| Mrs. Cuberle sat nervously, tapping her shoe and running a comb through her hair. | Миссис Кьюберли нервно постукивала ногой и часто проводила гребнем по волосам. |
| "Mary Cuberle, you have been given innumerable chances to reconsider, you know." | - Мэри Кьюберли, - продолжал мужчина, - ты знаешь, что у тебя было бессчетное количество возможностей пересмотреть свое решение. |
| Mary said, "I know. | - Да, знаю. |
| But I don't want to." | Но я не хочу. |
| The beautiful people looked at Mary and laughed. | Красивые люди смотрели на Мэри и смеялись. |
| Some shook their heads. | Некоторые неодобрительно качали головами. |
| The man threw up his hands. | Мужчина в мантии воздел руки: |
| "Little girl, can you realize what an issue you have caused? | - Девочка, ты сознаешь, к чему привело твое упорство? |
| The unrest, the wasted time? Do you fully understand what you have done? Intergalactic questions hang fire while you sit there saying the same thing over and over. | Люди обеспокоены, теряют драгоценное время. |
| Doesn't the happiness of your Mother mean anything to you?" | Скажи, неужели для тебя ничего не значит счастье твоей дорогой матери? Или твой долг перед Землей? Перед всей Солнечной Системой? |
| A slender, supple woman in a back row cried, | В последнем ряду поднялась стройная гибкая женщина и крикнула на весь зал: |
| "We want action. Do something!" | - Примите же, наконец, какие-нибудь меры! |
| The man in the high stool raised his hand. | Мужчина на кафедре поднял руку: |
| "None of that, now. We must conform, even though the question is out of the ordinary." He leafed through a number of papers on his desk, leaned down and whispered into the ear of a strong blond man. Then he turned to Mary again. "Child, for the last time. Do you reconsider? Will you accept the Transformation?" "No." The man shrugged his shoulders. "Very well, then. I have here a petition, signed by two thousand individuals and representing all the Stations of Earth. They have been made aware of all the facts and have submitted the petition voluntarily. It's all so unusual and I'd hoped we wouldn't have to-but the petition urges drastic measures." The mumbling rose. | - Спокойно! Несмотря на всю необычность этой ситуации, мы должны действовать согласованно. Женщина неохотно села, мужчина снова повернулся к Мэри: |
| "The petition urges that you shall, upon final refusal, be forced by law to accept the Transformation. | - Они настаивают, чтобы в случае твоего окончательного отказа тебя приговорили к Трансформации судом. |
| And that an act of legislature shall make this universal and binding in the future." | И чтобы впредь это стало законом. |
| Mary's eyes were open, wide. She stood and paused before speaking. "Why?" she asked, loudly. | Мэри широко раскрыла глаза и замерла. -Почему? - чуть погодя спросила она. |
| The man passed a hand through his hair. | Мужчина в мантии пригладил волосы. |
| Another voice from the crowd, "Seems to be a lot of questions unanswered here." And another, | Еще один голос из публики: |
| "Sign the petition, Senator!" | - Сенатор, подпишите нашу петицию! |
| All the voices, | Все хором: |
| "Sign it, sign it!" | - Подпишите, подпишите! |
| "But why?" | - Но почему же? |
| Mary began to cry. The voices stilled for a moment. "Because-Because-" "If you'd only tell me that. Tell me!" "Why, it simply isn't being done, that's all. The greatest gift of all, and what if others should get the same idea? What would happen to us then, little girl? We'd be right back to the ugly, thin, fat, unhealthy-looking race we were ages ago! There can't be any exceptions." "Maybe they didn't consider themselves so ugly." | - Мэри заплакала. |
| The mumbling began anew. | Ропот толпы сменяется дикими воплями. |
| "That isn't the point," cried the man. | - Так не пойдет! - крикнул мужчина в мантии. |