451 по фаренгейту
It was a pleasure to burn
MontagwatchedthroughthewindowasBeattydroveawayinhisgleamingyellow-flame-colouredbeetlewiththeblack,char-colouredtyres.
Acrossthestreetanddownthewaytheotherhousesstoodwiththeirflatfronts. WhatwasitClarissehadsaidoneafternoon?"Nofrontporches. Myunclesaysthereusedtobefrontporches. Andpeoplesattheresometimesatnight,talkingwhentheywantedtotalk,rocking,andnottalkingwhentheydidn’twanttotalk.Sometimestheyjustsatthereandthoughtaboutthings,turnedthingsover. Myunclesaysthearchitectsgotridofthefrontporchesbecausetheydidn’tlookwell. Butmyunclesaysthatwasmerelyrationalizingit;therealreason,hiddenunderneath,mightbetheydidn’twantpeoplesittinglikethat,doingnothing,rocking,talking; thatwasthewrongkindofsociallife. Peopletalkedtoomuch. Andtheyhadtimetothink.Sotheyranoffwiththeporches. Andthegardens,too.Notmanygardensanymoretositaroundin. Andlookatthefurniture. Norocking-chairsanymore.They’retoocomfortable. Getpeopleupandrunningaround. Myunclesays...and...myuncle...and...myuncle..."Hervoicefaded.
Montagturnedandlookedathiswife,whosatinthemiddleoftheparlourtalkingtoanannouncer,whointurnwastalkingtoher. "Mrs.Montag,"hewassaying.This,thatandtheother."Mrs.Montag?"Somethingelseandstillanother. Theconverterattachment,whichhadcostthemonehundreddollars, automaticallysuppliedhernamewhenevertheannounceraddressedhisanonymousaudience,leavingablankwherethepropersyllablescouldbefilledin. Aspecialspot-wave-scrambleralsocausedhistelevisedimage,intheareaimmediatelyabouthislips,tomouththevowelsandconsonantsbeautifully. Hewasafriend,nodoubtofit,agoodfriend. "Mrs.Montag,nowlookrighthere."
