Английский язык с миссис Харрис, или платье от Диора
Шрифт:
instead [In'sted], career [kq'rIq], theatrical [TI'xtrIkql]
It was the odor of the rich, and it made her tremble once more and wonder what she, Ada 'Arris, was doing there instead of washing up the luncheon dishes for Mrs. Fford Foulks back home, or furthering the career of a real theatrical star like Pamela Penrose by seeing that her flat was neat and tidy when her producer friends came to call.
She hesitated (она колебалась), her feet sinking into the pile of the carpet (ее ноги тонули в ворсе ковра) seemingly up to her ankles (по-видимому до самых лодыжек). Then her fingers crept into her handbag (затем ее пальцы прокрались = скользнули в ее сумку; to creep — ползать) and tested the smooth feel of the roll of American bills (и проверили ощущение гладкой поверхности рулона американских купюр). "That's why you're 'ere, Ada 'Arris (вот зачем ты здесь, Ада Харрис). That says you're ruddy well as rich as any of 'em (это
hesitate ['hezIteIt], ankle [xNkl], smooth [smHD]
She hesitated, her feet sinking into the pile of the carpet seemingly up to her ankles. Then her fingers crept into her handbag and tested the smooth feel of the roll of American bills. "That's why you're 'ere, Ada 'Arris. That says you're ruddy well as rich as any of 'em. Get on with it then, my girl."
She mounted the imposing and deserted staircase (она поднялась по внушительной и пустынной лестнице), it then being half past eleven in the morning (было тогда одиннадцать тридцать утра). On the first half landing (на первой лестничной площадке) there was but a single silver slipper in a glass showcase (не было ничего, кроме одной серебряной туфельки в стеклянной витрине) let into the wall (вставленной в стену), on the second turn there was a similar showcase (на втором повороте была похожая витрина) housing an outsize bottle of Dior perfume (вмещающая необычайно большой флакон духов от Диора; outsize — необычайно большой, крупный; больше стандартного размера; нестандартный). But otherwise there were no goods of any kind on display (но в остальном там не было товаров какого-либо вида для демонстрации), nor were there crowds of people (как не было там и толп народа) rushing up and down the stairs (стремительно движущихся вверх и вниз по ступеням) as in such emporiums back home as Marks & Spencer's or Selfridge's (как в таком большом магазине дома как «Маркс и Спенсер» или «Селфридж»). Nowhere was there any sign of anything (нигде не было /хоть/ какого-то признака чего-нибудь) that so much as resembled the shops to which she was accustomed (что хотя бы /отдаленно/ напоминало магазины, к которым она привыкла).
imposing [Im'pquzIN], emporium [em'pLrIqm], accustomed [q'kAstqmd]
She mounted the imposing and deserted staircase, it then being half past eleven in the morning. On the first half landing there was but a single silver slipper in a glass showcase let into the wall, on the second turn there was a similar showcase housing an outsize bottle of Dior perfume. But otherwise there were no goods of any kind on display, nor were there crowds of people rushing up and down the stairs as in such emporiums back home as Marks & Spencer's or Selfridge's. Nowhere was there any sign of anything that so much as resembled the shops to which she was accustomed.
On the contrary (наоборот), the elegance and atmosphere of the deserted staircase (элегантность и атмосфера пустынной лестницы) gave her the feeling of a private house (дали = сообщили ей ощущение частного дома), and one on a most grand scale at that (и одного из самых величественных/больших притом; scale — чаша, чашка или платформа весов; градация, шкала; grand — большой, величественный, грандиозный). Was she really in the right place (была ли она действительно в нужном месте)? Her courage threatened to ooze again (ее мужество грозило иссякнуть вновь; to ooze — медленно сочиться, выделяться /о влаге и т. п./; протекать, вытекать), but she told herself that sooner or later (но она сказала себе, что рано или поздно) she must come upon some human being (она должна натолкнуться на кого-нибудь: «на какого-нибудь человека») who would be able to direct her to the dresses (кто сможет направить ее к платьям), or at least put her right if she were in the wrong building (или, по крайней мере, поправит ее, если она была не в том: «в неправильном» здании).
private ['praIvIt], courage ['kArIG], ooze [Hz]
On the contrary, the elegance and atmosphere of the deserted staircase gave her the feeling of a private house, and one on a most grand scale at that. Was she really in the right place? Her courage threatened to ooze again, but she told herself that sooner or later she must come upon some human being who would be able to direct her to the dresses, or at least put her right if she were in the wrong building.
She pressed on (она поспешила дальше; to press on — спешить; активно продолжать /работу и т. п./), and indeed on the first-floor landing (и действительно, на лестничной площадке второго этажа) came upon a dark handsome woman (натолкнулась на темноволосую красивую женщину) in her early forties (в возрасте чуть больше сорока; forties — пятый десяток /числа от 40 до 49/; early — ранний) who was seated at a desk writing (которая была усажена за стол = сидела за столом и писала). She was clad in a simple black dress (она
coiffure [kwR'fjuq], exquisite ['ekskwIzIt], beneath [bI'nIT]
She pressed on, and indeed on the first-floor landing came upon a dark handsome woman in her early forties who was seated at a desk writing. She was clad in a simple black dress relieved by three rows of pearls at the neck, her coiffure was neat and glossy; her features were refined, her skin exquisite, but closer inspection would have revealed that she looked tired and careworn, and that there were dark hollows beneath her eyes.
Behind her (позади нее) Mrs. Harris noted a fair-sized room (миссис Харрис заметила большого размера комнату) opening into a second one (ведущую в еще одну /комнату/), gray-carpeted like the stairs (покрытую серым ковром, так же, как лестница), with fine silk hangings at the windows (с прекрасными шелковыми портьерами на окнах), and furnished only with several rows of gray and golden chairs around the perimeter (и меблированную только несколькими рядами серых и золотых стульев по периметру). A few floor-to-ceiling pier mirrors completed the d'ecor (несколько зеркал от пола до потолка в простенках завершали дизайн; pier — пирс; простенок), but of anything to sell (но чего-либо для продажи) or even so much as to look at (или хотя бы того, на что посмотреть), there was not a sign (там не было и признака = следа).
furnished ['fWnISt], several ['sevrql], mirror ['mIrq]
Behind her Mrs. Harris noted a fair-sized room opening into a second one, gray-carpeted like the stairs, with fine silk hangings at the windows, and furnished only with several rows of gray and golden chairs around the perimeter. A few floor-to-ceiling pier mirrors completed the d'ecor, but of anything to sell or even so much as to look at, there was not a sign.
Mme. Colbert, the manageress (у мадам Кольбер, управляющей), had had a bad morning (было плохое утро). Ordinarily a kind and gracious lady (обычно добрая и снисходительная дама), she had let herself into a quarrel with M. Fauvel (она позволила себе /вступить/ в ссору с мсье Фовелем), the young and handsome chief of the auditing department (молодым и красивым главой ревизионно-контрольного отдела), of whom otherwise she was rather fond (который вообще-то ей очень нравился; to be fond of — любить /что-л. или кого-л./), and had sent him upstairs again to his domaine (и послала его наверх обратно в его отдел: «на его территорию»; to send) with his ears reddening (с покрасневшими ушами).
manageress ['mxnIGq'res], gracious ['greISqs], quarrel ['kwOrql]
Mme. Colbert, the manageress, had had a bad morning. Ordinarily a kind and gracious lady, she had let herself into a quarrel with M. Fauvel, the young and handsome chief of the auditing department, of whom otherwise she was rather fond, and had sent him upstairs again to his domaine with his ears reddening.
It was merely a matter of his inquiring (дело было просто в его расспросах) about a client (о клиенте) whose bills seemed to run too long without payment (чьи счета, казалось, оставались слишком долго без оплаты; to run — бежать; быть в обращении, накапливаться /о долге/). On any other day (в любой другой день) Mme. Colbert might have favored the auditor (мадам Кольбер поддержала бы/оказала помощь аудитору) with a penetrating and not unhumorous run-down of the clients’ characteristics (проницательным и не без юмора кратким описанием особенностей клиентов), idiosyncrasies and trustworthiness (черт характера и надежности; idiosyncrasy — идиосинкразия /измененная, болезненная чувствительность организма к некоторым веществам или воздействиям; активное неприятие кого-л. или чего-л./) since sooner or later they all bared themselves to her (поскольку рано или поздно все они раскрывались перед ней; to bare — обнажать). Instead of which she railed angrily at him (вместо этого она выругала гневно его; to rail — ругать, бранить; жаловаться, сетовать) that it was her business to sell dresses (что ее делом было продавать платья) and his to collect the money (а его — собирать деньги) and she had not the time to inspect the bank accounts of clients (и что у нее не было времени проверять банковские счета клиентов). That was his affair (это было его делом/занятием).