time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)- 第29部分

　　
　　So　ends　the　Tale　of　the　Man　Who　Was　Too　Lazy　to　Fail。　Let's　leave　him　there；　in　his　hammock　under　the　shade　trees。　So　far　as　I　know；　he　is　still　there。
　　
　　VARIATIONS　ON　A　THEME
　　
　　III
　　
　　第11节
　　
　　Domestic　Problems
　　
　　〃After　more　than　two　thousand　years；　Lazarus？〃
　　
　　〃Why　not；　Ira？　Dave　was　my　age；　near　enough　as　not　to　matter。　I'm　still　here。〃~'
　　
　　〃Yes；　but…　Was　David　Lamb　a　member　of　the　Families？　Under　another　name？　There　is　no　'Lamb'　in　the　lists。〃
　　
　　〃I　never　asked；　Ira。　Nor　did　he　ever　offer　me　a　passwor~d。　In　those　days　a　member　kept　the　fact　to　himself。　Or；　if　he　was；　Dave　might　not　have　known　it；　si1~ce　he　left　home　so　young　and　so　abruptly。　Back　…then　a　youngster　wasn't　told　until　he　or　she　was　old　enough　to　think　about　marriage。　Eighteen　for　boys；　usually；　and　sixteen　for　girls。　Reminds　inc　what　a　shock　it　was　when　I　was　told…at　less　than　eighteen。　By　Gramp；　because　I　was　about　to　do　something　foolish。　Son；　one　of　the　weirdest　things　about　the　human　animal　is　that　it　grows　up　physically　years　and　years　before　its　brain　grows　up。　I　was　seventeen；　young　and　horny　and　wanted　to　get　married　the　worst　way。　Gramp　took　me　out　behind　the　barn　and　convinced　me　that　it　was　indeed　the　worst　way。
　　
　　'〃Woodie；'　he　said；　'if　you　want　to　elope　with　this　girl；　nobody　will　stop　you。'
　　
　　〃I　told　him　belligerently　that　nobody　could　stop　me；　because　just　over　the　state　line　I　could　swing　it　without　my　parents'　consent。
　　
　　〃'That's　what　I'm　telling　you；'　he　said。　'Nobody　will　stop　you。　But　nobody　will　help　you。　Not　your　parents；　nor　your　other　grandparents…nor　me。　Not　a　one　of　us　will　even　stake　you　to　the　price　of　a　marriage　license；　much　less　help　you　sup…　port　a　wife。　Not　a　dollar；　Woodie；　not　a　thin　dime。　If　you　don't　believe　me；　ask　any　of　them。'
　　
　　〃I　said　sullenly　that　I　didn't　want　any　help。
　　
　　〃Gramp　had　bushy　eyebrows；　they　shot　up。　'Well；　well；'　he　said。　'Is　she　going　to　support　you？　Have　you　looked　at　the　〃Help　Wanted〃　in　the　paper　lately？　If　not；　be　sure　to　do　so。　And　glance　at　the　financial　section　while　you're　about　it；　read…
　　
　　ing　〃Help　Wanted〃　ads　won't　take　you　more　than　thirty　seconds。'　He　added；　'Oh；　you　ciii　find　a　job　peddling　suck　brqoms　from　door　to　door　on　mission。　Which　will　give　you　fresh　air；　healthy　exercise；　and　an　opportunity　to　demonstrate　your　charm；　of　which　you　don't　…　have　much。　But　you；　won't　sell　vacuum　cleaners；　nobody　is　buying。'
　　
　　〃Ira；　I　didn't　know　what　he　was　talking　about。　This　was　January；　1930。　Does　that　date　mean　anything　to　you？〃
　　
　　〃I'm　afraid　not；　Lazarus。　Despite　much　study　of　the　Families'　history；　I　have　to　convert　those　earlier　dates　into　Galactic　Standard　in　order　to　feel　them。〃　…
　　
　　〃Don't　know　as　it　would　be　mentioned　in　the　Families'　records；　Ira。　The　country…well；　the　whole　pla…had　just　taken　a　plunge　into　an　economic　fluctuation。　'Depressions；'　they　called　'em。　There　were　no　jobs　to　be　had…at　least　not　for　a　smart…alec　youngster　who　didn't　know　anything　useful。　Which　Gramp　realized；　having　been　through…　several　of　these　swings。　But　not　me。　I　Was　sure　I　could　grab　the　world　by　the　tail　and　swing　it　over　my　shoulder。　What　I　didn't　know　was　that　graduate　engineers　were　taking　jobs　as　janitors　and　lawyers　were　driving　milk　wagons。　And　ex…milhionaires　were　jumping　out　windows。　But　I　was　too　busy　sniffing　after　girls　to　notice。〃
　　
　　〃Senior；　I've　read　about　economic　depressions。　But　I've　never　understood　what　caused　them。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　Long　went　tsk…tsk。　〃And　yet　you　are　in　charge　of　a　whore　pla。〃
　　
　　'Perhaps　I　shouldn't　be；〃　I　admitted。
　　
　　〃Don't　be　so　confounded　humble。　I'll　let　you　in　on　a　secret：
　　
　　At　that　time　nobody　knew　what　caused'　them。　Even　the　Howard　Foundation　might　have　gone　broke　had　not　Ira　Howard　left　firm　ifistructions　about　how　the　fund　must　be　handled。　On　the　other　hand；　everybody；　right　down　to　street　sweepers　and　professors　of　economics；　was　certain　they　knew　both　causes　and　cures。　So　almost　every　remedy　was　tried…and　none　worked。　That　depression　continued　until　the　country　blundered　into　a　war…which　didn't　cure　what　was　wrong；　it　just　masked　the　symptoms　with　a　high　fever。〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　what　was　wrong；　Grandfather？〃　I　persisted。
　　
　　〃Do　I　look　smart　enough　to　…　answer　that；　Ira？　I've　gone　broke　many　times。　Sometimes　financially；　sometimes　through　abandoning　my　baggage　to　save　my　skin。　Urn。　Be　durned　if　I'll　offer　any　fancy　explanations　but…what　happens　when　you　control　machinery　by　positive　feedback？〃　…
　　
　　I　was　startled。　〃Fm　not　sure　I　understand　you；　Lazarus；　One　doesn't　control　machinery　by　positive　feedback…at　least'　I　can't　think　of　a　case。　Positive　feedback　will　cause　any　system　to　oscillate　out　of　control。〃
　　
　　〃Go　to　the　head　of　the　class。　Ira；　I'm　suspicious　of　arguments　by　analogy…but　from　what　I've　seen　over　the　centuries；　there　doesn't　seem　to　be　anything　that　a　government　can　do　to　an　economy　that　does　not　act　as　positive　feedback；　or　as　a　brake。　Or　both。　Maybe　someday；　somewhere；　someone　smart　as　Andy　Libby　will　figure　out　a　way　to　tinker　with　the　Law　of　Supply　and　Demand　to　make　it　work　better；　instead　of　letting　it　go　'its　own　cruel　way。　Maybe。　But　I've　never　seen　it。　Though　God　knows　everybody　has　tried。　Always　with　the　best　of　intentions。
　　
　　〃Good　intentions　are　no　substitute　for　knowing　how　a　buzz　saw　works；　Ira；　the　worst　criminals　in　history　have　been　loaded　with　good　intentions。　But　you　got　me　sidetracked　into　making　a　speech　when　I　was　telling　you　hcw　I　happened　not　to　get　married。〃
　　
　　〃Sorry；　Grandfather。〃
　　
　　〃Hummpht　Can't　you　be　rude　occasionally？　rm　a　garrulous　old　man　who　has　crowded　you　into　wasting　time　listening　to　trivia。　You　ought　to　resent　it。〃
　　
　　I　grinned　at　him。　〃So　I　resent　it。　You　are　a　garrulous　old　man　who　demands　that　I　cater　to　your　every　whim　。　。　and　I　am　a　very　busy　man　with　serious　matters　worrying　me　and　you've　wasted　half　a　aay　of　my　time　telling　me　a　yarn…　pure　fiction；　I　feel　certain…about　a　man　who　was　so　lazy　he　always　succeeded。　Intended　to　irritate　me；　I　think。　When　you　implied　that　this　fictional　character　was　a　long…lifer；　you　evaded　a　simple　question　about　it　and　started　talking　about　your　grandfather。　This…Admiral　Ram；　you　~said？…was　he　redheaded？〃
　　
　　〃'Lamb；'　Ira…'Donald　Lamb。'　Or　was　that　his　brother？　It's　been　a　long　time。　Odd　that　you　should　ask　about　his　hair
　　
　　…as　that　reminds　me　of　another　naval　officer　in　that　same　war　who　was　just　the　opposite　of…Donald？　No；　'David。'　Just　the　opposite　of　David　in　every　respect　save　that　tIe　had　hair　so　red　that　Loki　would　have　been　proud　of　it。　Tried　to　choke　a　Kodiak　bear　to　death。　Didn't　work　of　course。　It　doesn't　seem　possible　that　you've　ever　seen　a　Kodiak　bear；　Ira。
　　
　　〃The　fiercest　carnivore　that　~im　ever　spawned；　and　Outweighed　a　man　ten　to　one。　Claws'　like　scimitars；　long　yellow　teeth；　bad　breath…and　a　worse　disposition。　Yet　Lafe　tackled
　　
　　him　with　bare　hands。。。；　and　mind　you；　when　he　had　no　need
　　
　　…to。　I　would　have　faded　over　the　horizon。　Want'to　hear　about　Lafe　and　the