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1、AnthonyBurgessEarthlyPowersFirstpublishedin1980TOLIANAONEItwastheafternoonofmyeighty-firstbirthday,andIwasinbedwithmycatamitewhenAliannouncedthatthearchbishophadcometoseeme."Verygood,Ali,"IquaveredinSpanishthroughthecloseddoorofthemasterbedroom."Takehimintothebar.Givehimadrin
2、k.""_Haydos.Sucapell�ntambi�n._""Verygood,Ali.Givehischaplainadrinkalso."Iretiredtwelveyearsagofromtheprofessionofnovelist.Neverthelessyouwillbeconstrainedtoconsider,ifyouknowmyworkatallandtakethetroublenowtorereadthatfirstsentence,thatIhavelostnoneofmyoldcunninginthecontriva
3、nceofwhatisknownasanarrestingopening.Butthereisreallynothingofcontrivanceaboutit.Actualitysometimesplaysintothehandsofart.ThatIwaseighty-oneIcouldhardlydoubt:congratulatorycableshadbeenrubbingitinallthroughtheforenoon.Geoffrey,whowasalreadypullingonhisovertightsummerslacks,wa
4、s,Isupposed,myGanymedeormaleloveraswellasmysecretary.TheSpanishword_arzobispo_certainlymeansarchbishop.Thetimewassomethingafterfouro'clockonaMalteseJuneday--thetwenty-third,tobeexact--andtosparethetrulyinterestedthetroubleofconsultingWho'sWho.Geoffreysweatedtoomuchandwasrunni
5、ngtofat(whydoesonesayrunning?Geoffreyneverran).Theliving,Isupposed,wastooeasyforaboyofthirty-five.Well,thetimeforourseparationcouldnot,inthenatureofthings,bemuchlongerdelayed.Geoffreywouldnotbepleasedwhenheattendedthereadingofmywill."Theoldbitch,mydear,andallIdidforhim."Iwoul
6、ddoforhimtoo,thoughposthumously,posthumously.Ilayalittlewhile,naked,mottled,sallow,emaciated,smokingacigarettethatshouldhavebeenpostcoitalbutwasnot.Geoffreyputonhissandalspuffing,creasinghisstomachintothreebunchesoffat,andthenhisflowerycoatshirt.Finallyhehidhimselfbehindhissu
7、nglasses,whichwereoftheinsolentkindwhoseconvexitiesflashmetallicmirrorsattheworld.Iobservedmyeighty-one-year-oldfaceandneckquiteclearlyinthem:thefamousancientgrimnessofonewhohadexperiencedlifeverykeenly,theunfleshedtendonslikecables,theanatomyofthejaws,theFribourgandTreyercig
8、aretteinitsDunhillholderrelatingmetoanerawhensmokinghadbeenanacttobe