gs.earthabides-第51章

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Bridge　now…that　little　empty　coupé　parked　neatly　at　the　curb　near　this　end　of　the　West　Bay　span。　The　yellowed　certificate　of　registration　had　been；　when　he　had　last　noticed；　still　fastened　to　the　steering…column…John　S。　Robertson　（or；　he　could　not　surely　remember；　it　might　have　been　James　T。）　of　some　number　on　one　of　the　numbered　streets　in　Oakland。　Now　the　fires　were　flat；　and　the　once…bright　green　paint　had　weatherdd　to　moss…gray。　
　　On　the　surface；　to　the　eye；　they　had　changed。　The　towers　that　hid　their　tops　in　the　summer　clouds；　the　mile…long　dipping　cables；　the　interlocked　massive　beams　of　steel…no　longer　they　cast　back　the　morning　sun　with　a　bright　sheen　of　silvergray。　Over　them　now　rested　softly　the　neutral　pall　of　rust；　red…brown　color　of　desolation。　Only；　at　the　tops　of　the　towers；　and　along　the　cables　at　good　spots　for　perching；　the　quiet　monotone　was　capped　and　spotted　with　the　dead…white　smears　of　the　droppings　of　birds。　
　　Yes；　through　the　years　the　sea…birds　had　perched　therethe　gulls　and　pelicans　and　cormorants。　And　on　the　piers　the　rats　scurried；　andfought；　and　bred　and　nested；　and　lived　as　only　rats　can…squeaking　and　fighting；　and　breeding　and　nesting；　and　at　low　tide　feeding　on　mussels　and　crabs。　
　　The　broad　roadway；　unused；　showed　few　signs　of　change…only　roughness　and　a　few　cracks　here　and　there。　Where　blown　dust　had　settled　into　cracks　and　corners；　a　little　grass　was　growing；　and　a　few　hardy　weeds；　not　many。　
　　Within　its　deeper　structure　also；　the　bridge　was　still　intact　and　unchanged。　The　superficial　rust　had　done　no　more　than　wipe　out　a　small　fraction　of　the　safety…factor。　At　the　eastern　approach；　where　salt　water　during　time　of　storms　splashed　against　the　long…unpainted　steel　supports；　corrosion　had　been　eaten　somewhat　deeper。　An　engineer；　if　there　had　been　one；　would　have　shaken　his　head；　and　ordered　the　replacement　of　some　members　before　allowing　traffic　to　resume。　
　　But　that　was　all。　In　the　enduring　structure　of　the　bridge；　long…dead　civilization　still　defied　the　attacks　of　all　the　powers　of　air　and　sea。　
　　Ish　roused　himself　from　his　trance…like　contemplation；　and　went　in　to　shave。　The　clean　touch　of　the　steel　was　at　once　soothing　and　stimulating。　Cheerfully　now；　happy　with　the　expectation　of　purposive　action；　he　found　himself　thinking　of　the　things　to　be　done　that　day。　He　would　have　to　see　that　they　started　in　again　with　work　on　the　outhouses　and　the　well。　He　would　make　more　plans　about　the　…expedition　into　the　far　interior。　（President　Jefferson　giving　instructions　to　Lewis　and　Clark！）　He　would　have　to　see　what　could　be　done　about　making　a　car　work　once　more。　Perhaps；　he　thought　happily；　this　would　be　the　day　on　which　they　would　take　the　road　again；　not　only　in　a　car　literally；　but　also　figuratively…the　road　toward　the　rebirth　of　civilization。　
　　He　finished　shaving；　but　the　moment　seemed　golden。　So　he　lathered　again；　and　started　over　his　face　once　more。。。。　This　munity　now；　these　thirty…some　people　who　held　the　seed　of　the　future…they　were　fair　enough　individuals；　not　brilliant　by　a　long　way；　but　sound。　The　original　adults　had　been　better　in　spite　of　their　shortings　than　you　would　have　expected　to　get　if　you　had　merely　reached　down　into　the　great　bin　of　humanity　in　the　old　United　States　and　taken　the　first　that　came　by　chance。　He　ran　over　them　again　rapidly　in　his　mind；　and　ended　upon　himself。　How　did　he　stack　up　among　the　others？　
　　Yes；　he　could　remember　years　ago；　in　this　same　house；　he　had　even　sat　down　and　listed　his　qualifications　for　the　new　life。　Such　things；　for　instance；　as　having　had　his　appendix　out。　Well；　having　no　appendix　was　still　an　advantage；　although　actually；　no　one　had　been　bothered　with　that　kind　of　trouble。　But　he　had　listed　other　things　which　now；　he　realized；　had　ceased　to　be　advantageous。　He　had　listed；　for　instance；　his　quality　of　being　able　to　get　along　without　other　people。　That　was　no　longer　a　virtue。　Perhaps；　it　was　even　a　vice。　But　he　himself　had　changed　also　in　those　years。　If　he　listed　his　qualities　now；　they　would　not　be　exactly　the　same　ones。　He　had　read　widely；　and　learned　much。　Even　of　more　importance；　he　had　lived　with　Em；　and　had　bee　the　father　of　a　family。　He　had　matured；　as　a　man　should。　He　had　a　stronger　will；　he　realized；　than　George　or　Ezra。　If　the　test　came；　they　would　yield　to　him。　He；　alone；　could　think　into　the　future。　
　　He　disassembled　the　razor；　and　threw　the　blade　into　the　medicine　closet；　where　there　were　already　a　lot　of　blades　lying　around。　He　never　bothered　to　use　a　blade　more　than　once；　because　there　were　so　many　thousands　of　them　available　that　there　seemed　no　need　of　economy。　And　yet　this　problem　of　what　to　do　with　the　old　razor…blades　was　still　curiously　present。　He　remembered　jokes　about　that；　from　long　ago。　Funny　how　a　little　thing　remained　the　same　after　so　many　big　things　had　changed　irrevocably！　
　　After　breakfast　Ish　went　over　to　talk　with　Ezra。　They　sat　on　the　steps　of　the　porch。　Before　long；　more　people　came　along；　and　a　little　group　formed；　as　always　happened　when　anybody　seemed　to　be　having　an　interesting　conversation。　there　was　talk　back　and　forth；　and　a　good　deal　of　easygoing　fun…making；　with　a　little　horse…play　among　the　younger　people。　Everybody　seemed　to　agree；　in　general；　that　they　ought　to　get　to　work　again；　but　nobody　was　in　a　special　huffy　to　begin。　Ile　delay　chafed　Ish；　especially　when　George　in　his　slow　way　began　again　to　bring　up　the　old　question　of　the　gas…refrigerator。　
　　At　last；　however；　Ezra　and　the　three　younger　men　with　an　acpanying　rag…tag　of　little　boys　and　girls　moved　off　to　begin　work。　As　soon　as　they　had　really　started；　a　kind　of　enthusiasm　fell　upon　them。　Everyone；　even　Ezra；　suddenly　began　to　run；　trying　to　see　who　would　be　the　first　one　there　to　start　digging。　Ish　could　see　Evie　running　with　the　rest…although　she　could　not　know　what　was　happening…her　blond　hair　streaming　wildly　behind　her。　Who　got　there　first；　he　could　not　tell；　but　in　a　moment　dirt　started　to　fly　in　all　directions。　He　did　not　know　whether　to　be　amused　or　perturbed。　Everyone　seemed　to　be　turning　serious　work　into　a　kind　of　play；　as　if　unable　to　distinguish　between　work　and　play。　That　might　sound　fine；　but　you　could　not　acplish　much；　he　thought；　without　settling　down　to　labor。　As　it　was；　the　playful　enthusiasm　would　wear　out　in　half　an　hour；　and　the　dirt　would　move　more　slowly；　then；　children　first；　older　ones　soon　afterward；　everyone　would　probably　drift　off　to　something　else。　
　　When　once　they　stalked　the　deer；　or　crouched　shivering　in　the　mud　for　the　flight　of　ducks　to　alight；　or　risked　their　lives　on　the　crags　after　goats；　or　closed　in　with　shouts　upon　a　wild　boar　at　bay…that　was　not　work；　though　often　the　breath　came　hard　and　the　limbs　were　heavy。　When　the　women　bore　and　nursed　children；　or　wandered　in　the　woods　for　berries　and　mushrooms；　or　tended　the　fire　at　the　entrance　to　the　rock…shelter…that　was　not　work　either。　
　　So　also；　when　they　sang　and　danced　and　made　love；　that　was　not　play。　By　the　singing　and　dancing　the　spirits　offorest　and　water　might　be　placated…a　serious　matter；　though　still　one　might　enjoy　the　song　and　the　dance。　And　as　for　the　making　of　love；　by　that…and　by　the　favor　of　the　gods…the　tribe　was　maintained。　
　　So　in　the　first　years　work　and　play　mingled　always；　and　there　were　not　even　the　wordsfor　one　against　the　other。　
　　But　centuries　flowed　by　and　then　more　of　them；　and　many　things　changed。　Man　invented　civilization；　and　was　inordinately　proud　of　it。　But　in　no　way　did　civilization　change　life　more　than　by　sharpening　the　line　between　work　and　play；　and　at　last　that　division　came　to　be　more　important　than　the　old　one　between　sleeping　and　waking。　Skep　came　to　be　thought　a　kind　of　relaxation；　and　〃sleeping　on　the　job〃　a　heinous　sin。　The　turning　out　of　the　light　and　the　ringing　of　the　alarm…clock　were　not　so　much　the　symbols　of　man's　dual　life　as　were　the　punching　of　the　time…clock　and　the　blowing　of　the　whistle。　Men　marched　on　picket…lines　and　threw　bricks　and　exploded　dynamite　to　shift　an　hourfrom　one　classification　to　the　other；　and　other　men　fought　equally　hard　to　prevent　them。　And　always　work　became　more　laborious　and　odious；　and　play　grew　more　artificial　and　febrile。