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who played golf and could talk to a man like one good chap to another and yet,

essentially a respectable, middle-class woman, hankered for the security of the

marriage state.

Michael never liked to have a crowd at a dress-rehearsal, and this time, anxious to

keep the secret of the play till the first night, he had admitted besides Charles only

the people, photographers and dressmakers, whose presence was necessary. Julia

spared herself. She had no intention of giving all she had to give till the first night.

It was enough if her performance was adequate (было достаточным, если ее

исполнение соответствовало требованиям: «было адекватным»). Under

Michael's business-like direction (под деловым управлением Майкла)

everything went off without a hitch (все прошло без сучка без задоринки;

without a hitch — гладко, без задержки, hitch — зд. помеха, препятствие), and

by ten o'clock Julia and Charles were sitting in the Grill Room of the Savoy (и уже

к десяти часам Джулия и Чарльз сидели в гриль-баре «Савой»). The first thing

she asked him was what he thought of Avice Crichton (первое, что она спросила

у него /было/, что он думает об Эвис Крайтон).

"Not at all bad and wonderfully pretty (совсем не плоха и удивительно

хорошенькая). She really looked lovely in that second-act dress (она на самом

деле выглядела миленько в том платье для второго акта)."

"I'm not going to wear the dress I wore in the second act (я не буду в том же

платье: «не буду носить то же платье», что было на мне во втором акте).

Charley Deverill has made me another (Чарли Деверил сшил: «сделал» мне

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другое)."

adequate ['xdIkwIt] hitch [hItS] wonderful ['wAndqf(q)l]

It was enough if her performance was adequate. Under Michael's business-like

direction everything went off without a hitch, and by ten o'clock Julia and Charles

were sitting in the Grill Room of the Savoy. The first thing she asked him was

what he thought of Avice Crichton.

"Not at all bad and wonderfully pretty. She really looked lovely in that second-act

dress."

"I'm not going to wear the dress I wore in the second act. Charley Deverill has

made me another."

He did not see the slightly humorous glance she gave him (он не заметил:

«увидел» тот слегка веселый взгляд, которым она на него посмотрела), and if

he had (и, если бы он заметил) would not have guessed what it meant (не

догадался бы, что он означал). Michael, having taken Julia's advice (Майкл,

последовав совету Джулии), had gone to a good deal of trouble with Avice

(приложил огромное количество усилий с Эвис). He had rehearsed her by

herself (он репетировал с ней одной) upstairs in his private room (наверху, в

своем личном кабинете) and had given her every intonation and every gesture (и

научил ее: «дал ей» каждой интонации и каждому жесту). He had also, Julia

had good reason to believe (он так же, Джулия имела полное право верить в

это), lunched with her several times and taken her out to supper (обедал с ней

несколько раз и приглашал ее на ужин в ресторан). The result of all this was

that she was playing the part uncommonly well (результатом этого было то, что

она играла свою роль необычайно хорошо). Michael rubbed his hands (Майкл

потирал /свои/ руки).

humorous ['hju:m(q)rqs] intonation ["Intq'neIS(q)n]

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uncommonly [An'kOmqnlI]

He did not see the slightly humorous glance she gave him, and if he had would not

have guessed what it meant. Michael, having taken Julia's advice, had gone to a

good deal of trouble with Avice. He had rehearsed her by herself upstairs in his

private room and had given her every intonation and every gesture. He had also,

Julia had good reason to believe, lunched with her several times and taken her out

to supper. The result of all this was that she was playing the part uncommonly

well. Michael rubbed his hands.

"I'm very pleased with her (я очень ею доволен). I think she'll make quite a hit (я

думаю, что она будет настоящим успехом). I've half a mind to give her a

contract (я уже почти решил подписать: «дать» с ней контракт; to have half a

mind to do smth — быть не прочь сделать что-либо)."

"I wouldn't (я бы не стала)," said Julia. "Not till after the first night (до тех пор,

пока не пройдет премьера). You can never really tell (никогда нельзя на самом-

то деле сказать) how a performance is going to pan out (как пройдет спектакль;

to pan out — /зд. разг./ преуспевать, удаваться) till you've got an audience

(пока не будет публики)."

"She's a nice girl and a perfect lady (она милая девушка и истинная:

«совершенная» леди)."

"A nice girl, I suppose, because she's madly in love with you (милая девушка, я

полагаю, из-за того, что она безумно влюблена в тебя), and a perfect lady

because she's resisting your advances till she's got a contract (и истинная леди,

из-за того, что сопротивляется твоим ухаживаниям до тех пор, пока у нее нет:

«она не получила» контракта)."

"Oh, my dear, don't be so silly (о, моя дорогая, не глупи). Why, I'm old enough

to be her father (я достаточно стар, что мог бы быть ее отцом = я ей в отцы

гожусь)."

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audience ['O:dIqns] perfect ['pq:fIkt] silly ['sIlI]

"I'm very pleased with her. I think she'll make quite a hit. I've half a mind to give

her a contract."

"I wouldn't," said Julia. "Not till after the first night. You can never really tell how

a performance is going to pan out till you've got an audience."

"She's a nice girl and a perfect lady."

"A nice girl, I suppose, because she's madly in love with you, and a perfect lady

because she's resisting your advances till she's got a contract."

"Oh, my dear, don't be so silly. Why, I'm old enough to be her father."

But he smiled complacently (но он улыбнулся самодовольно). She knew very

well that his love-making went no farther than holding hands (она знала очень

хорошо, что его ухаживания не шли дальше, чем держание за руки) and a kiss

or two in a taxi (и пары: «одного или двух» поцелуев в такси), but she knew

also that it flattered him to imagine (но она знала также, что это льстило ему,

воображать) that she suspected him capable of infidelity (что она подозревала,

что он способен на супружескую неверность).

But now Julia, having satisfied her appetite with proper regard for her figure (но

теперь Джулия, удовлетворив свой аппетит с надлежащим вниманием к

своей фигуре), attacked the subject which was on her mind (приступила к теме,

которая была у нее на уме; to attack — нападать, атаковать, энергично

браться за работу).

"Charles dear, I want to talk to you about Roger (Чарльз дорогой, я хочу

поговорить с тобой о Роджере)."

"Oh yes, he came back the other day, didn't he (о да, он вернулся на днях, не так

ли)? How is he (как он)?"

"My dear, a most terrible thing has happened (дорогой мой, случилась ужасная

вещь). He's come back a fearful prig (он вернулся ужасным педантом) and I

don't know what to do about it (и я не знаю, что с этим делать)."

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complacent [kqm'pleIs(q)nt] infidelity ["InfI'delItI] appetite ['xpItaIt]

But he smiled complacently. She knew very well that his love-making went no

farther than holding hands and a kiss or two in a taxi, but she knew also that it

flattered him to imagine that she suspected him capable of infidelity.

But now Julia, having satisfied her appetite with proper regard for her figure,

attacked the subject which was on her mind.

"Charles dear, I want to talk to you about Roger."

"Oh yes, he came back the other day, didn't he? How is he?"

"My dear, a most terrible thing has happened. He's come back a fearful prig and I

don't know what to do about it."

She gave him her version of the conversation (она представила ему свою версию

того разговора). She left out one or two things that it seemed inconvenient to

mention (она опустила пару моментов, которые, как казалось, неудобно

упоминать; to leave (left) out — пропускать, не включать, упускать), but what

she told was on the whole accurate (но что она рассказала было, в целом,

точным).

"The tragic thing is that he has absolutely no sense of humour (самое трагическое

— так это то, что у него абсолютно нет чувства юмора)," she finished

(закончила она).

"After all he's only eighteen (в конце концов, ему всего лишь восемнадцать)."

"You could have knocked me down with a feather (я была настолько потрясена:

«ты бы мог сбить меня с ног с помощью перышка») when he said all those

things to me (когда он говорил все это мне). I felt just like Balaam (я

чувствовала себя почти как Валаам) when his ass broke into light conversation

(когда его ослица разразилась легким = напринужденным разговором)."

She gave him a gay look (она весело взглянула на него), but he did not even

smile (но он даже и не улыбнулся). He did not seem to think her remark as funny

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as she did (он, как оказалось, не думал, что ее замечание было таким уж

забавным, как думала она).

"I can't imagine where he got his ideas (не могу представить, где он набрался

/своих/ мыслей). It's absurd to think (нелепо думать) that he could have thought

out all that nonsense for himself (что он мог выдумать всю эту ерунду сам; to

think out — продумать, додумать до конца)."

accurate ['xkjqrqt] remark [rI'mQ:k] idea [aI'dIq]

She gave him her version of the conversation. She left out one or two things that it

seemed inconvenient to mention, but what she told was on the whole accurate.

"The tragic thing is that he has absolutely no sense of humour," she finished.

"After all he's only eighteen."

"You could have knocked me down with a feather when he said all those things to

me. I felt just like Balaam when his ass broke into light conversation."

She gave him a gay look, but he did not even smile. He did not seem to think her

remark as funny as she did.

"I can't imagine where he got his ideas. It's absurd to think that he could have

thought out all that nonsense for himself."

"Are you sure that boys of that age (а ты уверена, что юноши в этом возрасте)

don't think more than we older people imagine (не размышляют больше, чем мы,

старшее поколение: «люди» можем представить)? It's a sort of puberty of the

spirit (своего рода взросление духа; puberty — возмужалость, половая

зрелость) and its results are often strange (и его результаты часто странные)."