time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第25章

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　he　had　left　them　simply　to　avoid　work。　Now　he　was　being　paid　not　to　work　in　them…which　suited　him；　he　had　never　thought　that　their　charms　were　enhanced　…by　plowing　and　getting　them　all　dusty。
　　
　　The　〃soil　bank〃　payments　took　care　of　the　mortgage；　and　his　retired　pay　left　a　tidy　sum　over；　so　he　hired　a　man　to　do　those　chqres　a　farm　requires　even　though　it　is　not　being　worked　for　a　crop…feed　the　chickens；　milk　a　cow　or　two；　tend　a　vegetable　garden　and　some　fruit　trees；　repair　fences…　while　the　hired　man's　wife　helped　David's　wife　with　the　house。　For　himself；　David　bought　a　hammock。
　　
　　But　David　was　not　a　harsh　employer。　He　suspected　that　cows　did　not　want　to　be　waked　at　five　in　the　morning　any　more　than　he　did…and　he　undertook　to　find　out。
　　
　　He　learned　that　cows　would　happily　change　their　circadian　to　more　reasonable　hours；　given　the　chance。　They　had　to　be　milked　twice　a　day；　they　were　bred　for　that。　But　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　suited　them　for　a　first　milking　quite　as　well　as　five；　as　long　as　it　was　regular。
　　
　　But　it　did　not　stay　that　way；　Dave's　hired　man　had　the　nervous　habit　of　work。　To　him　there　was　something　sinful　in　milking　a　cow　that　late。　So　David　let　him　have　his　way；　and　hired　man　and　cows　went　back　to　their　old　habits。
　　
　　As　for　Dave；　he　strung　that　hammock　between　two　shade　trees　and　put　a　table　by　it　to　hold　a　frosty　drink。　He　would　get　up　in　the　morning　when　he　woke；　whether　it　was　nine　or　noon；　eat　breakfast；　then　walk　slowly　to　his　hammock　to　rest　up　for　lunch。　The　hardest　work　he　did　was　endorsing　checks　for　deposit；　and；　once　a　month；　balancing　his　wife's　checkbook。　He　quit　wearing　shoes。　…
　　
　　He　did　not　take　a　newspaper　or　listen　to　radio；　he　figured　that　the　Navy　would　let　him　know　if　another　war　broke　out
　　
　　…and　another　did　break　out　about　the　time　he　started　this　routine。　But　the　Navy　had　no　need　for　retired　admirals。　Dave　paid　little　attention　to　that　war；　it　was　depressing。　Instead；　he　read　everything　the　state　library　had　on　ancient　Greece　and　bought　books　about　it。　It　was　a　soothing　subject；　one　he　had　always　wanted　to　know　more　about。
　　
　　Each　year；　on　Navy　Day；　he　got　all　spruced　up　and　dressed　as　an　admiral；　with　all　his　medals；　from　the　Good　Conduct
　　
　　medal　of　an　enlisted　man　to　the　one　for　bravery　under　fire　that　had　made　him　an　admiral…let　his　hired　man　drive　him　to　the　county　seat　and　there　addressed　a　luncheon　of　the　Chamber　of　merce　on　some　patriotic　subject。　Ira；　I　don't　know　why　he　did　this。　Perhaps　it　was　noblesse　oblige。　Or　it　may　have　been　his　odd　sense　of　humor。　But　each　year　they　invited　him；　each　year　he　accepted。　His　neighbors　were　proud　of　him；　he　was　the　epitome　of　Local　Boy　Makes　Good…then　es　home　and　lives　as　his　neighbors　lived。　His　success　brought　credit　to　them　all。　They　liked　it　that　he　was　still　just　〃home　folks〃…and　if　they　noticed　that　he　never　did　a　lick　Of　work；'　nobody　mentioned　it。
　　
　　I've　skipped　lightly　over　Dave's　career；　Ira；　had　to。　I　haven't　mentioned　the　automatic　pilot　he　thought　up；　then　had　developed　years　later　when　he　w~s　in　a　position　to　get　such　things　done。　Nor　the　overhaul　he　made　of　the　duties　of　the　crew　of　a　flying　boat…except　to　say　now　that　it　was　to　get　more　done　with　less　effort　while　leaving　the　mand　pilot　with　nothing　to　do　save　to　stay　alert…or　to　snore　on　his　copilot's　arm　if　the　situation　did　not　require　his　alertness。　He　made　changes　in　instruments　and　controls；　too；　when　at　last　he　found　himself？in　charge　of　development　for　all　Navy　patrol　planes。
　　
　　Let　it　go　with　this~　I　don't　think　Dave　thought　of　himself　as　an　〃efficiency　expert〃　but　every　job　he　ever　held　he　simplified。　His　successor　always　had　less　work　to　do　than　his　predecessor。
　　
　　That　his　successor　usually　reorganized　the　job　again　to　make　three　times　as　much　any　subordinates…says　little　about　Dave's　oddity　other　than　by　contrast。　Some　people　are　ants　by　nature；　they　have　to　work；　even　when　it's　useless。　Few　people　have　a　talent　for　constructive　laziness。
　　
　　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　in