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

" 'Ow far is it?" she shouted at the cab driver, who replied, not slowing down one whit, by taking both hands off the steering wheel, waving his arms in the air, turning around and shouting back at her. Mrs. Harris, of course, understood not a word, but his smile beneath a walrus mustache was engaging and friendly enough, and so she settled back to endure the ride until she should reach the so-long-coveted destination. She reflected upon the strange series of events that led to her being there.

TWO (2)

It had all begun that day several years back (все началось в тот день несколько лет назад) when, during the course of her duties at the apartment of Lady Dant (когда во время выполнения своих обязанностей в квартире леди Дант) Mrs. Harris had opened a wardrobe which she was wont to tidy (миссис Харрис открыла платяной шкаф, который она имела обыкновение приводить в порядок) and had come upon the two dresses hanging there (и наткнулась на два платья, висящих там). One was a bit of heaven in cream, ivory (одно было кусочком неба в кремовых, цвета слоновой кости /тонах/), lace and chiffon (кружевное и шифоновое), the other an explosion in crimson satin and taffeta (а другое — вспышкой темно-красного/малинового атласа и тафты), adorned with great red bows and a huge red flower (украшенное большими красными дугами и огромным красным цветком). She stood there as though struck dumb (она стояла там, онемев от изумления; to strike — бить, поражать; dumb — dumb — немой ), for never in all her life had she seen anything quite as thrilling and beautiful (потому что никогда за всю свою жизнь она не видела чего-либо столь волнующего и красивого; to thrill — вызывать трепет, дрожь; сильно взволновать; thrill — возбуждение, глубокое волнение; нервная дрожь, трепет ).

course [kLs], explosion [Iks'plquZqn], taffeta ['txfItq]

It had all begun that day several years back when, during the course of her duties at the apartment of Lady Dant, Mrs. Harris had opened a wardrobe which she was wont to tidy and had come upon the two dresses hanging there. One was a bit of heaven in cream, ivory, lace and chiffon, the other an explosion in crimson satin and taffeta, adorned with great red bows and a huge red flower. She stood there as though struck dumb, for never in all her life had she seen anything quite as thrilling and beautiful.

Drab and colorless (серое и бесцветное; drab — тускло-коричневый; желтовато-серый; мрачный, неинтересный, однообразный, серый, скучный ) as her existence would seem to have been (каким, как могло показаться, было ее существование = каким бы серым и бесцветным …), Mrs. Harris had always felt a craving for beauty and color (миссис Харрис всегда испытывала страстное стремление к красоте и цвету) and which up to this moment had manifested itself in a love for flowers (и которое до настоящего момента проявлялось в любви к цветам). She had the proverbial green thumb (она обладала вошедшим в поговорку «зеленым пальцем» = легкой рукой/садоводческим искусством; proverb — поговорка ), coupled with no little skill (в сочетании с немалым мастерством), and plants flourished for her where they would not, quite possibly, for any other (и растения расцветали для нее /там/, где они /не расцвели бы/, вполне возможно, для кого-то другого).

existence [Ig'zIstqns], proverbial [prq'vWbjql], thumb [TAm]

Drab and colorless as her existence would seem to have been, Mrs. Harris had always felt a craving for beauty and color and which up to this moment had manifested itself in a love for flowers. She had the proverbial green thumb, coupled with no little skill, and plants flourished for her where they would not, quite possibly, for any other.

Outside the windows of her basement flat (за окном ее квартиры в цокольном этаже) were two window boxes of geraniums, her favorite flower (было два наружных ящика герани, ее любимых цветов), and inside (а внутри), wherever there was room (где только было место; room — комната; место ), there was a little pot containing a geranium struggling desperately to conquer its environment (был небольшой горшок, вмещающий герань, отчаянно борющуюся, чтобы отвоевать пространство для жизни: «завоевать свою окружающую среду»), or a single hyacinth or tulip (или одинокий гиацинт или тюльпан), bought from a barrow for a hard-earned shilling (купленный с лотка за с трудом заработанный шиллинг).

geranium [GI'reInjqm], desperately ['despqrqtlI], conquer ['kONkq]

Outside the windows of her basement flat were two window boxes of geraniums, her favorite flower, and inside, wherever there was room, there was a little pot containing a geranium struggling desperately to conquer its environment, or a single hyacinth or tulip, bought from a barrow for a hard-earned shilling.

Then too (к тому же еще), the people for whom she worked (люди, на кого она работала) would sometimes present her with the leavings of their cut flowers (иногда дарили ей остатки от своих срезанных цветов) which in their wilted state she would take home (которые она /уже/ увядшими приносила домой) and try to nurse back to health (и пыталась выходить: «выходить обратно к здоровью»), and once in a while (а изредка), particularly in the spring (особенно весной), she would buy herself a little box of pansies (она сама покупала небольшой ящик анютиных глазок), primroses or anemones (примул или анемонов). As long as she had flowers Mrs. Harris had no serious complaints concerning the life she led (пока у нее были цветы, миссис Харрис не имела серьезных жалоб касательно жизни, которую она вела; to lead ). They were her escape from the somber stone desert in which she lived (они были ее спасением от мрачной каменистой пустыни, в которой она жила). These bright flashes of color satisfied her (эти яркие вспышки цвета приносили ей удовлетворение = радовали ее; to satisfy — удовлетворять ). They were something to return to in the evening (они были тем, /к чему можно было/ возвратиться вечером), something to wake up to in the morning (тем, /для чего/ просыпаться утром).

primroses ['prImrquzIz], anemones [q'nemqnIz], somber ['sOmbq]

Then too, the people for whom she worked would sometimes present her with the leavings of their cut flowers which in their wilted state she would take home and try to nurse back to health, and once in a while, particularly in the spring, she would buy herself a little box of pansies, primroses or anemones. As long as she had flowers Mrs. Harris had no serious complaints concerning the life she led. They were her escape from the somber stone desert in which she lived. These bright flashes of color satisfied her. They were something to return to in the evening, something to wake up to in the morning.

But now as she stood before the stunning creations hanging in the closet (но теперь, когда она стояла перед сногсшибательными творениями, висящими в шкафу) she found herself face to face with a new kind of beauty (она оказалась лицом к лицу с новым видом красоты; to find — находить ) — an artificial one created by the hand of man the artist (искусственным, созданным руками человека-художника), but aimed directly and cunningly at the heart of woman (но нацеленным прямо и умело/искусно в сердце женщины). In that very instant she fell victim to the artist (в тот самый момент она стала жертвой художника; to fall — падать; пасть ); at that very moment there was born within her the craving to possess such a garment (в тот самый момент в ней родилось страстное желание обладать таким платьем: «одеянием»).

creation [krJ'eISqn], beauty ['bjHtI], heart [hRt]

But now as she stood before the stunning creations hanging in the closet she found herself face to face with a new kind of beauty — an artificial one created by the hand of man the artist, but aimed directly and cunningly at the heart of woman. In that very instant she fell victim to the artist; at that very moment there was born within her the craving to possess such a garment.

There was no rhyme or reason for it (для этого не было ни рифмы = связи ни мотива/причины = это было ни с того, ни с сего); she would never wear such a creation (она никогда бы не надела такое платье: «творение»); there was no place in her life for one (/для него/ не было места в ее жизни). Her reaction was purely feminine (ее реакция была чисто женской). She saw it and she wanted it dreadfully (она увидела его и ей ужасно захотелось его /иметь/). Something inside her yearned and reached for it (что-то внутри нее стремилось/жаждало и тянулось к нему) as instinctively as an infant in the crib snatches at a bright object (так же инстинктивно, как младенец в кроватке хватается за яркий предмет; crib — стойло; ясли, кормушка; детская кроватка /с боковыми решетчатыми стенками/; колыбель ). How deeply this craving went (как глубоко это страстное желание зашло), how powerful it was (каким сильным оно было; power — мощь ), Mrs. Harris herself did not even know at that moment (миссис Харри даже сама не знала в тот момент). She could only stand there enthralled (она только могла стоять там, восторженная; to enthrall — покорять, порабощать; очаровывать, увлекать, захватывать ), rapt and enchanted (восхищенная и очарованная), gazing at the dresses (пристально разглядывая платья), leaning upon her mop (опершись на свою швабру), in her music-hall shoes (в своих нелепых/смешных туфлях: «туфлях для мюзик-холла = водевильных»), soiled overall (в грязном рабочем халате; soiled — запачкавшийся, грязный; overall — рабочий халат; спецодежда: «поверх всего» ), and wispy hair down about her ears (тонкие волосы /были зачесаны/ за уши), the classic figure of the cleaning woman (классическая фигура уборщицы).