time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第13章

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he　trait　is。　A　gentleman　was　supposed　to　prefer　being　a　dead　lion　to　being　a　live　jackal。　Me；　I've　always　preferred　to　be　a　live　lion；　so　that　puts　me　outside　the　rules。　Mmm　。　。　you　could　say　in　all　seriousness　that　the　quality　tagged　by　that　name　represents　the　slow　emergence　in　human　culture　of　an　ethic　higher　than　simple　self…interest……damn　slow　in　emerging　in　my　opinion；　you　still　can't　rely　on　it　jn　a　crunch。
　　
　　As　may　be；　military　officers　were　presumed　to　be　gentlemen　and　wore　swords。　Even　fliers　wore　swords；　although　Allah　'alone　could　guess　why~
　　
　　These　cadets　were　not　only　presumed　to　be　gentlemen；　there　was　a　national　law　which　stated　that　they　were　gentlemen。　So　they　were　taught　a　bare　minimum　about　how　to　handle　a　sword；　just　enough　to　keep　them　from　slicing　their　fingers　or　stabbing　bystanders…not　enough　to　fight　with　them；　just　to　keep　them　from　looking　too　silly　　to　wear　swords。
　　
　　But　swordsmanship　was　a　recognized　sport；　called　〃fencing。〃　It　had　none　of　the　prestige　of　foothall；　or　boxing；　or　even　water　polo…but　it　was　on　the　list；　a　plebe　could　sign　up　for　it。
　　
　　David　spotted　this　as　a　way　out。　Under　a　simple　physical　law；　if　he　was　up　in　the　fencing　loft；　then　he　was　not　down　on　the　football　field；　with　sadistic　gorillas　in　hobnailed　boots　jumping　up　and　down　on　him。　Long　before　the　upper　classmen　returned　to　school　Plebe　Cadet　Lamb　had　established　himself　as　a　member　of　the　fencing　squad；　with　a　record　of　never　missing　a　day；　and　was　trying　hard　to　look　like　a　〃good　prospect〃　for　the　team。
　　
　　At　that　time　and　place　three　forms　of　fencing　were　taught：
　　
　　saber；　dueling　sword；　and　foil。　The　first　tw&'used　full…sfred　weapons。　True；　edges　were　dulled　and　points。　were　bated；　nevertheless　a　man　could　get　hurt　with　them…even　fatally；　though　that　was　very　rare。　But　the　foil　was　a　lightweight　toy；　a~　fake　swcrd　with　a　limber　blade　that　bent　at　the　slightest　pressure。　The　stylized　imitation　swordplay　that　used　the　foil　was　about　as　dangerous　as　tiddlywinks。　This　was　the　〃weapon〃　；David　selected。
　　
　　It　was　made　f9r　him。　The　highly　artificial　rules　of　foil　fencing　gave　great　advantage　to　fast　reflexes　and　a　sharp　brain；　both　of　which　he　had。　Some　exertion　was　necessary…but　not　much　pared　with　football；　lacrosse；　or　even　tennis。　Best　of　all；　it　required　no　body…against…body　pounding　that　David　found　so　distasteful　in　the　rough　games　he　was　avoiding。　David　applied　himself　single…mindedly　to　acquiring　skill　so　that　his？。haven　would　be　secure。
　　
　　So　diligent　was　he　in　protecting　his　sanctuary　that；　before　his　plebe　year　was　over；　he　was　National　Novice　Foil　Champion。　This　caused　his　squad　leader　to　smile　at　him；　an　expression　that　hurt　his　face。　His　cadet　pany　mander　noticed　him　for　the　first　time　and　congratulated　him。
　　
　　Success　with　the　foil　even　got　him　out　of　some　〃punishment〃　beatings。　One　Friday　evening；　when　he　was　about　to　be　beaten　for　some　imaginary　dereliction。；　David　said；　〃Sir；　if　it's　the　same　to　you；　I'd　rather　have　twice　as　many　swats　on　Sunday…because　tomorrow　we're　fencing　the　Princeton　plebe　team　and；　if　you　do　the　job　I　know　you　can　do；　i~　might　slow　me　up　tomorrow。〃
　　
　　The　first　classman　was　impressed　by　this　because　having　the　Navy　win；　at　any　time　and　for　any　purpose　and　in　anything；　took　precedence　by　Sacred　Law　over　anything　else；　even　the　righteous　pleasure　of　beating　a　〃smart　ass〃　plebe。　He　answered；　〃Tell　you　what；　mister。　Report　to　my　room　after　supper　on　Sunday。　If　you　lose　tomorrow；　you　get　a　double　dose　of　the　medicine　you've　got　ing　to　you。　But　if　you　win；　we'll　cancel　it。〃
　　
　　David　won　all　three　of　his　matches。
　　
　　Fencing　got　him　through　his　perilous　plebe　year　with　his　precious　skin　unmarked　save　for　scars　on　his　bottom。　He　was　safe　now；　with　three　easy　years　ahead　of　him；　fo~　only　a　plebe　was　subject　to　physical　punishment；　only　a　plebe　could　be　ordered　to　take　part　in　orga。nized　mayhem。
　　
　　（Omitted）
　　
　　One　body…contact　sport　David　loved；　one　of　ancient　popu
　　
　　lazily；　which　he　had　learned　back　n　Those　bills　he　had　fled　from。　But　it　was　played　with　girls　and　was　not　officially　recognized　at　this　school。　There　were　harsh　rules　against　it；　and　a　'cadet　caught　practicing　i~　was　kicked　out　without　mercy。
　　
　　But　David；　like　all　true　geniuses；　paid　only　pragmatic　atten。　tion　to　rules　made　by　other　people…be　obeyed　the　Eleventh　mandment　and　never　got　caught。　While　other　cadets　sought　the　empty　prestige　of　sneaking　girls　into　the　barracks　or　went　over　the　wall　at　night　in　search　of　girls；　David　kept　his　activities　quiet。　Only　those　who　knew　him　well　knew　how　in。　dustriously　he　pursued　this　one　body…contact　sport。　And　no　one　knew　him　well。
　　
　　Eh？　Female　cadets？　Didn't　I　make　that　plain；　Ira？　Not　only　were　there　no　girl　cadets；　there　was　not　one　girl　in　thai　Navy…except　a　few　nurses。　Most　particularly　there　were　no　girls　at　that　school；　there　were　guards　night　and。　day　to　keef　them　away　from　the　cadets。
　　
　　Don't　ask　me　why。　It　was　Navy　policy　and　therefore　did　not　have　a　reason。　In　truth　there　was　no　job　in　that　entire　Navy　which　could　not　have　been　performed　by　either　sex　or　even　by　eunuchs…but　by　long　tradition　that　Navy　was　exclusively　male。
　　
　　e　to　think　about　it；　a　few　years　later　that　tradition　wa~　questioned…a　little　at　first；　then　by　the　end　of　that　century；　shortly　before　the　Collapse；　that　Navy　had　females　at　all　levels。　I　am　not　suggesting　that　this　change　was　a　cause　of　the　Collapse。　There　were　obvious　causes　of　the　Collapse；　causes　I　won't　go　into　now。　This　change　either　was　a　null　factor　or　possibly　postponed　the　inevitable　by　a　minor　amount。
　　
　　Either　way；　it　doesn't　figure　into　the　Tale　of　the　Lazy　Man。　When　David　was　in　school；　cadets　were　supposed　to　encounter　females　but　seldom；　and　only　under　highly　stylized　circumstances；　rigidly　bound　protocol；　and　heavily　chaperoned。*　Instead　of　fighting　the　rules；　David　looked　for　loopholes　and　made　use　of　them…he　was　never　caught。
　　
　　Every　impossible　rule　has　its　loopholes；　every　general　pro…
　　
　　*　From　the　noun　〃chaperon。〃　This　word　has　two　meanings：　（1）　A　person　charged　with　preventing　sexual　contacts　between　males　and　females　not　licensed　for　such　contacts；　（2）　a　person　superficially　performing　such　disservice　while　in　fact　acting　as　a　benign　lookout。　It　appears　that　the　Senior　uses　the　word　here　in　its　first　meaning　rather　than　in　its　anti'ietical　second　meaning。　See　appendix。
　　
　　J。F。　45th
　　
　　hibition　creates　its　bootleggers。　The　Navy　as　a　whole　created　its。　impossible　rules；　the　Navy　as　individuals　violated　them；　especially　its　curious　rules　about　？ex…a　publicly　monastic　life　on　duty；　a　slightly　veiled　life　of　unjimited　voluptuousness　off　duty。　At　sea；　even　harmless　reliefs　from　sexual　tension　were　treated　most　harshly　when　detected…although　such　technical　violations　of　the　mores　were　expected　and　condoned　less　than　a　century　earlier。　But　this　Navy　was　only　a　little　more　hypocritical　in　its　sexual　behavior　than　was　the　social　matrix　in　which　it　was　imbedded；　more　excessive　in　its　outfets　only　to　the　degree　that　its　public　rules　were　more　sternly　impossible　than　those　of　that　society　as　a　whole。　The　public　sexual　code　of　that　time　was　unbelievable；　Ira；　the　violations　of　it　simply　mirrored　in　reverse　its　fantastic　requirements。　To　every　action　there　is　an　equal　and　opposite　reaction…if　you'll　excuse　the　obvious。
　　
　　I　did　not　int！nd　to　discuss　this　other　than　to　say　that　David　found　ways　to　~get　along　with　the　school's　regulations　about　sex　without　going　pletely　off　his　nut；　as　too　many　of　his　classmates　did。　I'll　add　only　this…and　this　is　merely　rumor：
　　
　　Through　a　mischance　all　too　easy　then　although　unheard　of　today；　a　young　woman　became　pregnant；　presumably　by　David。　In　those　days…believe　mel…this　was　a　major　disaster。
　　
　　Why？　Just　stipulate　that　it　was　a　disaster；　it　would　take　forever　to　explain　that　society　and　no　civilized　human　would　believe　it。　Cadets　were　forbidden　to　marry；　the　young　woman　had　to　get　married　under　the　rules　current　then；　intervention　to　correct　this　mischan&　was　almost　unobtainable　and　physically　very　dangerous　for　her。
　　
　　What　David　did　about　it　illustrates　his　whole　approach　to　life。　When　faced　with　a　choice　of　evils；　accept　the　least　hazardous　and　cope　with　it；　unblinkingly。　He　married　her。
　　
　　How　he　managed　to　do　this　and　not　get　caught；　I　do　not　know。　I　can　think　of　a　number　of　ways；　some　simple　and　fairly　foolproof；　some　plex　and　thereby　subject　to　breakdown；　I　assume　that　David　selected　the　simplest。
　　
　　It　changed　the　situation　from　impossible　to　manageable。　It　converted　the　girl's　father　from　an　enemy；　all　too　likely　to　go　to　the　mandant　of　the　school　with　the　story　and　thereby　force　David　to　resign　when　he　had　but　a　few　months　more　to　reach　his　goal；　into　an　ally　and　fellow　conspirator　anxious；　to　keep　the　marriage　secret　so　that　his　son…in…law　could　graduate　。and　take　his　wayward　daughter　off　his　hands。
　　
　　As　a　side　benefit　David　no　longer　needed　to　give　plannin'
　　
　　to　the　pursuit　of　his　favorite　sport　lIe　spent　his　time　off　in　unworried　domesticity；　wftb。perfect　chaperonage。*
　　
　　As　for　the　rest　of　David'~s　career　in　scthool；　one　may　assume　that　a　lad　who　could　substitute　six　weeks　of　unsupervised　reading　for　four　years　of　formal　schooling　could　also　stand　first　in　his　class　academically。　This　would　pay　off　in　money　and　rank　as　a　young　officer's　place　on　the　promotion　list　was　determined　by　his　standing　at　graduation。
　　
　　But　the　petition　for　first　place　is　sharp　indeed；　and…　worse…makes　the　cadet　who　achieves　it　conspicuous。　David　became　aware　of　this　when　he　was　a　fresh…caught　plebe。　〃Mister；　are　you　a　savoir？〃…that　is　to　say：　〃academically　brainy〃…was　another　trick　question；　a　plebe　was　damned　whether　he　answered　Yes　or　No。
　　
　　But　standing　second…or　even　tenth…was　practically　as　useful　as　first　place。　David　noticed　some　thing　else：　The　fourth　year　counted　four　times　as　much　as　the　first；　the　next　to　the　last　year　three　times　as　much；　and　so　on　down…that　is；　a　plebe's　marks　did　not　affect　his　final　standing　much…only　one　part　in　ten。
　　
　　David　decided　to　maintain　a　〃low　proffle〃…always　the　smart　decision　when　one　is　likely　to　be　shot　at。
　　
　　He　finished　the　first　half　of　his　plebe　year　a　little　above　midway　in　his　class…safe；　respectable；　inconspicuous。　He　ended　his　plebe　year　in　the　upper　quarter…but　by　that　time　the　first　classmen　were　thinking　only　of　graduation　and　paid　no　attention　to　his　status。　His　second　year　he　moved　to　the　upper　10　percent；　his　third　year　he　improved　that　by　a　few　numbers
　　
　　…and　his　last　year；　when　it　counted　most；　he　went　all　out　and　finished　with　a　final　standing　for　four　years　of　sixth…but　effectively？second；　for　of　those　higher　in　ranking　two　elected　to~　leave　the　lin~　of　mand　for　specialization；　one　was　not　missioned　because　he　had　damaged　his　eyes　by　studying　too　hard；　and　one　resigned　after　he　graduated。
　　
　　But　the　care　with　which　David　managed　his　class　standing　does　not　show　his　true　talent　for　laziness…after　all；　sitting　down　and　reading　was　his　second　favorite；　pastime；　and　anything　which　merely　called　for　excellent　memory　and　logical　reasoning　was　no　effort　to　him。
　　
　　During　the　mock…warfare　cruise　that　opened　David's　last　year　of　school　a　group　of　his　classmates　were　discussing　what　cadet　ranks　each　would　receive。　By　then；　they　knew　pretty　well
　　
　　*　Context　implies　second　meaning。
　　
　　J。F。　45th
　　
　　which　ones　would　be　selected　as　cadet　officers。　Jake　is　certain　to　be　cadet　corps　mander…unless　he　falls　overboard。　Who　gets　his　battalion？　Steve？　Or　Stinky？
　　
　　Someone　suggested　that　Dave　was　in　line　for　that　battalion。　Dave　had　been　listening　instead　of　talking；　a　standard　feature　of　his　〃low　profile〃…and　very　nearly　a　third　way　to　lie；　Ira；　and　easier　than　its　equivalent…talking　while　saying　nothing…and　also　tends　to　give　the　nontalker　a　reputation　for　wisdom。　Never　cared　for　it　myself…talking　is　the　second　of　the　three　real　pleasures　in　life　and　the　only　thing　that　sets　us　apart　from　the　apes。　Though　just　barely。
　　
　　Now　D~vid　broke…or　appeared　to　break…his　habitual　reserve。　〃No　battalion　for　me；〃　he　said。　〃No　indeedy！　I'm　going　to　be　regimental　adjutant　and　stand　out　in　front　where　the　girls　can　see　me。〃
　　
　　Perhaps　his　remark　wasn't　taken　seriously…regimental　adjutant　is　lower　than　battalion　mander。　But　it　was　certain　to　be　repeated；　and　David　knew　it；　perhaps　by　the　prospective　cadet　regimental　mander　to　missioned　officers　mak。　ing　the　selections　for　cadet　officers。
　　
　　No　matter…　David　was　chosen　regimental　adjutant。
　　
　　By　military　organization　of　that　time；　a　regimental　adjutant。　did　stand　out　in　front；　all　alone；　where　female　visitors　could　hardly　avoid　seeng　him。　But　one　may　doubt　that　this　figured　into　Dave's　plans。
　　
　　The　regimental　adjutant　attends　no　formations　other　than　full　regimental　formations。　He　goes　to　and　from　classes　alone；　instead　of　marching　or　being　marched。　Other　first　classmen　are　responsible　each　for　some　unit　of　cadets；　be　it　squad；　platoon；　pany；　battalion；　or　regiment；　the　reg