Конец вечности
Prelude to Crime
"Theseadvertisements,"hehadsaid,"tellusmoreofPrimitivetimesthantheso-callednewsarticlesinthesamemagazine.Thenewsarticlesassumeabasicknowledgeoftheworlditdealswith.Itusestermsitfeelsnonecessityofexplaining.Whatisa’golfball,’forinstance?"
Cooperhadprofessedhisignorancereadily.
Harlanwentoninthedidactictonehecouldscarcelyavoidonoccasionssuchasthis."Wecoulddeducethatitwasasmallpelletofsomesortfromthenatureofthecasualmentionsitreceives.Weknowthatitisusedinagame,ifonlybecauseitismentionedinanitemundertheheading’Sport.’Wecanevenmakefurtherdeductionsthatitishitbyalongrodofsomesortandthattheobjectofthegameistodrivetheballintoaholeintheground.Butwhybotherwithdeductionandreasoning?Observethisadvertisement!Theobjectofitisonlytoinducereaderstobuytheball,butinsodoingwearepresentedwithanexcellentclose-rangeportraitofone,withasectioncutintoittoshowitsconstruction."
Cooper,comingfromanerainwhichadvertisementwasnotaswildlyproliferativeasitwasinthelaterCenturiesofPrimitivetimes,foundallthisdifficulttoappreciate.
