"Asimov, Isaac - Profession" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

УMy father isnТt worried either. He just wants to hear me read because he knows IТll be good. I suppose your father would just as soon not hear you because he knows youТll be all wrong.Ф
УI wifi not be all wrong. Reading is nothing. On Novia, IТll hire people to read to me.Ф
УBecause you wonТt be able to read yourself, on account of youТre dumb!Ф
УThen how come IТll be on Novia?Ф
And George, driven, made the great denial. УWho says youТll be on Novia? Bet you donТt go anywhere.Ф
Stubby Trevelyan reddened. УI wonТt be a Pipe Fitterlike yonrold man.Ф
УTake that back, you dumbhead.Ф
УYou take that back.Ф
They stood nose to nose, not wanting to fight but relieved at having something familiar to do in this strange place. Furthermore, now that George had curled his hands into fists and lifted them before his face, the problem of what to do with his hands was, at least temporarily, solved. Other children gathered round excitedly.
But then it all ended when a womanТs voice sounded loudly over the public address system. There was instant silence everywhere. George dropped his fists and forgot Trevelyan.

УChildren,Ф said the voice, Уwe are going to call out your names. As each child is called, he or she is to go to one of the men waiting along the
side walls. Do you see them? They are wearing red unifonns so they will be easy to find. The girls will go to the right. The boys will go to the left. Now look about and see which man in red is nearest to youЧФ
George found his man at a glance and waited for his name to be called off. He had not been introduced before this to the sophistications of the alphabet, and the length of time it took to reach his own name grew disturbing.
The crowd of children thinned; little rivulets made their way to each of the red-clad guides.
When the name УGeorge PlatenФ was finally called, his sense of relief was exceeded only by the feeling of pure gladness at the fact that Stubby Trevelyan still stood in his place, uncalled.
George shouted back over his shoulder as he left, УYay, Stubby, maybe they donТt want you.Ф
That moment of gaiety quickly left. He was herded into a line and directed down corridors in the company of strange children. They all looked at one another, large-eyed and concerned, but beyond a snuffling, УQuitcher pushingФ and УHey, watch outФ there was no conversation.
They were handed little slips of paper which they were told must remain with them. George stared at his curiously. Little black marks of different shapes. He knew it to be printing but how could anyone make words out of it? He couldnТt imagine.
He was told to strip; he and four other boys who were all that now remained together. All the new clothes came shucking off and four eightyear-olds stood naked and small, shivering more out of embarrassment than cold. Medical technicians came past, probing them, testing them with odd instruments, pricking them for blood. Each took the little cards and made additional marks on them with little black rods that produced the marks, all neatly lined up, with great speed. George stared at the new marks, but they were no more comprehensible than the old. The children were ordered back into their clothes.
They sat on separate little chairs then and waited again. Names were called again and УGeorge PlatenФ came third.
He moved into a large room, filled with frightening instruments with knobs and glassy panels in front. There was a desk in the very center, and behind it a man sat, his eyes on the papers piled before him.
He said, УGeorge Platen?Ф
УYes, sir,Ф said George in a shaky whisper. All this waiting and all this going here and there was making him nervous. He wished it were over.
The man behind the desk said, УI am Dr. Lloyed, George. How are you?Ф
The doctor didnТt look up as he spoke. It was as though he had said those words over and over again and didnТt have to look up any more.
УIТm all right.Ф
УAre you afraid, George?Ф
УNЧno, sir,Ф said George, sounding afraid even in his own ears.

УThatТs good,Ф said the doctor, Уbecause thereТs nothing to be afraid of, you know. LetТs see, George. It says here on your card that your father is named Peter and that heТs a Registered Pipe Fitter and your mother is named Amy and is a Registered Home Technician. Is that right?Ф
УYЧyes, sir.Ф
УAnd your birthday is February 13, and you had an ear infection about a year ago. Right?Ф
ССYes, sir.Ф
УDo you know how I know all these things?Ф
УItТs on the card, Ithink, sir.Ф
УThatТs right.Ф The doctor looked up at George for the first time and smiled. He showed even teeth and looked much younger than GeorgeТs father. Some of GeorgeТs nervousness vanished.
The doctor passed the card to George. УDo you know what all those things there mean, George?Ф
Although George knew he did not he was startled by the sudden request into looking at the card as though he might understand now through some sudden stroke of fate. But they were just marks as before and he passed the card back. УNo, sir.Ф
УWhy not?Ф
George felt a sudden pang of suspicion concerning the sanity of this doctor. DidnТt he know why not?
George said, УI canТt read, sir.Ф
УWould you like to read?Ф
ССYes, sir.ТТ
УWhy, George?Ф
George stared, appalled. No one had ever asked him that. He had no answer. He said falteringly, УI donТt know, sir.Ф
УPrinted information will direct you all through your life. There is so much youТll have to know even after Education Day. Cards like this one will tell you. Books will tell you. Television screens will tell you. Printing will tell you such useful things and such interesting things that not being able to read would be as bad as not being able to see. Do you understand?Ф
УYes, sir.Ф
УAre you afraid, George?Ф