Илья Франк - Английский язык с миссис Харрис, или платье от Диора

One would have thought (можно было подумать; to think ) that Mrs. Harris would have penetrated the false front of this little beast and abandoned her (что миссис Харрис проникнет за обманчивую внешность этой маленькой бестии и оставит/покинет ее), for it was so that when something about a client displeased Mrs. Harris (потому что так бывало, когда что-либо в клиенте вызывало недовольство миссис Харрис) she simply dropped the key through the mailbox and did not return (она просто бросала ключ в почтовый ящик и не возвращалась). Like so many of her sisters who did not char for charring's sake alone (как многие ее сестры, которые не занимались поденной работой/уборкой только ради уборки), even though it was her living (даже если это было ее средством к существованию; living — средства к существованию ), she also brought a certain warmth to it (она также вносила некоторую сердечность в нее; to bring — приносить ). She had to like either the person or the person's home where she worked (ей должен был нравиться либо сам человек, либо дом человека, где она работала).

penetrate ['penItreIt], through [TrH], certain [sWtn]

One would have thought that Mrs. Harris would have penetrated the false front of this little beast and abandoned her, for it was so that when something about a client displeased Mrs. Harris she simply dropped the key through the mailbox and did not return. Like so many of her sisters who did not char for charring's sake alone, even though it was her living, she also brought a certain warmth to it. She had to like either the person or the person's home where she worked.

But it was just the fact (в действительности: «это было просто фактом») that Mrs. Harris had pierced the front of Miss Snite to a certain extent that made her stick to her (миссис Харрис проникла за внешний вид мисс Снайт в некоторой степени, что привязало ее к ней), for she understood the fierce (потому что она поняла неистовое), wild (необузданное), hungry craving of the girl to be something, to be somebody (страстное желание девушки быть чем-то, быть кем-то; hungry — голодный ), to lift herself out of the ruck of everyday struggle (подняться из толчеи ежедневной борьбы; ruck — куча, груда; кипа; толпа, толчея ) and acquire some of the good things of life for herself (и достичь некоторых благ для себя).

pierce [pIqs], fierce [fIqs], acquire [qk'waIq]

But it was just the fact that Mrs. Harris had pierced the front of Miss Snite to a certain extent that made her stick to her, for she understood the fierce, wild, hungry craving of the girl to be something, to be somebody, to lift herself out of the ruck of everyday struggle and acquire some of the good things of life for herself.

Prior to her own extraordinary craving which had brought her to Paris (до того, как ее собственное незаурядное страстное желание привело ее в Париж: to bring; prior — прежний, бывший; предшествующий; to crave — страстно желать, жаждать ), Mrs. Harris had not experienced this in herself (миссис Харрис не замечала этого в себе) though she understood it very well (хотя понимала это очень хорошо). With her (с ней = в ее случае) it had not been so much the endeavor to make something of herself (это было не столько стремлением сделаться кем-либо) as it had been the battle to survive (как = сколько битвой за выживание), and in that sense these two were not unalike (и в этом смысле обе они были похожи: «эти две не были непохожи»).

extraordinary [Iks'trLdnrI], experienced [Iks'pIqrIqnst], endeavor [In'devq]

Prior to her own extraordinary craving which had brought her to Paris, Mrs. Harris had not experienced this in herself though she understood it very well. With her it had not been so much the endeavor to make something of herself as it had been the battle to survive, and in that sense these two were not unalike.

When Mrs. Harris' husband had died some twenty years past and left her penniless (когда муж миссис Харрис умер около двадцати лет назад и оставил ее без гроша: «без пенни»), she simply had to make a go of things (она просто должна была справиться с положением; to make a go of it — добиться успеха ), her widow's pension being insufficient (/так как/ ее вдовьей пенсии было недостаточно).

And then too there was the glamour of the theater (а еще ведь было очарование театра; glamour — волшебство, чары; чарующая сила ) which surrounded Miss Snite (которое окружало мисс Снайт), or rather Penrose, as Mrs. Harris chose to think of her, and this was irresistible (или, вернее, Пенроуз, как миссис Харрис предпочитала думать о ней, и это было неотразимо; to resist — сопротивляться ).

husband ['hAzbqnd], glamour ['glxmq], irresistible ["IrI'zIstqbl]

When Mrs. Harris' husband had died some twenty years past and left her penniless, she simply had to make a go of things, her widow's pension being insufficient.

And then too there was the glamour of the theater which surrounded Miss Snite, or rather Penrose, as Mrs. Harris chose to think of her, and this was irresistible.

Mrs. Harris was not impressed by titles (миссис Харрис не впечатляли звания), wealth (богатство), position (положение), or family (или родство), but she was susceptible to the enchantment that enveloped anything or anyone that had to do with the stage (но она была чувствительна/восприимчива к очарованию, которое окружало все или всякого, кто имел дело со сценой), the television (телевидением), or the flicks (или кино).

She had no way of knowing how tenuous and sketchy was Miss Penrose's connection with these (у нее не было возможности знать = она не представляла, как незначительна и поверхностна была связь миссис Пенроуз с ними; tenuous — тонкий; незначительный, слабый, бедный, скудный ), that she was not only a bad little girl but a mediocre actress (что она была не только плохой девчонкой, но и посредственной актрисой).

susceptible [sq'septqbl], tenuous ['tenjuqs], mediocre ['mJdIqukq]

Mrs. Harris was not impressed by titles, wealth, position, or family, but she was susceptible to the enchantment that enveloped anything or anyone that had to do with the stage, the television, or the flicks.

She had no way of knowing how tenuous and sketchy was Miss Penrose's connection with these, that she was not only a bad little girl but a mediocre actress.

It was sufficient for Mrs. Harris that from time to time (для миссис Харрис было достаточно /того/, что время от времени) her voice was heard on the wireless (ее голос слышался из радиоприемника; wire — проволока; wireless — беспроводный, беспроволочный; радио; радиоприемник ) or she would pass across the television screen (или она пересекла экран телевизора) wearing an apron and carrying a tray (в переднике и с подносом). Mrs. Harris respected the lone battle the girl was waging (миссис Харрис уважала одинокую битву, /которую/ эта девушка вела; to wage — проводить /кампанию/, вести /войну/; бороться /за что-л./ ), humored her (потакала ей), cosseted her (баловала ее), and took from her what she would not from anyone else (и терпела от нее /то/, что не /потерпела бы/ ни от кого другого).

It was sufficient for Mrs. Harris that from time to time her voice was heard on the wireless or she would pass across the television screen wearing an apron and carrying a tray. Mrs. Harris respected the lone battle the girl was waging, humored her, cosseted her, and took from her what she would not from anyone else.

The taxicab entered a broad street (такси въехало на широкую улицу) lined with beautiful buildings (обрамленную красивыми зданиями), but Mrs. Harris had no eye or time for architecture (но миссис Харрис не была знатоком архитектуры или не имела /на это/ времени).

" 'Ow far is it (это далеко)?" she shouted at the cab driver (она крикнула шоферу), who replied (который ответил), not slowing down one whit (не сбавляя скорость ни на йоту), by taking both hands off the steering wheel (оторвав обе руки от рулевого колеса), waving his arms in the air (размахивая своими руками в воздухе), turning around and shouting back at her (развернувшись назад и крича ей). Mrs. Harris, of course, understood not a word (миссис Харрис, конечно, не поняла ни слова), but his smile beneath a walrus mustache was engaging and friendly enough (но его улыбка под свисающими усами «как у моржа» была довольно обаятельной и дружелюбной), and so she settled back to endure the ride (и поэтому она снова уселась, чтобы вытерпеть/пережить поездку; to endure — подвергаться /чему-л./; выдерживать испытание временем; длиться; продолжаться, тянуться; терпеть, сносить ) until she should reach the so-long-coveted destination (до тех пор, /пока/ она не достигнет долгожданной цели; to covet — жаждать, домогаться, сильно желать ). She reflected upon the strange series of events (она размышляла о странной цепи событий) that led to her being there (которые привели ее сюда).

walrus ['wLlrqs], mustache [mqs'tRS], endure [In'duq], covet ['kAvIt]

The taxicab entered a broad street lined with beautiful buildings, but Mrs. Harris had no eye or time for architecture.