Чума
Part I
"Thetruthisthatourcolleagueherebelievesintheplague.Hisdescriptionofthesyndromeprovesthat."
Rieuxrepliedthathehadnotdescribedasyndrome,hehaddescribedwhathehadseen.Andwhathehadseenwereganglia,stainsanddeliriousfevers,provingfatalinforty-eighthours.WasDrRichardpreparedtotakeresponsibilityforstatingthattheepidemicwouldstopwithoutstrictpreventivehealthmeasures?
RichardhesitatedandlookedatRieux.
"Sincerely,tellmewhatyouthink:areyoucertainthatthisisplague?"
"You’reaskingthewrongquestion.Itisnotamatterofvocabulary,butamatteroftime."
"Youropinion,then,"saidthePrefect,"isthatevenifthisisnotplague,thenthepreventivehealthmeasuresthatwouldbeappropriateintheeventofplagueoughtnonethelesstobeapplied?"
"IfIreallymusthaveanopinion,thenthatisit."
ThedoctorsconsultedoneanotherandeventuallyRichardsaid:
"Sowemusttaketheresponsibilityofactingasthoughthediseasewereaplague."
Theformofwordswaswarmlyapplauded.
"Isthatalsowhatyouthink,mydearcolleague?"Richardasked.
"Idon’tmindtheformofwords,"Rieuxsaid."Let’sjustsaythatweshouldnotactasthoughhalfthetownwerenotthreatenedwithdeath,becausethenitwouldbe.
