t 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。〃
〃Congratulations。 You can bet that there are ghost writeri on Felicity。 Or soon will be。〃
〃I'll have that。~printout installed at once； sir。 Roman alpha。 bet and twentieth…century spelling？ If you intend to use the language we've been talking？〃 …
〃Unless it would place too much strain on a poor innoceni machine。 If so； I can read it in phoics。 I think。〃
〃It is a very flexible machine； sir； it taught me to speak this language…and earlier； to read it。〃
〃Good； do it that way。 But tell it not to correct my grammar。 Human editors are difficult enough； I won't accept such upstart behavior from a machine。〃
〃Yes； sir。 If you will excuse me one moment…〃 The Chairman Pro Tern raised his voice slightly and shifted to the New； Rome variant of Lingua Galacta。 Then he spoke in the same language to the taller technician。
The auxiliary printout was installed before the table served them coffee。 …
After it was switched on； it whirred briefly。 〃What's it doing？〃 asked Lazarus。 〃Checking its circuits？〃
〃No； sir…printing。 I tried； an experiment。 The' machine has considerable judgment within the limits； of its programs and memoried experience。 In adding the extra program I told it also to go back； review everything you have said to me； and attempt to select all statements … that sounded like aphorisms。 I m not sure it can do this as any definition of aphorism it has in its permanents is certain' to be quite abstract。 But I have 'hopes。 However； I told it firmly： No editing。〃
〃Well。 'The astounding' thing about a waltzing bear is not how gracefully … it waltzes but that it waltzes at all。' Not me； some' otf~er bloke； I'm quoting。 Let's see what it has。〃
Weatheral gestured； the shorter technician hurried to the
'machine； pulled a copy for 'each Of them； fetched them back。 Lazarus looked his copy over Mmmm yes That next
one isn't true…just a wisecrack。 Must reword the third one a little。 Hey' it put a question mark after this one。 What an impudent piece of junk； I checked that one out centuries before it was anything but unrnined ore。 Well； at least it didn't
try to revise it。 Don't recall saying that； but it's true and I；
durned near got killed learning it。〃
Lazarus looked up from the printout copy。 〃Okay； Son。 If
you want this stuff on record； I don't mind。 As long as I am allowed to check and revise it 。 。 for I don't Want my words to be taken as Gospel unless I have a chance to winnow out the casual nonsense。 Which I am just as capable of voicing as t；he next man。〃 …
〃Certainly； sir。 Nothing will go into the records without your approval。 Unless you choose to use that switch 。 。 in which case any unedited remarks you have left behind I will have to fry to edit myself。 That's the best I can do。〃
〃Trying to trap me； huh？ Hmm… Ira； suppose I offer you a Scheherazade deal in reverse。〃
〃I don't understand。〃
〃is Scheherazade lost at last？ Did Sir Richard Burton live