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！
。
… 手机访问 m。
……
¤╭⌒╮ ╭⌒╮欢迎光临
╱◥██◣ ╭╭ ⌒
︱田︱田田｜ ╰……
╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬版 权 归 原 作 者
【十里丹青】整理
附：【】内容版权归作者所有！
┗ ┛
《时间足够你爱 TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE》
作者：罗伯特…海因莱因
类型：英文原版
第1节
TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE
The Lives of the Senior Member of the Howard Families （Woodrow Wilson Smith； Ernest Gibbons； Captain Aaron Sheffield； Lazarus Long； 〃Happy〃 Daze； His Serenity Seraphin the Younger； Supreme High Priest of the One God in All His Aspects and Arbiter Below and Above； Proscribed Prisoner No。 83M2742； Mr。 Justice Lenox； Corporal Ted Bronson； Dr。 Lafe Hubert； and others）； Oldest Member of the Human Race。 This Account is based principally on the Senior's Own Words as recorded at many times and places and especially at the Howard RejUvenation Clinic and at the Executive Palace in New Rome on Secundus in Year 2053 After the Great Diaspora （Gregorian Year 4272 of Old Home Terra）…and supplemented by letters and by eyewitness accounts； the whole then arranged； collated； condensed； and （where possible） reconciled with official records and contemporary histories； as directed by the Howard Foundation Trustees and executed by the Howard Archivist Emeritus。 The result is of unique historical importance despite the Archivist's decision to leave in blatant falsehoods； self…serving allegations； and many amoral anecdotes not suitable for young persons。
INTRODUCTION
On the Writing of History
History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion…i。e。； none to speak of。
…L。L。
The Great Diaspora of the Human Race which started more than two millennia ago when the Libby…Sheffield Drive was disclosed； and which continues to this day and shows no sign of slowing； niade the writing of history as a single narrative… or even many patible narratives…impossible。 By the twenty…first century （Gregorian）* on Old Home Terra our Race was capable of doubling its numbers three times each century…given space and raw materials。
The Star Drive gave both。 H。 sapiens spread through this sector of our Galaxy at many times the speed of light and multiplied like yeast。 If doubling had occurred at the twentyfirst…century potential； our numbers would now be of the order of 7 x 10~ x 2？…a number so large as to defy emotional grasp； it is suited only to puters：
7 x 10~ x ~ = 2；066；035；336；255；469；780；992；000；000；000。
…or more than two thousand millioa billion trillion people
…or a mass of protein twenty…five million times as great as the entire mass of our race's native pla Sol III； Old Home。
Preposterous。
Let us say that it would be preposterous had not the Great Diaspora taken place； for our race； having reached the potential to double three times each century； had also reached a crisis under which it could not double even once…that knee of the curve in the yeast…growth law in which a population
* Gregorian Terran dates are used throughout； as no other calendar； not even Standard Galactic； is certain to be known to scholars of every pla。 Translators should add local dates for clarification。
J。F。 45th
can maintain a precarious stability of zero growth only …by killing o1~ its own members fast enougb 。 … lest it drown in its own poisons； mit suicide by total war； or stumble into some other form of the Malthusian Final Solution。
But the Human Race has not （we think） increased to that monstrous figure because the hase~。 figure for the Diaspora must not be thought of as seven billion but rather as a few million at the opening of the …Era； plus tl~e unnumbered； small…but…still…growing hundreds of milhions since； who have migrated from Earth and from its colony plas to still more distant places over the last two millennia。
But we are no longer able to make a reasoned guess at the numbers of the Human Race； nor do we have even an approximate count of the colonized plas。 The most we can say is that there must be in excess。 of two thousand colonized plas； in excess of five hundred billion people。 The colonized plas may be twice that number； the Human Race could be four times that numerous。 Or more。
So even the demographic aspects of historiography have bee impossible； data are out of date when we receive them ~nd always inplete…yet so numerous and so varied in reliability that several hundred humans/puters on my staff keep b？~y trying to analyze； collate； interpolate and ex~ trapolate； and to weigh them against other data before incorporating them into the records。 We attempt to maintain standards of 95 percent in probability of corrected data； 85 percent in pessimistic reliability； our achievement is closer to 89 per cent and 81 percent…and getting worse。
Pioneers care little about sending records to the home office； they are busy staying alive； making babies； and killing off anything in their way。 A colony is usually into its fourth generation before any data reach this office。
（Nor can it be otherwise。 A colonist too interested in statistics bees a statistic himself…as a corpse。 I intend to migrate； once I have done so； I won't care whether this office keeps track of me or not。 I have stuck to this essentially useless work for almost a century partly through indUcements and partly through geic disposition…I am a direct…andreinforced descendant of Andrew Jackson Slipstick Libby himself。 But I am descended also from the Senior and have… I think…some of his restless nature。 I want to follow the wild geese and see what is happening out there…get married again； leave a dozen descendants on a fresh uncrowded pla； then…possibly…move on。 Once I have the Senior's memoirs
collated； the Trustees can； in the Senior's ancient idiom； take this job and shove it。）
What sort of man is our Senior； my ancestor and probably yours； and certainly the oldest living human being； the only man who has taken part in the entire pageant of the crisis of the Human Race and its surmounting of crisis through Diaspora？
For surmount it we have。 Our race could now lose fifty plas； close ranks； and move on。 Our gallant women could replace the casualties in a single generation。 Not that it appears likely that this will happen； thus far we have encountered not one race as mean； as nasty； as deadly as our own。 A conservative extrapolation indicates that we will reach in numbers that preposterous figure given earlier in a few more generations…and move on out of this Galaxy into others before we finish settling this one。 Indeed； reports from farther out indicate that Human intergalactic colony ships are already headed out into the Endless Deeps。 These reports are not verified…but the most virile colonies are always a long way from the most populous centers。 One may hope。
At best； history is hard to grasp； at worst； it is a lifeless collection of questionable records。 It i