| Nately stiffened with resentment and hostility at the sight of such lechery in a man so old. He turned away with a sinking heart and wondered why he simply did not take his own girl and go to bed. This sordid, vulturous, diabolical old man reminded Nately of his father because the two were nothing at all alike. Nately's father was a courtly white-haired gentleman who dressed impeccably; this old man was an uncouth bum. Nately's father was a sober, philosophical and responsible man; this old man was fickle and licentious. Nately's father was discreet and cultured; this old man was a boor. Nately's father believed in honor and knew the answer to everything; this old man believed in nothing and had only questions. Nately's father had a distinguished white mustache; this old man had no mustache at all. Nately's father-and everyone else's father Nately had ever met-was dignified, wise and venerable; this old man was utterly repellent, and Nately plunged back into debate with him, determined to repudiate his vile logic and insinuations with an ambitious vengeance that would capture the attention of the bored, phlegmatic girl he had fallen so intensely in love with and win her admiration forever. | Нейтли ввязался с ним в спор не только из решимости опровергнуть порочную логику и клеветнические утверждения, но и желая привлечь к себе внимание и вызвать восхищение этой скучающей флегматичной девицы, в которую он был так страстно влюблен. |
| 'Well, frankly, I don't know how long America is going to last,' he proceeded dauntlessly. | - Ну... честно говоря, я не знаю, сколько просуществует Америка, - отважно продолжал он. |
| 'I suppose we can't last forever if the world itself is going to be destroyed someday. | - Я так полагаю, если рано или поздно погибнет мир, то и Америка не вечна. |
| But I do know that we're going to survive and triumph for a long, long time.' | Но зато я знаю точно: сейчас мы выживем, и наш триумф будет продолжаться долго, очень долго. |
| 'For how long?' mocked the profane old man with a gleam of malicious elation. | - Но все же, как долго? - подначивал старикашка в порыве злорадного воодушевления. |
| 'Not even as long as the frog?' | - Надеюсь, не дольше, чем проживет лягушачье племя? |
| 'Much longer than you or me,' Nately blurted out lamely. | - Во всяком случае, гораздо дольше, чем проживем мы с вами, - неудачно выпалил Нейтли. |
| ' Oh, is that all! | - Только и всего-то! |
| That won't be very much longer then, considering that you're so gullible and brave and that I am already such an old, old man.' | Это не так уж много, если учесть, что вы слишком храбры и легковерны, а я слишком стар. |
| 'How old are you?' Nately asked, growing intrigued and charmed with the old man in spite of himself. | - Сколько же вам лет? - полюбопытствовал Нейтли. |
| ' A hundred and seven.' | - Сто семь. |
| The old man chuckled heartily at Nately's look of chagrin. 'I see you don't believe that either.' | - Заметив досаду Нейтли, старикашка добродушно захихикал: - Я вижу, вы не верите? |
| 'I don't believe anything you tell me,' Nately replied, with a bashful mitigating smile. | - Я не верю ни единому вашему слову, - ответил Нейтли. Застенчивая улыбка тронула его губы. |
