第46章让生命在书香与自然中升华(16)
NewYorkbleofprivacywiththeextofparti;ahanmostdeiesitsuinsulatingtheindividual(ifhewantsit,andalmosteverybodywa)againstallenormousaandwohataretakingplaceeveryminute。Sitinginthismiasmicairshaft,agoodmanyrathersplashyeventshaveotown。Amanshotandkilledhiswifeinafitofjealousy。Itostiroutsidehisbloallmentioninthepapers。Ididnotattend。Sincemyarrival,thegreatestairshediookpla。Ididn'tatteherdidmostoftheeightmillioants,althoughtheysaytherewasquiteacrowd。Ididn'tevenhearaacoupleofwestboundercialairlihabituallyusethisairshafttgestogshipsolanticarrivedaed。Ididn'themaherdidmostotherNewYorkers。Iamtoldthisisthegreatestseaportintheworld,with650milesofwaterfront,andshipsgherefrommaids,buttheonlyboatI'vehappeicemyarrivaltagoutoftheEastRiveroiealkingacrosstheBre。IheardtheQueenMaryblowo,though,andthesouhewholehistoryofdepartureandlongingandloss。TheLionshavebeeion。I'veseennotoneLion。Afrieoldmeabouthim。(Hewaslame,andwasweariheballgroundsahegreatestspspectacleshavebeeed。Isalayer,hegoverowhesirehatwasalltherewastothat—aeen-inagain。Amanwaskilledbyafallingice。Iartytedy,andagaintheiedheavily。
&hesemerelytoshowthatNewYorkispeculiarlystructedtoabsorbalmostanythingthatesalohousand-footlioftheEastoratwenty-thousand-maoftheWest)withoutinflitheeventonitsinhabitants,sothateveryeventis,iional,aantisinthehappypositionofbeiochoosehisspedsoservehissoul。Iropolises,smallahechoiceisoftennotwiththeindividualatall。HeisthrowheLionsare;theeventisunavoidable。Aicefalls,andithitseverythehead,everylastmanintowhinkthattheohitseveryheheadistheannualSt。Patrick'sDayparade,whichisfairlypeing—theIrishareahardraeout,andthereare500,000oftheminresidence。
&yihatisinhabitantsfromlifemaysimplyweakenthemasindividuals。Perhapsitishealthiertoliveinaunitywhere,whenaicefalls,youfeeltheblohenthegovernorpasses,youseeata。
IamnotdefendingNewYorkinthisregard。Manyofitssettlersareprobablyheremerelytoesotface,reality。Butwhateveritmeans,itisaratherraregift,ahasapositiveeffethecreativecapacitiesofNewYorker—forisihebusinessthegreatandsmalldistras。