小径分岔的花园TheGardenofForkingPaths作者：〔阿根廷〕博尔赫斯JorgeLuisBorgesToVictoriaOcampoInhisAHistoryoftheWorldWar(page212),CaptainLiddellHartreportsthataplannedoffensivebythirteenBritishdivisions,supportedbyfourteenhundredartillerypieces,againsttheGermanlineatSerre-Montauban,scheduledforJuly24,1916,hadtobepostponeduntilthemorningofthe29th.Hecommentsthattorrentialraincausedthisdelay一whichlackedanyspecialsignificance.Thefollowingdeposition,dictatedby,readover,andthensignedbyDr.YuTsun,formerteacherofEnglishattheTsingtaoHochschule,castsunsuspectedlightuponthisevent.Thefirsttwopagesaremissing.…andIhungupthephone.ImmediatelyIrecollectedthevoicethathadspokeninGerman.ItwasthatofCaptainRichardMadden.Madden,inViktorRuneberg'soffice,meanttheendofallourworkand一thoughthisseemedasecondarymatter,orshouldhaveseemedsotome一ofourlivesalso.HisbeingtheremeantthatRuneberghadbeenarrestedormurdered.②Beforethesunsetonthissameday,Iranthesamerisk.Maddenwasimplacable.Rather,tobemoreaccurate,hewasobligedtobeimplacable.AnIrishmanintheserviceofEngland,amansuspectedofequivocalfeelingsifnotofactualtreachery,howcouldhefailtowelcomeandseizeuponthisextraordinarypieceofluckthediscovery,captureandperhapsthedeathsoftwoagentsofImperialGermanyIwentuptomybedroom.Absurdthoughthegesturewas,Iclosedandlockedthedoor.Ithrewmyselfdownonmynarrowironbed,andwaitedonmyback.Theneverchangingrooftopsfilledthewindow,andthehazysixo'clocksunhunginthesky.Itseemedincrediblethatthisday,adaywithoutwarningsoromens,mightbethatofmyimplacabledeath.Indespiteofmydeadfather,indespiteofhavingbeenachildinoneofthesymmetricalgardensofHaiFeng,wasItodienowThenIreflectedthatallthingshappen,happentoone,preciselynow.Centuryfollowscentury,andthingshappenonlyinthepresent.Therearecountlessmenintheair,onlandandatsea,andallthatreallyhappenshappenstome…ThealmostunbearablememoryofMaddenslonghorsefaceputanendtothesewanderingthoughts.Inthemidstofmyhatredandterror(nowthatitnolongermatterstometospeakofterror,nowthatIhaveoutwittedRichardMadden,nowthatmyneckhank