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1、TheHumanStainPhilipRothForR.M.OEDIPUS:Whatistheriteofpurification?Howshallitbedone?CREON:Bybanishingaman,orexpiationofbloodbyblood...—Sophocles,OedipustheKing1EVERYONEKNOWSITWASinthesummerof1998thatmyneighborColemanSilk—who,beforeretiringtwoyearsearlier,hadbeenaclassicsprofessoratn
2、earbyAthenaCollegeforsometwenty-oddyearsaswellasservingforsixteenmoreasthedeanoffaculty—confidedtomethat,attheageofseventy-one,hewashavinganaffairwithathirty-fouryear-oldcleaningwomanwhoworkeddownatthecollege.Twiceaweekshealsocleanedtheruralpostoffice,asmallgrayclapboardshackthatlo
3、okedasifitmighthaveshelteredanOkiefamilyfromthewindsoftheDustBowlbackinthe1930sandthat,sittingaloneandforlornacrossfromthegasstationandthegeneralstore,fliesitsAmericanflagatthejunctionofthetworoadsthatmarkthecommercialcenterofthismountainsidetown.Colemanhadfirstseenthewomanmoppingt
4、hepostofficefloorwhenhewentaroundlateoneday,afewminutesbeforeclosingtime,togethismail—athin,tall,angularwomanwithgrayingblondhairyankedbackintoaponytailandthekindofseverelysculptedfeaturescustomarilyassociatedwiththechurch-ruled,hardworkinggoodwiveswhosufferedthroughNewEngland’shar
5、shbeginnings,sterncolonialwomenlockedupwithinthereigningmoralityandobedienttoit.HernamewasFauniaFarley,andwhatevermiseriessheenduredshekeptconcealedbehindoneofthoseinexpressivebonefacesthathidenothingandbespeakanimmenseloneliness.Faunialivedinaroomatalocaldairyfarmwhereshehelpedwit
6、hthemilkinginordertopayherrent.She’dhadtwoyearsofhighschooleducation.ThesummerthatColemantookmeintohisconfidenceaboutFauniaFarleyandtheirsecretwasthesummer,fittinglyenough,thatBillClinton’ssecretemergedineverylastmortifyingdetail—everylastlifelikedetail,thelivingness,likethemortifi
7、cation,exudedbythepungencyofthespecificdata.Wehadn’thadaseasonlikeitsincesomebodystumbleduponthenewMissAmericanudeinanoldissueofPenthouse,picturesofherelegantlyposedonherkneesandonherbackthatforcedtheshamedyoungwomantorelinquishhercrownandgoontobecomeahugepopstar.NinetyeightinNewEn
8、glandwasasummerofexquisite