Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Life
Shecouldnotbelievethatshewassupposedtofeelrespectforthedrearysenselessnessoftheartshowswhichhisfriendsattended,ofthenovelstheyread,ofthepoliticalmagazinestheydiscussed—theartshows,whereshesawthekindofdrawingsshehadseenchalkedonanypavementofherchildhood’sslums—thenovels,thatpurportedtoprovethefutilityofscience,industry,civilizationandlove,usinglanguagethatherfatherwouldnothaveusedinhisdrunkenestmoments—themagazines,thatpropoundedcowardlygeneralities,lessclearandmorestalethanthesermonsforwhichshehadcondemnedthepreacheroftheslummissionasamealy-mouthedoldfraud.
Shecouldnotbelievethatthesethingswerethecultureshehadsoreverentlylookeduptoandsoeagerlywaitedtodiscover.Shefeltasifshehadclimbedamountaintowardajaggedshapethathadlookedlikeacastleandhadfoundittobethecrumblingruinofaguttedwarehouse.
"Jim,"shesaidonce,afteraneveningspentamongthemenwhowerecalledtheintellectualleadersofthecountry,"Dr.SimonPritchettisaphony—amean,scaredoldphony."
"Now,really,"heanswered,"doyouthinkyou’requalifiedtopassjudgmentonphilosophers?"
"I’mqualifiedtopassjudgmentonconmen.I’veseenenoughofthemtoknowonewhenIseehim.""NowthisiswhyIsaythatyou’llneveroutgrowyourbackground.Ifyouhad,youwouldhavelearnedtoappreciateDr.Pritchett’sphilosophy.
