Мистер Всезнайка. Рассказы
Шрифт:
Jean and Riri hid nothing from one another (Жан и Рири ничего не скрывали друг от друга; to hide — прятать; скрывать, непоказывать/чувстваит.п./) and Jean made no secret of the fact that he was in love with Marie-Louise (и Жан не делал секрета из того факта, что он влюблен в Марию-Луизу), but Riri had met her first (но Рири первый встретил ее) and it was an understood thing between them that Jean should not stand in his way (и между ними было решенным делом, что Жан не будет стоять на его пути; to understand — понимать; уславливаться, договариваться). At length she made her choice (наконец она сделала свой выбор). One day Riri waited for Jean to come away from his office (однажды Рири дождался, когда Жан придет с работы: «уйдет из офиса») and told him that Marie-Louise had consented to marry him (и сообщил ему, что Мария-Луиза согласилась выйти
length [leNT], choice [tSOIs], consent [kqn'sent]
Jean and Riri hid nothing from one another and Jean made no secret of the fact that he was in love with Marie-Louise, but Riri had met her first and it was an understood thing between them that Jean should not stand in his way. At length she made her choice. One day Riri waited for Jean to come away from his office and told him that Marie-Louise had consented to marry him.
They had arranged that as soon as he got a job (они договорились, что как только он найдет работу; to arrange — приводитьвпорядок; уславливаться, договариваться) his father should go to her mother and make the formal offer (его отец отправится к ее матери и сделает официальное предложение). Jean was hard hit (Жан был убит горем: «жестко ударен»). It was not easy to listen with eager sympathy to the plans (нелегко было слушать с увлеченной симпатией о тех планах; eager— страстно стремящийся /к чему-либо/, нетерпеливый) that the excitable and enchanted Riri made for the future (которые легко возбудимый и очарованный Рири строил на будущее). But he was too much attached to Riri to feel sore with him (но он был слишком привязан к Рири, чтобы обижаться на него; toattach— прикреплять, присоединять; разг. привязывать, располагать к себе;sore— болезненный, чувствительный; разг. сердитый, раздраженный); he knew how lovable he was and he could not game Marie-Louise (он знал, каким привлекательным тот был и что он /Жан/ сам не смог бы пленить Марию-Луизу). He tried with all his might to accept honestly the sacrifice (он изо всех сил честно старался смириться с той жертвой; toaccept— принимать, брать /предложенное/; принимать как неизбежное, мириться /с чем-либо/) he made on the altar of friendship (которую он принес на алтарь дружбы).
sympathy ['sImpqTI], excitable [Ik'saItqb(q)l], enchanted [In'tSQ: ntId], altar ['O: ltq]
They had arranged that as soon as he got a job his father should go to her mother and make the formal offer. Jean was hard hit. It was not easy to listen with eager sympathy to the plans that the excitable and enchanted Riri made for the future. But he was too much attached to Riri to feel sore with him; he knew how lovable he was and he could not game Marie-Louise. He tried with all his might to accept honestly the sacrifice he made on the altar of friendship.
"Why did she choose him rather than you (а почему она выбрала его, а не вас)?" I asked.
"He had immense vitality (он обладал кипучей жизненной энергией; immense— безмерный; огромный, колоссальный). He was the gayest, most amusing lad you ever met (он был самым веселым, самым забавным парнем, которого вы когда-либо встречали). His high spirits were infectious (его веселое настроение было заразительным; spirit— дух, душа; настроение, душевное состояние; infectious — инфекционный, заразный; заразительный). You couldn’t be dull in his company (в его компании невозможно было соскучиться; dull— тупой, бестолковый; скучный, наводящий скуку)."
"He had pep (он был полон энергии; pep — бодрость духа, энергия, живость)," I smiled (улыбнулся я).
"And an incredible charm (и невероятного обаяния)."
"Was he good-looking (он был красивым)?"
"No, not very (нет, не очень). He was shorter than me, slight and wiry (он был ниже меня, худощавый и гибкий); but he had a nice, good-humoured face (зато у него было приятное, добродушное лицо)." Jean Charvin smiled rather pleasantly (Жан Шарвен улыбнулся довольно приятной улыбкой). "I think without any vanity I can say that I was better-looking than Riri (мне кажется, без ложной скромности, я могу сказать, что я был красивее Рири; vanity — суета, суетность; тщеславие)."
vitality [vaI'txlItI], infectious [In'fekSqs], incredible [In'kredIbl], wiry ['waI(q)rI]
"Why did she choose him rather than you?" I asked.
"He had immense vitality. He was the gayest, most amusing lad you ever met. His high spirits were infectious. You couldn’t be dull in his company."
"He had pep," I smiled.
"And an incredible charm."
"Was he good-looking?"
"No, not very. He was shorter than me, slight and wiry; but he had a nice, good-humoured face." Jean Charvin smiled rather pleasantly. "I think without any vanity I can say that I was better-looking than Riri."
But Riri did not get a job (но
idleness ['aIdlnIs], various ['ve(q)rIqs], cousin ['kAz(q)n]
But Riri did not get a job. His father, tired of keeping him in idleness, wrote to everyone he could think of, the members of his family and his friends in various parts of France, asking them if they could not find something, however modest, for Riri to do; and at last he got a letter from a cousin in Lyons who was in the silk business to say that his firm were looking for a young man to go out to Phnom-Penh, in Cambodia, where they had a branch, to buy native silk for them. If Riri was willing to take the job he could get it for him.
Though like all French parents Riri’s hated him to emigrate (хотя родители Рири, как и все родители во Франции, очень не хотели, чтобы тот уезжал; tohate— ненавидеть; очень сожалеть /о чем-либо/, очень не хотеть), there seemed no help for it (но, казалось, поделать было нечего; help— помощь; средство, спасение), and it was determined, although the salary was small, that he must go (и было решено, что хотя зарплата и была маленькой, что он должен поехать; todetermine— определять, устанавливать; решаться, принимать решение). He was not disinclined (он был не против; disinclined— лишать желания; быть не склонным /к чему-либо/;toincline— наклоняться, склоняться, клониться; быть склонным к /чему-либо/, склоняться к /какой-либо мысли/). Cambodia was not so far from Tonkin, and Marie-Louise must be familiar with the life (Камбоджа была не так уж и далеко от Тонкина, и Мария-Луиза должна была хорошо знать ту жизнь; familiar— близкий, интимный; хорошо знакомый /с чем-либо/, знающий /что-либо/). She had so often talked of it that he had come to the conclusion (она так часто говорила о нем = Тонкине, что он пришел к выводу; conclusion— окончание, завершение; умозаключение, вывод) that she would be glad to go back to the East (что она была бы рада вернуться назад, на Восток).
emigrate ['emIgreIt], disincline ["dIsIn'klaIn], familiar [fq'mIlIq]
Though like all French parents Riri’s hated him to emigrate, there seemed no help for it, and it was determined, although the salary was small, that he must go. He was not disinclined. Cambodia was not so far from Tonkin, and Marie-Louise must be familiar with the life. She had so often talked of it that he had come to the conclusion that she would be glad to go back to the East.