SUCCESS STORYJames Gould CozzensI m

SUCCESS STORY
James Gould Cozzens
I met Richards ten years or more ago when I first went down to Cuba. He was a short, sharp-faced, agreeable chap, then about twenty-two. He introduced himself to me on the boat and I was surprised to find that Panamerica Steel and Structure * was sending us both to the same job.
Richards was from some not very good state university engineering school.2 Being the same age myself, and just out of tech, 3 I was prepared to patronize him if I needed to; but I soon saw I didn't need to. There was really not the faintest possibility of anyone supposing that Richards was as smart as I was. In fact, I couldn't then imagine how he had managed to get his job. I have an idea now. It came to me when I hap¬pened to read a few weeks ago that Richards had been made a vice-president and director of Panamerica Steel when the Prossert interests 4 bought the old firm.
Richards was naturally likable5 and I liked him a lot, once I was sure that he wasn't going to outshine me. The firm had a contract for the construction of a private railroad, about sev¬enteen miles of it, to give United Sugar e a sea terminal at a small deep-water Caribbean port. For Richards and me it was mostly an easy job of inspections and routine paper work. 7 At least it was easy for me. It was harder for Richards, because he didn't appear ever to have mastered the use of a slide rule. When he asked me to check his figures I found it was no mere formality. "Boy," I was at last obliged to say, "you are undoub¬tedly the dumbest white man in this province. If you don't buck up,8 Farrell will see you never get another job down here."
Richards grinned and said, "I never want another one. Not a job like this, anyway. I'm the executive type." 9
"Oh, you are!"
"Sure, I am. And what do I care what Farrell thinks? What can he do for me?"
"Plenty. If he thinks you're any good, he can see you get something 10 that pays money."
"He doesn't know anything that pays money, my son."
"He knows things that would pay enough for me," I an¬swered, annoyed.
"Oh," said Richards, "if that's all you want, when Farrell's working for me I'll make him give you a job. A good one."
"Go to the devil!" I said. I was still checking his trial figures. "Look, stupid," I said, "didn't you ever take arith¬metic? How much are seven times thirteen?"
"Work that out," u Richards said, "and let me have a re¬port tomorrow."
When I had time, I continued to check his figures for him, and Farrell only caught him in a bad mistake about twice; but Farrell was the best man Panamerica Steel had. He'd been managing construction jobs both in Cuba and Mexico for twen¬ty years. After the first month or so he simply let Richards alone and devoted himself to giving me the whole benefit of his usually sharp and scornful criticism. He was at me every minute he could spare, telling me to forget this or that and use my head, showing me little tricks of figuring and method. He said it would be a good plan to take some Spanish lessons from a clerk he named in the sugar company's office.
"Spanish?" said Richards, when I told him he'd better join the class. "Not for me! Say, it took me twenty-two years to learn English. People who want to talk to me have to know it, or they'd better bring an interpreter with them."
"All right," I said. "I don't mind telling you 12 the idea is Farrell's. He spoke to me about it."
"Well, he didn't speak to me," said Richards. "I guess he thinks I'm perfect the way I am. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a beer bottle."
I could easily see that he was coming to no good end.
In January several directors of. the United Sugar Company came down on their annual jaunt — nominally business, but mostly pleasure;, a good excuse to get south on a vacation. They came on a yacht.
The yacht belonged to Mr. Joseph Prossert, who was, I think, chairman of United Sugar's board then. It was the first time I'd ever seen at close quarters 13 one of these really rich and powerful financial figures whose name everyone knows. He was an inconspicuous, rather stout man, with little hair on his head and a fussy, ponderous way of speaking. He was dressed in some dark thin cloth that looked like alpaca. 14 His interest in sugar was purely financial — he didn't know any¬thing about it from the practical standpoint. I really saw him at close quarters, too, for he was delayed on his boat when the directors went on a tour of inspection and Farrell left Richards and me and two or three armed guards to come up that afternoon.
Mr. Prossert was very affable. He asked me a number of questions. I knew the job well enough and could have answered almost any intelligent question 15 — I mean, the sort that a trained engineer would be likely to ask. As it was, 16 I suppose I'd said for perhaps the third time, "I'm afraid I wouldn't know, sir. We haven't any calculations on that," getting a glance of mildly surprised disbelief, when Richards suddenly spoke up. 17 "I think, about nine million cubic feet, sir," he said. He looked boyishly embarrassed. "I just happened to be working it out last night. Just for my own interest, that is. Not officially." He blushed.
"Oh," said Mr. Prossert, turning in his seat and giving him a sharp look. "That's very interesting, Mr.—er—Rich¬ards, isn't it? Well, now, maybe you could tell me about—"
Richards could. He knew everything. He knew to the last car the capacity of every switch and yard; 18 he knew the load limits of every bridge and culvert; he knew the average rain¬fall for the last twenty years; he knew the population of the various straggling villages 19 we passed through; he knew the heights of the distant blue peaks to the west. He had made himself familiar with local labor costs and wage scales. He had the statistics on accidents and unavoidable delays. All the way up Mr. Prossert fired questions at him and he fired answers right back.
When we reached the rail head, a motor was waiting to take Mr. Prossert on. Getting out of the gas car, he nodded absent-mindedly to me, shook hands with Richards. "Very interesting indeed," he said. "Very interesting indeed, Mr. Richards. Good-by and thank you."
"Not at all, sir," Richards said. "Glad if I could be of service to you."
As soon as the motor moved off, I exploded. "Of all the asinine tricks! 20 A little honest bluff doesn't hurt; but some of your figures—"
"I aim to pleasep" Richards said, grinning. "If a man like Prossert wants to know something, who am I to hold out on him?" 21
"I suppose you think you're smart," I told him. "What's he going to think when he looks up the figures or asks some¬body who does know?"
"Listen, my son," said Richards kindly. "He wasn't asking for any information he was going to use. He doesn't want to know those figures. If he ever does, he has plenty of people
to get him the right ones. He won't remember these. I don't even remember them myself. What he is going to remember is you and me."
"Oh, yes?"
"Oh, yes," said Richards firmly. "He's going to remember that Panamerica Steel and Structure has a bright young man named Richards who could tell him everything he wanted to know when he wanted to know it—just the sort of chap he can use; not like that other fellow who took no interest in his job, couldn't answer the simplest question, and who's going to be doing small-time contracting all his life."
"Oh, yes?" I said. But it is true that I am still working for the Company still doing a little work in the construction line.

Результаты (румынский) 1:

POVESTE DE SUCCESJames Gould CozzensM-am întâlnit Richards zece ani sau mai în urmă, când am coborât în primul rând în Cuba. El a fost un tip scurte, ascuţite, cu care se confruntă, agreabil, apoi aproximativ douăzeci şi doi. El însuşi introdus pentru mine pe barca, şi am fost surprins să constate că din oţel Panamerica şi structura * a fost trimiţându-ne amândoi în acelaşi loc de muncă.Richards a fost la unele nu foarte bun state university school.2 fiind aceeaşi vârstă mine de inginerie, şi doar din tech, 3 am fost pregătiţi să-l patroneze dacă am nevoie pentru a; dar în curând am văzut nu am nevoie să. A existat într-adevăr nu mai vagă posibilitatea oricui presupunând că Richards a fost la fel de deştept ca am fost. De fapt, atunci am putut imagina modul în care el a reuşit să obţineţi locul de muncă. Am o idee acum. A venit la mine când am hap¬pened pentru a citi câteva săptămâni în urmă, că Richards a fost făcută de un vicepreşedinte şi director al Panamerica otel cand Prossert intereseaza 4 cumparat firma vechi.Richards a fost în mod natural likable5 si mi-a placut-l mult, o dată am fost sigur că el nu a fost de gând să mă pune în umbră. Firma a avut un contract pentru construirea unei căi ferate privat, despre sev¬enteen mila de ea, să dea Marea zahar e o mare terminale la un mic port Caraibe apă adâncă. Pentru Richards şi pentru mine a fost mai ales un lucru usor de inspecții și rutină lucrare. 7 cel puţin a fost uşor pentru mine. A fost mai greu pentru Richards, deoarece el nu apărea vreodată să stăpânesc utilizarea de regulă diapozitiv. Atunci când a cerut-mi pentru a verifica lui cifrele am găsit a fost nici o simpla formalitate. "Băiatul," în cele din urmă a fost obligat să spun, "esti undoub¬tedly mai prost omul alb în această provincie. Dacă tu nu Zor, 8 Farrell vedem niciodată a lua alt loc de muncă aici."Richards zîmbi şi a spus, "nu vreau altul. Nu un loc de muncă de genul asta, oricum. Eu sunt tipul executiv." 9"Oh, esti!""Sigur, eu sunt. Şi ce-mi pasă ce crede Farrell? Ce pot a face pentru mine?""O multime. În cazul în care el crede că sunteţi nici un bine, el poate vedea tu a lua ceva 10 care plăteşte bani.""El nu ştie nimic care plăteşte bani, fiul meu.""El ştie lucruri pe care ar plăti suficient pentru mine," I an¬swered, supărat."Oh," a spus Richards, "dacă asta e tot ce vrei, atunci când Farrell de lucru pentru mine voi face el îţi oferă un loc de muncă. Unul bun.""Du-te la diavolul!" am spus. Am fost verificat încă cifrele lui proces. "Uite, prost," i-am spus, "nu te mai ia arith¬metic? Cât de mult sunt şapte ori treisprezece?""Munca asta," u Richards a spus, "şi să-mi au un re¬port mâine."Atunci când am avut timp, am continuat să verifice cifrele sale pentru el, şi Farrell doar prins într-o greşeală rău despre două ori; dar Farrell a fost cel mai bun om Panamerica Steel a avut. El a fost gestionarea locuri de munca constructii in Cuba si Mexic de twen¬ty ani. După prima lună sau so el pur şi simplu să Richards singur şi sa dedicat să-mi dea în beneficiul tot critica sa, de obicei ascuţită şi batjocoritori. El a fost la mine în fiecare minut pe care el ar putea lipsi, spunându-mi să uite acest lucru sau că şi de a folosi capul meu, aratandu-mi mici trucuri de imaginind şi metoda. El a spus că ar fi un plan bun să ia câteva lecţii de spaniolă de la un functionar a numit în funcţie de compania de zahăr."Spaniolă?" a spus Richards, atunci când I-am spus el ar intra mai bine clasa. "Nu pentru mine! Spun, mi-a luat douăzeci şi doi ani pentru a invata limba engleza. Persoanele care doresc să vorbească cu mine trebuie să-l cunosc, sau ei mai bine ar aduce un interpret cu ei.""Bine," am spus. "Eu nu minte care vă spune 12 ideea este Farrell. El mi-a vorbit despre asta.""Ei bine, el nu a vorbit cu mine,", a spus Richards. "Cred că el crede că eu sunt perfect de modul în care sunt. Şi acum, dacă veţi scuza-ma, am o dată cu o sticla de bere."Am putut vedea cu uşurinţă că el venea la nici un scop bun.În ianuarie mai mulţi directori de. Societatea de zahăr Unite a venit în jos pe lor anuale excursie — nominal de afaceri, dar mai ales placerea; o scuză bună pentru a obţine Sud intr-o vacanta. Au venit pe un iaht.The yacht belonged to Mr. Joseph Prossert, who was, I think, chairman of United Sugar's board then. It was the first time I'd ever seen at close quarters 13 one of these really rich and powerful financial figures whose name everyone knows. He was an inconspicuous, rather stout man, with little hair on his head and a fussy, ponderous way of speaking. He was dressed in some dark thin cloth that looked like alpaca. 14 His interest in sugar was purely financial — he didn't know any¬thing about it from the practical standpoint. I really saw him at close quarters, too, for he was delayed on his boat when the directors went on a tour of inspection and Farrell left Richards and me and two or three armed guards to come up that afternoon.Mr. Prossert was very affable. He asked me a number of questions. I knew the job well enough and could have answered almost any intelligent question 15 — I mean, the sort that a trained engineer would be likely to ask. As it was, 16 I suppose I'd said for perhaps the third time, "I'm afraid I wouldn't know, sir. We haven't any calculations on that," getting a glance of mildly surprised disbelief, when Richards suddenly spoke up. 17 "I think, about nine million cubic feet, sir," he said. He looked boyishly embarrassed. "I just happened to be working it out last night. Just for my own interest, that is. Not officially." He blushed."Oh," said Mr. Prossert, turning in his seat and giving him a sharp look. "That's very interesting, Mr.—er—Rich¬ards, isn't it? Well, now, maybe you could tell me about—"Richards could. He knew everything. He knew to the last car the capacity of every switch and yard; 18 he knew the load limits of every bridge and culvert; he knew the average rain¬fall for the last twenty years; he knew the population of the various straggling villages 19 we passed through; he knew the heights of the distant blue peaks to the west. He had made himself familiar with local labor costs and wage scales. He had the statistics on accidents and unavoidable delays. All the way up Mr. Prossert fired questions at him and he fired answers right back.When we reached the rail head, a motor was waiting to take Mr. Prossert on. Getting out of the gas car, he nodded absent-mindedly to me, shook hands with Richards. "Very interesting indeed," he said. "Very interesting indeed, Mr. Richards. Good-by and thank you.""Not at all, sir," Richards said. "Glad if I could be of service to you."As soon as the motor moved off, I exploded. "Of all the asinine tricks! 20 A little honest bluff doesn't hurt; but some of your figures—""I aim to pleasep" Richards said, grinning. "If a man like Prossert wants to know something, who am I to hold out on him?" 21"I suppose you think you're smart," I told him. "What's he going to think when he looks up the figures or asks some¬body who does know?""Listen, my son," said Richards kindly. "He wasn't asking for any information he was going to use. He doesn't want to know those figures. If he ever does, he has plenty of peopleto get him the right ones. He won't remember these. I don't even remember them myself. What he is going to remember is you and me."
"Oh, yes?"
"Oh, yes," said Richards firmly. "He's going to remember that Panamerica Steel and Structure has a bright young man named Richards who could tell him everything he wanted to know when he wanted to know it—just the sort of chap he can use; not like that other fellow who took no interest in his job, couldn't answer the simplest question, and who's going to be doing small-time contracting all his life."
"Oh, yes?" I said. But it is true that I am still working for the Company still doing a little work in the construction line.