Английский язык с миссис Харрис, или платье от Диора
Шрифт:
awfully ['O:fulI], comb [kqum], mirror ['mIrq]
"Dear Mrs. Harris, I am terribly sorry I could not stay to explain in person, but I have to go away for a little while. I am most awfully sorry about what happened to the dress, but it wasn't my fault, and if Mr. Korngold had not been so quick I might have burned to death. He said I had a very narrow escape. After dinner we went to the 30 Club, where I stopped to comb my hair in front of a mirror, and there was an electric heater right underneath, and all of a sudden I was burning — I mean the dress, and I could have burned to death. I am sure they will be able to repair it and your insurance will take care of the damage, which is not as bad as it looks as it is only the one panel. I am going away for the week. Please look after the flat as usual. I am leaving a pound for your wages in the meantime."
It was astonishing (было
murmur ['mq:mq], instead [In'sted], retrieve [rI'tri:v]
It was astonishing that when Mrs. Harris had finished reading the letter she did not cry out, or even murmur, or say anything at all. Instead she took up the damaged garment and, folding it carefully, packed it once more into the old plastic suitcase Mme. Colbert had given her and which she retrieved from the closet where she had stowed it the night before. She left the letter and the money lying on the couch, went downstairs and into the street.
When she had closed the outside door (когда она закрыла наружную дверь) she paused only long enough to remove the key to the flat from her chain (она сделала паузу, необходимую лишь для того, чтобы снять ключ от квартиры со своей цепочки), since she would not be needing it any more (поскольку она не будет нуждаться в нем больше), and push it through the slot of the mail drop in the door (и протолкнуть его через щель почтового ящика в двери). Then she walked the five minutes to Sloane Square (затем она шла пешком пять минут до Слоун-Сквер), where she caught a bus for home (где она села на автобус домой).
enough [I'nAf], remove [rI'mu:v], caught [kO:t]
When she had closed the outside door she paused only long enough to remove the key to the flat from her chain, since she would not be needing it any more, and push it through the slot of the mail drop in the door. Then she walked the five minutes to Sloane Square, where she caught a bus for home.
It was damp and chilly in her flat (было влажно и зябко в ее квартире). She put the kettle on for tea (она поставила чайник /на плиту/ для чая = чтобы приготовить чай) and then, guided by habit, she did all of the things she was used to doing (и затем по привычке: «управляемая привычкой» она сделала все, что привыкла делать), even to eating (даже поела), though she hardly knew what food she tasted (хотя она едва ли понимала, какую пищу она пробовала = ела). She washed up the dishes and put everything away (она вымыла тарелки и все убрала). But there the mechanism ended (но на этом ее завод кончился: «механизм закончился»), and she turned to the unpacking of the ruins of the Dior dress (и она принялась за распаковывание остатков платья от Диора; to turn — поворачивать; переходить к другому предмету/приниматься).
guide [gaId], though [Dqu], mechanism ['mekqnIzm]
It was damp and chilly in her flat. She put the kettle on for tea and then, guided by habit, she did all of the things she was used to doing, even to eating, though she hardly knew what food she tasted. She washed up the dishes and put everything away. But there the mechanism ended, and she turned to the unpacking of the ruins of the Dior dress.
She fingered the charred edges of the velvet (она
char [tSQ:], drunken ['drANkqn], thoughtless ['TO:tlIs]
She fingered the charred edges of the velvet and the burned and melted jet. She knew night clubs, for she had cleaned in them. She thought she could see it happening — the girl, half drunken, coming down the stairs from without, on the arm of her escort, thoughtless, heedless of all but that which concerned herself, pausing before the first mirror to study herself and apply a comb.
Then the sudden ascent of smoke from her feet (затем неожиданное появление дыма из-под ног), the little shriek of fright (небольшое вскрикивание от испуга), perhaps an orange line of fire in the dress (возможно, оранжевая полоска огня на платье) and the man beating at it with his hands until it was extinguished (и мужчина, сбивающий его своими руками, пока огонь не был погашен) and only the smoldering wreck of the most beautiful and expensive frock in the world remained (и осталось только тлеющее нечто от самого красивого и дорого платья в мире; wreck — остов разбитого судна; остатки кораблекрушения; развалины).
And here it was in her hands now (и вот оно было в ее руках теперь), still with the stink of charred cloth rising from it (все еще с запахом обугленной ткани, исходящим от него: «поднимающимся») and which all the perfume given to her by Natasha would not suffice to blot out (и уничтожить который не хватит всех духов, подаренных ей Наташей; blot — пятно; клякса; to blot out — стирать). A thing once as perfect and beautiful (вещь, прежде такая совершенная и прекрасная) as human hands could make it (какую только могли сотворить человеческие руки) was destroyed (было уничтожена).
ascent [sent], extinguish [Iks'tINgwIS], suffice [sq'faIs]
Then the sudden ascent of smoke from her feet, the little shriek of fright, perhaps an orange line of fire in the dress and the man beating at it with his hands until it was extinguished and only the smoldering wreck of the most beautiful and expensive frock in the world remained.
And here it was in her hands now, still with the stink of charred cloth rising from it and which all the perfume given to her by Natasha would not suffice to blot out. A thing once as perfect and beautiful as human hands could make it was destroyed.
She tried to tell herself (она пыталась сказать себе) that it was not the fault of the girl (что девушка невиновна), that it had been an accident (что это был несчастный случай) and that only she herself was to blame (и что лишь ее саму можно винить = что она сама виновата) for trying to play fairy godmother (за попытку сыграть добрую фею) to this spoiled brat of a bad actress (для этой избалованной и плохой актрисы; spoiled brat — испорченный отпрыск; brat — надоедливый ребенок; плохо воспитанный ребенок) who had not even the grace to be grateful to her for her foolish gesture (у кого даже не было вежливости быть благодарной ей за ее неразумный поступок; gesture — жест; поступок; grace — грация; изящество; вежливость, учтивость, любезность, обходительность).