Английский язык с миссис Харрис, или платье от Диора
Шрифт:
measure ['meZq], learn [lWn], apron ['eIprqn]
Thus she dithered for three days until Wednesday morning, when the fateful telegram from the pool headquarters arrived. It was the measure of her affection for her friend that she did not tear it open at once to learn its contents, but held back until she was fully dressed and could run over to Mrs. Butterfield, who sat herself braced in a chair for the big moment, fanning herself with her apron, crying: "For the Lor's sake, love, open it. I'm like to die of excitement."
At last, with trembling fingers (наконец, дрожащими пальцами; to tremble — дрожать), Mrs. Harris breached the seal and unfolded the message (сломала печать и развернула сообщение; breach — брешь, пролом; to breach — пробивать брешь, проламывать /стену, оборону и т. п./). It advised her briefly that her coupon had been a winning one (оно
entertain ["entq'teIn], realization ["rIqlaI'zeISqn], impossible [Im'pOsqbl]
At last, with trembling fingers, Mrs. Harris breached the seal and unfolded the message. It advised her briefly that her coupon had been a winning one and that her share would be one hundred and two pounds, seven shillings and ninepence ha'penny. It was well in a way that Mrs. Harris had entertained the possibility of a letdown, for the sum was so much less than what she needed to become the possessor of a dress from Dior that the realization of her dream was as far away and seemingly impossible as ever.
Not even Mrs. Butterfield's Job's comforting (и даже утешение миссис Баттерфилд: Job's comforter — утешитель Иова, т.е. человек, который, утешая, только усугубляет чье-л. горе) "Well, it's better than nothing (ну, это лучше, чем ничего); a lot of folks would be glad of the money (многие люди были бы рады таким деньгам)" could help her to overcome her initial disappointment (не могло помочь ей преодолеть ее изначальное разочарование), even though she knew in her heart of hearts that that was what life was like (даже несмотря на то, что в глубине души она знала, что это /как раз/ было то, на что похожа жизнь = что такова жизнь).
What had happened (что случилось)? A list of winners sent to Mrs. Harris a few days later made it plain enough (список победителей, высланный миссис Харрис через несколько дней, прояснил это вполне: «сделал это достаточно очевидным»; plain — плоский, ровный; очевидный, явный, ясный). It had been a weird week in the football leagues (это была странная неделя для футбольных лиг), with many upsets (с множеством неожиданных поражений; upset — опрокидывание /лодки, машины и т. п./; срыв, крах, крушение /планов и т. п./; спорт. неожиданное поражение). While no one had tabbed all games correctly (в то время как никто не угадал /результаты/ всех игр правильно; tab — этикетка, ярлык; to tab — указывать, обозначать, определять), quite a few had tied Mrs. Harris' effort (довольно много имели равный счет = столько же правильных результатов, как миссис Харрис; to tie — связывать; сравнять счет, сыграть вничью; прийти ноздря в ноздрю /о лошадях на скачках/), shrinking the cut for each one to the above figure (/при этом/ доля каждому /выигрыш/ сократился до указанной цифры = суммы).
comforting ['kAmSqtIN], initial [I'nISql], while [waIl
Not even Mrs. Butterfield's Job's comforting "Well, it's better than nothing; a lot of folks would be glad of the money" could help her to overcome her initial disappointment, even though she knew in her heart of hearts that that was what life was like.
What had happened? A list of winners sent to Mrs. Harris a few days later made it plain enough. It had been a weird week in the football leagues, with many upsets. While no one had tabbed all games correctly, quite a few had tied Mrs. Harris' effort, shrinking the cut for each one to the above figure.
One hundred and two pounds, seven and ninepence ha'penny was a sum not to be sneezed at (сто два фунта, семь /шиллингов/ и 9,5 пенсов было суммой, /которой/ не следует пренебрегать: «на которую не чихнешь»), and yet for several days thereafter (и
sneeze [snJz], numb [nAm], awaken [q'weIkqn]
One hundred and two pounds, seven and ninepence ha'penny was a sum not to be sneezed at, and yet for several days thereafter it left Mrs. Harris with rather a numb feeling about the region of her heart and at night she would awaken with a feeling of sadness and unshed tears, and then she would remember why.
Once the disappointment was over (как только разочарование прошло), Mrs. Harris would have thought that the excitement of winning a hundred pounds in the football pool (миссис Харрис подумала, что радость от выигрыша сотни фунтов в футбольном тотализаторе) — a hundred pounds to be spent upon anything she liked (/от/ сотни фунтов, чтобы потратить на все, что ей нравилось) — would have put an end to her desire for the Dior dress (положило конец ее мечте о платье от Диора). Yet the contrary proved to be the case (однако, как оказалось, имело место обратное; to prove — доказывать; case — /от латинского casus "падение, выпадение"/ — случай; обстоятельство, положение; дело). Her yearning was as strong as ever (ее /острое/ желание было столь же сильным, как и раньше). She could not put it out of her mind (она не могла выбросить его из головы). In the morning when she woke up (утром, когда она просыпалась), it was to a feeling of sadness and emptiness (было некое ощущение уныния и пустоты: «/она просыпалась/ к ощущению…»), as though something unpleasant had happened to her (будто что-то неприятное случилось с ней), or something was missing which sleep had temporarily obliterated (или чего-то не хватало, что сон временно стер; to obliterate — вычеркивать, стирать). Then she would realize that it was the Dior dress (затем она понимала, что это было то самое платье от Диора), or a Dior dress (или вообще любое платье от Диора) — just one, once in her lifetime (только одно, один раз в ее жизни), that she was still craving and would never have (которое она по-прежнему страстно желала, и которого у нее никогда не будет).
disappointment ["dIsq'pOIntmqnt], yearning ['jWnIN], obliterate [q'blItqreIt]
Once the disappointment was over, Mrs. Harris would have thought that the excitement of winning a hundred pounds in the football pool — a hundred pounds to be spent upon anything she liked — would have put an end to her desire for the Dior dress. Yet the contrary proved to be the case. Her yearning was as strong as ever. She could not put it out of her mind. In the morning when she woke up, it was to a feeling of sadness and emptiness, as though something unpleasant had happened to her, or something was missing which sleep had temporarily obliterated. Then she would realize that it was the Dior dress, or a Dior dress — just one, once in her lifetime, that she was still craving and would never have.
And at night (а ночью), when after her final cup of tea and chat with Mrs. Butterfield (когда после последней чашки чая и беседы с миссис Баттерфилд) she repaired to her old friends the hot water bottles in her bed (она возвращалась к своим старым друзьям, бутылкам с горячей водой в своей кровати; to repair — чинить, ремонтировать; направляться, отправляться) and pulled the covers up about her chin (и натягивала одеяло до подбородка: cover — крышка; одеяло/покрывало), there would begin a desperate struggle to think of something else (начиналась отчаянная борьба, чтобы думать о чем-нибудь другом) — Major Wallace's new girl, introduced this time as his niece from South Africa (о новой девушке майора Уоллиса, представленной на этот раз как племянница из Южной Африки) (they were always either nieces, wards, secretaries or friends of the family (они всегда были или племянницами, опекаемыми, секретарями или друзьями семьи)), or the latest oddity of the Countess Wyszcinska (или последней причуде графини Вышинской), who had taken to smoking a pipe (которая пристрастилась к курению трубки). She tried to concentrate upon her favorite apartment (она пыталась сосредоточиться на своей любимой квартире), or upon the language Miss Pamela Penrose had used because she had broken an ashtray (или на языке, который использовала = пустила в ход мисс Памела Пенроуз, потому что она сломала пепельницу).