246.英文正文（246）

「atthetimewhenithappens，」shehadsaid，「youdomeanit。***」hehadmeantit。hehadnotmerelysaidit，hehadwishedit。hehadwishedthatsheandnotheshouldbedeliveredovertothe—

somethingchangedinthemusicthattrickledfromthetelescreen。acrackedandjeeringnote，ayellownote，cameintoit。andthen—perhapsitwasnothappening，perhapsitwasonlyamemorytakingonthesemblanceofsound—avoicewassinging：

thetearswelledupinhiseyes。apassingwaiternoticedthathisglasswasemptyandcamebackwiththeginbottle。hetookuphisglassandsniffedatit。thestuffgrewnotlessbutmorehorriblewitheverymouthfulhedrank。butithadbecometheelementheswamin。itwashislife，hisdeath，andhisresurrection。itwasginthatsankhimintostuporeverynight，andginthatrevivedhimeverymorning。whenhewoke，seldombeforeelevenhundred，withgummed-upeyelidsandfierymouthandabackthatseemedtobebroken，itwouldhavebeenimpossibleeventorisefromthehorizontalifithadnotbeenforthebottleandteacupplacedbesidethebedovernight。throughthemiddayhourshesatwithglazedface，thebottlehandy，listeningtothetelescreen。fromfifteentoclosing-timehewasafixtureinthechestnuttree。noonecaredwhathedidanylonger，nowhistlewokehim，notelescreenadmonishedhim。occasionally，perhapstwiceaweek，hewenttoadusty，forgotten-lookingofficeintheministryoftruthanddidalittlework，orwhatwascalledwork。hehadbeenappointedtoasub-committeeofasub-committeewhichhadsproutedfromoneoftheinnumerablecommitteesdealingwithminordifficultiesthataroseinthecompilationoftheeleventheditionofthenewspeakdictionary。theywereengagedinproducingsomethingcalledaninterimreport，butwhatitwasthattheywerereportingonhehadneverdefinitelyfoundout。itwassomethingtodowiththequestionofwhethercommasshouldbeplacedinsidebrackets，oroutside。therewerefourothersonthecommittee，allofthempersonssimilartohimself。thereweredayswhentheyassembledandthenpromptlydispersedagain，franklyadmittingtooneanotherthattherewasnotreallyanythingtobedone。buttherewereotherdayswhentheysettleddowntotheirworkalmosteagerly，makingatremendousshowofenteringuptheirminutesanddraftinglongmemorandawhichwereneverfinished—whentheargumentastowhattheyweresupposedlyarguingaboutgrewextraordinarilyinvolvedandabstruse，withsubtlehagglingoverdefinitions，enormousdigressions，quarrelsthreats，even，toappealtohigherauthority。andthensuddenlythelifewouldgooutofthemandtheywouldsitroundthetablelookingatoneanotherwithextincteyes，likeghostsfadingatcock-crow。