Мистер Всезнайка. Рассказы - Уильям Моэм

rejoinder [rI'GOIndq], malicious [mq'lISqs], exasperated [Ig'zRspereIt], perplexed [pq'plekst], vivaciously [vI'veISqslI]

Mrs. Tower made some quick rejoinder and we went downstairs. I shall not soon forget the exquisite comedy of that meal. Mrs. Tower could not make up her mind whether the pair of them were playing a practical joke on her or whether Jane by wilfully concealing her fiancй’s age had hoped to make her look foolish. But then Jane never jested and she was incapable of doing a malicious thing. Mrs. Tower was amazed, exasperated and perplexed. But she had recovered her self-control, and for nothing would she have forgotten that she was a perfect hostess whose duty it was to make her party go. She talked vivaciously; but I wondered if Gilbert Napier saw how hard and vindictive was the expression of her eyes behind the mask of friendliness that she turned to him. She was measuring him. She was seeking to delve into the secret of his soul. I could see that she was in a passion, for under her rouge her cheeks glowed with an angry red.

"You’ve got a very high colour, Marion (у тебя такой яркий румянец, Мэрион; colour — цвет; румянец)," said Jane, looking at her amiably through her great round spectacles (сказала Джейн, дружелюбно глядя на нее сквозь свои большие круглые очки).

"I dressed in a hurry (я в спешке одевалась). I daresay I put on too much rouge (думаю, я наложила слишком много румян; to dare — сметь; I daresay — «смеюсказать» =полагаю, думаю, считаю)."

"Oh, is it rouge (ах, это румяна)? I thought it was natural (я думала, румянец естественный). Otherwise I shouldn’t have mentioned it (иначе я не упомянула бы об этом)." She gave Gilbert a shy little smile (она улыбнулась Гилберту легкой застенчивой улыбкой). "You know, Marion and I were at school together (ты знаешь, Мэрион и я вместе учились в школе). You would never think it to look at us now (ты бы никогда так не подумал, глядя на нас сейчас), would you (не так ли)? But of course I’ve lived a very quiet life (но я, конечно, жила очень спокойной жизнью)."

I do not know what she meant by these remarks (я не знаю, что она хотела этим: «этими ремарками» сказать; tomean— значить; подразумевать); it was almost incredible that she made them in complete simplicity (было почти невероятным, что она сделала их абсолютно бесхитростно: «в полном простодушии»); but anyhow they goaded Mrs. Tower to such a fury (но так или иначе, они привели миссис Тауэр в такую ярость; togoad— подгонять; раздражать; приводить в ярость; goad — заостренный прут или палка, использующиеся для того, чтобы подгонять животных /особ. быков при вспашке земли/) that she flung her own vanity to the winds (что она отбросила свое собственное тщеславие; toflingtothewinds— отбросить). She smiled brightly (она ослепительно улыбнулась).

rouge [rHZ], simplicity [sIm'plIsItI], fury ['fjuqrI]

"You’ve got a very high colour, Marion," said Jane, looking at her amiably through her great round spectacles.

"I dressed in a hurry. I daresay I put on too much rouge."

"Oh, is it rouge? I thought it was natural. Otherwise I shouldn’t have mentioned it." She gave Gilbert a shy little smile. "You know, Marion and I were at school together. You would never think it to look at us now, would you? But of course I’ve lived a very quiet life."

I do not know what she meant by these remarks; it was almost incredible that she made them in complete simplicity; but anyhow they goaded Mrs. Tower to such a fury that she flung her own vanity to the winds. She smiled brightly.

"We shall neither of us see fifty again, Jane (никому из нас не будет вновь пятидесяти, Джейн: «не увидим пятьдесят снова»)," she said.

If the observation was meant to discomfit the widow it failed (если замечание было предназначено для того, чтобы смутить вдову, то оно не достигло цели: «потерпело неудачу»).

"Gilbert says I mustn’t acknowledge to more than forty-nine for his sake (Гилберт говорит, что ради него я не должна признавать = давать себе больше сорока девяти)," she answered blandly (ответила она мягко).

Mrs. Tower’s hands trembled slightly (руки миссис Тауэр слегка дрожали), but she found a retort (но она нашлась, что возразить/но она парировала).

"There is of course a certain disparity of age between you (между вами, конечно же, есть определенное несоответствие = определенная разница в возрасте)," she smiled.

"Twenty-seven years (двадцать семь лет)," said Jane. "Do you think it’s too much (ты думаешь, это слишком много)? Gilbert says I’m very young for my age (Гилберт говорит, что я очень молодая = молодо выгляжу для своего возраста). I told you I shouldn’t like to marry a man with one foot in the grave (я говорила тебе, что не хочу выйти замуж за мужчину, одной ногой стоящего в могиле)."

discomfit [dis'kAmfIt], acknowledge [qk'nOlIG], disparity [dIs'pxrItI]

"We shall neither of us see fifty again, Jane," she said.

If the observation was meant to discomfit the widow it failed.

"Gilbert says I mustn’t acknowledge to more than forty-nine for his sake," she answered blandly.

Mrs. Tower’s hands trembled slightly, but she found a retort.

"There is of course a certain disparity of age between you," she smiled.

"Twenty-seven years," said Jane. "Do you think it’s too much? Gilbert says I’m very young for my age. I told you I shouldn’t like to marry a man with one foot in the grave."

I was really obliged to laugh (я действительно был обязан = мнепришлось засмеяться; to oblige — обязывать), and Gilbert laughed too (и Гилберт тоже засмеялся). His laughter was frank and boyish (его смех был искренним и мальчишеским; boy — мальчик). It looked as though he were amused at everything Jane said (выглядело = казалось, будто он смеялся/забавлялся над всем, что говорила Джейн; to amuse — забавлять). But Mrs. Tower was almost at the end of her tether (но терпение миссис Тауэр было почти на исходе: «была на грани терпения»; tether — привязь/дляпасущегосяживотного/;перен. предел; граница), and I was afraid that unless relief came (и я боялся, что если обстановка не разрядится: «если не придет облегчение») she would for once forget that she was a woman of the world (она забудет, что она — светская женщина; world — мир; общество;свет). I came to the rescue as best I could (я поспешил на выручку, стараясь изо всех сил: «так лучше, как только мог»; torescue— спасать;rescue— спасение).

"I suppose you’re very busy buying your trousseau (полагаю, вы /сейчас/ очень заняты покупкой приданого)," I said.

"No. I wanted to get my things from the dressmaker in Liverpool (я хотела приобрести себе вещи у портнихи в Ливерпуле) I’ve been to ever since I was first married (у которой я бывала с тех пор, как впервые вышла замуж). But Gilbert won’t let me (но Гилберт не позволил мне). He’s very masterful (он очень властный/своенравный), and of course he has wonderful taste (и конечно же, у него прекрасный вкус)."

She looked at him with a little affectionate smile (она посмотрела на него с легкой любящей улыбкой), demurely (застенчиво), as though she were a girl of seventeen (словно она была семнадцатилетней девушкой).

oblige [q'blaIG], rescue ['reskjH], trousseau ['trHsqu], affectionate [q'fekSnIt]

I was really obliged to laugh, and Gilbert laughed too. His laughter was frank and boyish. It looked as though he were amused at everything Jane said. But Mrs. Tower was almost at the end of her tether, and I was afraid that unless relief came she would for once forget that she was a woman of the world. I came to the rescue as best I could.

"I suppose you’re very busy buying your trousseau," I said.

"No. I wanted to get my things from the dressmaker in Liverpool I’ve been to ever since I was first married. But Gilbert won’t let me. He’s very masterful, and of course he has wonderful taste."

She looked at him with a little affectionate smile, demurely, as though she were a girl of seventeen.

Mrs. Tower went quite pale under her make-up (миссис Тауэр совсем стала бледной = побледнела под макияжем; to go — идти; всочетаниисприл. означаетпереходвкакое-либосостояние: to go pale — побледнеть).

"We’re going to Italy for our honeymoon (свой медовый месяц мы собираемся провести в Италии; tobegoingtodosmth. — собираться что-либо сделать). Gilbert has never had a chance of studying Renaissance architecture (у Гилберта никогда не было возможности изучить/исследовать архитектуру Ренессанса; chance— шанс; возможность), and of course it’s important for an architect to see things for himself (и конечно, для архитектора очень важно увидеть все самому). And we shall stop in Paris on the way and get my clothes there (а по пути мы остановимся в Париже и там купим мне одежду; toget— получать; покупать)."

"Do you expect to be away long (и надолго вы едете: «вы предполагаете/рассчитываете долго отсутствовать»; toexpect— ожидать; предполагать, рассчитывать)?"

"Gilbert has arranged with his office to stay away for six months (Гилберт договорился на работе, что сможет не приходить = отсутствовать шесть месяцев). It will be such a treat for him (для него это будет таким развлечением), won’t it (не так ли)? You see (понимаете), he’s never had more than a fortnight’s holiday before (раньше у него не было отпуска больше двух недель: «двухнедельного отпуска»)."

"Why not (почему же)?" asked Mrs. Tower in a tone that no effort of will could prevent from being icy (спросила миссис Тауэр тоном, в котором никаким усилием воли нельзя было скрыть холодность: «в /таком/ тоне, что никакое усилие воли не могло предотвратить того, что он был ледяным»).

"He’s never been able to afford it (он никогда не мог позволить себе этого), poor dear (бедняжка)."

"Ah!" said Mrs. Tower (ах, — сказала миссис Тауэр), and into the exclamation put volumes (и в это восклицание вложила всю /свою/ экспрессию; toputvolumes=tospeakvolumes— говорить очень выразительно/экспрессивно).

honeymoon ['hAnImHn], Renaissance [re'neIsqns], exclamation [eksklq'meISqn]

Mrs. Tower went quite pale under her make-up.

"We’re going to Italy for our honeymoon. Gilbert has never had a chance of studying Renaissance architecture, and of course it’s important for an architect to see things for himself. And we shall stop in Paris on the way and get my clothes there."

"Do you expect to be away long?"

"Gilbert has arranged with his office to stay away for six months. It will be such a treat for him, won’t it? You see, he’s never had more than a fortnight’s holiday before."

"Why not?" asked Mrs. Tower in a tone that no effort of will could prevent from being icy.

"He’s never been able to afford it, poor dear."

"Ah!" said Mrs. Tower, and into the exclamation put volumes.

Coffee was served and the ladies went upstairs (был подан кофе = подаликофе, и дамы поднялись наверх). Gilbert and I began to talk in the desultory way (мы с Гилбертом начали беседовать в той бессвязной манере) in which men talk who have nothing whatever to say to one another (в которой говорят мужчины, которым нечего сказать друг другу); but in two minutes a note was brought in to me by the butler (но через две минуты дворецкий принес мне записку; to bring — приносить). It was from Mrs. Tower and ran as follows (она была от миссис Тауэр и гласила следующее; torun— бегать; гласить /о письме, документе/):