“莉莉，拜托，不要动。”妈妈又一次说。
莉莉站在妈妈前面，急躁地抱怨：“我自己会绑啦，我一向都自己绑。”
“我知道你会。”妈妈一边回答，一边把莉莉辫子上的蝴蝶结拉紧，“不过我也知道，它们一到下午，就散落在你背上了。今天日子特殊，我要你这蝴蝶结整天都整整齐齐的。”
‘‘我不喜欢绑蝴蝶结，还好只要再绑一年就够了。”莉莉生气地说，“明年我还会得到自行车。”说到这里她稍微高兴了一点。
“每年都会有美好的东西。”乔纳思提醒她，“今年你就可以开始当义工了。记不记得去年你七岁时，有多高兴得到前面有扣的夹克呀？”
小女孩点点头，低头看自己的衣服。这件夹克胸前有一排大扣子，说明她七岁了。四岁、五岁和六岁的孩子，全都穿着扣子在背后的外套，这是要他们互相帮忙，学习互助的精神。
穿胸前有扣的夹克，是成长的第一个标志，迈出独立的第一步；九岁时得到的自行车，则象征活动力的扩展，表示他们开始远离呵护他们的家，生活重心逐渐转移到社区。
莉莉挣脱妈妈，咧嘴一笑：“今年你会得到指派的工作。”她兴奋地对乔纳思说，“我希望你当飞行员，那你就可以载着我飞翔。”
“我当然会。”乔纳思说，“而且我还会准备一个适合你用的迷你降落伞，然后把你载到空中，嗯，也许两万英尺高，然后打开门……”
“乔纳思！”妈妈发出警告。
“开开玩笑啦！”乔纳思叹了一声，说：“我才不想当飞行员。如果我真的被指派当飞行员，我会提出申诉的。”
“来吧！”妈妈将莉莉的蝴蝶结再绑紧一点，“乔纳思，你准备好了吗？吃药了没有？我想在观众席找个好位子。”
她催促莉莉出门，乔纳思乖乖跟在后头。
到大礼堂的路并不远，莉莉坐在妈妈的自行车后座，对一路上遇到的朋友挥手。乔纳思把自行车往妈妈的自行车旁边一停，就穿过人群，寻找同年的朋友去了。
每年，全社区的人都会参加这项典礼。对父母来说，这两天等于休假，不用工作，大家一起坐在大礼堂里：孩子们则跟同年龄的同学坐在一起，等到被点名时，再一个一个上台。
爸爸不会马上坐到妈妈身边，因为典礼一开始就是命名大典，养育师要把新生儿带到台上。乔纳思跟十一岁的同学们坐在看台上，用眼光搜寻礼堂，希望看到爸爸的身影。没费多少工夫，他就找到养育师的专属区。小宝宝们就坐在养育师的膝盖上，不时传来号啕大哭或生气大叫的声音。社区的公开典礼，观众都是既安静又专心的，但是在这一年一度的大典上，大家对这群等着接受名字和家庭的小宝宝，总是宽容地微笑着对待。
乔纳思终于和爸爸的目光相遇，他赶紧挥手招呼。爸爸也笑着挥手响应，还把膝盖上小宝宝的手也举起来挥动。
那不是加波，加波回到育儿中心后由工作人员照顾。委员会特别通融，让他在命名典礼和受领之前，再接受一年额外的养育。这个请求是爸爸提出来的，因为他体重不足，晚上睡不安稳，无法交给领养家庭。通常这样的小宝宝会被评定为体能不足，必须解放。
在爸爸的请求下，加波获得一年额外的养育期。他将继续待在育儿中心，晚上则住到乔纳思家。但这一家人，包括年幼的莉莉，都必须签署一份保证书，保证不会对这名小客人产生太强烈的感情。在来年的典礼上，他们必须毫无异议地放弃他，让小宝宝前往指派给他的家庭。
乔纳思心里想，不论明年加波被分配到谁家，起码他是社区的一分子，他们还是可以常看到他。如果他被解放，他们就永远看不到他了。那些被解放的人，包括新生的小宝宝，会被送到别的地方，再也回不来了。
今年爸爸不用解放任何新生儿，如果加波被解放，那不只是失败，也令人伤感。即使乔纳思不像莉莉或爸爸那么喜欢逗弄小宝宝，他还是很高兴加波没有被解放。
典礼准时开始，乔纳思观看一个个小宝宝接受命名，再由养育师亲手交给他的新家庭。有些家庭是第一次接获新生儿，不过也有很多家庭上台时是牵着一名眉开眼笑、得意扬扬的小孩儿，等着领小弟弟或小妹妹，就跟当年他自己五岁的时候一样。
亚瑟戳戳乔纳思的手臂：“你还记得我们获得斐莉的事吗？”他压低声量，不过声音还是很大。乔纳思点点头，那不过是去年的事。亚瑟的父母等了好长一段时间，才申请第二个孩子。乔纳思猜想，也许他们被亚瑟傻里傻气的举止搞得筋疲力尽，所以需要多一点时间来缓冲吧。
他们的两名同学，费欧娜和另一位叫西雅的女生，暂时离开，要跟他们的父母一起上台领新生儿。两个孩子的年龄相差如此悬殊，这种家庭还真是少见。
费欧娜上台后，又回到位于亚瑟和乔纳思前面的座位。
她转过身来悄悄地对他们说：“他好可爱，不过，我不喜欢他的名字。”她做个鬼脸，笑了起来。费欧娜的弟弟叫布鲁诺，是不怎么好，不像……对了，不像加波这么顺耳，不过，也还可以啦。
观众对每一名新生儿的命名都鼓掌欢迎，尤其当大会说出“凯尔博”这个名字时，更报以最热烈的掌声。
这个新凯尔博是要取代另一位同名的小孩。这对父母失去了他们第一个名叫凯尔博的小孩，那时他活泼可爱，才刚四岁。失去孩子非常罕见，因为社区规划完善，每个居民都会注意并保护所有的孩子。但是不知为什么，没人注意到第一个小凯尔博随便乱逛，最后竟然掉到河里淹死了。整个社区为此齐聚一堂举行哀悼仪式，在那一整天里，大家一起轻声呼唤凯尔博的名字，直到这阴沉漫长的一天即将结束，才渐渐把呼唤的频率减慢、声音放柔，就好像这名四岁的小男孩儿逐渐地从大家的意识中消失一般。
现在典礼转为特殊的“呢喃取代仪式”，大家在失去那名小男孩儿后，首度复诵这个名字。一开始是轻柔缓慢地低吟，然后速度渐快，音量渐大，直到这对夫妻站到台上，将熟睡的新生儿安安稳稳地抱在母亲怀里，就好像第一位凯尔博又回来了。
另一位新生儿被命名为罗贝特，乔纳思记得老罗贝特在上星期才刚刚被解放。新的小罗贝特不必举行“呢喃取代仪式”，因为“解放”和“失去”是不一样的。
他耐心地坐着等待两岁、三岁、四岁的典礼结束，这个过程跟往常一样无聊。还好，接下来就是午餐时间，他们在户外用餐后再回到座位上，参加五岁、六岁、七岁的典礼，最后终于等到今天的压轴戏——八岁的典礼。
当莉莉昂首阔步上台时，乔纳思不禁为她欢呼、喝彩。
莉莉晋升为八岁，获得一件可证明身份的夹克，未来的一年，她将穿着这件扣子较小、还缝有口袋的外衣。这说明她已经成熟不少，可以有自己的小物件了。她认真地聆听着八岁的权利和义务，以及开始担任义工的指示。不过，乔纳思很了解莉莉的心思，虽然她一副专心的模样，眼睛却不时瞄着闪闪发亮的自行车——那是明天要送给九岁孩子的礼物。
乔纳思在心里说，莉莉宝贝别急，明年就轮到你了。
这真是累人的一天，就连加波也是从育婴中心带回来，就一觉睡到天亮。
终于，举行十二岁升级典礼的早晨来到了。
现在爸爸坐到妈妈的身边了。当九岁的孩子一个接一个地推着他们贴有闪亮名牌的自行车下台时，乔纳思可以看见爸妈尽职地拍着手。住在隔壁的小孩——佛立玆，上台领自行车时，一个不小心，扑倒在自行车上。佛立兹是个动作笨拙的孩子，经常被找去精神训话。他几乎是小过不断，比如鞋子穿错脚，作业放错地方，随堂测验不过关等等。每项错误都会给他的父母带来难堪。乔纳思和他的家人都不敢对佛立兹的自行车抱以厚望，他们早有心理准备，他的自行车不可能好好地放在停车位上，十之八九会随意丢弃在前门的走终于，九岁的孩子通通回到座位上了。他们要先把自行车推到门外，再回到座位上坐好。当九岁的孩子第一次骑自行车回家时，大家都会微笑着开他们玩笑：“我知道你没骑过自行车，要不要我示范给你看啊？”不过，这些咧着嘴笑的九岁孩子早就技术犯规啦，他们已经偷偷地练习了好几个星期，所以可以平稳地蹬上自行车，熟练地踩着踏板，双脚还不会落地。
接着轮到十岁的孩子。乔纳思一直觉得十岁的典礼很无趣——每个孩子都要修剪头发：女孩子剪掉辫子，男孩子剪掉稚气的长发，露出耳朵，剪成像大人般的短发型。
工作人员拿着扫把上台，很快将剪下来的头发扫干净。
乔纳思看得出来，台下那些十岁孩子的父母一直在交头接耳、议论纷纷。今天晚上，一定会有很多家庭会对这些仓促剪过的头发再加以修整的。
接下来是十一岁，乔纳思觉得自己好像不久前才经历过十一岁的典礼呢！不过，十一岁的典礼也没什么特别。在十一岁之前，大家只是等着十二岁的到来。十一岁只是一个时间的指针，变化不大。他们会得到新衣服：女生因为身体开始产生变化，所以会得到不一样的内衣。男生则会得到较长的长裤，裤子上有形状特殊的口袋，方便他们放置小型计算器一一从这一年开始，他们在学校就会用到了。不过这些衣服都装在袋子里，也不用多加说明。
又到了中午用餐时间。乔纳思觉得好饿，他和同学齐聚在礼堂前面的桌子上，拿出袋子里的食物。昨天的午餐时间非常快乐，大家活蹦乱跳、有说有笑的。但是今天全班都很焦虑，自然的就跟其他年龄的孩子区别出来。乔纳思看见那些刚刚晋升为九岁的孩子，赞叹地欣赏着他们梦寐以求的自行车。他看见十岁的孩子一直在抚摩新发型，女生则轻晃着头，少了辫子感觉很不习惯。
“听说有个家伙以为自己会被指派为工程师，”吃饭时，亚瑟小声告诉乔纳思，“结果却被指派到卫生所当工人。第二天他一气之下离家出走，跳进河里，游到另一个社区，再也没人见过他。”
乔纳思笑着说：“这是人家编出来的啦，我爸爸说他十二岁的时候就听过这个故事了。”
亚瑟可不这么想，他看着礼堂后头那条隐约可见的河流：“我连游泳都游不好，”他说，“游泳教练说我不懂漂力或什么的。”
“是浮力。”乔纳思纠正他。
“随便啦，反正我不会游，只会往下沉。”
“不管怎么样，”乔纳思指出，“亚瑟，你认识谁——我是说真的认识，不是听说的喔一一去加入别的社区吗？”
“没有，”亚瑟很不甘心地承认，“不过，可以这么做的。
法规里说，你如果不适应，可以申请到别的地方，或者被解放。我妈妈说十年前曾经有人提出申请，第二天就离开了。”
他咯咯咯地笑了起来，“她所以会跟我说这个，是因为我快把她逼疯了，她威胁说要把我送走。”
“她是在跟你开玩笑。”
“我知道，但她说的是真的，真的有人这样做过。她说这是千真万确的事，今天还在这里，明天就走了。再也没人看过他，连解放的仪式都没有。”
乔纳思耸耸肩。他才不担心这个，哪会有人不适应呢？
委员会在做选择时都非常小心谨慎，指派工作时更是一丝不苟。
就连婚配也是小心翼翼，考量了再考量，所以有时某个成人申请配偶，竟然等了好几个月，甚至好几年，才被批准。
因为所有的因素，例如性情、能力、智力和兴趣都要配合得天衣无缝。比如乔纳思的妈妈智力比较高，可是爸爸的性情比较温和，两人便可互相调和。他们的婚配，跟其他人的婚姻一样，经过长老们三年的观察，同意让他们申请孩子，可见很成功。
配偶的选择、命名、新生儿的家庭配置、工作指派等等，通通都是经过长老会谨慎、严密地考查的。
乔纳思相信不论他被指派什么工作，或亚瑟被指派什么工作，对他们来说都会是最恰当的。他只希望午餐时间赶快结束，观众赶快进入礼堂，让悬念早点解开。
好像是响应他内心的愿望似的，铃声在这时响起，人群开始往礼堂门口移动。
Chapter 7
Now Jonas's group had taken a new place in the Auditorium, trading with the new Elevens, so that they sat in the very front, immediately before the stage.
They were arranged by their original numbers, the numbers they had been given at birth. The numbers were rarely used after the Naming. But each child knew his number, of course. Sometimes parents used them in irritation at a child's misbehavior, indicating that mischief made one unworthy of a name. Jonas always chuckled when he heard a parent, exasperated, call sharply to a whining toddler, "That's enough, Twenty-three!"
Jonas was Nineteen. He had been the nineteenth new child born his year. It had meant that at his Naming, he had been already standing and bright-eyed, soon to walk and talk. It had given him a slight advantage the first year or two, a little more maturity than many of his group mates who had been born in the later months of that year. But it evened out, as it always did, by Three.
After Three, the children progressed at much the same level, though by their first number one could always tell who was a few months older than others in his group. Technically, Jonas's full number was Eleven-nineteen, since there were other Nineteens, of course, in each age group. And today, now that the new Elevens had been advanced this morning, there were two Eleven-nineteens. At the midday break he had exchanged smiles with the new one, a shy female named Harriet.
But the duplication was only for these few hours. Very soon he would not be an Eleven but a Twelve, and age would no longer matter. He would be an adult, like his parents, though a new one and untrained still.
Asher was Four, and sat now in the row ahead of Jonas. He would receive his Assignment fourth.
Fiona, Eighteen, was on his left; on his other side sat Twenty, a male named Pierre whom Jonas didn't like much. Pierre was very serious, not much fun, and a worrier and tattletale, too. "Have you checked the rules, Jonas?" Pierre was always whispering solemnly. "I'm not sure that's within the rules." Usually it was some foolish thing that no one cared about — opening his tunic if it was a day with a breeze; taking a brief try on a friend's bicycle, just to experience the different feel of it.
The initial speech at the Ceremony of Twelve was made by the Chief Elder, the leader of the community who was elected every ten years. The speech was much the same each year: recollection of the time of childhood and the period of preparation, the coming responsibilities of adult life, the profound importance of Assignment, the seriousness of training to come.
Then the Chief Elder moved ahead in her speech.
"This is the time," she began, looking directly at them, "when we acknowledge differences. You Elevens have spent all your years till now learning to fit in, to standardize your behavior, to curb any impulse that might set you apart from the group.
"But today we honor your differences. They have determined your futures."
She began to describe this year's group and its variety of personalities, though she singled no one out by name. She mentioned that there was one who had singular skills at caretaking, another who loved new children one with unusual scientific aptitude, and a fourth for whom physical labor was an obvious pleasure. Jonas shifted in his seat, trying to recognize each reference as one of his group mates. The caretaking skills were no doubt those of Fiona, on his left; he remembered noticing the tenderness with which she had bathed the Old. Probably the one with scientific aptitude was Benjamin, the male who had devised new, important equipment for the Rehabilitation Center.
He heard nothing that he recognized as himself, Jonas.
Finally the Chief Elder paid tribute to the hard work of her committee, which had performed the observations so meticulously all year. The Committee of Elders stood and was acknowledged by applause. Jonas noticed Asher yawn slightly, covering his mouth politely with his hand.
Then, at last, the Chief Elder called number One to the stage, and the Assignments began.
Each announcement was lengthy, accompanied by a speech directed at the new Twelve. Jonas tried to pay attention as One, smiling happily, received her Assignment as Fish Hatchery Attendant along with words of praise for her childhood spent doing many volunteer hours there, and her obvious interest in the important process of providing nourishment for the community.
Number One — her name was Madeline — returned, finally, amidst applause, to her seat, wearing the new badge that designated her Fish Hatchery Attendant. Jonas was certainly glad that that Assignment was taken; he wouldn't have wanted it. But he gave Madeline a smile of congratulation.
When Two, a female named Inger, received her Assignment as Birthmother, Jonas remembered that his mother had called it a job without honor. But he thought that the Committee had chosen well. Inger was a nice girl though somewhat lazy, and her body was strong. She would enjoy the three years of being pampered that would follow her brief training; she would give birth easily and well; and the task of Laborer that would follow would use her strength, keep her healthy, and impose self-discipline. Inger was smiling when she resumed her seat. Birthmother was an important job, if lacking in prestige.
Jonas noticed that Asher looked nervous. He kept turning his head and glancing back at Jonas until the group leader had to give him a silent chastisement, a motion to sit still and face forward.
Three, Isaac, was given an Assignment as Instructor of Sixes, which obviously pleased him and was well deserved. Now there were three Assignments gone, none of them ones that Jonas would have liked — not that he could have been a Birthmother, anyway, he realized with amusement. He tried to sort through the list in his mind, the possible Assignments that remained. But there were so many he gave it up; and anyway, now it was Asher's turn. He paid strict attention as his friend went to the stage and stood self-consciously beside the Chief Elder.
"All of us in the community know and enjoy Asher," the Chief Elder began. Asher grinned and scratched one leg with the other foot. The audience chuckled softly.
"When the committee began to consider Asher's Assignment," she went on, "there were some possibilities that were immediately discarded. Some that would clearly not have been right for Asher.
"For example," she said, smiling, "we did not consider for an instant designating Asher an Instructor of Threes."
The audience howled with laughter. Asher laughed, too, looking sheepish but pleased at the special attention. The Instructors of Threes were in charge of the acquisition of correct language.
"In fact," the Chief Elder continued, chuckling a little herself, "we even gave a little thought to some retroactive chastisement for the one who had been Asher's Instructor of Threes so long ago. At the meeting where Asher was discussed, we retold many of the stories that we all remembered from his days of language acquisition.
"Especially," she said, chuckling, "the difference between snack and smack. Remember, Asher?"
Asher nodded ruefully, and the audience laughed aloud. Jonas did, too. He remembered, though he had been only a Three at the time himself.
The punishment used for small children was a regulated system of smacks with the discipline wand: a thin, flexible weapon that stung painfully when it was wielded. The Childcare specialists were trained very carefully in the discipline methods: a quick smack across the hands for a bit of minor misbehavior; three sharper smacks on the bare legs for a second offense.
Poor Asher, who always talked too fast and mixed up words, even as a toddler. As a Three, eager for his juice and crackers at snack time he one day said "smack" instead of "snack" as he stood waiting in line for the morning treat.
Jonas remembered it clearly. He could still see little Asher, wiggling with impatience in the line. He remembered the cheerful voice calling out, "I want my smack!"
The other Threes, including Jonas, had laughed nervously. "Snack!" they corrected. "You meant snack, Asher!" But the mistake had been made. And precision of language was one of the most important tasks of small children. Asher had asked for a smack.
The discipline wand, in the hand of the Childcare worker, whistled as it came down across Asher's hands. Asher whimpered, cringed, and corrected himself instantly. "Snack," he whispered.
But the next morning he had done it again. And again the following week. He couldn't seem to stop, though for each lapse the discipline wand came again, escalating to a series of painful lashes that left marks on Asher's legs. Eventually, for a period of time, Asher stopped talking altogether, when he was a Three.
"For a while," the Chief Elder said, relating the story, "we had a silent Asher! But he learned."
She turned to him with a smile. "When he began to talk again, it was with greater precision. And now his lapses are very few. His corrections and apologies are very prompt. And his good humor is unfailing." The audience murmured in agreement. Asher's cheerful disposition was well known throughout the community.
"Asher." She lifted her voice to make the official announcement. "We have given you the Assignment of Assistant Director of Recreation."
She clipped on his new badge as he stood beside her, beaming. Then he turned and left the stage as the audience cheered. When he had taken his seat again, the Chief Elder looked down at him and said the words that she had said now four times, and would say to each new Twelve. Somehow she gave it special meaning for each of them.
"Asher," she said, "thank you for your childhood."
The Assignments continued, and Jonas watched and listened, relieved now by the wonderful Assignment his best friend had been given. But he was more and more apprehensive as his own approached. Now the new Twelves in the row ahead had all received their badges. They were fingering them as they sat, and Jonas knew that each one was thinking about the training that lay ahead. For someone studious male had been selected as Doctor, a female as Engineer, and another for Law and Justice — it would be years of hard work and study. Others, like Laborers and Birthmothers, would have a much shorter training period.
