白噪音(White Noise) (英文版)作者:唐·德里罗(Don DeLillo)-第24章

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　reborn　as　a　freckle…faced　girl　in　Iowa。
　　〃The　no…risk　bonus　coupon　below　gives　you　guaranteed　access　to　dozens　of　documented　cases　of　life　after　death；　everlasting　life；　previous…life　experiences；　posthumous　life　in　outer　space；　transmigration　of　souls；　and　personalized　resurrection　through　stream…of…consciousness　puter　techniques。〃
　　I　studied　the　faces　in　the　semicircle。　No　one　seemed　amazed　by　this　account。　Old　Man　Treadwell　lit　a　cigarette；　impatient　with　his　own　trembling　hand；　forced　to　shake　out　the　flame　before　it　burned　him。　There　was　no　interest　shown　in　discussion。　The　story　occupied　some　recess　of　passive　belief。　There　it　was；　familiar　and　forting　in　its　own　strange　way；　a　set　of　statements　no　less　real　than　our　daily　quota　of　observable　household　fact。　Even　Babette　in　her　tone　of　voice　betrayed　no　sign　of　skepticism　or　condescension。　Surely　I　was　in　no　position　to　feel　superior　to　these　elderly　listeners；　blind　or　sighted。　Little　Patti's　walk　toward　the　warm　weling　glow　found　me　in　a　weakened　and　receptive　state。　I　wanted　to　believe　at　least　this　part　of　the　tale。
　　Babette　read　an　ad。　The　Stanford　Linear　Accelerator　3…Day　Particle…Smashing　Diet。
　　She　picked　up　another　tabloid。　The　cover　story　concerned　the　country's　leading　psychics　and　their　predictions　for　the　ing　year。　She　read　the　items　slowly。
　　〃Squadrons　of　UFOs　will　invade　Disney　World　and　Cape　Canaveral。　In　a　startling　twist；　the　attack　will　be　revealed　as　a　demonstration　of　the　folly　of　war；　leading　to　a　nuclear　test…ban　treaty　between　the　U。S。　and　Russia。
　　'The　ghost　of　Elvis　Presley　will　be　seen　taking　lonely　walks　at　dawn　around　Graceland；　his　musical　mansion。
　　〃A　Japanese　consortium　will　buy　Air　Force　One　and　turn　it　into　a　luxury　flying　condominium　with　midair　refueling　privileges　and　air…to…surface　missile　capability。
　　〃Bigfoot　will　appear　dramatically　at　a　campsite　in　the　rugged　and　scenic　Pacific　Northwest。　The　hairy；　upright　man…beast；　who　stands　eight　feet　tall　and　may　be　evolution's　missing　link；　will　gently　wele　tourists　to　gather　around　him；　revealing　himself　to　be　an　apostle　of　peace。
　　〃UFOs　will　raise　the　lost　city　of　Atlantis　from　its　watery　grave　in　the　Caribbean　by　telekinetic　means　and　the　help　of　powerful　cables　with　properties　not　known　in　earthlike　materials。　The　result　will　be　a　'city　of　peace'　where　money　and　passports　are　totally　unknown。
　　〃The　spirit　of　Lyndon　B。　Johnson　will　contact　CBS　executives　to　arrange　an　interview　on　live　TV　in　order　to　defend　itself　against　charges　made　in　recent　books。
　　〃Beatle　assassin　Mark　David　Chapman　will　legally　change　his　name　to　John　Lennon　and　begin　a　new　career　as　a　rock　lyricist　from　his　prison　cell　on　murderer's　row。
　　〃Members　of　an　air…crash　cult　will　hijack　a　jumbo　jet　and　crash　it　into　the　White　House　in　an　act　of　blind　devotion　to　their　mysterious　and　reclusive　leader；　known　only　as　Uncle　Bob。　The　President　and　First　Lady　will　miraculously　survive　with　minor　cuts；　according　to　close　friends　of　the　couple。
　　〃Dead　multibillionaire　Howard　Hughes　will　mysteriously　appear　in　the　sky　over　Las　Vegas。
　　〃Wonder　drugs　mass…produced　aboard　UFO　pharmaceutical　labs　in　the　weightless　environment　of　space　will　lead　to　cures　for　anxiety；　obesity　and　mood　swings。
　　〃From　beyond　the　grave；　dead　living　legend　John　Wayne　will　municate　telepathically　with　President　Reagan　to　help　frame　U。S。　foreign　policy。　Mellowed　by　death；　the　strapping　actor　will　advocate　a　hopeful　policy　of　peace　and　love。
　　〃Sixties　superkiller　Charles　Manson　will　break　out　of　prison　and　terrorize　the　California　countryside　for　weeks　before　negotiating　a　surrender　on　live　TV　in　the　offices　of　International　Creative　Management。
　　〃Earth's　only　satellite；　the　moon；　will　explode　on　a　humid　night　in　July；　playing　havoc　with　tides　and　raining　dirt　and　debris　over　much　of　our　planet。　But　UFO　cleanup　crews　will　help　avert　a　worldwide　disaster；　signalling　an　era　of　peace　and　harmony。〃
　　I　watched　the　audience。　Folded　arms；　heads　slightly　tilted。　The　predictions　did　not　seem　reckless　to　them。　They　were　content　to　exchange　brief　and　unrelated　remarks；　as　during　a　break　for　a　mercial　on　TV。　The　tabloid　future；　with　its　mechanism　of　a　hopeful　twist　to　apocalyptic　events；　was　perhaps　not　so　very　remote　from　our　own　immediate　experience。　Look　at　us；　I　thought。　Forced　out　of　our　homes；　sent　streaming　into　the　bitter　night；　pursued　by　a　toxic　cloud；　crammed　together　in　makeshift　quarters；　ambiguously　death…sentenced。　We'd　bee　part　of　the　public　stuff　of　media　disaster。　The　small　audience　of　the　old　and　blind　recognized　the　predictions　of　the　psychics　as　events　so　near　to　happening　that　they　had　to　be　shaped　in　advance　to　our　needs　and　wishes。　Out　of　some　persistent　sense　of　large…scale　ruin；　we　kept　inventing　hope。
　　Babette　read　an　ad　for　diet　sunglasses。　The　old　people　listened　with　interest。　I　went　back　to　our　area。　I　wanted　to　be　near　the　children；　watch　them　sleep。　Watching　children　sleep　makes　me　feel　devout；　part　of　a　spiritual　system。　It　is　the　closest　I　can　e　to　God。　If　there　is　a　secular　equivalent　of　standing　in　a　great　spired　cathedral　with　marble　pillars　and　streams　of　mystical　light　slanting　through　two…tier　Gothic　windows；　it　would　be　watching　children　in　their　little　bedrooms　fast　asleep。　Girls　especially。
　　Most　of　the　lights　were　out　now。　The　barracks　roar　had　subsided。　People　were　settling　in。　Heinrich　was　still　awake；　sitting　on　the　floor；　fully　dressed；　his　back　to　the　wall；　reading　a　Red　Cross　resuscitation　manual。　He　was　not；　in　any　case；　a　child　whose　lustrous　slumber　brought　me　peace。　A　restless；　teeth…grinding　and　erratic　sleeper；　the　boy　sometimes　fell　from　his　bed；　to　be　found　in　a　fetal　bundle　by　early　light；　shivering　on　the　hardwood　floor。　〃They　seem　to　have　things　under　control；〃　I　said。　〃Who？〃
　　〃Whoever's　in　charge　out　there。〃　〃Who's　in　charge？〃　〃Never　mind。〃
　　〃It's　like　we've　been　flung　back　in　time；〃　he　said。　〃Here　we　are　in　the　Stone　Age；　knowing　all　these　great　things　after　centuries　of　progress　but　what　can　we　do　to　make　life　easier　for　the　Stone　Agers？　Can　we　make　a　refrigerator？　Can　we　even　explain　how　it　works？　What　is　electricity？　What　is　light？　We　experience　these　things　every　day　of　our　lives　but　what　good　does　it　do　if　we　find　ourselves　hurled　back　in　time　and　we　can't　even　tell　people　the　basic　principles　much　less　actually　make　something　that　would　improve　conditions。　Name　one　thing　you　could　make。　Could　you　make　a　simple　wooden　match　that　you　could　strike　on　a　rock　to　make　a　flame？　We　think　we're　so　great　and　modern。　Moon　landings；　artificial　hearts。　But　what　if　you　were　hurled　into　a　time　warp　and　came　face　to　face　with　the　ancient　Greeks。　The　Greeks　invented　trigonometry。　They　did　autopsies　and　dissections。　What　could　you　tell　an　ancient　Greek　that　he　couldn't　say；　'Big　deal。'　Could　you　tell　him　about　the　atom？　Atom　is　a　Greek　word。　The　Greeks　knew　that　the　major　events　in　the　universe　can't　be　seen　by　the　eye　of　man。　It's　waves；　it's　rays；　it's　particles。〃
　　〃We're　doing　all　right。〃
　　〃We're　sitting　in　this　huge　moldy　room。　It's　like　we're　flung　back。〃
　　〃We　have　heat；　we　have　light。〃
　　〃These　are　Stone　Age　things。　They　had　heat　and　light。　They　had　fire。　They　rubbed　flints　together　and　made　sparks。　Could　you　rub　flints　together？　Would　you　know　a　flint　if　you　saw　one？　If　a　Stoner　Ager　asked　you　what　a　nucleotide　is；　could　you　tell　him？　How　do　we　make　carbon　paper？　What　is　glass？　If　you　came　awake　tomorrow　in　the　Middle　Ages　and　there　was　an　epidemic　raging；　what　could　you　do　to　stop　it；　knowing　what　you　know　about　the　progress　of　medicines　and　diseases？　Here　it　is　practically　the　twenty…first　century　and　you've　read　hundreds　of　books　and　magazines　and　seen　a　hundred　TV　shows　about　science　and　medicine。　Could　you　tell　those　people　one　little　crucial　thing　that　might　save　a　million　and　a　half　lives？〃
　　〃'Boil　your　water；'　I'd　tell　them。〃
　　〃Sure。　What　about　'Wash　behind　your　ears。'　That's　about　as　good。〃
　　〃I　still　think　we're　doing　fairly　well。　There　was　no　warning。　We　have　food；　we　have　radios。〃
　　〃What　is　a　radio？　What　is　the　principle　of　a　radio？　Go　ahead；　explain。　You're　sitting　in　the　middle　of　this　circle　of　people。　They　use　pebble　tools。　They　eat　grubs。　Explain　a　radio。〃
　　〃There's　no　mystery。　Powerful　transmitters　send　signals。　They　travel　through　the　air；　to　be　picked　up　by　receivers。〃
　　〃They　travel　through　the　air。　What；　like　birds？　Why　not　tell　them　magic？　They　travel　through　the　air　in　magic　waves。　What　is　a　nucleotide？　You　don't　know；　do　you？　Yet　these　are　the　building　blocks　of　life。　What　good　is　knowledge　if　it　just　floats　in　the　air？　It　goes　from　puter　to　puter。　It　changes　and　grows　every　second　of　every　day。　But　nobody　actually　knows　anything。〃
　　〃You　know　something。　You　know　about　Nyodene　D。　I　saw　you　with　those　people。〃
　　〃That　was　a　one…time　freak；〃　he　told　me。
　　He　went　back　to　his　reading。　I　decided　to　get　some　air。　Outside　there　were　several　groups　of　people　standing　around　fires　in　fifty…five…gallon　drums。　A　man　sold　soft　drinks　and　sandwiches　from　an　open…sided　vehicle。　Parked　nearby　were　school　buses；　motorcycles；　smallish　vans　called　ambulettes。　I　walked　around　a　while。　There　were　people　asleep　in　cars；　others　pitching　tents。　Beams　of　light　swung　slowly　through　the　woods；　searching　out　sounds；　calm　voices　calling。　I　walked　past　a　carload　of　prostitutes　from　Iron　City。　The　interior　light　was　on；　the　faces　occupied　the　windows。　They　resembled　the　checkout　women　at　the　supermarket；　blondish；　double…chinned；　resigned。　A　man　leaned　against　the　front　door　on　the　driver's　side；　speaking　through　a　small　opening　in　the　window；　his　breath　showing　white。　A　radio　said：　〃Hog　futures　have　declined　in　sympathy；　adding　bearishness　to　that　market。〃
　　I　realized　the　man　talking　to　the　prostitutes　was　Murray　Jay　Siskind。　I　walked　over　there；　waited　for　him　to　finish　his　sentence　before　addressing　him。　He　took　off　his　right　glove　to　shake　my　hand。　The　car　window　went　up。
　　〃I　thought　you　were　in　New　York　for　the　term　break。〃
　　〃I　came　back　early　to　look　at　car…crash　movies。　Alfonse　arranged　a　week　of　screenings　to　help　me　prepare　for　my　seminar。　I　was　on　the　airport　bus　heading　in　from　Iron　City　when　sirens　started　blowing。　The　driver　didn't　have　much　choice　but　to　follow　the　traffic　out　here。〃
　　〃Where　are　you　spending　the　night？〃
　　〃The　whole　bus　was　assigned　to　one　of　the　outbuildings。　I　heard　a　rumor　about　painted　women　and　came　out　to　investigate。　One　of　them　is　dressed　in　leopard　loungewear　under　her　coat。　She　showed　me。　Another　one　says　she　has　a　snap…off　crotch。　What　do　you　think　she　means　by　that？　I'm　a　little　worried；　though；　about　all　these　outbreaks　of　life…style　diseases。　I　carry　a　reinforced　ribbed　condom　at　all　times。　One　size　fits　all。　But　I　have　a　feeling　it's　not　much　protection　against　the　intelligence　and　adaptability　of　the　modern　virus。〃
　　'The　women　don't　seem　busy；〃　I　said。
　　〃I　don't　think　this　is　the　kind　of　disaster　that　leads　to　sexual　abandon。　One　or　two　fellows　might　e　skulking　out　eventually　but　there　won't　be　an　orgiastic　horde；　not　tonight　anyway。〃
　　〃I　guess　people　need　time　to　go　through　certain　stages。〃
　　〃It's　obvious；〃　he　said。