Атлант расправил плечи
The Sacred and the Profane
What’sanyhumanachievement,anyway?Theearthisonlyanatomwhirlingintheuniverse—ofwhatimportanceisthatbridgetothesolarsystem?"
Asudden,happylookofunderstandingclearedhereyes."It’sgreatofyou,Mr.Taggart,tothinkthatyourownachievementisn’tgoodenoughforyou.Iguessnomatterhowfaryou’vegone,youwanttogostillfarther.You’reambitious.That’swhatIadmiremost:ambition.Imean,doingthings,notstoppingandgivingup,butdoing.Iunderstand,Mr.Taggart...evenifIdon’tunderstandallthebigthoughts."
"You’lllearn."
"Oh,I’llworkveryhardtolearn!"
Herglanceofadmirationhadnotchanged.Hewalkedacrosstheroom,movinginthatglanceasinagentlespotlight.Hewenttorefillhisglass.Amirrorhunginthenichebehindtheportablebar.Hecaughtaglimpseofhisownfigure:thetallbodydistortedbyasloppy,saggingposture,asifindeliberatenegationofhumangrace,thethinninghair,thesoft,sullenmouth.Itstruckhimsuddenlythatshedidnotseehimatalclass="underline"whatshesawwastheheroicfigureofabuilder,withproudlystraightshouldersandwind-blownhair.Hechuckledaloud,feelingthatthiswasagoodjokeonher,feelingdimlyasatisfactionthatresembledasenseofvictory:thesuperiorityofhavingputsomethingoveronher.
