День триффидов

           There’llcomeatime,too,whenallthetractorsarewornoutorrusted,andthere’snomoregastorunthem,anyway—whenwe’llcomerightdowntonatureandblesshorses—ifwe’vegot‘em.

           "Thisisapause—justaheaven-sentpause—whilewegetoverthefirstshockandstarttocollectourselves,butit’snomorethanapause.Laterwe’llhavetoplow;stilllaterwe’llhavetolearnhowtomakeplowshares;laterthanthatwe’llhavetolearnhowtosmelttheirontomaketheshares.Whatweareonnowisaroadthatwilltakeusbackandbackandbackuntilwecan—ifwecan—makegoodallthatwewearout.Notuntilthenshallwebeabletostopourselvesonthetrailthat’sleadingdowntosavagery.Butoncewecandothat,thenmaybewe’llbegintocrawlslowlyupagain."

           Helookedroundthecircletoseeifwewerefollowinghim.

           "Wecandothat—ifwewill.Themostvaluablepartofourflyingstartisknowledge.That’stheshortcuttosaveusstartingwhereourancestorsdid.We’vegotitallthereinthebooksifwetakethetroubletofindoutaboutit."

           TherestwerelookingatCokercuriously.Itwasthefirsttimetheyhadheardhiminoneofhisoratoricalmoods.

           "Now,"hewenton,"frommyreadingofhistory,thethingyouhavetohavetouseknowledgeisleisure.Whereeverybodyhastoworkhardjusttogetalivingandthereisleisuretothink,knowledgestagnates,andpeoplewithit.