О дивный новый мир
Chapter 17
"Youcanindulgeinanynumberofpleasantviceswithafreemartinandrunnorisksofhavingyoureyesputoutbyyourson’smistress.’Thewheelhascomefullcircle;Iamhere.’ButwherewouldEdmundbenowadays?Sittinginapneumaticchair,withhisarmroundagirl’swaist,suckingawayathissex-hormonechewing-gumandlookingatthefeelies.Thegodsarejust.Nodoubt.Buttheircodeoflawisdictated,inthelastresort,bythepeoplewhoorganizesociety;Providencetakesitscuefrommen."
"Areyousure?"askedtheSavage."AreyouquitesurethattheEdmundinthatpneumaticchairhasn’tbeenjustasheavilypunishedastheEdmundwho’swoundedandbleedingtodeath?Thegodsarejust.Haven’ttheyusedhispleasantvicesasaninstrumenttodegradehim?"
"Degradehimfromwhatposition?Asahappy,hard?working,goods-consumingcitizenhe’sperfect.Ofcourse,ifyouchoosesomeotherstandardthanours,thenperhapsyoumightsayhewasdegraded.Butyou’vegottosticktoonesetofpostulates.Youcan’tplayElectro?magneticGolfaccordingtotherulesofCentrifugalBumble-puppy."
"Butvaluedwellsnotinparticularwill,"saidtheSavage."Itholdshisestimateanddignityaswellwherein’tispreciousofitselfasintheprizer."
"Come,come,"protestedMustaphaMond,"that’sgoingratherfar,isn’tit?"
"IfyouallowedyourselvestothinkofGod,youwouldn’tallowyourselvestobedegradedbypleasantvices.