Английский язык с миссис Харрис, или платье от Диора
Шрифт:
unfamiliar ['Anfq'mIljq], assiduous [q'sIdjuqs], through [TrH]
"Four hundred fifty quid," echoed Mrs. Harris, " 'ow would anyone ever get that much money?" She was not unfamiliar with Paris styles, for she was an assiduous reader of old fashion magazines sometimes presented to her by clients, and she had heard of Fath, Chanel and Balenciaga, Carpentier, Lanvin and Dior, and the last-named now rang like a bell through her beauty-starved person.
For it was one thing to encounter photographs of dresses (потому что одно дело — увидеть фотографии платьев: to encounter — встречать; натолкнуться), leafing through the slick pages of Vogue or Elle (перелистывая
encounter [In'kauntq], quite [kwaIt], article ['a:tIkl], desire [dI'zaIq]
For it was one thing to encounter photographs of dresses, leafing through the slick pages of Vogue or Elle, where, whether in color or black and white, they were impersonal and as out of her world and her reach as the moon or the stars. It was quite another to come face to face with the real article, to feast one's eyes upon its every clever stitch, to touch it, smell it, love it, and suddenly to become consumed with the fires of desire.
Mrs. Harris was quite unaware (миссис Харрис не вполне осознавала; aware — знающий, осведомленный, сознающий; unaware — не знающий, не подозревающий) that in her reply to Lady Dant she had already given voice to a determination to possess a dress such as this (что в своем ответе леди Дант она уже выразила решимость иметь такое платье, как это; voice — голос; to give voice to smth. — выражать, высказывать что-л.). She had not meant (она не хотела сказать: «не подразумевала»; to mean) "How would anyone get that much money (как кто-то может достать такие большие деньги)?" but "How would I get that much money (а «как я добуду такие большие деньги)?" There, of course, was no answer to this (конечно, не было ответа на этот /вопрос/), or rather only one (или, вернее, только один /ответ/). One would have to win it (надо бы их выиграть). But the chances of this were likewise as remote as the planets (но вероятность этого была, похоже, так же далека, как планеты; remote — удаленный).
unaware ['Anqweq], possess [pq'zes], likewise ['laIkwaIz]
Mrs. Harris was quite unaware that in her reply to Lady Dant she had already given voice to a determination to possess a dress such as this. She had not meant "How would anyone get that much money?" but "How would I get that much money?" There, of course, was no answer to this, or rather only one. One would have to win it. But the chances of this were likewise as remote as the planets.
Lady Dant was quite well pleased with the impression she seemed to have created (леди Дант была очень довольна впечатлением, /которое/ она, по всей видимости, произвела; to seem — казаться) and even took each one down and held it up to her (и даже сняла каждое /платье с вешалки/ и приложила их к ней: to hold — держать; to hold up — выставлять, показывать) so that Mrs. Harris could get some idea of the effect (так, чтобы миссис Харрис могла получить представление об эффекте). And since the char's hands were spotless from the soap and water (и так как руки уборщицы были безупречно чистыми от мыла и воды; spot — пятнышко; крапинка;
"Ain't it loverly (разве оно не прелестно /loverly = lovely — просторечный акцент/)," she whispered again (прошептала она вновь). Lady Dant did not know that at that instant Mrs. Harris had made up her mind (леди Дант не знала, что в тот момент миссис Харрис приняла решение) that what she desired above all else on earth, and in Heaven thereafter (/что тем/, что она хотела больше всего на земле = на свете, и на небесах после того), was a Dior dress of her own to have hanging in her closet (было иметь собственное платье от Диора, висящее в ее шкафу).
immersed [I'mWst], drudge [drAG], Grail [greIl]
Lady Dant was quite well pleased with the impression she seemed to have created and even took each one down and held it up to her so that Mrs. Harris could get some idea of the effect. And since the char's hands were spotless from the soap and water in which they were immersed most of the time, she let her touch the material, which the little drudge did as though it were the Grail.
"Ain't it loverly," she whispered again. Lady Dant did not know that at that instant Mrs. Harris had made up her mind that what she desired above all else on earth, and in Heaven thereafter, was a Dior dress of her own to have hanging in her closet.
Smiling slyly, pleased with herself (хитро улыбаясь, довольная собой), Lady Dant shut the closet door (леди Дант закрыла дверцу шкафа), but she could not shut out from the mind of Mrs. Harris what she had seen there (но она не могла исключить из: «закрыть» памяти миссис Харрис /то/, что она видела там: mind — ум; память): beauty (красоту), perfection (совершенство), the ultimate in adornment that a woman could desire (предел украшения, которое женщина может желать). Mrs. Harris was no less a woman than Lady Dant or any other (миссис Харрис была не менее женщиной, чем леди Дант или любая другая). She wanted (она хотела), she wanted, she wanted a dress from what must be surely the most expensive store in the world (она хотела платье из, должно быть, самого дорогого магазина в мире: «из того, что должно было быть наверняка самым дорогим магазином в мире»), that of Mr. Dior in Paris (/магазина/ г-на Диора в Париже).
closet ['klOzIt], ultimate ['AltImIt], adornment [q'dLnmqnt]
Smiling slyly, pleased with herself, Lady Dant shut the closet door, but she could not shut out from the mind of Mrs. Harris what she had seen there: beauty, perfection, the ultimate in adornment that a woman could desire. Mrs. Harris was no less a woman than Lady Dant or any other. She wanted, she wanted, she wanted a dress from what must be surely the most expensive store in the world, that of Mr. Dior in Paris.
Mrs. Harris was no fool (миссис Харрис не была глупа; fool — дурак; шут). Not so much as a thought of ever wearing such a garment in public ever entered her head (не настолько, чтобы даже подумать о том, чтобы когда-либо носить такую одежду на публике: «даже /лишь/ мысль не вошла к ней в голову…»). If there was one thing Mrs. Harris knew, it was her place (если и было что-либо, что миссис Харрис знала, /так/ это свое место). She kept to it herself (она придерживалась этого сама: to keep to — придерживаться), and woe to anyone else who tried to encroach upon it (и горе любому, кто попытался бы посягнуть на это). Her place was a world of unremitting toil (ее местом был мир упорного труда; to remit — прощать /обиду/; отпускать /грехи/; освобождать /от штрафа, налога и т. п./; уменьшать, смягчать, ослаблять; toil — тяжелый труд), but it was illuminated by her independence (но он был освещен ее независимостью). There was no room in it for extravagance and pretty clothes (в нем не было места для расточительности и красивой одежды).