《No Country for Old Men》第59章

the　world　ive seen　has　not　made　me　a　spiritual　person。　not　like　her。　she　worries　about　me；　too。　i　see it。　i　reckon　i　thought　that　because　i　was　older　and　the　man　that　she　would　learn　from me　and　in　many　respects　she　has。　but　i　know　where　the　debt　lies。
i　think　i　know　where　were　headed。　were　bein　bought　with　our　own　money。　and　it　aint just　the　drugs。　there　is　fortunes　bein　accumulated　out　there　that　they　dont　nobody　even know　about。　what　do　we　think　is　goin　to　e　of　that　money？　money　that　can　buy whole　countries。　it　done　has。　can　it　buy　this　one？　i　dont　think　so。　but　it　will　put　you　in bed　with　people　you　ought　not　to　be　there　with。　its　not　even　a　law　enforcement　problem。
i　doubt　that　it　ever　was。　theres　always　been　narcotics。　but　people　dont　just　up　and decide　to　dope　theirselves　for　no　reason。　by　the　millions。　i　dont　have　no　answer　about that。　in　particular　i　dont　have　no　answer　to　take　heart　from。　i　told　a　reporter　here　a while　back　—　young　girl；　seemed　nice　enough。　she　was　just　tryin　to　be　a　reporter。　she said：　sheriff　how　e　you　to　let　crime　get　so　out　of　hand　in　your　county？　sounded　like a　fair　question　i　reckon。　maybe　it　was　a　fair　question。　anyway　i　told　her；　i　said：　it　starts when　you　begin　to　overlook　bad　manners。　any　time　you　quit　hearin　sir　and　mam　the end　is　pretty　much　in　sight。　i　told　her；　i　said：　it　reaches　into　ever　strata。　youve　heard about　that　aint　you？　ever　strata？　you　finally　get　into　the　sort　of　breakdown　in mercantile　ethics　that　leaves　people　settin　around　out　in　the　desert　dead　in　their vehicles　and　by　then　its　just　too　late。
she　give　me　kindly　a　funny　look。　so　the　last　thing　i　told　her；　and　maybe　i　shouldnt　of said　it；　i　told　her　that　you　cant　have　a　dope　business　without　dopers。　a　lot　of　em　are well　dressed　and　holdin　down　goodpayin　jobs　too。　i　said：　you　might　even　know　some yourself the　other　thing　is　the　old　people；　and　i　keep　in　back　to　them。　they　look　at　me　its always　a　question。　years　back　i　dont　remember　that。　i　dont　remember　it　when　i　was sheriff　back　in　the　fifties。　you　see　em　and　they　dont　even　look　confused。　they　just　look crazy。　that　bothers　me。　its　like　they　woke　up　and　they　dont　know　how　they　got　where theyre　at。　well；　in　a　manner　of　speakin　they　dont。
at　supper　this　evenin　she　told　me　shed　been　readin　st　john。　the　revelations。　any　time　i get　to　talkin　about　how　things　are　shell　find　somethin　in　the　bible　so　i　asked　her　if revelations　had　anything　to　say　about　the　shape　things　was　takin　and　she　said　shed　let me　know。　i　asked　her　if　there　was　anything　in　there　about　green　hair　and　nosebones　and she　said　not　in　so　many　words　there　wasnt。　i　dont　know　if　thats　a　good　sign　or　not。
then　she　e　around　behind　my　chair　and　put　her　arms　around　my　neck　and　bit　me　on the　ear。　shes　a　very　young　woman　in　a　lot　of　ways。　if　i　didnt　have　her　i　dont　know　what i　would　have。　well；　yes　i　do。　you　wouldnt　need　a　box　to　put　it　in；　neither。
it　was　a　cold　blustery　day　when　he　walked　out　of　the　courthouse　for　the　last　time。　some men　could　put　their　arms　around　a　crying　woman　but　it　never　felt　natural　to　him。　he walked　down　the　steps　and　out　the　back　door　and　got　in　his　truck　and　sat　there。　he couldnt　name　the　feeling。　it　was　sadness　but　it　was　something　else　besides。　and　the something　else　besides　was　what　had　him　sitting　there　instead　of　starting　the　truck。　hed felt　like　this　before　but　not　in　a　long　time　and　when　he　said　that；　then　he　knew　what　it was。　it　was　defeat。　it　was　being　beaten。　more　bitter　to　him　than　death。　you　need　to　get over　that；　he　said。　then　he　started　the　truck。
。。！
No　Country　for　Old　MenXIII
（小//说；网/
where　you　went　out　the　back　door　of　that　house　there　was　a　stone　water　trough　in　the weeds　by　the　side　of　the　house。　a　galvanized　pipe　e　off　the　roof　and　the　trough stayed　pretty　much　full　and　i　remember　stoppin　there　one　time　and　squattin　down　and lookin　at　it　and　i　got　to　thinkin　about　it。　i　dont　know　how　long　it　had　been　there。　a hundred　years。　two　hundred。　you　could　see　the　chisel　marks　in　the　stone。　it　was　hewed out　of　solid　rock　and　it　was　about　six　foot　long　and　maybe　a　foot　and　a　half　wide　and about　that　deep。　just　chiseled　out　of　the　rock。　and　i　got　to　thinkin　about　the　man　that done　that。　that　country　had　not　had　a　time　of　peace　much　of　any　length　at　all　that　i knew　of。　ive　read　a　little　of　the　history　of　it　since　and　i　aint　sure　it　ever　had　one。　but this　man　had　set　down　with　a　hammer　and　chisel　and　carved　out　a　stone　water　trough　to last　ten　thousand　years。　why　was　that？　what　was　it　that　he　had　faith　in？　it　wasnt　that nothin　would　change。　which　is　what　you　might　think；　i　suppose。　he　had　to　know　bettern that。　ive　thought　about　it　a　good　deal。　i　thought　about　it　after　i　left　there　with　that house　blown　to　pieces。　im　goin　to　say　that　water　trough　is　there　yet。　it　would　of　took somethin　to　move　it；　i　can　tell　you　that。　so　i　think　about　him　settin　there　with　his hammer　and　his　chisel；　maybe　just　a　hour　or　two　after　supper；　i　dont　know。　and　i　have to　say　that　the　only　thing　i　can　think　is　that　there　was　some　sort　of　promise　in　his　heart。
and　i　dont　have　no　intentions　of　carvin　a　stone　water　trough。　but　i　would　like　to　be　able to　make　that　kind　of　promise。　i　think　thats　what　i　would　like　most　of　all。
the　other　thing　is　that　i　have　not　said　much　about　my　father　and　i　know　i　have　not　done him　justice。　ive　been　older　now　than　he　ever　was　for　almost　twenty　years　so　in　a　sense im　lookin　back　at　a　younger　man。　he　went　on　the　road　tradin　horses　when　he　was　not much　more　than　a　boy。　he　told　me　the　first　time　or　two　he　got　skinned　pretty　good　but he　learned。　he　said　this　trader　one　time　he　put　his　arm　around　him　and　he　looked　down at　him　and　he　told　him；　said：　son；　im　goin　to　trade　with　you　like　you　didnt　even　have　a horse。　point　bein　some　people　will　actually　tell　you　what　it　is　they　aim　to　do　to　you　and whenever　they　do　you　might　want　to　listen。　that　stuck　with　me。　he　knew　about　horses and　he　was　good　with　em。　ive　seen　him　break　a　few　and　he　knew　what　he　was　doin。
very　easy　on　the　horse。　talked　to　em　a　lot。　he　never　broke　nothin　in　me　and　i　owe　him more　than　i　would　of　thought。　as　the　world　mig