Уильям Моэм - Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы

"Not I," laughed Edward. "It's a deal too grand for me. I rent a room just outside the town. It's cheap and clean."

"If I remember right those weren't the points that seemed most important to you when you lived in Chicago."

" Chicago!"

"I don't know what you mean by that, Edward. It's the greatest city in the world."

"I know," said Edward.

Bateman glanced at him quickly, but his face was inscrutable.

"When are you coming back to it (когда ты туда возвращаешься)?"

"I often wonder (я часто задаю себе этот вопрос)," smiled Edward (улыбнулся Эдвард). This answer and the manner of it, staggered Bateman (этот ответ и то, как он был произнесен, ошеломили Бейтмана; manner— метод, способ; манера, поведение;to stagger— идти шатаясь; ошеломлять, потрясать ), but before he could ask for an explanation (но, прежде чем он смог попросить объяснений) Edward waved to a half-caste who was driving a passing motor (Эдвард помахал рукой какому-то метису, который ехал в проезжавшей мимо машине; motor— двигатель, мотор; автомобиль; half-caste — человек смешанной расы, полукровка ).

"Give us a ride down, Charlie (подвези нас, Чарли)," he said. He nodded to Bateman (он кивнул головой /на прощание/ Бейтману), and ran after the machine that had pulled up a few yards in front (и побежал за машиной, которая остановилась в нескольких ярдах впереди). Bateman was left to piece together a mass of perplexing impressions (Бейтман остался собирать в единое целое множество озадачивающих впечатлений).

stagger ['stxgq], half-cast(e) ['hQ: fkQ: st], machine [mq'Si: n], perplexing [pq'pleksIN]

"When are you coming back to it?"

"I often wonder," smiled Edward. This answer and the manner of it, staggered Bateman, but before he could ask for an explanation Edward waved to a half-caste who was driving a passing motor.

"Give us a ride down, Charlie," he said. He nodded to Bateman, and ran after the machine that had pulled up a few yards in front. Bateman was left to piece together a mass of perplexing impressions.

Edward called for him in a rickety trap drawn by an old mare (Эдвард заехал за ним на расшатанной двуколке, запряженной старой кобылой; trap — капкан; разг. рессорная двуколка; to draw — тащить, волочить ), and they drove along a road that ran by the sea (и они поехали по дороге, что шла вдоль моря). On each side of it were plantations, coconut and vanilla (с каждой стороны дороги расположились плантации кокосовых пальм и ванили); and now and then they saw a great mango (время от времени они видели огромное манговое дерево), its fruit yellow and red and purple among the massy green of the leaves (его плоды — желтые, красные и пурпурные — /виднелись/ среди обильной: «массивной» зелени его листвы); now and then they had a glimpse of the lagoon, smooth and blue (время от времени они мельком видели лагуну, спокойную и синюю; glimpse — мелькание, проблеск; smooth — гладкий, ровный; плавный, свободный ), with here and there a tiny islet graceful with tall palms (с крошечными островками, /разбросанными/ то там, то тут, и живописно /покрытыми/ высокими пальмами; graceful — грациозный, изящный ).

rickety ['rIkItI], coconut ['kqukqnAt], vanilla [vq'nIlq], mango ['mxNgqu], islet ['aIlIt]

Edward called for him in a rickety trap drawn by an old mare, and they drove along a road that ran by the sea. On each side of it were plantations, coconut and vanilla; and now and then they saw a great mango, its fruit yellow and red and purple among the massy green of the leaves; now and then they had a glimpse of the lagoon, smooth and blue, with here and there a tiny islet graceful with tall palms.

Arnold Jackson's house stood on a little hill and only a path led to it (дом Арнольда Джексона стоял на невысоком холме, и к нему вела только тропинка; невысокий; to lead ), so they unharnessed the mare and tied her to a tree (поэтому они распрягли кобылку и привязали ее к дереву; harness — упряжь, сбруя ), leaving the trap by the side of the road (оставив двуколку на обочине дороги). To Bateman it seemed a happy-go-lucky way of doing things (Бейтману это показалось беспечным: «Бейтману эта манера поведения показалась беспечной»). But when they went up to the house they were met by a tall, handsome native woman (когда они поднялись /вверх по холму/ к дому, их встретила высокая красивая туземка), no longer young (уже немолодая), with whom Edward cordially shook hands (с которой Эдвард сердечно обменялся рукопожатием; to shake — трясти; пожимать/руку/ ). He introduced Bateman to her (он представил ей Бейтмана).

unharness [An'hQ: nIs], happy-go-lucky ["hxpIgqu'lAkI], introduce ["Intrq'dju: s]

Arnold Jackson's house stood on a little hill and only a path led to it, so they unharnessed the mare and tied her to a tree, leaving the trap by the side of the road. To Bateman it seemed a happy-go-lucky way of doing things. But when they went up to the house they were met by a tall, handsome native woman, no longer young, with whom Edward cordially shook hands. He introduced Bateman to her.

"This is my friend Mr. Hunter (это мистер Хантер, мой друг). We're going to dine with you, Lavina (мы собираемся поужинать у вас, Лавина)."

"All right," she said, with a quick smile (сказала она, тут же улыбнувшись; quick — быстрый; быстро реагирующий/на что-либо/ ). " Arnold ain't back yet (Арнольд еще не вернулся)."

"We'll go down and bathe (мы спустимся и искупаемся). Let us have a couple of pareos (дай нам парочку парео )."

The woman nodded and went into the house (женщина кивнула и пошла в дом).

"Who is that (кто это)?" asked Bateman.

"Oh, that's Lavina (о, это Лавина). She's Arnold 's wife (жена Арнольда)." Bateman tightened his lips, but said nothing (Бейтман поджал губы, но ничего не сказал). In a moment the woman returned with a bundle, which she gave to Edward (через минуту женщина вернулась со свертком, который она отдала Эдварду); and the two men, scrambling down a steep path, made their way to a grove of coconut trees on the beach (и двое молодых людей, с трудом спускаясь по крутой тропинке, направились к рощице кокосовых пальм на пляже; to scramble — карабкаться, взбираться;с трудом сделать/что-либо/ ).

bathe [beID], couple [kAp(q)l], bundle [bAndl], scramble [skrxmb(q)l]

"This is my friend Mr. Hunter. We're going to dine with you, Lavina."

"All right," she said, with a quick smile. " Arnold ain't back yet."

"We'll go down and bathe. Let us have a couple of pareos ."

The woman nodded and went into the house.

"Who is that?" asked Bateman. "Oh, that's Lavina. She's Arnold 's wife." Bateman tightened his lips, but said nothing. In a moment the woman returned with a bundle, which she gave to Edward; and the two men, scrambling down a steep path, made their way to a grove of coconut trees on the beach.

They undressed and Edward showed his friend how to make the strip of red trade cotton which is called a pareo (они разделись, и Эдвард показал своему другу, как сложить полосу красной хлопчатобумажной ткани, которая называется парео ) into a very neat pair of bathing drawers (в очень аккуратную пару плавок: «кальсон для купания»). Soon they were splashing in the warm, shallow water (вскоре они уже плескались в теплой воде на мелководье; to splash — брызгать; плескать, плескаться ). Edward was in great spirits (Эдвард был в отличном настроении; spirit— душа, дух;spirits— настроение, душевное состояние ). He laughed and shouted and sang (он смеялся, кричал и пел; to sing ). He might have been fifteen (словно ему было пятнадцать лет: «ему могло бы быть пятнадцать»). Bateman had never seen him so gay (Бейтман никогда не видел его таким веселым), and afterwards when they lay on the beach, smoking cigarettes (и потом, когда они лежали на пляже, /и/ курили сигареты; to lie ), in the limpid air (в чистом/прозрачном воздухе), there was such an irresistible light-heartedness in him that Bateman was taken aback (была в нем такая неудержимая беззаботность, что Бейтман совершенно опешил; irresistible— неотразимый;to resist— сопротивляться ).

"You seem to find life mighty pleasant (кажется, ты находишь жизнь /здесь/ чрезвычайно приятной; to find— находить, отыскивать; считать, находить )," said he.

"I do (так и есть)."

pair [peq], drawers [drO: z], limpid ['lImpId], irresistible ["IrI'zIstqb(q)l]

They undressed and Edward showed his friend how to make the strip of red trade cotton which is called a pareo into a very neat pair of bathing drawers. Soon they were splashing in the warm, shallow water. Edward was in great spirits. He laughed and shouted and sang. He might have been fifteen. Bateman had never seen him so gay, and afterwards when they lay on the beach, smoking cigarettes, in the limpid air, there was such an irresistible light-heartedness in him that Bateman was taken aback.

"You seem to find life mighty pleasant," said he.