長者的不良嗜好很少超出沉溺於保齡球、宴會和社交的範圍，或者是沉湎於那種打出一張牌，就能賺大筆錢的俱樂部。

A　Thoroughly　Negative　Place

Albert　Camus

The　town　itself；　let　us　admit；　is　ugly。　It　has　a　smug；　placid　air　and　you　need　time　to　discover　what　it　is　that　makes　it　different　from　so　many　business　centers　in　other　parts　of　the　world。　How　to　conjure　up　a　picture；　for　instance；　of　a　town　without　pigeons；　without　any　trees　or　gardens；　where　you　never　hear　the　beat　of　wings　or　the　rustle　of　leaves—a　thoroughly　negative　place；　in　short？　The　seasons　are　discriminated　only　in　the　sky。　All　that　tells　you　of　spring’s　ing　is　the　feel　of　the　air；　or　the　baskets　of　flowers　brought　in　from　the　suburbs　by　peddlers；　it’s　a　spring　cried　in　the　market…places。　During　the　summer　the　sun　bakes　the　houses　bone…dry；　sprinkles　our　walls　with　grayish　dust；　and　you　have　no　option　but　to　survive　those　days　of　fire　indoors；　behind　closed　shutters。　In　autumn；　on　the　other　hand；　we　have　deluges　of　mud。　Only　winter　brings　really　pleasant　weather。

Perhaps　the　easiest　way　of　making　a　town’s　acquaintance　is　to　ascertain　how　the　people　in　it　work；　how　they　love；　and　how　they　die。　In　our　little　town　（is　this；　one　wonders；　an　effect　of　the　climate？）　all　three　are　done　on　much　the　same　lines；　with　the　same　feverish　yet　casual　air。　The　truth　is　that　everyone　is　bored；　and　devotes　himself　to　cultivating　habits。　Our　citizens　work　hard；　but　solely　with　the　object　of　getting　rich。　Their　chief　interest　is　in　merce；　and　their　chief　aim　in　lif