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

скупой, прижимистый ), self-complacent (самодовольный), but how

extraordinarily kind he was (но каким же удивительно добрым он был) and how

unselfish (и каким неэгоистичным)! He was devoid of envy (он был лишен

зависти). It gave him a real satisfaction (/это/ доставляло ему настоящее

удовлетворение), so long as it did not cost money (до тех пор, пока это не

стоило денег), to make other people happy (делать других людей

счастливыми). She read his mind like an open book (она читала его мысли, как

открытую книгу). It was true (было правдой то) that he never had any but a

commonplace thought (все его мысли были банальны: «он никогда не имел

никакой другой мысли, кроме банальной»); on the other hand (с другой

стороны) he never had a shameful one (у никого никогда не было и постыдной

/мысли/). It was exasperating (это было несносно) that with so much to make

him worthy of her affection (что со столькими /положительными качествами/,

которые /должны были/ сделать его достойным ее расположения:

«привязанности»), she should be so excruciatingly bored by him (она так

мучительно скучала с ним: «он ей так надоел»).

remorse [rI'mO:s] unselfish [An'selfIS] excruciating [Ik'skru:SIeItIN]

Julia had a pang of remorse. Michael was prosy, near with his money, self-

complacent, but how extraordinarily kind he was and how unselfish! He was

devoid of envy. It gave him a real satisfaction, so long as it did not cost money, to

make other people happy. She read his mind like an open book. It was true that he

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never had any but a commonplace thought; on the other hand he never had a

shameful one. It was exasperating that with so much to make him worthy of her

affection, she should be so excruciatingly bored by him.

"I think you're a much better man than I am a woman (я думаю, что ты гораздо

лучший мужчина, чем я женщина), my sweet (мой любимый)," she said.

He gave her his good, friendly smile (он одарил ее своей приятной,

дружелюбной улыбкой) and slightly shook his head (и слегка покачал головой).

"No, dear, I had a wonderful profile (нет, дорогая, у меня был прекрасный

профиль), but you've got genius (а у тебя есть талант)."

Julia giggled (Джулия хихикнула). There was a certain fun (это было даже

забавным; certain — определенный, некоторый ) to be got out of a man

(разговаривать с человеком; to get out — зд. произносить, издавать ) who

never knew what you were talking about (который никогда не знал, о чем речь

идет: «о чем ты говоришь»). But what did they mean (но что имеют в виду)

when they said an actress had genius (когда говорят, что у актрисы талант)?

Julia had often asked herself (Джулия часто спрашивала себя) what it was that

had placed her (что же /это было/, что поставило ее в положение) at last head

and shoulders above her contemporaries (по крайней мере на голову /и плечи/

выше, чем ее современниц; to stand head and shoulders above smb. — намного

превосходить кого-либо ).

profile ['prqVfaIl] genius ['dZi:nIqs] giggle ['gIg(q)l]

"I think you're a much better man than I am a woman, my sweet," she said.

He gave her his good, friendly smile and slightly shook his head.

"No, dear, I had a wonderful profile, but you've got genius."

Julia giggled. There was a certain fun to be got out of a man who never knew what

you were talking about. But what did they mean when they said an actress had

genius? Julia had often asked herself what it was that had placed her at last head

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and shoulders above her contemporaries.

She had had detractors (раньше у нее были хулители). At one time (одно время)

people had compared her unfavourably with some actress or other (люди

сравнивали ее, и не в ее пользу, с той или иной актрисой ; unfavourably —

неблагоприятный, неблагосклонный ) who at the moment enjoyed the public

favour (которые в

тот момент пользовались: «наслаждались»

благосклонностью публики), but now no one disputed her supremacy (но теперь

никто и не обсуждал ее превосходства). It was true (правда) that she had not the

world-wide notoriety of the film-stars (у нее не было всемирной /сомнительной/

славы звезд кино); she had tried her luck on the pictures (она попытала счастья

в кино; picture — картина, рисунок, the pictures — кино ), but had achieved no

success (но не добилась: «не достигла» успеха); her face on the stage so mobile

and expressive (ее лицо, на сцене такое подвижное и выразительное:

«мобильное и экспрессивное») for some reason lost on the screen (по какой-то

причине терялось на экране), and after one trial (и после одной попытки) she

had with Michael's approval (она, с одобрения Майкла) refused to accept any of

the offers (она отказывалась принимать любые предложения /в кино/) that

were from time to time made her (которые ей время от времени делали). She

had got a good deal of useful publicity (она получила хорошую: «много» и

полезную рекламу) out of her dignified attitude (от этого своего отношения /к

съемкам в кино/, полного собственного достоинства). But Julia did not envy

the film-stars (но Джулия не завидовала звездам экрана); they came and went;

she stayed (они приходили и уходили, она оставалась).

detractor [dI'trxktq] supremacy [sq'premqsI] notoriety ["nqVtq'raIqtI]

She had had detractors. At one time people had compared her unfavourably with

some actress or other who at the moment enjoyed the public favour, but now no

one disputed her supremacy. It was true that she had not the world-wide notoriety

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of the film-stars; she had tried her luck on the pictures, but had achieved no

success; her face on the stage so mobile and expressive for some reason lost on the

screen, and after one trial she had with Michael's approval refused to accept any of

the offers that were from time to time made her. She had got a good deal of useful

publicity out of her dignified attitude. But Julia did not envy the film-stars; they

came and went; she stayed.

When it was possible (когда появлялась возможность: «это было возможно»)

she went to see the performance of actresses (она шла посмотреть на игру:

«выступления» актрис) who played leading parts on the London stage (которые

/тоже/ играли ведущие роли в лондонских театрах: «на лондонской сцене»).

She was generous in her praise of them (она была щедра на свою похвалу им)

and her praise was sincere (и ее похвала была искренней). Sometimes she

honestly thought them so very good (иногда она искренне считала их настолько

хорошими /актрисами/) that she could not understand why people made so much

fuss over her (что не могла понять, почему она вызывала у людей такой

интерес: «такую шумиху»). She was much too intelligent not to know (она была

очень умной для того, чтобы не понимать: «не знать») in what estimation the

public held her (какую /высокую/ оценка публика давала ей), but she was

modest about herself (но она сама скромно оценивала себя). It always surprised

her (ее всегда удивляло) when people raved over something she had done (когда

люди восхищались /отдельными/ элементами ее игры: «чем-то, что она

сделала»; to rave — бредить, быть в исступлении, бесноваться ) that came to

her so naturally (все это давалось ей настолько естественно: «что приходило к

ней так естественно») that she had never thought it possible to do anything else

(что ей и в голову не приходило сыграть как-то по-другому = «что она

никогда и не думала возможным сделать что-нибудь еще»). The critics

admired her variety (критиков восхищало ее разнообразие). They praised

especially her capacity (они хвалили особенно ее способность) for insinuating

herself into a part (вжиться в роль: «проникнуть в роль»).

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generous ['dZen(q)rqs] insinuating [In'sInjVeItIN] variety [vq'raIqtI]

When it was possible she went to see the performance of actresses who played

leading parts on the London stage. She was generous in her praise of them and her

praise was sincere. Sometimes she honestly thought them so very good that she

could not understand why people made so much fuss over her. She was much too

intelligent not to know in what estimation the public held her, but she was modest

about herself. It always surprised her when people raved over something she had

done that came to her so naturally that she had never thought it possible to do

anything else. The critics admired her variety. They praised especially her capacity