia；　Mama　Ishtar。　I　plan　to　show　you　something　Big　Anna　taught　me　which　I　haven't　dared　risk　in　all　these　years。　You　may　not　live　till　morning。　Frightened？〃
　　
　　She　smiled　lazily；　happily。　〃Oh；　terribly　frightened。〃
　　
　　Galahad　covered　Lapis　Lazuli's　mouth　with　a　hand；　she　bit　him。　〃Stop　it；　Laz。　Let's　everybody　watch　this…it　might　be　new；〃
　　
　　VARIATIONS　ON　A　ThEME
　　
　　XV
　　
　　Agape
　　
　　I　woke　slowly　next　morning；　lazed　in　bed　and　lived　again　my　Wele　Bacchanalia。　I　was　in　a　big　bed　in　a　groundfloor　room　with　its　garden　wall　still　open　as　it　had　been　when　the　party　had　moved　to　beds。　I　could　hear　no　one；　although　（as　I　recalled）　Tamara　and　Ira　had　been　with　me。　Or　had　Ira　visited　us　earlier？
　　
　　No　matter；　all　of　them　visited　us　at　some　time　before　Athene　sang　us　to　sleep；　I　seemed　to　recall　as　high　as　six　or　seven　at　once　in　that　big　bed；　counting　Tamara　and　me。　No；　Tamara　had　been　gone　once；　leaving　me　at　the　mercy　of　the　talkative　twins…who　were　almost　quiet。　They　said　they　wanted　to　assure　me　that　I　did　not　have　to　marry　them　in　order　to　be　a　member　of　the　family…they　would　be　gone　too　much　of　the　time　any。　how…because　they　were　going　to　be　pirates　when　they　were　big　enough…but　stay　groundside　half　the　time…and　open　a　hook　shop　over　a　pool　hall…and　would　I　e　to　see　them　there？
　　
　　They　had　to　explain　to　me　both　terms；　then　they　sang　me　a　little　song　that　seemed　partly　amphigory　and　partly　ancient'。；　English；　but　included　both　terms。　I　kissed　them　and　promised　that；　when　they　opened　this　studio；　Iwould　be　their　most　faithful　admirer…a　promise　that　did　not　ost　girls　（all　of　my　daughters）　have　ambitions　to　begrsne　great　hetaeras；　few　attempt　that　most　demanding　of　arts…br　only　long　enough　to　discover　that　they　do　not　have　~　tsiie　vocation。
　　
　　第55节
　　
　　I　thought　they　were　more　likely　to　bee　pirates；　Lazarus　Long's　identicals　might　figure　out　a　way　to　make　crime　pay　in　spite　of　the　enormous　depths　of　space。
　　
　　My　Wele　Bacchanalia　had　bridged　from　feast　to　bed　with　the　customary　entertainment　save　that　it　was　homemade　instead　of　the　expensive　（and　often　dull）　professional　acts　a　fashionable　New　Rome　hostess　offers。　Lazarus　and　his　s