Английский с Дэвидом Г. Лоуренсом. Тень в розовом саду / D. H. Lawrence. The Shadow in the Rose Garden

Лоуренс Дэвид Герберт

 As I went crunching over the laborious snow I became aware of a figure striding awkwardly down the steep scarp to intercept me. It was a man with his hands in front of him, half stuck in his breeches pockets, and his shoulders square – a real knock-about fellow. Alfred, of course. He waited for me by the stone fence.

“Excuse me,” he said as I came up.

I came to a halt in front of him and looked into his sullen blue eyes. He had a certain odd haughtiness on his brows. But his blue eyes stared insolently at me.

“Do you know anything about a letter – in French (вы

что-нибудь знаете о письме… на французском…) – that my wife opened – a letter of mine (которое вскрыла моя жена… письме для меня)?”

“Yes,” said I. “She asked me to read it to her (она попросила меня прочесть его ей).”

He looked square at me (он смотрел прямо на меня; square – прямо; как раз, непосредственно). He did not know exactly how to feel (он точно не знал, что думать; to feel – осязать; чувствовать, ощущать; полагать, считать).

“What was there in it?” he asked (что в нем было? – спросил он).

“Why (а что)?” I said. “Don’t you know (разве вы не знаете)?”

“She makes out she’s burnt it (она уверяет, что сожгла его; to make out – разобрать, увидеть; понять, разобраться; утверждать, стараться доказать; to burn – гореть; сжигать),” he said.

“Without showing it you?” I asked (не показав его вам? – спросил я).

He nodded slightly (он слегка кивнул).

 “Do you know anything about a letter – in French – that my wife opened – a letter of mine?”

“Yes,” said I. “She asked me to read it to her.”

He looked square at me. He did not know exactly how to feel.

“What was there in it?” he asked.

“Why?” I said. “Don’t you know?”

“She makes out she’s burnt it,” he said.

“Without showing it you?” I asked.

He nodded slightly.

He seemed to be meditating as to what line of action he should take (он, казалось, раздумывал над тем, какую линию поведения избрать). He wanted to know the contents of the letter: he must know (он желал знать содержание письма; он должен знать): and therefore he must ask me, for evidently his wife had taunted him (и поэтому должен спросить меня, поскольку, очевидно, его жена отделалась от него колкостями; to taunt – насмехаться; говорить колкости; дразнить). At the same time, no doubt (в то же время, без сомнения), he would like to wreak untold vengeance on my unfortunate person (он хотел бы излить невысказанную месть на мою несчастную персону; to wreak – давать выход, волю /чувству, особ. злобному/; unfortunate – несчастный, несчастливый; fortune – счастье; удача). So he eyed me, and I eyed him, and neither of us spoke (поэтому он не спускал с меня глаз, а я – с него, и ни один из нас не говорил; to eye – разглядывать, рассматривать; следить). He did not want to repeat his request to me (он не желал повторять свою просьбу ко мне). And yet I only looked at him, and considered (однако я только смотрел на него и размышлял).

Suddenly he threw back his head and glanced down the valley (вдруг

он запрокинул голову и мельком взглянул на долину). Then he changed his position and he looked at me more confidentially (потом изменил положение и посмотрел на меня более доверительно; confidential – конфиденциальный; доверительный; пользующийся доверием).

“She burnt the blasted thing before I saw it (она сожгла проклятое письмо прежде, чем я его увидел; blasted – разрушенный /действием природных сил/; /разг./ проклятый, чертов; to blast – взрывать; губить; ругать, проклинать),” he said.

 He seemed to be meditating as to what line of action he should take. He wanted to know the contents of the letter: he must know: and therefore he must ask me, for evidently his wife had taunted him. At the same time, no doubt, he would like to wreak untold vengeance on my unfortunate person. So he eyed me, and I eyed him, and neither of us spoke. He did not want to repeat his request to me. And yet I only looked at him, and considered.

Suddenly he threw back his head and glanced down the valley. Then he changed his position and he looked at me more confidentially.

“She burnt the blasted thing before I saw it,” he said.

“Well,” I answered slowly (что ж, – медленно ответил я), “she doesn’t know herself what was in it (она сама не знает, что в нем было).”

He continued to watch me narrowly (он продолжал пристально следить за мной; narrowly – узко; пристально; narrow – узкий; тесный; тщательный, подробный). I grinned to myself (я ухмыльнулся про себя).

“I didn’t like to read her out what there was in it,” I continued (мне не хотелось зачитывать ей то, что там было, – продолжал я; to read out – читать вслух).

He suddenly flushed out so that the veins in his neck stood out, and he stirred again uncomfortably (внезапно он залился краской так, что вены на его шее выступили, и снова неловко пошевелился).

“The Belgian girl said her baby had been born a week ago (бельгийская девушка говорила, что ее ребенок родился неделю назад), and that they were going to call it Alfred,” I told him (и что они собираются назвать его Альфредом, – сообщил я ему).

He met my eyes (он встретил мой взгляд). I was grinning (я ухмылялся). He began to grin, too (он тоже начал ухмыляться).

“Good luck to her,” he said (удачи ей, – сказал он; luck – фортуна, судьба; везение; счастье, удача).

 “Well,” I answered slowly, “she doesn’t know herself what was in it.”

He continued to watch me narrowly. I grinned to myself.

“I didn’t like to read her out what there was in it,” I continued.

He suddenly flushed out so that the veins in his neck stood out, and he stirred again uncomfortably.

“The Belgian girl said her baby had been born a week ago, and that they were going to call it Alfred,” I told him.

He met my eyes. I was grinning. He began to grin, too.

“Good luck to her,” he said.