Цитаты из книги Богач, бедняк

The fine, intelligent, educated voice sang on in the sunny quadrangle of red-brick Colonial buildings. Inevitably, there was the salute to America, land of opportunity. Half the young men listening had had the opportunity to be killed for America, but the speaker was looking forward this afternoon, not toward the past, and the opportunities he mentioned were those of scientific research, public service, aid to those nations throughout the world who were not as fortunate as we. He was a good man, the cabinet member, and Rudolph was glad that such a man was near the seat of power in Washington, but his view of opportunity in 1950 was a bit lofty, evangelical, Washingtonian, all very well for a Commencement exercise, but not likely to coincide with the down-to-earth views of the three hundred or so poor men’s sons who sat before him in black robes waiting to receive their degrees from a small, underfinanced school known, if it was known at all, for its agricultural department, and wondering how they were going to start earning a living the next day.

A man has to be careful with his numbered days on this earth, son. There is a conspiracy to chain every living child of man to an iron post in a black pit, and you mustn’t be fooled because they paint it all the bright colors of the rainbow and pull all sorts of devilish tricks to make you think that it isn’t a pit, it isn’t an iron post, it isn’t a chain. The president of General Motors, up high in his glorious office, was just as much chained, just as deep down in the pit as me coughing up violet in the paint shop.

- Почему же вы не хотите быть таким, как я, смею вас спросить? - Мне хотелось бы иметь такой же большой дом, как у вас. Столько же денег, как у вас, ваши книги, вашу машину. Мне хотелось бы научиться так разговаривать, как разговариваете вы, - только не все время, само собой разумеется, знать столько, сколько знаете вы, ездить в Европу, как путешествуете вы... - Но... - Но, несмотря на все это, вы ведь очень одиноки, - продолжал Рудольв. - Всегда грустны, печальны, всегда чем-то огорчены. Жизнь вам не доставляет радости.