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第30章送行SeeingPeopleoff
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麦克斯·毕尔勃姆MaxBeerbohm
麦克斯·毕尔勃姆（1872—1956），英国著名讽刺画家、散文家和剧评家。
曾就读于牛津大学。
除擅长绘画外，他还写过不少散文，并取得了较高的成就。
后来继萧伯纳任《星期六评论》剧评专栏作者达12年之久，晚年移居美国直到去世。
Iamnotgoodatit.Todoitwellseemstomeodiffigsintherobablyseemssotoyou，too.
ToseeafriendofffromWaterlootoVauxhallwereeasyenough.Butwearenevertoperformthatsmallfeat.Itisonlywhenafriendisgoingonalongishjourney，afuishtime，thatweturnupattherailwaystatiohefriehejourhelohelikelyabseheearlierdoweturnup，andthemorelamentablydowefail.Ourfailureisiiototheseriousheodtothedepth.
Inaroom，orevenonadoorstep，wemakethefarewellquiteworthily.ressihegenuinesorrowwefeel.Nordowordsfailus.Thereisnoawkward，ohethreadofourintimaotbeeheleave-takingisanidealo，theheleave-takingatthat?AlartingfriendsimploreusnottobothertoetotherailwaystatioAlways，wearedeaftotheseeies，kobenotquitesiingfriendswouldthinkitveryoddofusifwetookthemattheirword.Besides，theyreallydowanttoseeusagain.Andthatwishisheartilyreciprocated.Wedulyturnup.Ahen，whatagulfyawsvainlyacrossit.Wehaveutterlylosttouch.Wehavenothingatalltosay.Wegazeateachotherasdumbanimalsgazeathumanbei;makeversation"--andsuversatiohatthesefriehefriendsfromwhomwepartedht.Theyknowthatwehave，onthesurface，everythingisdiffereensionissuchthatweonlyluardtoblowhisutahefarce.
OnaoflastweekIdulyturEuston，toseeoffanoldfriendwhforAmerica.
&，wehadgivenhimafarewelldinner，inwhiesswaswellmihfestivity.Yearsprobablysebeforehisreturn.Someofusmightneverseehimagain.Ntheshadowofthefuture，wegailycelebratedthepast.Wewereasthankfultohaveknuestasweweregrievedtolosehim;andboththeseemotionsweremademaerfectfarewell.
Andnoere，stiffandself-stheplatform;ahewindowoftherailway-carriagewasthefaceofourfriend;butitwasasthefaceer--astrangeranxioustoplease，aranger，anawkwardstra;Haveyoug?"askedoneasile;Yes，everything，"aidourfriend，leasantnod.&qu，"herepeated，withtheemphasisofaybrain."You'llbeabletolurain，"saidI，thoughtheprophecyhadalreadybeeha;Oh，yes，"hesaidwithvi.HeaddedthatthetrairaightthroughtoLiverpool.Thisfactseemedtostrikeusasratherodd.Weexgedgla;Doesn'titstopatCrewe?"askedoneofus."No，"saidourfriend，briefly.Heseemedalmostdisagreeable.Thereause.Oneofus，withanodandaforcedsmileatthetraveler，said"Well!"Thenod，thesmileandtheunmeaningmournedtiously.Anotherpausewasbrokenbyoneofuswithafitofg.Itwasanobviouslyassumedfit，butitservedtopassthetime.Thebustleoftheplatformwasuherewasnosigrain'sdeparture.Release--ours，andourfriend's--was.
Mywaedolymiddle-agedmanwhowastalkilyfromtheplatformtoayoungladyatthewindowbutooours.Hisfineprofilewasvaguelyfamiliartome.TheyoungladywasevidentlyAmeridhewasevideherwiseIshouldhaveguessedfromhisimpressiveairthathewasherfather.IwishedIcouldhearwhathewassaying.Iwassurehewasgiviadvidthestrongtendernessofhisgazewasreallybeautiful.Heseemedmagic，ashepouredouthisfinalinjuns.Icouldfeelsomethingofhismagismeveood.Aism，liketheprofile，wasvaguelyfamiliartome.erie?
InaflashIremembered.ThemaLeRos.ButhowgedsiIsawhim!Thatwasseveyearsago，irahen（asusual）outofa，andborrowedhalf-a-.ItseemedaprivilegetolendanythingtohiHewasalwaysmagidwhyhismagismhadnevermadehimsuctheLondonstagewasalwaysamysterytome.Hewasaor，andama.But，likemanyothersofhiskiLeRos（Idonivetheaamebyn）driftedspeedilyawayintotheprovindI，likeeveryoorememberhi
Itwasstraeralltheseyears，hereoformofEuston，lookingsoprosperousandsolid.Itwasnotohathehadputon，butalsotheclothes，thatmadehimhardtheolddays，animitationfurcoathadseemedtobeasintegralapartofhimaswerehisill-shornlanternjaws.Butnowhisewasamodelofrioderati，notg，attentiontoitself.Helookedlikeabanker.Anyonecouldhavebeenproudtobeseenoffbyhi
"Standback，please!"hetrainwasabouttostart，andIwavedfarewelltomyfriend.LeRosdidnotstaoodginbothhandsthehandsoftheyoungAmeri."Standback，sir，please!"heobeyed，butquicklydartedfaintowhispersomefinalword.Ithiearsiherelyweretearsilength，havirainoutofsight，heturnedround.Heseemed，heless，delightedtoseeme.HeaskedmewhereIhadbeenhidingalltheseyears;andsimultahehalf-asthoughithadbeeerday.Helinkedhisarminmine，ahmeslowlyalofleasurehereadmydramaticcriticismseverySaturday.
Itoldhim，iurn，howmuchhewasmissedoage."Ah，yes，"hesaid，"Ihestagenowadays."Helaidsomeemphasisontheword"stage."andIaskedhimwhere，the."Oform，"hea;Youmean，"saidI，"thatyoureciteatiled."This，"hewhispered，strikinghisstitheground，"istheplatformImean."Hadhismysteriousprosperityunhingedhim?Helookedquitesaobemoreexplicit.
"Isuppose，"hesaidpresently，givifarwhichhehadofferedme，"Youhavebeenseeingafriendoff?Iassented.Heaskedmeosedhehadbeendoing.IsaidthatIhadwatchedhimdoihing."No，"hesaidgravely."Thatladywasnotafrieherforthefirsttimethism，lessthanhalfanho，here."andagaiheplatformwithhisstick.
IfessedthatIwasbewildered.Hesmiled."Youmay，"hesaid，"haveheardoftheAnglo-AmeriSocialBureau?Ihadnot.HeexplaiofthethousandsofAmerisassthroughEnglandtherearemanyhundredswhohavenoEnglishfriends.Intheolddaystheyusedtlettersofintrodu.ButtheEnglisharesoinhospitablethattheselettersarehardlyworththepapertheyarewrittenon."Thus，"aidLeRos，"theA.A.S.B.suppliesalo.AmerisareasoostofthemhaveplentyofmoheA.A.S.B.suppliesthemwithEnglishfriends.FiftypertofthefeesispaidovertothefrieherfiftyisretaiheA.A.S.B.Iamnot，alas!Adirector.IfIwere，Ishouldbeaveryrideed.IamonlyaevensoIdoverywell.Iamoheseers-off."
AgainIaskedfhte;ManyAmeris，"hesaid，"otaffordtokeepfriendsinEngland.Buttheyallaffordtobeseenoff.Thefeeisowenty-fivedletraveller;apounds（fortydollars）forapartyoftwoormore.Theysendthatintivieoftheirdeparture，aionbywhichtheseer-offtifythemoforAhentheyareseenoff."
"Butisitworth"?Iexclaimed."Ofcourseitisworthit，"saidLeRos."Itpreventsthemfromfeeling'Outofit.'Itearherespectoftheguard.Itsavesthemfrombeiheirfellow-passehepeoplewhtobeogivesthemafootingforthewholevoyage.Besides，itisagreatpleasureinitself.Yousawmeseeingthatyoungladyoff.Didn'tyouthinkIdiditbeautifully?""Beautifully，"Iadmitted."IeherewasI--""Yes，Ie.Therewereyou，shuffliofblanklyatyourfriend，tryingtomakeversation.Iknoos;showIusedtobemyself，beforeIstudied，ahethingprofessionally.Idon'tsayI'mperfectyet.I'mstillamartyrtht.Arailwaystatiodifficultofallplacestoa，asyouhavediscoveredforyourself.""But，"Isaidwithrese;Itoact.Ireallyfelt.""sodidI，myboy，"aidLeRos."You'tactwithoutfeeling.os;s-his-heFren--Diderot，yes--saidyoucould;butwhatdidheknowaboutit?Don'tyouseethosetearsihetrainstarted?Ihadn'tforcedtheItellyouIwasmoved.Sowereyou，Idaresay.Butyoup;apos;thavepumpedupateartoproveit.You'texpressys.Inotherwords，you'tayrate，"headdedkindly，"notinarailwaystation.""Teachme!"cried.Helookedthoughtfullyatme."Well，"hesaidatlength，"theseeing-offseasonispracticallyover.Yes，I'llgiveyouacourse.Ihaveagoodmanypupilsonhayes，"hesaid，gaebook，"IcouldgiveyouanhouronTuesdaysandFridays."
Histerms，Ifess，areratherhigh.ButIdon&apethei.
我不会送行。
它可是我所认为世上最难做好的事情之一，对此，你大概也心有同感。
送一位朋友从滑铁卢去渥克斯厅可以说是一件相当简单的事。
但你从来就接不到这种轻松活儿。
我们只有当朋友要远行，离去的时间又比较长时，才被召唤亲赴车站送行。
朋友交情越好，送的路程越远，朋友离去的时间越长，我们就越早到达车站，相应的，我们遭遇的失败也就越为惨烈。
这种失败的程度恰恰与场合的正式以及感情的深厚程度成正比。
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