Илья Франк - Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

possible to get the operation done secretly he would have had his face lifted.

He had got into the way of sitting with his chin slightly thrust out so that the

wrinkles in his neck should not show and he held himself with an arched back

to keep his belly from sagging. He could not pass a mirror without looking

into it.

He hankered for compliments (он страстно жаждал /услышать/ комплименты)

and beamed with delight (и сиял от удовольствия) when he had managed to

extract one (когда ему удавалось выудить /хоть/ один ; to extract — извлекать,

вытаскивать, получить с трудом ). They were food and drink to him (они были

для него пищей и питьем). Julia laughed bitterly (Джулия горько смеялась)

when she remembered that it was she (когда вспоминала, что именно она /была

тем, кто/) who had accustomed him to them (приучила его к ним). For years she

had told him how beautiful he was (долгие годы она говорила ему, насколько

красив он был) and now he could not live without flattery (и теперь он не мог

жить без лести). It was the only chink in his armour (это было его единственное

слабое место; a chink in smb.'s armour — щель, изъян в чьей-либо броне ). An

actress out of a job (безработной актрисе; out of a job — без работы, без

места ) had only to tell him to his face (надо было только сказать ему прямо в

лицо) that he was too handsome to be true (что он был таким красивым, что

даже не верится: «для того, что бы быть реальным») for him to think (для того,

чтобы он подумал) that she might do for a part he had in mind (что она может

подойти для роли, которую он имел в виду; that will do — этого достаточно,

это подойдет ).

extract [Ik'strxkt] chink [tSINk] armour ['Q:mq]

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

239

He hankered for compliments and beamed with delight when he had managed

to extract one. They were food and drink to him. Julia laughed bitterly when

she remembered that it was she who had accustomed him to them. For years

she had told him how beautiful he was and now he could not live without

flattery. It was the only chink in his armour. An actress out of a job had only

to tell him to his face that he was too handsome to be true for him to think

that she might do for a part he had in mind.

For years, so far as Julia knew (долгие годы, насколько Джулии было известно:

«Джулия знала»), Michael had not bothered with women (Майкл не сильно

беспокоился о женщинах), but when he reached the middle forties (но когда ему

исполнилось сорок пять: «он достиг середины сорокалетнего возраста»;

forties — зд. возраст от сорока до сорока девяти лет ) he began to have little

flirtations (он начал заводить: «иметь» небольшие романчики). Julia suspected

that nothing much came of them (Джулия подозревала, что из них не выходило

ничего особенного; to come of — выходить, получаться ). He was prudent (он

был осторожный), and all he wanted was admiration (и все, что он хотел

/получить/, так это восхищение). She had heard (она знала: «слышала») that

when women became pressing (что когда женщины становились

настойчивыми) he used her as a pretext to get rid of them (он использовал ее как

предлог, чтобы избавиться от них). Either he couldn't risk doing anything to hurt

her (/он говорил, что/ либо он не мог рисковать и сделать что-то такое, что

причинит ей боль), or she was jealous or suspicious (или то, что она была

ревнивой и подозрительной) and it seemed better (и, казалось, что будет

лучше) that the friendship should cease (чтобы их дружба прекратилась).

"God knows what they see in him (одному Богу известно, что они видят в

нем)," Julia exclaimed to the empty room (Джулия воскликнула, /обращаясь/ к

пустой комнате).

bother ['bODq] flirtation [flq:'teIS(q)n] pretext ['pri:tekst]

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

240

For years, so far as Julia knew, Michael had not bothered with women, but

when he reached the middle forties he began to have little flirtations. Julia

suspected that nothing much came of them. He was prudent, and all he

wanted was admiration. She had heard that when women became pressing he

used her as a pretext to get rid of them. Either he couldn't risk doing anything

to hurt her, or she was jealous or suspicious and it seemed better that the

friendship should cease.

"God knows what they see in him," Julia exclaimed to the empty room.

She took up half a dozen of his photographs at random (она подняла полдюжины

его фотографий наугад; at random — без разбора, наобум, наудачу ) and looked

at them carefully one by one (и рассмотрела их внимательно одну за одной).

She shrugged her shoulders (она пожала плечами).

"Well, I suppose I can't blame them (ну, /я/ полагаю, я не могу винить их). I fell

in love with him too (я влюбилась в него тоже). Of course he was better-looking

in those days (конечно, он выглядел лучше тогда: «в те дни»)."

It made Julia a little sad to think how much she had loved him (Джулия

загрустила, подумав, как сильно она любила его; to make smb. sad —

опечалиться, нагнать тоску ). Because her love had died (из-за того, что ее

любовь умерла) she felt that life had cheated her (она чувствовала, что жизнь

обманула ее; to cheat — мошенничать, обманывать, изменять ). She sighed

(она вздохнула).

"And my back's aching (и спина у меня болит)," she said.

shrug [SrAg] cheat [tSi:t] ache [eIk]

She took up half a dozen of his photographs at random and looked at them

carefully one by one. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I suppose I can't blame them. I fell in love with him too. Of course he

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

241

was better-looking in those days."

It made Julia a little sad to think how much she had loved him. Because her

love had died she felt that life had cheated her. She sighed.

"And my back's aching," she said.

10

THERE was a knock at the door (раздался стук в дверь).

"Come in (войдите)," said Julia (сказала Джулия).

Evie entered (вошла Эви).

"Aren't you going to bed today (разве вы не собираетесь поспать: «в постель»

сегодня), Miss Lambert (мисс Лэмберт)?" She saw Julia sitting on the floor (она

увидела, что Джулия сидит на полу) surrounded by masses of photographs

(окруженная кучей фотографий; mass — масса, скопление, множество ).

"Whatever are you doing (что это вы делаете; whatever — эмоц.-усилит., разг.

выражает удивление и недоумение — что? )?"

"Dreaming (мечтаю)." She took up two of the photographs (она подняла пару:

«две» фотографий). "Look here upon this picture (посмотри сюда, на эту

фотографию), and on this (и на эту)."

One was of Michael as Mercutio in all the radiant beauty of his youth (на одной

был Майкл в роли Меркуцио во всей сияющей красоте /его/ молодости) and

the other of Michael in the last part he had played (и на другой — Майкл в его

последней роли /которую он играл/), in a white topper (в белом цилиндре) and

a morning coat (и визитке; morning coat — «утренний пиджак», визитка ), with

a pair of field-glasses slung over his shoulder (и полевым биноклем,

перекинутым через плечо; pair — пара, парный предмет, вещь, состоящая из

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

242

двух частей ). He looked unbelievably self-satisfied (он выглядел невероятно

самодовольным).

mass [mxs] whatever [wO'tevq] radiant ['reIdIqnt]

THERE was a knock at the door.

"Come in," said Julia.

Evie entered.

"Aren't you going to bed today, Miss Lambert?" She saw Julia sitting on the

floor surrounded by masses of photographs. "Whatever are you doing?"

"Dreaming." She took up two of the photographs. "Look here upon this

picture, and on this."

One was of Michael as Mercutio in all the radiant beauty of his youth and the

other of Michael in the last part he had played, in a white topper and a

morning coat, with a pair of field-glasses slung over his shoulder. He looked

unbelievably self-satisfied.

Evie sniffed (Эви фыркнула).

"Oh, well, it's no good crying over spilt milk (ну, потерянного не воротишь: