Английский язык с миссис Харрис, или платье от Диора
Шрифт:
sunlight ['sAnlaIt], peculiar [pI'kju:ljq], equal ['i:kwql]
Then she was sitting in the sunlight beneath a sky of a peculiar blue, on a bench in the Flower Market, surrounded by nature's own fashion creations, flowers in their matchless shapes and colors and emanating perfumes of their own. And next to her was a handsome aristocratic old gentleman who had understood her and treated her as an equal.
But it was the people she had met (но это были люди, /c которыми/ она познакомилась; to meet — встречать; знакомиться) who kept returning to her thoughts (которые продолжали возвращаться в ее мысли), and she remembered the expressions on the faces of Fauvel and Natasha (и она вспомнила выражения лиц Фовеля и Наташи) as they had embraced her the night of the Pre-Catelan (когда
embrace [Im'breIs], pressure ['preSq], departure [dI'pQ:tSq]
But it was the people she had met who kept returning to her thoughts, and she remembered the expressions on the faces of Fauvel and Natasha as they had embraced her the night of the Pre-Catelan and seemed to feel once again the warm pressure of Mme. Colbert's arms about her as she had kissed her before her departure and whispered: "You have been very lucky for me, my dear..."
Reflecting now upon Mme. Colbert (размышляя теперь о мадам Кольбер; to reflect — отражать; размышлять), Mrs. Harris thought how the Frenchwoman had worked and schemed (миссис Харрис думала теперь, как эта француженка работала = старалась и замышляла/интриговала/планировала) to help her to realize her vain (чтобы помочь ей реализовать ее тщеславное), foolish wish to possess a Dior dress (глупое желание иметь платье от Диора). Had it not been for her and her clever plan at the end (если бы не она и ее умный план в конце) it would never have reached England (оно никогда бы не достигло Англии). And Mrs. Harris thought (и миссис Харрис подумала) that even the damage to "Temptation" might not be irreparable (что даже порчу «Искушения» можно поправить; irreparable — непоправимый). A letter to Mme. Colbert would result in the immediate dispatch of another beaded panel (письмо к мадам Кольбер будет иметь результатом незамедлительную отправку нового украшенного бусинами клина) such as had been destroyed (такого же, какой был испорчен). A clever seamstress could insert it so (умелая швея могла бы вставить = вшить его так) that the dress would be as good as new (что платье будет так же хорошо, как новое). And yet would it ever be the same again (но все же, будет ли оно когда-нибудь тем же самым снова)?
scheme [ski:m], damage ['dxmIdZ], immediate [I'mi:djqt]
Reflecting now upon Mme. Colbert, Mrs. Harris thought how the Frenchwoman had worked and schemed to help her to realize her vain, foolish wish to possess a Dior dress. Had it not been for her and her clever plan at the end it would never have reached England. And Mrs. Harris thought that even the damage to "Temptation" might not be irreparable. A letter to Mme. Colbert would result in the immediate dispatch of another beaded panel such as had been destroyed. A clever seamstress could insert it so that the dress would be as good as new. And yet would it ever be the same again?
This ephemeral question had a most curious effect upon Mrs. Harris (этот мимолетный вопрос произвел самый любопытный эффект на миссис Харрис; to have effect — подействовать, дать результат). It stopped the flow of tears from her eyes (он остановил поток слез из ее глаз) and brought her to her feet once more (и заставил ее подняться; to bring to one’s feet — заставить встать на ноги) as she looked about the flower-laden room (когда она осмотрела заполненную цветами комнату; laden — груженый, нагруженный) and the answer came to her in one shrewd, inspired burst of insight (и ответ пришел к ней в одной пронизывающей, вдохновенной вспышке интуиции; to inspire — внушать; инспирировать; вдохновлять).
It would not (оно не будет). It would never be the same again (оно никогда не будет прежним снова). But then neither would she (но, впрочем, также /не будет/ и она).
ephemeral [I'femqrql], curious ['kjuqrIqs], shrewd [Sru:d]
This ephemeral question had a most curious effect upon Mrs. Harris. It stopped the flow of tears from her eyes and brought her to her feet once more as she looked about the flower-laden room and the answer came to her in one shrewd, inspired burst of insight.
It would not. It would never be the same again. But then neither would she.
For it had not been a dress she had bought so much as an adventure and an experience (потому
unwanted [An'wOntId], foreign ['fOrIn], taught [tO:t]
For it had not been a dress she had bought so much as an adventure and an experience that would last her to the end of her days. She would never again feel lonely or unwanted. She had ventured into a foreign country and a foreign people she had been taught to suspect and despise. She had found them to be warm and human, men and women to whom human love and understanding was a mainspring of life. They had made her feel that they loved her for herself.
Mrs. Harris opened the suitcase and took out "Temptation" (открыла чемодан и достала «Искушение»). Once more she fingered the burnt place (еще раз она потрогала сгоревшее место) and saw how easily the panel could be replaced and the damage repaired (и увидела, как легко клин мог быть заменен и повреждение устранено). But she would not have it so (но она не хочет этого). She would keep it as it was (она сохранит его таким, каким оно было), untouched by any other fingers (нетронутым ничьими другими пальцами) than those which had expedited every stitch (чем те, которые скоро выполнили каждый стежок) because of love and feeling for another woman's heart (из любви и сочувствия к сердцу другой женщины; feeling — чувство; сочувствие/симпатия).
easily ['i:zIlI], repair [rI'peq], heart [hQ:t]
Mrs. Harris opened the suitcase and took out "Temptation." Once more she fingered the burnt place and saw how easily the panel could be replaced and the damage repaired. But she would not have it so. She would keep it as it was, untouched by any other fingers than those which had expedited every stitch because of love and feeling for another woman's heart.
Mrs. Harris hugged the dress to her thin bosom (прижала платье к своей худощавой груди; to hug — сжимать в объятиях; обнимать), hugged it hard (сжала его сильно), as though it were alive and human (как будто оно было живым: «живым и человеческим существом»), nestling her face to the soft folds of the material (прильнув своим лицом к мягким складкам материи). Tears flowed again from the small, shrewd blue eyes (слезы хлынули снова из ее маленьких, проницательных голубых глаз) and furrowed down the apple cheeks (и пробороздили = оставили дорожки на румяных щечках), but they were no longer tears of misery (но они не были больше слезами страдания).
She stood there rocking back and forth (она стояла там, покачиваясь взад и вперед), holding and embracing her dress (держа и обнимая свое платье), and with it she was hugging them all (и с ним она обнимала их всех), Mme. Colbert, Natasha, Andr'e Fauvel, down to the last anonymous worker (вплоть до последнего безымянного работника), seamstress and cutter (швеи и закройщика), as well as the city that had bestowed upon her (так же, как и город, который подарил ей; to bestow — давать, даровать, награждать /on, upon/) such a priceless memory treasure of understanding (такое бесценное запоминающееся сокровище понимания), friendship and humanity (дружбы и человечности).