一无所有-第32部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Yes。　It's　not　efficient；　but　what　else　is　to　be　done？　You　can't　tell　a　man　to　work　on　a　job　that　win　cripple　him　or　kill　him　in　a　few　years。　Why　should　be　do　that？〃

〃He　can　refuse　the　order？〃

〃It's　not　an　order；　Oiie。　He　goes　to　EMvlab　—　the　Division　of　Labor　office　—　and　says；　I　want　to　do　such　and　such；　what　have　you　got？　And　they　tell　him　where　there　are　jobs。〃

〃But　then　why　do　people　do　the　dirty　work　at　all？　Why　do　they　even　accept　the　onedayinten　jobs？〃

〃Because　they　are　done　together。　。　。　。　And　other　reasons。　You　know；　life　on　Anarres　isn't　rich；　as　it　is　here。　In　the　little　munities　there　isn't　very　much　entertainment；　and　there　is　a　lot　of　work　to　be　done。　So；　if　you　work　at　a　mechanical　loom　mostly；　every　tenthday　it's　pleasant　to　go　outside　and　lay　a　pipe　or　plow　a　field；　with　a　different　group　of　people。　。　。　。　And　then　there　is　challenge。　Here　you　think　that　the　incentive　to　work　is　finances；　need　for　money　or　desire　for　profit；　but　where　there's　no　money　the　real　motives　are　clearer；　maybe。　People　like　to　do　things。　They　like　to　do　them　well。　People　take　the　dangerous；　hard　jobs　because　they　take　pride　in　doing　them；　they　can　—　egoize；　we　call　it　—　show　off？　—　to　the　weaker　ones。　Hey；　look；　little　boys；　see　how　strong　I　am！　You　know？　A　person　likes　to　do　what　he　is　good　at　doing。。。。　But　really；　it　is　the　question　of　ends　and　means。　After　all；　work　is　done　for　the　work's　sake。　It　is　the　lasting　pleasure　of　life。　The　private　conscience　knows　that。　And　also　the　social　conscience；　the　opinion　of　one's　neighbors。　There　is　no　other　reward；　on　Anarres；　no　other　law。　One's　own　pleasure；　and　the　respect　of　one's　fellows。　That　is　all。　When　that　is　so；　then　you　see　the　opinion　of　the　neighbors　bees　a　very　mighty　force。〃

〃No　one　ever　defies　it？〃

〃Perhaps　not　often　enough；〃　Shevek　said。

〃Does　everybody　work　so　hard；　then？〃　Oiie's　wife　asked。　〃What　happens　to　a　man　who　just　won't　cooperate？〃

〃Well；　he　moves　on。　The　others　get　tired　of　him；　you　know。　They　make　fun　of　him；　or　they　get　rough　with　him；　beat　him　up；　in　a　small　munity　they　might　agree　to　take　his　name　off　the　meals　listing；　so　he　has　to　cook　and　eat　all　by　himself；　that　is　humiliating。　So　he　moves　on；　and　stays　in　another　place　for　a　while；　and　then　maybe　moves　on　again。　Some　do　it　all　their　lives。　Nuchnibs；　they're　called。　I　am　a　sort　of　nuchnib。　I　am　here　evading　my　own　work　posting。　I　moved　farther　than　most。〃　Shevek　spoke　tranquilly；　if　there　was　bitterness　in　his　voice　it　was　not　discernible　to　the　children；　nor　explicable　to　the　adults。　But　a　little　silence　followed　on　his　words。

〃I　don't　know　who　does　the　dirty　work　here；〃　he　said。　〃I　never　see　it　being　done。　It's　strange。　Who　does　it？　Why　do　they　do　it？　Are　they　paid　more？〃

〃For　dangerous　work；　sometimes。　For　merely　menial　tasks；　no。　Less。〃

〃Why　do　they　do　them；　then？〃

〃Because　low　pay　is　better　than　no　pay；〃　Oiie　said；　and　the　bitterness　in　his　voice　was　quite　clear。　His　wife　began　speaking　nervously　to　change　the　subject；　but　he　went　on；　My　grandfather　was　a　janitor。　Scrubbed　floors　and　changed　dirty　sheets　in　a　hotel　for　fifty　years。　Ten　hours　a　day；　six　days　a　week。　He　did　it　so　that　he　and　his　family　could　eat。〃　Oiie　stopped　abruptly；　and　glanced　at　Shevek　with　his　old　secretive；　distrustful　look；　and　then；　almost　with　defiance；　at　his　wife。　She　did　not　meet　his　eyes。　She　smiled　and　said　in　a　nervous；　childish　voice；　〃Demaere's　father　was　a　very　successful　man。　He　owned　four　panies　when　he　died。〃　Her　smile　was　that　of　a　person　in　pain；　and　her　dark；　slender　hands　were　pressed　tightly　one　over　the　other。

〃I　don't　suppose　you　have　successful　men　on　Anarres；〃　Oiie　said　with　heavy　sarcasm。　Then　the　cook　entered　to　change　the　plates；　and　he　stopped　speaking　at　once。　The　child　Ini；　as　if　knowing　that　the　serious　talk　would　not　resume　while　the　servant　was　there；　said；　〃Mother；　may　Mr。　Shevek　see　my　otter　when　dinner's　over？〃

When　they　returned　to　the　sitting　room　Ini　was　allowed　to　bring　in　his　pet：　a　halfgrown　land　otter；　a　mon　animal　on　Unas。　They　had　been　domesticated；　Oiie　explained；　since　prehistoric　times；　first　for　use　as　fish　retrievers；　then　as　pets。　The　creature　had　short　legs；　an　arched　and　supple　back；　glossy　darkbrown　fur。　It　was　the　first　uncaged　animal　Shevek　had　seen　close　up；　and　it　was　more　fearless　of　him　than　he　was　of　it。　The　white；　sharp　teeth　were　impressive。　He　put　his　hand　out　cautiously　to　stroke　it；　as　Ini　insisted　he　do。　The　otter　sat　up　on　its　haunches　and　looked　at　him。　Its　eyes　were　dark；　shot　with　gold；　intelligent；　curious；　innocent。　〃Ammar；〃　Shevek　whispered；　caught　by　that　gaze　across　the　gulf　of　being　—　〃brother。〃

The　otter　grunted；　dropped　to　all　fours；　and　examined　Shevek's　shoes　with　interest。

〃He　likes　you；〃　Ini　said。

〃I　like　him；〃　Shevek　replied；　a　little　sadly。　Whenever　he　saw　an　animal；　the　flight　of　birds；　the　splendor　of　autumn　trees；　that　sadness　came　into　him　and　gave　delight　a　cutting　edge。　He　did　not　think　consciously　of　Takver　at　such　moments；　he　did　not　think　of　her　absence。　Rather　it　was　as　if　she　were　there　though　he　was　not　thinking　about　her。　It　was　as　if　the　beauty　and　strangeness　of　the　beasts　and　plants　of　Urras　had　been　charged　with　a　message　for　him　by　Takver；　who　would　never　see　them；　whose　ancestors　for　seven　generations　had　never　touched　an　animal's　warm　fur　or　seen　the　flash　of　wings　in　ths
shade　of　trees。　

He　spent　the　night　in　a　bedroom　under　the　eaves。　It　was　cold；　which　was　wele　after　the　perpetual　overheating　of　rooms　at　the　University；　and　quite　plain：　the　bedstead；　bookcases；　a　chest；　a　chair；　and　a　painted　wooden　table。　It　was　like　home；　he　thought；　ignoring　the　height　of　the　bedstead　and　the　softness　of　the　mattress；　the　fine　woollen　blankets　and　silk　sheets；　the　knickknacks　of　ivory　on　the　chest；　the　leather　bindings　of　the　books；　and　the　fact　that　the　room；　and　everything　in　it；　and　the　house　it　was　in；　and　the　land　the　house　stood　on；　was　private　property；　the　property　of　Demaere　Oiie；　though　he　hadn't　built　it；　and　didn't　scrub　its　floors。　Shevek　put　aside　such　tiresome　discriminations。　It　was　a　nice　room　and　not　really　so　different　from　a　single　in　a　domicile。

Sleeping　in　that　room；　he　dreamed　of　Takver。　He　dreamed　that　she　was　with　him　in　the　bed；　that　her　arms　were　about　him；　her　body　against　his　body　。。。　but　what　room；　what　room　were　they　in？　Where　were　they？　They　were　on　the　Moon　together；　it　was　cold；　and　they　were　walking　along　together。　It　was　a　flat　place；　the　Moon；　all　covered　with　bluishwhite　snow；　though　the　snow　was　thin　and　easily　kicked　aside　to　show　the　luminous　white　ground。　It　was　dead；　a　dead　place。　〃It　isn't　really　like　this；〃　he　told　Takver；　knowing　she　was　frightened。　They　were　walking　towards　something；　a　distant　line　of　something　that　looked　flimsy　and　shiny　like　plastic；　a　remote；　hardly　visible　barrier　across　the　white　plain　of　snow。　In　his　heart　Shevek　was　afraid　to　approach　it；　but　he　told　Takver　〃We'll　be　there　soon。〃　She　did　not　answer　him。








Chapter　6





When　Shevek　was　sent　home　after　a　decad　in　hospital；　his　neighbor　in　Room　45　came　in　to　see　him。　He　was　a　mathematician；　very　tall　and　thin。　He　had　an　uncorrected　walleye；　so　that　you　never　could　be　sure　whether　he　was　looking　at　you　and/or　you　were　looking　at　him。　He　and　Shevek　had　coexisted　amicably；　side　by　side　in　the　Institute　domicile；　for　a　year；　without　ever　saying　a　full　sentence　to　each　other。

Desar　now　came　in　and　stared　at　or　beside　Shevek。　〃Anything？〃　he　said。

〃I'm　doing　fine；　thanks。〃

〃What　about　bring　dinner　mons。〃

〃With　yours？〃　Shevek　said；　influenced　by　Desar's　telegraphic　style。

〃All　right。〃

Desar　brought　two　dinners　on　a　tray　over　from　the　Institute　refectory；　and　they　ate　together　in　Shevek's　room。　He　did　the　same　morning　and　night　for　three　days　till　Shevek　felt　up　to　going　out　again。　It　was　hard　to　see　why　Desar　did　this。　He　was　not　friendly；　and　the　expectations　of　brotherhood　seemed　to　mean　little　to　him。　One　reason　he　held　aloof　from　people　was　to　hide　his　dishonesty；　he　was　either　appallingly　lazy　or　frankly　propertarian；　for　Room　45　was　full　of　stuff　that　he　had　no　right　or　reason　to　keep　—　dishes　from　mons；　books　from　libraries