白噪音(White Noise) (英文版)作者:唐·德里罗(Don DeLillo)-第32章

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　brightly　colored　stack　of　supermarket　tabloids。
　　I　needed　a　distraction。　I　found　a　camp　chair　and　set　it　near　the　wall　behind　Babette。　There　were　four　blind　people；　a　nurse　and　three　sighted　people　arranged　in　a　semicircle　facing　the　reader。　Qthers　occasionally　paused　to　listen　to　an　item　or　two；　then　moved　on。　Babette　employed　her　storytelling　voice；　the　same　sincere　and　lilting　tone　she　used　when　she　read　fairy　tales　to　Wilder　or　erotic　passages　to　her　husband　in　their　brass　bed　high　above　the　headlong　traffic　hum。
　　She　reported　a　front…page　story。　〃Life　After　Death　Guaranteed　with　Bonus　Coupons。〃　Then　turned　to　the　designated　page。
　　〃Scientists　at　Princeton's　famed　Institute　for　Advanced　Studies　have　stunned　the　world　by　presenting　absolute　and　undeniable　proof　of　life　after　death。　A　researcher　at　the　world…renowned　Institute　has　used　hypnosis　to　induce　hundreds　of　people　to　recall　their　previous…life　experiences　as　pyramid…builders；　exchange　students　and　extraterrestrials。〃
　　Babette　changed　her　voice　to　do　dialogue。
　　'〃In　the　last　year　alone；'　declares　reincarnation　hypnotist　Ling　Ti　Wan；　'I　have　helped　hundreds　to　regress　to　previous　lives　under　hypnosis。　One　of　my　most　amazing　subjects　was　a　woman　who　was　able　to　recall　her　life　as　a　hunter…gatherer　in　the　Mesolithic　era　ten　thousand　years　ago。　It　was　remarkable　to　hear　this　tiny　senior　citizen　in　polyester　slacks　describe　her　life　as　a　hulking　male　chieftain　whose　band　inhabited　a　peat　bog　and　hunted　wild　boar　with　primitive　bow　and　arrow。　She　was　able　to　identify　features　of　that　era　which　only　a　trained　archaeologist　could　know　about。　She　even　spoke　several　phrases　in　the　language　of　that　day；　a　tongue　remarkably　similar　to　modern…day　German。'〃
　　Babette's　voice　resumed　its　tone　of　straight　narration。
　　〃Dr。　Shiv　Chatterjee；　fitness　guru　and　high…energy　physicist；　recently　stunned　a　live　TV　audience　by　relating　the　well…documented　case　of　two　women；　unknown　to　each　other；　who　came　to　him　for　regression　in　the　same　week；　only　to　discover　that　they　had　been　twin　sisters　in　the　lost　city　of　Atlantis　fifty　thousand　years　ago。　Both　women　describe　the　city；　before　its　mysterious　and　catastrophic　plunge　into　the　sea；　as　a　clean　and　well…run　municipality　where　you　could　walk　safely　almost　any　time　of　day　or　night。　Today　they　are　food　stylists　for　NASA。
　　〃Even　more　startling　is　the　case　of　five…year…old　Patti　Weaver　who　has　made　convincing　claims　to　Dr。　Chatterjee　that　in　her　previous…life　experience　she　was　the　secret　KGB　assassin　responsible　for　the　unsolved　murders　of　famed　personalities　Howard　Hughes；　Marilyn　Monroe　and　Elvis　Presley。　Known　in　international　espionage　circles　as　'the　Viper'　for　the　deadly　and　untraceable　venom　he　injected　into　the　balls　of　the　feet　of　his　celebrity　victims；　the　assassin　died　in　a　fiery　Moscow　helicopter　crash　just　hours　before　little　Patti　Weaver　was　born　in　Popular　Mechanics；　Iowa。　She　not　only　has　the　same　bodily　markings　as　the　Viper　but　seems　to　have　a　remarkable　knack　for　picking　up　Russian　words　and　phrases。
　　〃'I　regressed　this　subject　at　least　a　dozen　times；'　says　Dr。　Chatterjee。　'I　used　the　toughest　professional　techniques　to　get　her　to　contradict　herself。　But　her　story　is　remarkably　consistent。　It　is　a　tale　of　the　good　that　can　e　from　evil。'　Says　little　Patti；　'At　the　moment　of　my　death　as　the　Viper；　I　saw　a　glowing　circle　of　light。　It　seemed　to　wele　me；　to　beckon。　It　was　a　warm　spiritual　experience。　I　just　walked　right　toward　it。　I　was　not　sad　at　all。'〃
　　Babette　did　the　voices　of　Dr。　Chatterjee　and　Patti　Weaver。　Her　Chatterjee　was　a　warm　and　mellow　Indian…accented　English；　with　clipped　phrasing。　She　did　Patti　as　a　child…hero　in　a　contemporary　movie；　the　only　person　on　screen　who　is　unawed　by　mysterious　throbbing　phenomena。
　　〃In　a　further　startling　development　it　was　revealed　by　little　Patti　that　the　three　supercelebrities　were　murdered　for　the　same　astonishing　reason。　Each　of　them　at　the　time　of　his　or　her　death　was　in　secret　possession　of　the　Holy　Shroud　of　Turin；　famed　for　its　sacred　curative　powers。　Entertainers　Elvis　and　Marilyn　were　drink…and…drug　nightmare　victims　and　secretly　hoped　to　restore　spiritual　and　bodily　calm　to　their　lives　by　actually　drying　themselves　with　the　Holy　Shroud　after　pore…cleansing　sessions　in　the　sauna。　Multi…faceted　billionaire　Howard　Hughes　suffered　from　stop…action　blink　syndrome；　a　bizarre　condition　which　prevented　his　eyes　from　reopening　for　hours　after　a　simple　blink；　and　he　obviously　hoped　to　utilize　the　amazing　power　of　the　Shroud　until　the　Viper　intervened　with　a　swift　injection　of　phantom　venom。　Patti　Weaver　has　further　revealed　under　hypnosis　that　the　KGB　has　long　sought　possession　of　the　Shroud　of　Turin　on　behalf　of　the　rapidly　aging　and　pain…racked　members　of　the　Politburo；　the　famed　executive　mittee　of　the　munist　Party。　Possession　of　the　Shroud　is　said　to　be　the　real　motive　behind　the　attempted　assassination　of　Pope　John　Paul　II　at　the　Vatican—an　attempt　that　failed　only　because　the　Viper　had　already　died　in　a　horror　helicopter　crash　and　been　reborn　as　a　freckle…faced　girl　in　Iowa。
　　〃The　no…risk　bonus　coupon　below　gives　you　guaranteed　access　to　dozens　of　documented　cases　of　life　after　death；　everlasting　life；　previous…life　experiences；　posthumous　life　in　outer　space；　transmigration　of　souls；　and　personalized　resurrection　through　stream…of…consciousness　puter　techniques。〃
　　I　studied　the　faces　in　the　semicircle。　No　one　seemed　amazed　by　this　account。　Old　Man　Treadwell　lit　a　cigarette；　impatient　with　his　own　trembling　hand；　forced　to　shake　out　the　flame　before　it　burned　him。　There　was　no　interest　shown　in　discussion。　The　story　occupied　some　recess　of　passive　belief。　There　it　was；　familiar　and　forting　in　its　own　strange　way；　a　set　of　statements　no　less　real　than　our　daily　quota　of　observable　household　fact。　Even　Babette　in　her　tone　of　voice　betrayed　no　sign　of　skepticism　or　condescension。　Surely　I　was　in　no　position　to　feel　superior　to　these　elderly　listeners；　blind　or　sighted。　Little　Patti's　walk　toward　the　warm　weling　glow　found　me　in　a　weakened　and　receptive　state。　I　wanted　to　believe　at　least　this　part　of　the　tale。
　　Babette　read　an　ad。　The　Stanford　Linear　Accelerator　3…Day　Particle…Smashing　Diet。
　　She　picked　up　another　tabloid。　The　cover　story　concerned　the　country's　leading　psychics　and　their　predictions　for　the　ing　year。　She　read　the　items　slowly。
　　〃Squadrons　of　UFOs　will　invade　Disney　World　and　Cape　Canaveral。　In　a　startling　twist；　the　attack　will　be　revealed　as　a　demonstration　of　the　folly　of　war；　leading　to　a　nuclear　test…ban　treaty　between　the　U。S。　and　Russia。
　　'The　ghost　of　Elvis　Presley　will　be　seen　taking　lonely　walks　at　dawn　around　Graceland；　his　musical　mansion。
　　〃A　Japanese　consortium　will　buy　Air　Force　One　and　turn　it　into　a　luxury　flying　condominium　with　midair　refueling　privileges　and　air…to…surface　missile　capability。
　　〃Bigfoot　will　appear　dramatically　at　a　campsite　in　the　rugged　and　scenic　Pacific　Northwest。　The　hairy；　upright　man…beast；　who　stands　eight　feet　tall　and　may　be　evolution's　missing　link；　will　gently　wele　tourists　to　gather　around　him；　revealing　himself　to　be　an　apostle　of　peace。
　　〃UFOs　will　raise　the　lost　city　of　Atlantis　from　its　watery　grave　in　the　Caribbean　by　telekinetic　means　and　the　help　of　powerful　cables　with　properties　not　known　in　earthlike　materials。　The　result　will　be　a　'city　of　peace'　where　money　and　passports　are　totally　unknown。
　　〃The　spirit　of　Lyndon　B。　Johnson　will　contact　CBS　executives　to　arrange　an　interview　on　live　TV　in　order　to　defend　itself　against　charges　made　in　recent　books。
　　〃Beatle　assassin　Mark　David　Chapman　will　legally　change　his　name　to　John　Lennon　and　begin　a　new　career　as　a　rock　lyricist　from　his　prison　cell　on　murderer's　row。
　　〃Members　of　an　air…crash　cult　will　hijack　a　jumbo　jet　and　crash　it　into　the　White　House　in　an　act　of　blind　devotion　to　their　mysterious　and　reclusive　leader；　known　only　as　Uncle　Bob。　The　President　and　First　Lady　will　miraculously　survive　with　minor　cuts；　according　to　close　friends　of　the　couple。
　　〃Dead　multibillionaire　Howard　Hughes　will　mysteriously　appear　in　the　sky　over　Las　Vegas。
　　〃Wonder　drugs　mass…produce