Читать интересную книгу Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр - Илья Франк

(метрдотель был удивлен, что Джулия ужинает одна), but the only emotion that

it was his business to show clients was gratification at seeing them (но

единственная эмоция, которую он мог выразить: «это было его делом

показать» клиентам, так это была удовлетворенность от того, что он видел

их).

glance [glQ:ns] travel ['trxv(q)l] gratification ["grxtIfI'keIS(q)n]

Her voice and a second glance told him who she was.

"Your favourite table is waiting for you, Miss Lambert. The message said you

would be alone?" Julia nodded and he led her to a table in the corner of the room.

"I hear you've had a big success tonight, Miss Lambert." How quickly good news

travelled. "What can I order?"

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The head waiter was surprised that Julia should be having supper by herself, but

the only emotion that it was his business to show clients was gratification at seeing

them.

"I'm very tired, Angelo (я очень устала, Анджело)."

"A little caviare to begin with, madame, or some oysters (немного икры для

начала, мадам, или немного устриц)?"

"Oysters, Angelo, but fat ones (устриц, Анджело, но только жирных)."

"I will choose them myself, Miss Lambert, and to follow (я выберу их сам, мисс

Лэмберт, и затем: «последует»)?"

Julia gave a long sigh (Джулия тяжело вздохнула), for now she could, with a free

conscience (так как теперь она могла, со свободной совестью), order what she

had had in mind ever since the end of the second act (заказать то, что было у нее

на уме с самого конца второго акта). She felt she deserved a treat to celebrate

her triumph (она чувствовала, что она заслужила угощения, чтобы

отпраздновать ее триумф), and for once she meant to throw prudence to the

winds (и на этот раз она намеревалась отбросить благоразумие; wind — ветер,

поток воздуха).

"Grilled steak and onions, Angelo (жареный на гриле бифштекс с луком), fried

potatoes (жареный картофель), and a bottle of Bass (и бутылку пива «Басс»).

Give it me in a silver tankard (подай мне его в серебряной высокой пивной

кружке /с крышкой/)."

caviare ['kxv'IQ:] oyster ['OIstq] prudence ['pru:d(q)ns] steak [steIk]

tankard ['txNkqd]

"I'm very tired, Angelo."

"A little caviare to begin with, madame, or some oysters?"

"Oysters, Angelo, but fat ones."

"I will choose them myself, Miss Lambert, and to follow?"

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Julia gave a long sigh, for now she could, with a free conscience, order what she

had had in mind ever since the end of the second act. She felt she deserved a treat

to celebrate her triumph, and for once she meant to throw prudence to the winds.

"Grilled steak and onions, Angelo, fried potatoes, and a bottle of Bass. Give it me

in a silver tankard."

She probably hadn't eaten fried potatoes for ten years (она, вероятно, не ела

жаренного картофеля уже десять лет). But what an occasion it was (но что это

был за случай)! By a happy chance on this day (благодаря счастливому случаю

этого дня) she had confirmed her hold on the public (она смогла подтвердить

свою власть над публикой) by a performance that she could only describe as

scintillating (с помощью представления, которое она могла назвать: «описать»

только как блестящим), she had settled an old score (она свела старые счеты),

by one ingenious device disposing of Avice (одним искусным планом

избавившись и от Эвис) and making Tom see what a fool he had been (и дав

Тому понять, каким же дураком он был), and best of all had proved to herself

beyond all question (и, что самое лучшее из всего, доказала самой себе, вне

всякого сомнения; question — вопрос, проблема, сомнение) that she was free

from the irksome bonds that had oppressed her (что она была свободна от

утомительных уз: «обязательств», что угнетали ее). Her thought flickered for

an instant round Avice (ее мысли порхали какое-то мгновение вокруг Эвис).

"Silly little thing to try to put a spoke in my wheel (глупышка, попытаться

вставить палки мне в колеса; spoke — спица колеса; тормозной брусок) I'll let

her have her laughs tomorrow (завтра я позволю ей дождаться смеха /от

публики/)."

scintillating ['sIntIleItIN] ingenious [In'dZi:nIqs] device [dI'vaIs]

She probably hadn't eaten fried potatoes for ten years. But what an occasion it was!

By a happy chance on this day she had confirmed her hold on the public by a

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performance that she could only describe as scintillating, she had settled an old

score, by one ingenious device disposing of Avice and making Tom see what a

fool he had been, and best of all had proved to herself beyond all question that she

was free from the irksome bonds that had oppressed her. Her thought flickered for

an instant round Avice.

"Silly little thing to try to put a spoke in my wheel. I'll let her have her laughs

tomorrow."

The oysters came and she ate them with enjoyment (подали устрицы, и она ела

их с удовольствием). She ate two pieces of brown bread and butter (она съела

два кусочка черного хлеба с маслом; brown bread — в Англии серый хлеб из

непросеянной муки) with the delicious sense of imperilling her immortal soul (с

восхитительным чувством, что она подвергала опасности свою бессмертную

душу), and she took a long drink from the silver tankard (и она сделала большой

глоток из серебряной пивной кружки).

"Beer, glorious beer (пиво, славное пиво)," she murmured (пробормотала она).

She could see Michael's long face (она представляла: «могла видеть»

вытянутую физиономию Майкла) if he knew what she was doing (если бы он

узнал, что она делает). Poor Michael who imagined she had killed Avice's scene

(бедный Майкл, который воображал, что она испортила сцену Эвис) because

she thought he was too attentive to that foolish little blonde (из-за того, что она

будто бы думала, что он был слишком внимателен к этой глуповатой

блондиночке). Really, it was pitiful how stupid men were (действительно, это

достойно сожаления, какие все-таки мужчины глупые). They said women were

vain (говорят, что женщины тщеславны), they were modest violets in

comparison with men (да они стыдливые, как фиалки, по сравнению с

мужчинами). She could not but laugh when she thought of Tom (она не могла не

рассмеяться, когда она думала о Томе). He had wanted her that afternoon (он

хотел ее в тот день), he had wanted her still more that night (он хотел ее еще

больше в тот вечер). It was wonderful to think that he meant no more to her than

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a stage-hand (это было так удивительно — думать, что он значил для нее не

больше, чем какой-нибудь рабочий сцены). It gave one a grand feeling of

confidence to be heart-whole (это дает такое великолепное чувство

уверенности — быть свободным от приявязанностей; heart-whole — не

знающий любви, не влюбленный; whole — целый; невредимый).

imperil [Im'perIl] glorious ['glO:rIqs] pitiful ['pItIf(q)l] violet ['vaIqlIt]

The oysters came and she ate them with enjoyment. She ate two pieces of brown

bread and butter with the delicious sense of imperilling her immortal soul, and she

took a long drink from the silver tankard.

"Beer, glorious beer," she murmured.

She could see Michael's long face if he knew what she was doing. Poor Michael

who imagined she had killed Avice's scene because she thought he was too

attentive to that foolish little blonde. Really, it was pitiful how stupid men were.

They said women were vain, they were modest violets in comparison with men.

She could not but laugh when she thought of Tom. He had wanted her that

afternoon, he had wanted her still more that night. It was wonderful to think that he

meant no more to her than a stage-hand. It gave one a grand feeling of confidence

to be heart-whole.

The room in which she sat (комната, в которой она сидела) was connected by

three archways with the big dining-room (была соединена тремя сводчатыми

проходами с большой столовой /залой/; arch — арка, свод, дуга) where they

supped and danced (где ужинали и танцевали); amid the crowd doubtless were a

certain number who had been to the play (среди этой толпы, вне всякого

сомнения, было определенное количество /людей/, которые были до этого на

спектакле). How surprised they would be (как бы они удивились) if they knew

that the quiet little woman in the corner of the adjoining room (если бы они

знали, что эта тихая маленькая женщина, /сидящая/ в углу смежной

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комнаты), her face half hidden by a felt hat, was Julia Lambert (чье лицо было

наполовину спрятано за фетровой шляпой, была Джулией Лэмберт). It gave

her a pleasant sense of independence (это давало ей приятное чувство

независимости) to sit there unknown and unnoticed (сидеть там неузнанной и

незамеченной). They were acting a play for her and she was the audience (они

играли для нее спектакль, и она была публикой). She caught brief glimpses of

them as they passed the archway (она видела их мельком, когда они проходили

через арочный проход; brief — короткий, недолгий), young men and young

women, young men and women not so young (молодые мужчины и молодые

женщины, молодые мужчины и женщины не такие уж молодые), men with

bald heads and men with fat bellies (мужчины с лысыми головами и мужчины с

толстыми животами), old harridans clinging desperately to their painted

semblance of youth (старые греховодницы, цепляющиеся отчаянно за свои

собственные раскрашенные подобия юности). Some were in love, and some

were jealous, and some were indifferent (некоторые из них любили, некоторые

ревновали, и некоторым было все равно; indifferent — безразличный,

равнодушный).

archway ['Q:tSweI] harridan ['hxrIdn] semblance ['semblqns]

The room in which she sat was connected by three archways with the big dining-

room where they supped and danced; amid the crowd doubtless were a certain

number who had been to the play. How surprised they would be if they knew that

the quiet little woman in the corner of the adjoining room, her face half hidden by a

felt hat, was Julia Lambert. It gave her a pleasant sense of independence to sit there

unknown and unnoticed. They were acting a play for her and she was the audience.

She caught brief glimpses of them as they passed the archway, young men and

young women, young men and women not so young, men with bald heads and men

with fat bellies, old harridans clinging desperately to their painted semblance of