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1、IntheParrot’sRoyalCourtMATTHEWMARGINIIknownobleaccentsAndlucid,inescapablerhythms;ButIknow,too,ThattheblackbirdisinvolvedInwhatIknow.—WallaceStevens,“ThirteenWaysofLookingataBlackbird”SomewillsaythatGabrielGarcíaMárquez’sLoveintheTimeofCholerabeginswith“thescentofbitteralmonds”thatwafts
2、intothenostrilsofDr.JuvenalUrbino,themostrespectedoldmanintown,ashehurriestoreportthesuicideofhisfriendJeremiahdeSaint-Amour(1).Somewillsaythatitbeginswiththatsuicide,anactoflove-martyrdomthatthrustsusimmediate-lyintothekindofworldwherelove-martyrdom—alongwithlove-murder,love-stalking,a
3、ndothercrimesofpassion—isanacceptableandexpectableactivity.Somewillsaythatitbeginswiththreewords:“Itwasinevitable”—wordsthattellusthatthisisaworldinwhichFatehasinescapablejurisdic-tion(1).Isayitbeginswiththedisobedienceofasurlyparrot.Atfirstglance,theparrotisalovely,specialcreature,“lig
4、hterthanheseemed,withayellowheadandablacktongue,theonlywaytodistinguishhimfrommangroveparrotswhodidnotlearntospeakevenwithturpentinesuppositories”(23).Dr.Urbino’swife,FerminaDaza,buysthebirdaftertheirhouseisrobbed.Shewantsaguarddog;Dr.Urbino,neverparticularlyfondofanimals,decrees,“Nothi
5、ngthatdoesnotspeakwillcomeintothishouse”(23).Aparrotseemsagoodcompromise.Butthisparrotisnotonetomakecompromises:hisdefiningcharacteristicisapropensityfordefiance.Whentheylethimroamthehousewithclippedwings,hefallsintoaboilingstew-pot“withasailor’sshoutofeverymanforhimself,”leavinghimself
6、foreverdeplumed(24).Whentheparrotearnsnationalfameforhissinging,andthePresidentoftheRepublic,amanwiththeloftynameofDonMarcoFidelSuarez,visitsthehousetoattendaperformanceforhimself,thebirdrefusesMERCERSTREET-129tomakeasoundfortwohours.Afterthedoctordecidestokeephiminhiscage,wingsunclippe
7、d,lettinghimoutonlyforhisfouro’clocklessonsontheterrace—lessonsinFrench,liturgicalLatin,arithmetic;thedoctorisaninsuf-ferablepedant—hefliesaway.Despitehisinsistenceonanthropomorphizingtheparrotwitharobusteducationinthehumanities,Dr.Urbinocherishesthebird’sautonomy.Heappreciates
