Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы / W. S. Maugham: Stories
В книге предлагаются рассказы Уильяма Сомерсета Моэма, адаптированные (без упрощения текста оригинала) по методу Ильи Франка. Уникальность метода заключается в том, что запоминание слов и выражений происходит за счет их повторяемости, без заучивания и необходимости использовать словарь. Пособие способствует эффективному освоению языка, может служить дополнением к учебной программе.[hr]Предназначено для студентов, для изучающих английский язык самостоятельно, а также для всех интересующихся английской культурой. Пособие подготовили Ольга Ламонова, Яна Ануфриева, Ирина Кемайкина.
Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы
William Somerset Maugham. Stories
The Fall of Edward Barnard (адаптировала Ольга Ламонова)
The Outstation (адаптировала Яна Ануфриева)
German Harry (адаптировала Ольга Ламонова)
Red (адаптировала Ирина Кемайкина)
The Fall of Edward Barnard
(Падение Эдварда Барнарда; fall — падение; the Fall — рел. грехопадение, первородный грех)
Bateman Hunter slept badly (Бейтман Хантер спал плохо). For a fortnight on the boat that brought him from Tahiti to San Francisco (целых две недели, /что он провел/ на корабле, который вез его с Таити в Сан-Франциско;
fortnight ['fO: tnaIt], Tahiti [tq'hi: tI], doubt [daut], assail [q'seIl]
Bateman Hunter slept badly. For a fortnight on the boat that brought him from Tahiti to San Francisco he had been thinking of the story he had to tell, and for three days on the train he had repeated to himself the words in which he meant to tell it. But in a few hours now he would be in Chicago, and doubts assailed him.
His conscience, always very sensitive, was not at ease (совесть его, всегда такая щепетильная, /сейчас/ не была спокойна;
conscience ['kOnS(q)ns], prevail [prI'veIl], quixotry ['kwIksqtrI]
His conscience, always very sensitive, was not at ease. He was uncertain that he had done all that was possible, it was on his honour to do much more than the possible, and the thought was disturbing that, in a matter which so nearly touched his own interest, he had allowed his interest to prevail over his quixotry.
Self-sacrifice appealed so keenly to his imagination (самопожертвование так сильно нравилось его воображению;
self-sacrifice [self'sxkrIfaIs], disillusion ["dIsI'lu: Z(q)n], philanthropist [fI'lxnTrqpIst], altruistic ["xltru'IstIk], lucrative ['lu: krqtIv], savour ['seIvq]
Self-sacrifice appealed so keenly to his imagination that the inability to exercise it gave him a sense of disillusion. He was like the philanthropist who with altruistic motives builds model dwellings for the poor and finds that he has made a lucrative investment. He cannot prevent the satisfaction he feels in the ten per cent which rewards the bread he had cast upon the waters, but he has an awkward feeling that it detracts somewhat from the savour of his virtue.
Bateman Hunter knew that his heart was pure (Бейтман Хантер знал, что совесть его чиста;
scrutiny ['skru: tInI], measure ['meZq], meticulous [mI'tIkjVlqs], censure ['senSq], judgement ['dZAdZmqnt]
Bateman Hunter knew that his heart was pure, but he was not quite sure how steadfastly, when he told her his story, he would endure the scrutiny of Isabel Longstaffe's cool grey eyes. They were far-seeing and wise. She measured the standards of others by her own meticulous uprightness and there could be no greater censure than the cold silence with which she expressed her disapproval of a conduct that did not satisfy her exacting code. There was no appeal from her judgement, for, having made up her mind, she never changed it.
But Bateman would not have had her different (но другой ее бы Бейтман и не принял). He loved not only the beauty of her person, slim and straight (он любил ее не только за внешнюю красоту, /она была/ стройна и с хорошей осанкой;
beauty ['bju: tI], straight [streIt], truthfulness ['tru: Tf(q)lnIs]
But Bateman would not have had her different. He loved not only the beauty of her person, slim and straight, with the proud carriage of her head, but still more the beauty of her soul. With her truthfulness, her rigid sense of honour, her fearless outlook, she seemed to him to collect in herself all that was most admirable in his countrywomen.
But he saw in her something more than the perfect type of the American girl (но он видел в ней нечто большее, чем /только/ превосходное воплощение: «совершенный тип» американской девушки;
exquisiteness [Ik'skwIzItnIs, 'ekskwI-], environment [In'vaI(q)rqnmqnt], seize [si: z]
But he saw in her something more than the perfect type of the American girl, he felt that her exquisiteness was peculiar in a way to her environment, and he was assured that no city in the world could have produced her but Chicago. A pang seized him when he remembered that he must deal so bitter a blow to her pride, and anger flamed up in his heart when he thought of Edward Barnard.
But at last the train steamed in to Chicago (но наконец поезд прибыл в Чикаго;
impatience [Im'peIS(q)ns], hustle ['hAs(q)l], provincial [prq'vInS(q)l], citizen ['sItIz(q)n]
But at last the train steamed in to Chicago and he exulted when he saw the long streets of grey houses. He could hardly bear his impatience at the thought of State and Wabash with their crowded pavements, their hustling traffic, and their noise. He was at home. And he was glad that he had been born in the most important city in the United States. San Francisco was provincial, New York was effete; the future of America lay in the development of its economic possibilities, and Chicago, by its position and by the energy of its citizens, was destined to become the real capital of the country.
"I guess I shall live long enough to see it the biggest city in the world (полагаю, что я доживу до того, чтобы: «что я буду жить достаточно долго, чтобы» увидеть /как Чикаго станет/ самым большим городом мира)," Bateman said to himself as he stepped down to the platform (сказал про себя Бейтман, ступая на платформу).
His father had come to meet him (его отец приехал, чтобы встретить его = его встречал отец), and after a hearty handshake (и после сердечного рукопожатия), the pair of them, tall, slender and well-made (они оба, высокие, стройные, хорошо сложенные;
"Glad to be back, son (рад, что вернулся, сын)?" he asked (спросил он).
"I should just think I was (разумеется)," said Bateman.
His eyes devoured the restless scene (его глаза жадно наблюдали за неугомонным движением /за окном/;
ascetic [q'setIk], automobile ['O: tqmqbi: l], devour [dI'vaVq], scene [si: n]
"I guess I shall live long enough to see it the biggest city in the world," Bateman said to himself as he stepped down to the platform.
His father had come to meet him, and after a hearty handshake, the pair of them, tall, slender and well-made, with the same fine, ascetic features and thin lips, walked out of the station. Mr. Hunter's automobile was waiting for them and they got in. Mr. Hunter caught his son's proud and happy glance as he looked at the street.
"Glad to be back, son?" he asked.
"I should just think I was," said Bateman.
His eyes devoured the restless scene.
"I guess there's a bit more traffic here than in your South Sea island (полагаю, что движение здесь немного оживленнее, чем на твоем острове в Южных морях
"Give me Chicago, dad (по-моему, ничто не может сравниться с Чикаго: «дай мне Чикаго», папа)," answered Bateman (ответил Бейтман).
"You haven't brought Edward Barnard back with you (ты не привез с собой Эдварда Бернарда)."
"No."
"How was he (как он)?"
Bateman was silent for a moment (Бейтман помолчал минуту), and his handsome sensitive face darkened (и его красивое тонкое лицо помрачнело;
"I'd sooner not speak about him, dad (мне бы не хотелось говорить о нем, отец)," he said at last (сказал он наконец).
"That's all right, my son (хорошо, сынок). I guess your mother will be a happy woman to-day (я думаю, что твоя мать будет сегодня очень счастлива: «счастливой женщиной»)."
traffic ['trxfIk], island ['aIlqnd], laugh [lQ: f], sensitive ['sensItIv]
"I guess there's a bit more traffic here than in your South Sea island," laughed Mr. Hunter. "Did you like it there?"
"Give me Chicago, dad," answered Bateman.
"You haven't brought Edward Barnard back with you."
"No."
"How was he?"
Bateman was silent for a moment, and his handsome sensitive face darkened.
"I'd sooner not speak about him, dad," he said at last.
"That's all right, my son. I guess your mother will be a happy woman to-day."
They passed out of the crowded streets in the Loop (они выехали из переполненных улиц Лупа
"Good-morning, Isabel," he said gaily (весело сказал он).
"Good-morning, Bateman."
"How did you recognize my voice (как ты узнала мой голос)?"
"It is not so long since I heard it last (я не очень: «так» давно слышала его в последний раз). Besides, I was expecting you (кроме того, я ждала тебя)."
"When may I see you (когда я могу тебя увидеть)?"
chateau ['SxtqV], gaily ['geIlI], voice [vOIs]
They passed out of the crowded streets in the Loop and drove along the lake till they came to the imposing house, an exact copy of a chвteau on the Loire, which Mr. Hunter had built himself some years before. As soon as Bateman was alone in his room he asked for a number on the telephone. His heart leaped when he heard the voice that answered him.
"Good-morning, Isabel," he said gaily.
"Good-morning, Bateman."
"How did you recognize my voice?"
"It is not so long since I heard it last. Besides, I was expecting you."
"When may I see you?"
"Unless you have anything better to do (если тебе нечем /другим/ заняться) perhaps you'll dine with us to-night (может, ты пообедаешь сегодня с нами)."
"You know very well that I couldn't possibly have anything better to do (ты же очень хорошо знаешь, что я не мог бы найти ничего другого: «лучшего», чем бы заняться)."
"I suppose that you're full of news (полагаю, что тебе есть что рассказать: «ты переполнен новостями»)?"
He thought he detected in her voice a note of apprehension (ему показалось, что он уловил в ее голосе нотки предчувствия;
"Yes," he answered.
"Well, you must tell me to-night (что ж, ты мне должен /все/ рассказать сегодня вечером). Good-bye."
She rang off (она положила трубку;
perhaps [pq'hxps], apprehension ["xprI'henS(q)n], characteristic ["kxrIktq'rIstIk], fortitude ['fO: tItju: d], restraint [rI'streInt]
"Unless you have anything better to do perhaps you'll dine with us to-night."
"You know very well that I couldn't possibly have anything better to do."
"I suppose that you're full of news?"
He thought he detected in her voice a note of apprehension.
"Yes," he answered.
"Well, you must tell me to-night. Good-bye."
She rang off. It was characteristic of her that she should be able to wait so many unnecessary hours to know what so immensely concerned her. To Bateman there was an admirable fortitude in her restraint.
At dinner, at which beside himself and Isabel no one was present but her father and mother (за обедом, на котором кроме него самого и Изабеллы присутствовали только ее родители: «не присутствовал никто, кроме ее отца и матери), he watched her guide the conversation into the channels of an urbane small talk (он наблюдал, как она направляет разговор в русло вежливой светской беседы;
guide [gaId], channel [tSxnl], urbane [W'beIn], marquise [mQ:'ki: z], guillotine ['gIlqti: n]
At dinner, at which beside himself and Isabel no one was present but her father and mother, he watched her guide the conversation into the channels of an urbane small talk, and it occurred to him that in just such a manner would a marquise under the shadow of the guillotine toy with the affairs of a day that would know no morrow.
Her delicate features, the aristocratic shortness of her upper lip (ее изящные черты, аристократически короткая верхняя губа), and her wealth of fair hair suggested the marquise again (и роскошные белокурые волосы снова навели на мысль о маркизе;
delicate ['delIkIt], aristocratic["xrIstq'krxtIk], notorious [nq(u)'tO: rIqs], fragile ['frxdZaIl], replica ['replIkq], amorous ['xm(q)rqs], significance [sIg'nIfIkqns]
Her delicate features, the aristocratic shortness of her upper lip, and her wealth of fair hair suggested the marquise again, and it must have been obvious, even if it were not notorious, that in her veins flowed the best blood in Chicago. The dining-room was a fitting frame to her fragile beauty, for Isabel had caused the house, a replica of a palace on the Grand Canal at Venice, to be furnished by an English expert in the style of Louis XV; and the graceful decoration linked with the name of that amorous monarch enhanced her loveliness and at the same time acquired from it a more profound significance.
For Isabel's mind was richly stored (так как ум Изабеллы был богато наполнен = Изабелла обладала широкой эрудицией;
musicale ["mju: zI'kxl], auditorium ["O: dI'tO: rIqm], civilized ['sIv(q)laIzd], clamour ['klxmq]
For Isabel's mind was richly stored, and her conversation, however light, was never flippant. She spoke now of the
"Gee, but it's good to be back in Chicago (Боже, здорово снова вернуться в Чикаго)," he said.
At last dinner was over (наконец обед подошел к концу: «закончился»), and when they went out of the dining-room Isabel said to her mother (и, когда они вышли из столовой, Изабелла сказала матери):
"I'm going to take Bateman along to my den (я собираюсь пойти с Бейтманом в свою комнату;
"Very well, my dear (очень хорошо, моя дорогая)," said Mrs. Longstaffe. "You'll find your father and me in the Madame du Barry room when you're through (когда вы освободитесь, ты найдешь нас с отцом в комнате, /оформленной в стиле/ мадам дю Барри
Isabel led the young man upstairs (Изабелла повела молодого человека вверх /по лестнице/;
various ['ve(q)rIqs], upstairs ["Ap'steqz], exclamation ["eksklq'meIS(q)n]
"Gee, but it's good to be back in Chicago," he said.
At last dinner was over, and when they went out of the dining-room Isabel said to her mother:
"I'm going to take Bateman along to my den. We have various things to talk about."
"Very well, my dear," said Mrs. Longstaffe. "You'll find your father and me in the Madame du Barry room when you're through."
Isabel led the young man upstairs and showed him into the room of which he had so many charming memories. Though he knew it so well he could not repress the exclamation of delight which it always wrung from him. She looked round with a smile.
"I think it's a success (мне кажется, что она удалась;
"I suppose that's what makes it so wonderful (полагаю, именно это и делает ее /комнату/ такой удивительной). Like all you do it's so superlatively right (как и все, что ты делаешь, она в высшей степени достоверная)."
They sat down in front of a log fire (они присели перед камином;
"Now what have you to say to me (итак, что ты мне можешь рассказать)?" she asked.
"I hardly know how to begin (даже не знаю, с чего начать)."
"Is Edward Barnard coming back (Эдвард Барнард возвращается)?"
"No."
success [sqk'ses], ashtray ['xStreI], superlatively [s(j)u:'pWlqtIvlI]
"I think it's a success," she said. "The main thing is that it's right. There's not even an ashtray that isn't of the period."
"I suppose that's what makes it so wonderful. Like all you do it's so superlatively right."
They sat down in front of a log fire and Isabel looked at him with calm grave eyes.
"Now what have you to say to me?" she asked.
"I hardly know how to begin."
"Is Edward Barnard coming back?"
"No."
There was a long silence before Bateman spoke again (стояла долгая тишина, прежде чем Бейтман снова заговорил), and with each of them it was filled with many thoughts (и для каждого из них она была наполнена множеством мыслей). It was a difficult story he had to tell (история, которую он должен был рассказать, была неприятной;
offensive [q'fensIv], bear [beq], justice ['dZAstIs]
There was a long silence before Bateman spoke again, and with each of them it was filled with many thoughts. It was a difficult story he had to tell, for there were things in it which were so offensive to her sensitive ears that he could not bear to tell them, and yet in justice to her, no less than in justice to himself, he must tell her the whole truth.
It had all begun long ago when he and Edward Barnard, still at college, had met Isabel Longstaffe (все это началось очень давно, когда он и Эдвард Барнард, /тогда они/ все еще учились в колледже, познакомились с Изабеллой Лонгстаф;
society [sq'saIqtI], education ["edjV'keIS(q)n], acquaintance [q'kweIntqns]
It had all begun long ago when he and Edward Barnard, still at college, had met Isabel Longstaffe at the tea-party given to introduce her to society. They had both known her when she was a child and they long-legged boys, but for two years she had been in Europe to finish her education and it was with a surprised delight that they renewed acquaintance with the lovely girl who returned.
Both of them fell desperately in love with her (оба они безумно влюбились в нее;
desperately ['desp(q)rItlI], resign [rI'zaIn], confidant ['kOnfIdxnt, "kOnfI'dxnt], impair [Im'peq], value ['vxlju:]
Both of them fell desperately in love with her, but Bateman saw quickly that she had eyes only for Edward, and, devoted to his friend, he resigned himself to the role of confidant. He passed bitter moments, but he could not deny that Edward was worthy of his good fortune, and, anxious that nothing should impair the friendship he so greatly valued, he took care never by a hint to disclose his own feelings. In six months the young couple were engaged.
But they were very young and Isabel's father decided (но они были очень молоды, и отец Изабеллы решил) that they should not marry at least till Edward graduated (что им не следует жениться, во всяком случае, до тех пор, пока Эдвард не окончит колледж). They had to wait a year (им надо было подождать целый год). Bateman remembered the winter at the end of which Isabel and Edward were to be married (Бейтман помнил ту зиму, в конце которой Изабелла и Эдвард должны были пожениться), a winter of dances and theater-parties and of informal gaieties (зиму /полную/ танцев, походов в театр и веселых развлечений;
graduate ['grxdZVeIt], gaiety ['geIqtI], complacently [kqm'pleIs(q)ntlI]
But they were very young and Isabel's father decided that they should not marry at least till Edward graduated. They had to wait a year. Bateman remembered the winter at the end of which Isabel and Edward were to be married, a winter of dances and theater-parties and of informal gaieties at which he, the constant third, was always present. He loved her no less because she would shortly be his friend's wife; her smile, a gay word she flung him, the confidence of her affection, never ceased to delight him; and he congratulated himself, somewhat complacently, because he did not envy them their happiness.
Then an accident happened (затем случилась катастрофа). A great bank failed (один крупный банк потерпел крах;
A week later, Edward Barnard, with a tired, white face (неделю спустя Эдвард Барнард, с утомленным, бледным лицом), went to Isabel and asked her to release him (пришел к Изабелле и попросил ее расторгнуть помолвку: «освободить его /от обязательства жениться/»;
"Don't make it harder for me, sweet (не делай ситуацию еще более сложной /для меня/, любимая;
"Do you think I can let you go now (ты думаешь, что я позволю тебе сейчас уйти)? I love you."
"How can I ask you to marry me (как я могу просить тебя выйти за меня замуж;
"What do I care (да какая разница;
accident ['xksId(q)nt], ruined ['ru: Ind], penniless ['penIlIs]
Then an accident happened. A great bank failed, there was a panic on the exchange, and Edward Barnard's father found himself a ruined man. He came home one night, told his wife that he was penniless, and after dinner, going into his study, shot himself.
A week later, Edward Barnard, with a tired, white face, went to Isabel and asked her to release him. Her only answer was to throw her arms round his neck and burst into tears.
"Don't make it harder for me, sweet," he said.
"Do you think I can let you go now? I love you."
"How can I ask you to marry me? The whole thing's hopeless. Your father would never let you. I haven't a cent."
"What do I care? I love you."
He told her his plans (он рассказал ей о своих планах). He had to earn money at once (он должен немедленно заработать денег), and George Braunschmidt, an old friend of his family, had offered to take him into his own business (и Джордж Брауншмидт, старый друг семьи, предложил взять его в свой бизнес). He was a South Sea merchant (он вел торговлю в южных морях;
merchant ['mWtS(q)nt], opportunity ["Opq'tju: nItI], explanation ["eksplq'neIS(q)n]
He told her his plans. He had to earn money at once, and George Braunschmidt, an old friend of his family, had offered to take him into his own business. He was a South Sea merchant, and he had agencies in many of the islands of the Pacific. He had suggested that Edward should go to Tahiti for a year or two, where under the best of his managers he could learn the details of that varied trade, and at the end of that time he promised the young man a position in Chicago. It was a wonderful opportunity, and when he had finished his explanations Isabel was once more all smiles.
"You foolish boy, why have you been trying to make me miserable (ах ты глупыш, зачем же ты пытался сделать меня несчастной)?"
His face lit up at her words and his eyes flashed (от ее слов лицо его просияло и глаза засверкали;
"Isabel, you don't mean to say you'll wait for me (Изабелла, ты что, хочешь сказать, что будешь ждать меня;
"Don't you think you're worth it (а тебе кажется, что ты этого не достоин)? " she smiled (улыбнулась она).
"Ah, don't laugh at me now (ах, не смейся надо мною сейчас). I beseech you to be serious (умоляю тебя, будь серьезной). It may be for two years (это может /растянуться/ на два года)."
"Have no fear (не бойся). I love you, Edward. When you come back I will marry you (когда ты вернешься, я выйду за тебя замуж)."
miserable ['mIz(q)rqb(q)l], beseech [bI'si: tS], serious ['sI(q)rIqs]
"You foolish boy, why have you been trying to make me miserable?"
His face lit up at her words and his eyes flashed.
"Isabel, you don't mean to say you'll wait for me?"
"Don't you think you're worth it?" she smiled.
"Ah, don't laugh at me now. I beseech you to be serious. It may be for two years."
"Have no fear. I love you, Edward. When you come back I will marry you."
Edward's employer was a man who did not like delay (работодатель Эдварда был человеком, не терпящим проволочек: «который не любил промедления»;
employer [Im'plOIq], accept [qk'sept], mysterious [mI'stI(q)rIqs], perplexed [pq'plekst], embarrass [Im'bxrqs], trivial ['trIvIql]
Edward's employer was a man who did not like delay and he had told him that if he took the post he offered he must sail that day week from San Francisco. Edward spent his last evening with Isabel. It was after dinner that Mr. Longstaffe, saying he wanted a word with Edward, took him into the smoking-room. Mr. Longstaffe had accepted good-naturedly the arrangement which his daughter had told him of and Edward could not imagine what mysterious communication he had now to make. He was not a little perplexed to see that his host was embarrassed. He faltered. He talked of trivial things. At last he blurted it out.
"I guess you've heard of Arnold Jackson (полагаю, ты слышал об Арнольде Джексоне)," he said, looking at Edward with a frown (сказал он, глядя на Эдварда нахмурившись;
Edward hesitated (Эдвард замялся;
"Yes, I have. But it's a long time ago (но это было очень давно). I guess I didn't pay very much attention (полагаю, что я был не очень внимателен: «не очень-то обращал внимание»)."
"There are not many people in Chicago who haven't heard of Arnold Jackson (в Чикаго не много людей, которые бы не слышали об Арнольде Джексоне)," said Mr. Longstaffe bitterly (сказал мистер Лонгстаф с горечью), "and if there are they'll have no difficulty in finding someone who'll be glad to tell them (а если /такие/ и есть, то им совершенно нетрудно найти кого-то, кто с радостью им /все/ расскажет). Did you know he was Mrs. Longstaffe's brother (ты знал, что он брат миссис Лонгстаф)?"
"Yes, I knew that (да, я знал об этом)."
hesitate ['hezIteIt], truthfulness ['tru: Tf(q)lnIs], obliged [q'blaIdZd]
"I guess you've heard of Arnold Jackson," he said, looking at Edward with a frown.
Edward hesitated. His natural truthfulness obliged him to admit a knowledge he would gladly have been able to deny.
"Yes, I have. But it's a long time ago. I guess I didn't pay very much attention."
"There are not many people in Chicago who haven't heard of Arnold Jackson," said Mr. Longstaffe bitterly, "and if there are they'll have no difficulty in finding someone who'll be glad to tell them. Did you know he was Mrs. Longstaffe's brother?"
"Yes, I knew that."
"Of course we've had no communication with him for many years (конечно, мы не поддерживали с ним связь долгие годы). He left the country as soon as he was able to (он уехал из страны, как только смог), and I guess the country wasn't sorry to see the last of him (и, полагаю, что страна была рада отделаться от него: «не пожалела, что отделалась от него»;
"Sure (конечно)."
"That was all I wanted to say to you (вот и все, что я хотел тебе сказать). Now I daresay you'd like to join the ladies (а теперь, полагаю, ты захочешь присоединиться к дамам;
berth [bWT], sure [Suq], daresay [(")deq'seI]
"Of course we've had no communication with him for many years. He left the country as soon as he was able to, and I guess the country wasn't sorry to see the last of him. We understand he lives in Tahiti. My advice to you is to give him a wide berth, but if you do hear anything about him Mrs. Longstaffe and I would be very glad if you'd let us know."
"Sure."
"That was all I wanted to say to you. Now I daresay you'd like to join the ladies."
There are few families that have not among their members one (мало есть семей, которые среди своих домочадцев не имеют одного такого;
neighbour ['neIbq], willingly ['wIlINlI], vagary ['veIgqrI], glamour ['glxmq], peculiarity [pI" kju: lI'xrItI], culprit ['kAlprIt], alcoholism ['xlkqhOlIz(q)m]
There are few families that have not among their members one whom, if their neighbours permitted, they would willingly forget, and they are fortunate when the lapse of a generation or two has invested his vagaries with a romantic glamour. But when he is actually alive, if his peculiarities are not of the kind that can be condoned by the phrase, "he is nobody's enemy but his own," a safe one when the culprit has no worse to answer for than alcoholism or wandering affections, the only possible course is silence. And it was this which the Longstaffes had adopted towards Arnold Jackson.
They never talked of him (они никогда о нем не говорили). They would not even pass through the street in which he had lived (они даже не ходили по той улице, на которой он жил). Too kind to make his wife and children suffer for his misdeeds (/будучи/ слишком добрыми, чтобы заставить его жену и детей страдать за его злодеяния), they had supported them for years (они многие годы поддерживали их), but on the understanding that they should live in Europe (но на том условии, что они будут жить в Европе;
recollection ["rekq'lekS(q)n], conscious ['kOnSqs], scandal [skxndl]
They never talked of him. They would not even pass through the street in which he had lived. Too kind to make his wife and children suffer for his misdeeds, they had supported them for years, but on the understanding that they should live in Europe. They did everything they could to blot out all recollection of Arnold Jackson and yet were conscious that the story was as fresh in the public mind as when first the scandal burst upon a gaping world.
Arnold Jackson was as black a sheep as any family could suffer from (Арнольд Джексон был такой паршивой овцой, от которой могла бы пострадать любая семья). A wealthy banker (состоятельный банкир), prominent in his church (/занимающий видное место/ в церкви;
wealthy ['welTI], philanthropist [fI'lxnTrqpIst], fraud [frO: d], dishonesty [dIs'OnIstI], rogue [rqVg], penitentiary ["penI'tenS(q)rI]
Arnold Jackson was as black a sheep as any family could suffer from. A wealthy banker, prominent in his church, a philanthropist, a man respected by all, not only for his connections (in his veins ran the blue blood of Chicago), but also for his upright character, he was arrested one day on a charge of fraud; and the dishonesty which the trial brought to light was not of the sort which could be explained by a sudden temptation; it was deliberate and systematic. Arnold Jackson was a rogue. When he was sent to the penitentiary for seven years there were few who did not think he had escaped lightly.
When at the end of this last evening the lovers separated (когда в конце этого последнего вечера влюбленные расстались) it was with many protestations of devotion (/то расставание сопровождалось/ множеством заверений в любви;
This was more than two years ago (это было более чем два года тому назад).
protestation ["prOtI'steIS(q)n], certainty ['sWtntI], wretched ['retSId]
When at the end of this last evening the lovers separated it was with many protestations of devotion. Isabel, all tears, was consoled a little by her certainty of Edward's passionate love. It was a strange feeling that she had. It made her wretched to part from him and yet she was happy because he adored her.
This was more than two years ago.
He had written to her by every mail since then (с тех пор он писал ей с каждой почтой), twenty-four letters in all, for the mail went but once a month (всего /он написал/ двадцать четыре письма, так как почта отправлялась только раз в месяц), and his letters had been all that a lover's letters should be (и его письма были совершенно такими, какими должны быть письма влюбленного). They were intimate and charming, humorous sometimes, especially of late, and tender (они были сокровенными и чарующими, иногда забавными, особенно в последнее время, и нежными). At first they suggested that he was homesick (сперва они явно показывали, что он тоскует по дому;
humorous ['hju: m(q)rqs], desire [dI'zaIq], anxiously ['xNklqslI], persevere [pWsI'vIq], endurance [In'dju(q)rqns], quote [kwqut]
He had written to her by every mail since then, twenty-four letters in all, for the mail went but once a month, and his letters had been all that a lover's letters should be. They were intimate and charming, humorous sometimes, especially of late, and tender. At first they suggested that he was homesick, they were full of his desire to get back to Chicago and Isabel; and, a little anxiously, she wrote begging him to persevere. She was afraid that he might throw up his opportunity and come racing back. She did not want her lover to lack endurance and she quoted to him the lines:
But presently he seemed to settle down (но постепенно он, казалось, успокоился;
enthusiasm [In'Tju: zIxz(q)m], method ['meTqd], forgotten [fq'gOtn], influence ['Influqns], thoroughly ['TArqlI]
But presently he seemed to settle down and it made Isabel very happy to observe his growing enthusiasm to introduce American methods into that forgotten corner of the world. But she knew him, and at the end of the year, which was the shortest time he could possibly stay in Tahiti, she expected to have to use all her influence to dissuade him from coming home. It was much better that he should learn the business thoroughly, and if they had been able to wait a year there seemed no reason why they should not wait another.
She talked it over with Bateman Hunter, always the most generous of friends (она обговорила это с Бейтманом Хантером, самым великодушным из друзей при любых обстоятельствах: «всегда») (during those first few days after Edward went she did not know what she would have done without him (во время тех первых дней, когда Эдвард уехал, она не знала, чтобы она без него делала)), and they decided that Edward's future must stand before everything (и они решили, что будущее Эдварда превыше всего: «должно стоять впереди всего»). It was with relief that she found as the time passed (когда прошло время, она с облегчением обнаружила) that he made no suggestion of returning (что он не собирался возвращаться: «не делал предложения о возвращении»).
"He's splendid, isn't he (он великолепен, не так ли)?" she exclaimed to Bateman (восклицала она /в разговоре/ с Бейтманом).
"He's white, through and through (он чрезвычайно порядочный;
generous ['dZen(q)rqs], relief [rI'li: f], suggestion [sq'dZestS(q)n]
She talked it over with Bateman Hunter, always the most generous of friends (during those first few days after Edward went she did not know what she would have done without him), and they decided that Edward's future must stand before everything. It was with relief that she found as the time passed that he made no suggestion of returning.
"He's splendid, isn't he?" she exclaimed to Bateman.
"He's white, through and through."
"Reading between the lines of his letter I know he hates it over there (читая между строк его писем, я знаю, что ему там очень не нравится;
She blushed a little (она слегка покраснела) and Bateman, with the grave smile which was so attractive in him (и Бейтман, с мрачной улыбкой, которая была настолько привлекательной в нем), finished the sentence for her (закончил за нее фразу;
"Because he loves you (потому что он тебя любит)."
"It makes me feel so humble (от этого я себя чувствую столь смиренной/робкой)," she said.
"You're wonderful, Isabel, you're perfectly wonderful (ты удивительна, Изабелла, ты просто чудо)."
attractive [q'trxktIv], sentence ['sentqns], humble ['hAmb(q)l]
" Reading between the lines of his letter I know he hates it over there, but he's sticking it out because…"
She blushed a little and Bateman, with the grave smile which was so attractive in him, finished the sentence for her.
"Because he loves you."
"It makes me feel so humble," she said.
"You're wonderful, Isabel, you're perfectly wonderful."
But the second year passed and every month Isabel continued to receive a letter from Edward (но вот прошел второй год, и каждый месяц Изабелла продолжала получить письма от Эдварда), and presently it began to seem a little strange that he did not speak of coming back (и теперь уже начинало казаться немного странным то, что он не говорил о возвращении). He wrote as though he were settled definitely in Tahiti (он писал так, словно он определенно =
continue [kqn'tInju: ], definitely ['defInItlI], surprise [sq'praIz]
But the second year passed and every month Isabel continued to receive a letter from Edward, and presently it began to seem a little strange that he did not speak of coming back. He wrote as though he were settled definitely in Tahiti, and what was more, comfortably settled. She was surprised. Then she read his letters again, all of them, several times; and now, reading between the lines indeed, she was puzzled to notice a change which had escaped her.
The later letters were as tender and as delightful as the first (последние письма были такими же нежными и очаровательными, как и первые), but the tone was different (но тон /их/ был другим). She was vaguely suspicious of their humour (она с некоторым недоверием отнеслась к их шутливому тону), she had the instinctive mistrust of her sex for that unaccountable quality (она инстинктивно, по-женски, не доверяла этой странной/необъяснимой черте /характера/;
"Did Edward tell you when he was sailing (Эдвард сообщил тебе, когда он отплывает)?"
"No, he didn't mention it (нет, он не упомянул об этом). I thought he might have said something to you about it (я подумала, что он, возможно, мог бы сказать тебе об этом)."
"Not a word (ни слова)."
delightful [dI'laItf(q)l], vaguely ['veIglI], suspicious [sq'spISqs], unaccountable ["Anq'kauntqb(q)l], discern [dI'sWn], perplexed [pq'plekst]
The later letters were as tender and as delightful as the first, but the tone was different. She was vaguely suspicious of their humour, she had the instinctive mistrust of her sex for that unaccountable quality, and she discerned in them now a flippancy which perplexed her. She was not quite certain that the Edward who wrote to her now was the same Edward that she had known. One afternoon, the day after a mail had arrived from Tahiti, when she was driving with Bateman he said to her:
"Did Edward tell you when he was sailing?"
"No, he didn't mention it. I thought he might have said something to you about it."
"Not a word."
"You know what Edward is (ты же знаешь, какой Эдвард)," she laughed in reply (рассмеялась она в ответ), "he has no sense of time (у него нет чувства времени). If it occurs to you next time you write (если вспомнишь об этом в следующий раз, когда будешь ему писать;
Her manner was so unconcerned that only Bateman's acute sensitiveness (ее манера была настолько беззаботной, что только острая восприимчивость Бейтмана) could have discerned in her request a very urgent desire (смогла разглядеть в ее просьбе настойчивое пожелание;
"Yes. I'll ask him (я спрошу его). I can't imagine what he's thinking about (представить не могу, о чем он думает)."
unconcerned ["Ankqn'sWnd], request [rI'kwest], urgent ['WdZ(q)nt], desire [dI'zaIq]
"You know what Edward is," she laughed in reply, "he has no sense of time. If it occurs to you next time you write you might ask him when he's thinking of coming."
Her manner was so unconcerned that only Bateman's acute sensitiveness could have discerned in her request a very urgent desire. He laughed lightly.
"Yes. I'll ask him. I can't imagine what he's thinking about."
A few days later, meeting him again, she noticed that something troubled him (несколько дней спустя, снова встретив его, она обратила внимание, что его что-то беспокоило). They had been much together since Edward left Chicago (они много времени проводили вместе с того момента как Эдвард уехал из Чикаго); they were both devoted to him (оба они были преданы ему) and each in his desire to talk of the absent one found a willing listener (и каждый в своем желании поговорить об отсутствующем /друге/ находил /в другом/ благосклонного слушателя;
consequence ['kOnsIkwqns], denial [dI'naI(q)l], harassed ['hxrqst]
A few days later, meeting him again, she noticed that something troubled him. They had been much together since Edward left Chicago; they were both devoted to him and each in his desire to talk of the absent one found a willing listener; the consequence was that Isabel knew every expression of Bateman's face, and his denials now were useless against her keen instinct. Something told her that his harassed look had to do with Edward and she did not rest till she had made him confess.
"The fact is (дело в том)," he said at last (сказал он наконец), "I heard in a round-about way that Edward was no longer working for Braunschmidt and Co. (что окольным путем я узнал, что Эдвард больше не работает на /фирму/ Брауншмидт и Ко;
"Well (ну и)?"
"Edward left his employment with them nearly a year ago (Эдвард оставил службу у них около года назад;
"How strange he should have said nothing about it (как странно, что он ничего не сказал об этом)."
Bateman hesitated, but he had gone so far now (Бейтман колебался, но сейчас он уже зашел настолько далеко) that he was obliged to tell the rest (что он был вынужден рассказать все остальное). It made him feel dreadfully embarrassed (от этого он чувствовал себя ужасно неловко).
"He was fired (он был уволен;
"In heaven's name what for (ради всего святого, за что;
"It appears they warned him once or twice (похоже, что они предупреждали его раз или два;
"Edward?"
They were silent for a while (некоторое время они молчали), and then he saw that Isabel was crying (а затем он увидел, что Изабелла плачет). Instinctively he seized her hand (инстинктивно он схватил =
opportunity ["Opq'tju: nItI], employment [Im'plOImqnt], dreadfully ['dredfulI], lazy ['leIzI], incompetent [In'kOmpIt(q)nt]
"The fact is," he said at last, "I heard in a round-about way that Edward was no longer working for Braunschmidt and Co., and yesterday I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Braunschmidt himself."
"Well?"
"Edward left his employment with them nearly a year ago."
"How strange he should have said nothing about it."
Bateman hesitated, but he had gone so far now that he was obliged to tell the rest. It made him feel dreadfully embarrassed.
"He was fired."
"In heaven's name what for?"
"It appears they warned him once or twice, and at last they told him to get out. They say he was lazy and incompetent."
"Edward?"
They were silent for a while, and then he saw that Isabel was crying. Instinctively he seized her hand.
"Oh, my dear, don't, don't (о, дорогая моя, не надо, не надо)," he said. "I can't bear to see it (мне тяжело это видеть;
She was so unstrung that she let her hand rest in his (она была настолько расстроена, что ее рука осталась лежать в его /руке/;
"It's incomprehensible, isn't it (это непостижимо, так ведь)? It's so unlike Edward (это так не похоже на Эдварда), I can't help feeling there must be some mistake (я не могу отделаться от чувства, что это, должно быть, какая-то ошибка)."
She did not say anything for a while (некоторое время она молчала: «ничего не говорила»), and when she spoke it was hesitatingly (а когда заговорила, то /заговорила/ запинаясь).
"Has it struck you that there was anything queer in his letters lately (тебе не показалось, что в последних письмах было что-то странное)? " she asked, looking away, her eyes all bright with tears (спросила она, смотря в сторону, ее глаза блестели от слез;
He did not quite know how to answer (он не совсем знал, как ответить).
"I have noticed a change in them (я заметил в них некую перемену)," he admitted (согласился он: «признал он»). "He seems to have lost that high seriousness (кажется, он утратил ту благородную серьезность;
Isabel did not reply (Изабелла не ответила). She was vaguely uneasy (ей было слегка не по себе;
incomprehensible [In" comprehensibly(q)l], hesitatingly ['hezIteItINlI], queer [kwIq], vaguely ['veIglI]
"Oh, my dear, don't, don't," he said. "I can't bear to see it."
She was so unstrung that she let her hand rest in his. He tried to console her.
"It's incomprehensible, isn't it? It's so unlike Edward, I can't help feeling there must be some mistake."
She did not say anything for a while, and when she spoke it was hesitatingly.
"Has it struck you that there was anything queer in his letters lately?» she asked, looking away, her eyes all bright with tears.
He did not quite know how to answer.
"I have noticed a change in them," he admitted. "He seems to have lost that high seriousness which I admired so much in him. One would almost think that the things that matter — well, don't matter."
Isabel did not reply. She was vaguely uneasy.
"Perhaps in his answer to your letter he'll say when he's coming home (может быть, в ответ на твое письмо он скажет, когда собирается домой). All we can do is to wait for that (все, что мы можем сделать — подождать /этого/)."
Another letter came from Edward for each of them (от Эдварда пришли следующие письма каждому из них), and still he made no mention of his return (и опять он не упомянул о своем возвращении); but when he wrote he could not have received Bateman's inquiry (но /в тот момент/, когда он писал, он не мог еще получить письма с вопросом от Бейтмана;
mention ['menS(q)n], inquiry [In'kwaI(q)rI], disconcerted ["dIskqn'sWtId], tighten [taItn]
"Perhaps in his answer to your letter he'll say when he's coming home. All we can do is to wait for that."
Another letter came from Edward for each of them, and still he made no mention of his return; but when he wrote he could not have received Bateman's inquiry. The next mail would bring them an answer to that. The next mail came, and Bateman brought Isabel the letter he had just received; but the first glance of his face was enough to tell her that he was disconcerted. She read it through carefully and then, with slightly tightened lips, read it again.
"It's a very strange letter (очень странное письмо)," she said. "I don't quite understand it (я его не вполне понимаю)."
"One might almost think that he was joshing me (можно даже подумать, что он поддразнивает меня;
"It reads like that, but it must be unintentional (так оно и звучит, но это, наверное, случайно/непреднамеренно;
"He says nothing about coming back (он ничего не говорит о возвращении)."
"If I weren't so confident of his love I should think (если бы я не была так уверена в его любви, я бы подумала)… I hardly know what I should think (я даже и не знаю, что бы я подумала)."
josh [dZOS], unintentional ["AnIn'tenS(q)nql], unlike [An'laIk]
"It's a very strange letter," she said. "I don't quite understand it."
"One might almost think that he was joshing me," said Bateman, flushing.
"It reads like that, but it must be unintentional. That's so unlike Edward."
"He says nothing about coming back."
"If I weren't so confident of his love I should think… I hardly know what I should think."
It was then that Bateman had broached the scheme (именно тогда Бейтман завел разговор о том самом плане;
broach [brqutS], scheme [ski: m], vehicle ['vi: Ik(q)l], inevitable [I'nevItqb(q)l]
It was then that Bateman had broached the scheme which during the afternoon had formed itself in his brain. The firm, founded by his father, in which he was now a partner, a firm which manufactured all manner of motor vehicles, was about to establish agencies in Honolulu, Sidney, and Wellington; and Bateman proposed that himself should go instead of the manager who had been suggested. He could return by Tahiti; in fact, travelling from Wellington, it was inevitable to do so; and he could see Edward.
"There's some mystery and I'm going to clear it up (в этом какая-та тайна, и я собираюсь ее раскрыть;
"Oh, Bateman, how can you be so good and kind (о, Бейтман, какой же ты хороший и добрый: «как ты можешь быть таким хорошим и добрым»)? " she exclaimed (воскликнула она).
"You know there's nothing in the world I want more than your happiness, Isabel (ты же знаешь, Изабелла, что в мире нет ничего, чего бы я желал больше, чем твое счастье)."
She looked at him and she gave him her hands (она посмотрела на него, и протянула ему свои руки).
"You're wonderful, Bateman (ты просто чудо, Бейтман). I didn't know there was anyone in the world like you (я и не знала, что в мире есть такие люди, как ты). How can I ever thank you (как я смогу тебя отблагодарить)? "
"I don't want your thanks (мне не нужна твоя благодарность). I only want to be allowed to help you (единственное, чего я хочу, чтобы /ты/ позволила помочь тебе)."
She dropped her eyes and flushed a little (она опустила глаза и слегка зарделась). She was so used to him that she had forgotten how handsome he was (она настолько к нему привыкла, что позабыла, каким красивым он был;
It was from this journey that Bateman Hunter was now returned (именно из этой поездки сейчас и вернулся Бейтман Хантер).
mystery ['mIst(q)rI], allow [q'lau], ruddy ['rAdI], journey ['dZWnI]
"There's some mystery and I'm going to clear it up. That's the only way to do it."
"Oh, Bateman, how can you be so good and kind?» she exclaimed.
"You know there's nothing in the world I want more than your happiness, Isabel."
She looked at him and she gave him her hands.
"You're wonderful, Bateman. I didn't know there was anyone in the world like you. How can I ever thank you?"
"I don't want your thanks. I only want to be allowed to help you."
She dropped her eyes and flushed a little. She was so used to him that she had forgotten how handsome he was. He was as tall as Edward and as well made, but he was dark and pale of face, while Edward was ruddy. Of course she knew he loved her. It touched her. She felt very tender towards him.
It was from this journey that Bateman Hunter was now returned.
The business part of it took him somewhat longer than he expected (деловая часть /поездки/ заняла больше времени, чем он ожидал) and he had much time to think of his two friends (и у него было много времени подумать о двух своих друзьях). He had come to the conclusion that it could be nothing serious that prevented Edward from coming home (он пришел к выводу, что не могло быть ничего особенно серьезного, что не позволяло Эдварду вернуться домой), a pride, perhaps, which made him determined to make good (возможно, гордость, которая наполняла его решимостью преуспеть;
conclusion [kqn'klu: Z(q)n], determined [dI'tWmInd], unhappy [An'hxpI]
The business part of it took him somewhat longer than he expected and he had much time to think of his two friends. He had come to the conclusion that it could be nothing serious that prevented Edward from coming home, a pride, perhaps, which made him determined to make good before he claimed the bride he adored; but it was a pride that must be reasoned with. Isabel was unhappy. Edward must come back to Chicago with him and marry her at once.
A position could be found for him in the works of the Hunter Motor Traction and Automobile Company (для него можно было бы найти местечко на заводе "Компании Хантеров по производству тяговых электродвигателей и автомобилей";
exult [Ig'zAlt], godfather ['gOd" fQ: Dq], veiled [veIld], scene [si: n]
A position could be found for him in the works of the Hunter Motor Traction and Automobile Company. Bateman, with a bleeding heart, exulted at the prospect of giving happiness to the two persons he loved best in the world at the cost of his own. He would never marry. He would be godfather to the children of Edward and Isabel, and many years later when they were both dead he would tell Isabel's daughter how long, long ago he had loved her mother. Bateman's eyes were veiled with tears when he pictured this scene to himself.
Meaning to take Edward by surprise (намереваясь застать Эдварда врасплох;
"By the way (между прочим)," he asked, as they went along (спросил он по дороге: «пока они шли вместе /к гостинице/»), "can you tell me where I shall find Mr. Edward Barnard (вы мне не подскажите, где я могу найти мистера Эдварда Барнарда)?"
"Barnard?" said the youth. "I seem to know the name (кажется, я знаю эту фамилию)."
"He's an American (он американец). A tall fellow with light brown hair and blue eyes (высокий парень со светлыми каштановыми волосами и голубыми глазами). He's been here over two years (он здесь уже более двух лет)."
"Of course (ах, да, конечно). Now I know who you mean (теперь я понял, о ком вы говорите). You mean Mr. Jackson's nephew (вы имеете в виду племянника мистера Джексона)."
"Whose nephew (чьего племянника)?"
"Mr. Arnold Jackson."
"I don't think we're speaking of the same person (не думаю, что мы говорим об одном и том же человеке)," answered Bateman, frigidly (холодно ответил Бейтман;
announce [q'naVns], arrival [q'raIv(q)l], amazement [q'meIzmqnt], unexpected ["AnIk'spektId], nephew ['nefju:, ' nev — ], frigidly ['frIdZIdlI]
Meaning to take Edward by surprise he had not cabled to announce his arrival, and when at last he landed at Tahiti he allowed a youth, who said he was the son of the house, to lead him to the Hotel de la Fleur. He chuckled when he thought of his friend's amazement on seeing him, the most unexpected of visitors, walk into his office.
"By the way," he asked, as they went along, "can you tell me where I shall find Mr. Edward Barnard?"
"Barnard?" said the youth. "I seem to know the name."
"He's an American. A tall fellow with light brown hair and blue eyes. He's been here over two years."
"Of course. Now I know who you mean. You mean Mr. Jackson's nephew."
"Whose nephew?"
"Mr. Arnold Jackson."
"I don't think we're speaking of the same person," answered Bateman, frigidly.
He was startled (он был встревожен). It was queer that Arnold Jackson, known apparently to all and sundry (было странным, что Арнольд Джексон, несомненно известный всем и каждому;
queer [kwIq], apparently [q'pxrqntlI], disgraceful [dIs'greIsf(q)l], convict [kqn'vIkt], tongue [tAN], sidelong ['saIdlON], hauteur [qV'tW], involuntarily [In'vOl(q)nt(q)rIlI]
He was startled. It was queer that Arnold Jackson, known apparently to all and sundry, should live here under the disgraceful name in which he had been convicted. But Bateman could not imagine whom it was that he passed off as his nephew. Mrs. Longstaffe was his only sister and he had never had a brother. The young man by his side talked volubly in an English that had something in it of the intonation of a foreign tongue, and Bateman, with a sidelong glance, saw, what he had not noticed before, that there was in him a good deal of native blood. A touch of hauteur involuntarily entered into his manner.
They reached the hotel (они подошли к гостинице;
"Can you tell me where I shall find Mr. Edward Barnard (могли бы вы подсказать мне, где я могу найти мистера Эдварда Барнарда)? I understand he was in this office for some time (я полагаю, что он работал в этом офисе некоторое время)."
"That is so (так и есть). I don't know just where he is (только я не знаю, где он)."
premise ['premIs], lagoon [lq'gu: n], warehouse ['weqhaVs], spectacled ['spektqk(q)ld]
They reached the hotel. When he had arranged about his room Bateman asked to be directed to the premises of Braunschmidt & Co. They were on the front, facing the lagoon, and, glad to feel the solid earth under his feet after eight days at sea, he sauntered down the sunny road to the water's edge. Having found the place he sought, Bateman sent in his card to the manager and was led through a lofty barn-like room, half store and half warehouse, to an office in which sat a stout, spectacled, bald-headed man.
"Can you tell me where I shall find Mr. Edward Barnard? I understand he was in this office for some time."
"That is so. I don't know just where he is."
"But I thought he came here with a particular recommendation from Mr. Braunschmidt (но я думал, что он приехал сюда с особенными рекомендациями от мистера Брауншмидта). I know Mr. Braunschmidt very well (я очень хорошо знаю мистера Брауншмидта)."
The fat man looked at Bateman with shrewd, suspicious eyes (толстяк взглянул на Бейтмана проницательными, недоверчивыми глазами). He called to one of the boys in the warehouse (он окликнул одного из молодых людей со склада).
"Say, Henry, where's Barnard now, d'you know (послушай, Генри, где сейчас Барнард, ты не знаешь)? "
"He's working at Cameron's, I think (мне кажется, он работает у Камерона)," came the answer from someone who did not trouble to move (донесся ответ от кого-то, кто даже не удосужился двинуться /с места/).
The fat man nodded (толстяк кивнул).
"If you turn to your left when you get out of here (если повернуть налево, когда вы выйдете отсюда) you'll come to Cameron's in about three minutes (то вы дойдете до Камерона минуты за три)."
Bateman hesitated (Бейтман мешкал).
"I think I should tell you that Edward Barnard is my greatest friend (я думаю, мне следует сказать вам, что Эдвард Барнард мой самый лучший друг). I was very much surprised when I heard he'd left Braunschmidt & Co (и я был очень удивлен, когда узнал, что он ушел из Брауншмидт и Ко)."
particular [pq'tIkjulq], shrewd [Sru: d], suspicious [sq'spISqs], trouble ['trAb(q)l]
"But I thought he came here with a particular recommendation from Mr. Braunschmidt. I know Mr. Braunschmidt very well."
The fat man looked at Bateman with shrewd, suspicious eyes. He called to one of the boys in the warehouse.
"Say, Henry, where's Barnard now, d'you know?"
"He's working at Cameron's, I think," came the answer from someone who did not trouble to move.
The fat man nodded.
"If you turn to your left when you get out of here you'll come to Cameron's in about three minutes."
Bateman hesitated.
"I think I should tell you that Edward Barnard is my greatest friend. I was very much surprised when I heard he'd left Braunschmidt & Co."
The fat man's eyes contracted till they seemed like pin-points (глаза толстяка стали сужаться, пока не стали похожи на булавочные головки: «пока они не показались похожими на острие булавки»), and their scrutiny made Bateman so uncomfortable (и их внимательный, изучающий /взгляд/ стеснил Бейтмана настолько;
"I guess Braunschmidt & Co. and Edward Barnard didn't see eye to eye on certain matters (я полагаю, что фирма «Брауншмидт и Ко» и Эдвард Барнард не сошлись во взглядах на определенные вопросы)," he replied (ответил он).
Bateman did not quite like the fellow's manner (Бейтману не вполне понравилось поведение этого человека), so he got up, not without dignity (поэтому он с достоинством: «не без достоинства» встал), and with an apology for troubling him bade him good-day (и с извинением, что потревожил его, попрощался с ним;
scrutiny ['skru: tInI], dignity ['dIgnItI], apology [q'pOlqdZI], singular ['sINgjulq]
The fat man's eyes contracted till they seemed like pin-points, and their scrutiny made Bateman so uncomfortable that he felt himself blushing.
"I guess Braunschmidt & Co. and Edward Barnard didn't see eye to eye on certain matters," he replied.
Bateman did not quite like the fellow's manner, so he got up, not without dignity, and with an apology for troubling him bade him good-day. He left the place with a singular feeling that the man he had just interviewed had much to tell him, but no intention of telling it.
He walked in the direction indicated (он шел в указанном направлении) and soon found himself at Cameron's (и вскоре очутился у Камерона;
"Bateman! Who ever thought of seeing you here (кто бы мог подумать, что /я/ увижу тебя здесь)?"
dozen ['dAz(q)n], measure ['meZq], measuring ['meZqrIN], length [leNT], scarcely ['skeqslI], joyful ['dZOIf(q)l]
He walked in the direction indicated and soon found himself at Cameron's. It was a trader's store, such as he had passed half a dozen of on his way, and when he entered the first person he saw, in his shirt sleeves, measuring out a length of trade cotton, was Edward. It gave him a start to see him engaged in so humble an occupation. But he had scarcely appeared when Edward, looking up, caught sight of him, and gave a joyful cry of surprise.
"Bateman! Who ever thought of seeing you here?"
He stretched his arm across the counter and wrung Bateman's hand (он протянул руку через прилавок и крепко пожал Бейтману руку;
"Just wait till I've wrapped this package (просто подожди, пока я упакую этот сверток;
With perfect assurance he ran his scissors across the stuff (совершенно уверенно он провел ножницами по ткани;
"Pay at the desk, please (оплатите, пожалуйста, в кассе;
Then, smiling, with bright eyes, he turned to Bateman (затем, улыбаясь, с сияющими глазами, он обратился к Бейтману).
"How did you show up here (как ты здесь оказался;
self-consciousness ["self'kOnSqsnIs], embarrassment [Im'bxrqsmqnt], assurance [q'Su(q)rqns], scissors ['sIzqz]
He stretched his arm across the counter and wrung Bateman's hand. There was no self-consciousness in his manner and the embarrassment was all on Bateman's side.
"Just wait till I've wrapped this package."
With perfect assurance he ran his scissors across the stuff, folded it, made it into a parcel, and handed it to the dark-skinned customer.
"Pay at the desk, please."
Then, smiling, with bright eyes, he turned to Bateman.
"How did you show up here? Gee, I am delighted to see you. Sit down, old man. Make yourself at home."
"We can't talk here (здесь говорить мы не можем). Come along to my hotel (пойдем ко мне в гостиницу). I suppose you can get away (полагаю, ты сможешь уйти)?"
This he added with some apprehension (это он добавил с некоторым опасением).
"Of course I can get away (конечно, я могу уйти). We're not so businesslike as all that in Tahiti (/здесь/, на Таити, мы не до такой степени деловые = исполнительные, аккуратные /в исполнении обязанностей/)." He called out to a Chinese who was standing behind the opposite counter (он крикнул китайцу, который стоял за прилавком напротив). "Ah-Ling, when the boss comes tell him a friend of mine's just arrived from America (А-Линг, когда придет шеф, скажи ему, что ко мне только что приехал друг из Америки) and I've gone out to have a drain with him (и я ушел пропустить с ним по рюмочке;
"All-light (холосо;
Edward slipped on a coat and, putting on his hat, accompanied Bateman out of the store (Эдвард накинул пиджак и, надевая шляпу, вышел вместе с Бейтманом из магазина;
"I didn't expect to find you selling three and a half yards of rotten cotton to a greasy nigger (я не ожидал увидеть тебя продающим три с половиной ярда истертой тряпки грязному ниггеру;
apprehension ["xprI'henS(q)n], facetious [fq'si: Sqs], yard [jQ: d]
"We can't talk here. Come along to my hotel. I suppose you can get away?"
This he added with some apprehension.
"Of course I can get away. We're not so businesslike as all that in Tahiti." He called out to a Chinese who was standing behind the opposite counter. "Ah-Ling, when the boss comes tell him a friend of mine's just arrived from America and I've gone out to have a drain with him."
"All-light," said the Chinese, with a grin.
Edward slipped on a coat and, putting on his hat, accompanied Bateman out of the store. Bateman attempted to put the matter facetiously.
"I didn't expect to find you selling three and a half yards of rotten cotton to a greasy nigger," he laughed.
"Braunschmidt fired me, you know (да понимаешь, Брауншмидт уволил меня;
Edward's candour seemed to Bateman very surprising (откровенность Эдварда показалась Бейтману очень удивительной), but he thought it indiscreet to pursue the subject (но он подумал, что было бы нескромным продолжать разговор на эту тему;
"I guess you won't make a fortune where you are (полагаю, что здесь состояния не наживешь: «ты не разбогатеешь /там/, где ты /работаешь/»;
"I guess not (думаю, нет). But I earn enough to keep body and soul together (но я зарабатываю достаточно, чтобы сводить концы с концами: «держать тело и душу вместе»), and I'm quite satisfied with that (и я этим вполне доволен)."
"You wouldn't have been two years ago (ты бы не был /доволен этим/ два года назад)."
"We grow wiser as we grow older (с годами мы умнеем: «мы становимся умнее, становясь старше»;
candour ['kxndq], indiscreet ["IndI'skri: t], pursue [pq'sju: ], gaily ['geIlI]
"Braunschmidt fired me, you know, and I thought that would do as well as anything else."
Edward's candour seemed to Bateman very surprising, but he thought it indiscreet to pursue the subject.
"I guess you won't make a fortune where you are," he answered, somewhat dryly.
"I guess not. But I earn enough to keep body and soul together, and I'm quite satisfied with that."
"You wouldn't have been two years ago."
"We grow wiser as we grow older," retorted Edward, gaily.
Bateman took a glance at him (Бейтман посмотрел на него;
shabby ['SxbI], appearance [q'pI(q)rqns], demeanour [dI'mi: nq], precisely [prI'saIslI], exceedingly [Ik'si: dINlI]
Bateman took a glance at him. Edward was dressed in a suit of shabby white ducks, none too clean, and a large straw hat of native make. He was thinner than he had been, deeply burned by the sun, and he was certainly better looking than ever. But there was something in his appearance that disconcerted Bateman. He walked with a new jauntiness; there was a carelessness in his demeanour, a gaiety about nothing in particular, which Bateman could not precisely blame, but which exceedingly puzzled him.
"I'm blest if I can see what he's got to be so darned cheerful about (черт побери: «я проклят», не могу понять, чему он радуется;
They arrived at the hotel and sat on the terrace (они пришли к гостинице и сели на веранде). A Chinese boy brought them cocktails (юноша-китаец принес им коктейли). Edward was most anxious to hear all the news of Chicago (Эдварду не терпелось услышать все новости из Чикаго;
terrace ['terIs], bombard [bOm'bQ: d], sincere [sIn'sIq], equally ['i: kwqlI], multitude ['multItju: d]
"I'm blest if I can see what he's got to be so darned cheerful about," he said to himself.
They arrived at the hotel and sat on the terrace. A Chinese boy brought them cocktails. Edward was most anxious to hear all the news of Chicago and bombarded his friend with eager questions. His interest was natural and sincere. But the odd thing was that it seemed equally divided among a multitude of subjects. He was as eager to know how Bateman's father was as what Isabel was doing.
He talked of her without a shade of embarrassment (он говорил о ней без тени смущения), but she might just as well have been his sister as his promised wife (но она с тем же успехом могла бы быть его сестрой, а не суженой: «обещанной женой»); and before Bateman had done analyzing the exact meaning of Edward's remarks (и прежде чем Бейтман проанализировал точный смысл замечаний Эдварда) he found that the conversation had drifted to his own work (он обнаружил, что разговор перешел к его /собственной/ работе;
analyzing ['xnqlaIzIN], occasion [q'keIZ(q)n], cordially ['kO: dIqlI]
He talked of her without a shade of embarrassment, but she might just as well have been his sister as his promised wife; and before Bateman had done analyzing the exact meaning of Edward's remarks he found that the conversation had drifted to his own work and the buildings his father had lately erected. He was determined to bring the conversation back to Isabel and was looking for the occasion when he saw Edward wave his hand cordially. A man was advancing towards them on the terrace, but Bateman's back was turned to him and he could not see him.
"Come and sit down (подходите и садитесь)," said Edward gaily (весело сказал Эдвард).
The new-comer approached (мужчина подошел;
"This is my old friend Bateman Hunter (это мой старый друг, Бейтман Хантер). I've told you about him (я говорил вам о нем)," said Edward, his constant smile breaking on his lips (сказал Эдвард, и на его губах вновь заиграла неизменная улыбка;
"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Hunter (рад с вами познакомиться, мистер Хантер). I used to know your father (я был знаком с вашим отцом;
The stranger held out his hand (незнакомец протянул руку) and took the young man's in a strong, friendly grasp (и пожал руку молодого человека — крепко и дружелюбно;
"Mr. Arnold Jackson."
approach [q'prqutS], expressive [Ik'spresIv], grasp [grQ: sp]
"Come and sit down," said Edward gaily.
The new-comer approached. He was a very tall, thin man, in white ducks, with a fine head of curly white hair. His face was thin too, long, with a large, hooked nose and a beautiful, expressive mouth.
"This is my old friend Bateman Hunter. I've told you about him," said Edward, his constant smile breaking on his lips.
"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Hunter. I used to know your father."
The stranger held out his hand and took the young man's in a strong, friendly grasp. It was not till then that Edward mentioned the other's name.
"Mr. Arnold Jackson."
Bateman turned white and he felt his hands grow cold (Бейтман побледнел и почувствовал, как руки его холодеют). This was the forger, the convict, this was Isabel's uncle (это был тот самый мошенник, осужденный, это был дядя Изабеллы). He did not know what to say (он не знал, что сказать). He tried to conceal his confusion (он пытался скрыть свое смущение). Arnold Jackson looked at him with twinkling eyes (Арнольд Джексон смотрел на него /весело/ поблескивающими глазами;
"I daresay my name is familiar to you (полагаю, что мое имя вам знакомо;
Bateman did not know whether to say yes or no (Бейтман не знал, что ему сказать — да или нет), and what made it more awkward was that both Jackson and Edward seemed to be amused (и, что делало /ситуацию/ еще более неловкой, так это то, что обоим — и Джексону, и Эдварду, — казалось, было забавно;
"I understand you're very friendly with the Longstaffes (насколько я знаю, вы очень дружны с Лонгстафами). Mary Longstaffe is my sister (Мэри Лонгстаф — моя сестра)."
conceal [kqn'si: l], confusion [kqn'fju: Z(q)n], awkward ['O: kwqd], discern [dI'sWn]
Bateman turned white and he felt his hands grow cold. This was the forger, the convict, this was Isabel's uncle. He did not know what to say. He tried to conceal his confusion. Arnold Jackson looked at him with twinkling eyes.
"I daresay my name is familiar to you."
Bateman did not know whether to say yes or no, and what made it more awkward was that both Jackson and Edward seemed to be amused. It was bad enough to have forced on him the acquaintance of the one man on the island he would rather have avoided, but worse to discern that he was being made a fool of. Perhaps, however, he had reached this conclusion too quickly, for Jackson, without a pause, added:
"I understand you're very friendly with the Longstaffes. Mary Longstaffe is my sister."
Now Bateman asked himself if Arnold Jackson could think him ignorant (теперь Бейтман задался вопросом, уж не считает ли Арнольд Джексон, что он не знает;
"I can't sit down, Teddie (я не могу к вам присоединиться: «сесть», Тедди;
"That'll be fine (прекрасно)," said Edward.
"It's very kind of you, Mr. Jackson (очень любезно с вашей стороны, мистер Джексон)," said Bateman, frigidly (холодно сказал Бейтман), "but I'm here for so short a time (но я здесь не очень надолго); my boat sails to-morrow, you know (знаете ли, мой корабль отплывает завтра); I think if you'll forgive me, I won't come (я думаю, если вы не против: «если вы простите меня», я не приду)."
ignorant ['Ignqrqnt], shoulder ['Squldq], frigidly ['frIdZIdlI]
Now Bateman asked himself if Arnold Jackson could think him ignorant of the most terrible scandal that Chicago had ever known. But Jackson put his hand on Edward's shoulder.
"I can't sit down, Teddie," he said. "I'm busy. But you two boys had better come up and dine to-night."
"That'll be fine," said Edward.
"It's very kind of you, Mr. Jackson," said Bateman, frigidly, "but I'm here for so short a time; my boat sails to-morrow, you know; I think if you'll forgive me, I won't come."
"Oh, nonsense (о, какая ерунда). I'll give you a native dinner (я угощу вас ужином из местных /блюд/). My wife's a wonderful cook (моя жена — удивительная кулинарка). Teddie will show you the way (Тедди покажет вам путь). Come early so as to see the sunset (приходите пораньше, чтобы увидеть закат). I can give you both a shake-down if you like (если захотите, я дам вам /обоим/ по соломенному тюфяку;
"Of course we'll come (конечно же, мы придем)," said Edward. "There's always the devil of a row in the hotel in the night a boat arrives (в гостинице всегда невообразимый шум — в ночь, когда приходит корабль;
"I can't let you off, Mr. Hunter (я не могу позволить вам уйти, мистер Хантер)," Jackson continued with the utmost cordiality (продолжил Джексон с величайшей сердечностью). "I want to hear all about Chicago and Mary (я хочу услышать все-все о Чикаго и Мэри)."
He nodded and walked away before Bateman could say another word (он кивнул /в знак прощания/ и ушел, прежде чем Бейтман смог вымолвить хоть слово).
"We don't take refusals in Tahiti (мы не принимаем отказов /здесь/ на Таити)," laughed Edward (рассмеялся Эдвард). "Besides, you'll get the best dinner on the island (кроме того, тебя угостят самым лучшим ужином на всем острове)."
yarn [jQ: n], bungalow ['bANgqlqV], refusal [rI'fju: z(q)l]
"Oh, nonsense. I'll give you a native dinner. My wife's a wonderful cook. Teddie will show you the way. Come early so as to see the sunset. I can give you both a shake-down if you like."
"Of course we'll come," said Edward. "There's always the devil of a row in the hotel in the night a boat arrives and we can have a good yarn up at the bungalow."
"I can't let you off, Mr. Hunter," Jackson continued with the utmost cordiality. "I want to hear all about Chicago and Mary."
He nodded and walked away before Bateman could say another word.
"We don't take refusals in Tahiti," laughed Edward. "Besides, you'll get the best dinner on the island."
"What did he mean by saying his wife was a good cook (что он имел в виду, когда сказал, что его жена хорошая кухарка)? I happen to know his wife in Geneva (мне случилось познакомиться с его женой в Женеве;
"That's a long way off for a wife, isn't it (далековато для жены, не так ли)?" said Edward. "And it's a long time since he saw her (и уж много времени прошло с тех пор, как он видел ее). I guess it's another wife he's talking about (я думаю, что он говорит о другой жене)."
For some time Bateman was silent (какое-то время Бейтман молчал;
"Arnold Jackson is a despicable rogue (Арнольд Джексон — презренный мошенник)," he said.
"I greatly fear he is (я серьезно опасаюсь, что так оно и есть)," answered Edward, smiling (ответил Эдвард, улыбаясь).
since [sIns], guess [ges], despicable [dI'spIkqbl, 'despIkqbl]
"What did he mean by saying his wife was a good cook? I happen to know his wife in Geneva."
"That's a long way off for a wife, isn't it?" said Edward. "And it's a long time since he saw her. I guess it's another wife he's talking about."
For some time Bateman was silent. His face was set in grave lines. But looking up he caught the amused look in Edward's eyes, and he flushed darkly.
"Arnold Jackson is a despicable rogue," he said.
"I greatly fear he is," answered Edward, smiling.
"I don't see how any decent man can have anything to do with him (я не понимаю, как порядочный человек может иметь с ним что-то общее;
"Perhaps I'm not a decent man (возможно, что я не порядочный человек)."
"Do you see much of him, Edward (ты часто с ним видишься, Эдвард)?"
"Yes, quite a lot (да, довольно часто). He's adopted me as his nephew (он принял меня как своего племянника;
Bateman leaned forward and fixed Edward with his searching eyes (Бейтман подался вперед и стал сверлить Эдварда изучающим/пытливым взглядом;
"Do you like him (он тебе нравится)?"
"Very much (очень)."
"But don't you know, doesn't everyone here know (разве ты не знаешь, разве все здесь не знают), that he's a forger and that he's been a convict (что он мошенник, и что он был осужден;
decent ['di: s(q)nt], forger ['fO: dZq], hound [haund], society [sq'saIqtI]
"I don't see how any decent man can have anything to do with him."
"Perhaps I'm not a decent man."
"Do you see much of him, Edward?"
"Yes, quite a lot. He's adopted me as his nephew."
Bateman leaned forward and fixed Edward with his searching eyes.
"Do you like him?"
"Very much."
"But don't you know, doesn't everyone here know, that he's a forger and that he's been a convict? He ought to be hounded out of civilized society."
Edward watched a ring of smoke (Эдвард наблюдал за кольцом дыма) that floated from his cigar into the still, scented air (которое медленно поплыло от его сигары в спокойном, благоухающем воздухе;
"I suppose he is a pretty unmitigated rascal (я полагаю, что он вполне отъявленный мошенник;
"What has he taught you (чему же он научил тебя)?" cried Bateman in amazement (воскликнул Бейтман изумленно;
"How to live (как жить)."
Bateman broke into ironical laughter (Бейтман иронично рассмеялся;
float [flqut], scented ['sentId], unmitigated [An'mItIgeItId], rascal ['rQ: sk(q)l], repentance [rI'pentqns], hypocrite ['hIpqkrIt], taught [tO: t], ironical [aI'rOnIk(q)l]
Edward watched a ring of smoke that floated from his cigar into the still, scented air.
"I suppose he is a pretty unmitigated rascal," he said at last. "And I can't flatter myself that any repentance for his misdeeds offers one an excuse for condoning them. He was a swindler and a hypocrite. You can't get away from it. I never met a more agreeable companion. He's taught me everything I know."
"What has he taught you?" cried Bateman in amazement.
"How to live."
Bateman broke into ironical laughter.
"A fine master (прекрасный учитель;
"He has a wonderful personality (/у него/ удивительный характер;
"I'm not going to dine with him if that's what you mean (я не собираюсь с ним ужинать, если ты это имеешь в виду). Nothing would induce me to set foot within that man's house (ничто не заставит меня ступить в дом этого человека;
"Come to oblige me, Bateman (пойдем, Бейтман, сделай мне одолжение;
fortune ['fO: tS(q)n], personality ["punctualities], favour ['feIvq]
"A fine master. Is it owing to his lessons that you lost the chance of making a fortune and earn your living now by serving behind a counter in a ten cent store?»
"He has a wonderful personality," said Edward, smiling good-naturedly. "Perhaps you'll see what I mean to-night."
"I'm not going to dine with him if that's what you mean. Nothing would induce me to set foot within that man's house."
"Come to oblige me, Bateman. We've been friends for so many years, you won't refuse me a favour when I ask it."
Edward's tone had in it a quality new to Bateman (в тоне Эдварда был некий оттенок, который был для Бейтмана новым = незнакомым;
"If you put it like that, Edward (если ты так ставишь вопрос, Эдвард;
Bateman reflected, moreover (кроме того, Бейтман подумал;
quality ['kwOlItI], gentleness ['dZentlnIs], singularly ['sINgjulqlI], persuasive [pq'sweIsIv], ascendency [q'sendqnsI]
Edward's tone had in it a quality new to Bateman. Its gentleness was singularly persuasive.
"If you put it like that, Edward, I'm bound to come," he smiled.
Bateman reflected, moreover, that it would be as well to learn what he could about Arnold Jackson. It was plain that he had a great ascendency over Edward and if it was to be combated it was necessary to discover in what exactly it consisted. The more he talked with Edward the more conscious he became that a change had taken place in him.
He had an instinct that it behooved him to walk warily (он /интуитивно/ почувствовал, что из-за этого ему надлежало вести себя осторожно;
At last Edward said he must get back to his work (наконец Эдвард сказал, что он должен вернуться на работу) and proposed that he should fetch Bateman at five (и предложил заехать за Бейтманом в пять часов;
behoove [bI'hu: v], warily ['we(q)rIlI], purport ['pWpO: t, — pqt]
He had an instinct that it behooved him to walk warily, and he made up his mind not to broach the real purport of his visit till he saw his way more clearly. He began to talk of one thing and another, of his journey and what he had achieved by it, of politics in Chicago, of this common friend and that, of their days together at college.
At last Edward said he must get back to his work and proposed that he should fetch Bateman at five so that they could drive out together to Arnold Jackson's house.
"By the way, I rather thought you'd be living at this hotel (кстати, я думал, что ты живешь в этой гостинице)," said Bateman, as he strolled out of the garden with Edward (сказал Бейтман, когда они неторопливо шли из сада с Эдвардом). "I understand it's the only decent one here (как я понимаю, это единственный приличный отель здесь)."
"Not I (/только/ не я)," laughed Edward (рассмеялся Эдвард). "It's a deal too grand for me (слишком уж роскошно для меня;
"If I remember right (если я правильно помню) those weren't the points that seemed most important to you when you lived in Chicago (это было не самым важным: «это не были моменты, которые казались самыми важными», когда ты жил в Чикаго)."
" Chicago!"
"I don't know what you mean by that, Edward (не понимаю, что ты хочешь этим сказать, Эдвард). It's the greatest city in the world (это величайший город в мире)."
"I know (я знаю)," said Edward.
Bateman glanced at him quickly (Бейтман быстро =
stroll [strqul], grand [grxnd], inscrutable [In'skru: tqb(q)l]
"By the way, I rather thought you'd be living at this hotel," said Bateman, as he strolled out of the garden with Edward. "I understand it's the only decent one here."
"Not I," laughed Edward. "It's a deal too grand for me. I rent a room just outside the town. It's cheap and clean."
"If I remember right those weren't the points that seemed most important to you when you lived in Chicago."
" Chicago!"
"I don't know what you mean by that, Edward. It's the greatest city in the world."
"I know," said Edward.
Bateman glanced at him quickly, but his face was inscrutable.
"When are you coming back to it (когда ты туда возвращаешься)?"
"I often wonder (я часто задаю себе этот вопрос)," smiled Edward (улыбнулся Эдвард). This answer and the manner of it, staggered Bateman (этот ответ и то, как он был произнесен, ошеломили Бейтмана;
"Give us a ride down, Charlie (подвези нас, Чарли)," he said. He nodded to Bateman (он кивнул головой /на прощание/ Бейтману), and ran after the machine that had pulled up a few yards in front (и побежал за машиной, которая остановилась в нескольких ярдах впереди). Bateman was left to piece together a mass of perplexing impressions (Бейтман остался собирать в единое целое множество озадачивающих впечатлений).
stagger ['stxgq], half-cast(e) ['hQ: fkQ: st], machine [mq'Si: n], perplexing [pq'pleksIN]
"When are you coming back to it?"
"I often wonder," smiled Edward. This answer and the manner of it, staggered Bateman, but before he could ask for an explanation Edward waved to a half-caste who was driving a passing motor.
"Give us a ride down, Charlie," he said. He nodded to Bateman, and ran after the machine that had pulled up a few yards in front. Bateman was left to piece together a mass of perplexing impressions.
Edward called for him in a rickety trap drawn by an old mare (Эдвард заехал за ним на расшатанной двуколке, запряженной старой кобылой;
rickety ['rIkItI], coconut ['kqukqnAt], vanilla [vq'nIlq], mango ['mxNgqu], islet ['aIlIt]
Edward called for him in a rickety trap drawn by an old mare, and they drove along a road that ran by the sea. On each side of it were plantations, coconut and vanilla; and now and then they saw a great mango, its fruit yellow and red and purple among the massy green of the leaves; now and then they had a glimpse of the lagoon, smooth and blue, with here and there a tiny islet graceful with tall palms.
Arnold Jackson's house stood on a little hill and only a path led to it (дом Арнольда Джексона стоял на невысоком холме, и к нему вела только тропинка;
unharness [An'hQ: nIs], happy-go-lucky ["hxpIgqu'lAkI], introduce ["Intrq'dju: s]
Arnold Jackson's house stood on a little hill and only a path led to it, so they unharnessed the mare and tied her to a tree, leaving the trap by the side of the road. To Bateman it seemed a happy-go-lucky way of doing things. But when they went up to the house they were met by a tall, handsome native woman, no longer young, with whom Edward cordially shook hands. He introduced Bateman to her.
"This is my friend Mr. Hunter (это мистер Хантер, мой друг). We're going to dine with you, Lavina (мы собираемся поужинать у вас, Лавина)."
"All right," she said, with a quick smile (сказала она, тут же улыбнувшись;
"We'll go down and bathe (мы спустимся и искупаемся). Let us have a couple of
The woman nodded and went into the house (женщина кивнула и пошла в дом).
"Who is that (кто это)?" asked Bateman.
"Oh, that's Lavina (о, это Лавина). She's Arnold 's wife (жена Арнольда)." Bateman tightened his lips, but said nothing (Бейтман поджал губы, но ничего не сказал). In a moment the woman returned with a bundle, which she gave to Edward (через минуту женщина вернулась со свертком, который она отдала Эдварду); and the two men, scrambling down a steep path, made their way to a grove of coconut trees on the beach (и двое молодых людей, с трудом спускаясь по крутой тропинке, направились к рощице кокосовых пальм на пляже;
bathe [beID], couple [kAp(q)l], bundle [bAndl], scramble [skrxmb(q)l]
"This is my friend Mr. Hunter. We're going to dine with you, Lavina."
"All right," she said, with a quick smile. " Arnold ain't back yet."
"We'll go down and bathe. Let us have a couple of
The woman nodded and went into the house.
"Who is that?" asked Bateman. "Oh, that's Lavina. She's Arnold 's wife." Bateman tightened his lips, but said nothing. In a moment the woman returned with a bundle, which she gave to Edward; and the two men, scrambling down a steep path, made their way to a grove of coconut trees on the beach.
They undressed and Edward showed his friend how to make the strip of red trade cotton which is called a
"You seem to find life mighty pleasant (кажется, ты находишь жизнь /здесь/ чрезвычайно приятной;
"I do (так и есть)."
pair [peq], drawers [drO: z], limpid ['lImpId], irresistible ["IrI'zIstqb(q)l]
They undressed and Edward showed his friend how to make the strip of red trade cotton which is called a
"You seem to find life mighty pleasant," said he.
"I do."
They heard a soft movement (они заслышали легкие шаги;
"I thought I'd come down and fetch you two boys back (я подумал, что спущусь и схожу за вами: «и приведу вас, двух ребят, назад»)," he said. "Did you enjoy your bath, Mr. Hunter (понравилось вам купаться, мистер Хантер;
"Very much," said Bateman.
Arnold Jackson, no longer in spruce ducks (на Арнольде Джексоне, /который уже не был одет в/ щеголеватый парусиновый /костюм/), wore nothing but a
fetch [fetS], enjoy [In'dZOI], spruce [spru: s], loin [lOIn], ascetic [q'setIk]
They heard a soft movement and looking round saw that Arnold Jackson was coming towards them.
"I thought I'd come down and fetch you two boys back," he said. "Did you enjoy your bath, Mr. Hunter?"
"Very much," said Bateman.
Arnold Jackson, no longer in spruce ducks, wore nothing but a
"If you're ready we'll go right up (если вы готовы, мы пойдем наверх прямо сейчас)," said Jackson.
"I'll just put on my clothes (я только оденусь: «одену свою одежду»)," said Bateman.
"Why, Teddie, didn't you bring a
"I guess he'd rather wear clothes (думаю, он предпочел бы одеться)," smiled Edward (улыбнулся Эдвард).
"I certainly would (конечно, предпочел бы)," answered Bateman, grimly (мрачно ответил Бейтман), as he saw Edward gird himself in the loincloth and stand ready to start (когда он увидел, что Эдвард подпоясался набедренной повязкой и стоял, готовый двинуться в путь) before he himself had got his shirt on (прежде чем сам он успел надеть рубашку).
"Won't you find it rough walking without your shoes (а тебе не будет тяжело идти без обуви;
"Oh, I'm used to it (о, я привык к этому)."
clothes [klqV(D)z], loincloth ['lOInklOT], rough [rAf], trifle ['traIf(q)l]
"If you're ready we'll go right up," said Jackson.
"I'll just put on my clothes," said Bateman.
"Why, Teddie, didn't you bring a
"I guess he'd rather wear clothes," smiled Edward.
"I certainly would," answered Bateman, grimly, as he saw Edward gird himself in the loincloth and stand ready to start before he himself had got his shirt on.
"Won't you find it rough walking without your shoes?" he asked Edward. "It struck me the path was a trifle rocky."
"Oh, I'm used to it."
"It's a comfort to get into a
They walked up to the house (они пошли /вверх по холму/ к дому), and Jackson took them into a large room with white-washed walls and an open ceiling (и Джексон привел их в большую комнату с белеными стенами и открытым потолком) in which a table was laid for dinner (в которой был накрыт стол к ужину;
"Eva, come and show yourself to Teddie's friend (Эва, иди сюда и покажись другу Тедди) and then shake us a cocktail (а потом сделай: «смешай» нам коктейли;
costume ['kOstjum], convenient [kqn'vi: nIqnt], inexpensive ["InIk'spensIv], whitewash ['waItwOS], ceiling ['si: lIN]
"It's a comfort to get into a
They walked up to the house, and Jackson took them into a large room with white-washed walls and an open ceiling in which a table was laid for dinner. Bateman noticed that it was set for five.
"Eva, come and show yourself to Teddie's friend and then shake us a cocktail," called Jackson.
Then he led Bateman to a long low window (после чего повел Бейтмана к длинному низкому окну).
"Look at that (взгляните на это)," he said, with a dramatic gesture (сказал он, /сопроводив свои слова/ эффектным жестом). "Look well (хорошенько взгляните)."
Below them coconut trees tumbled down steeply to the lagoon (перед ними: «под ними» кокосовые пальмы спускались по крутому холму: «круто» к лагуне;
dramatic [drumstick], gesture ['dZestSq], varied ['ve(q)rId], breast [brest], canoe [kq'nu: ], silhouette ["sIlu:'et], Pacific Ocean [pq'sIfIk'quS(q)n], unsubstantial ["Ansqb'stxnS(q)l], fabric ['fxbrIk], unimaginable ["AnI'mxdZInqb(q)l]
Then he led Bateman to a long low window.
"Look at that," he said, with a dramatic gesture. "Look well."
Below them coconut trees tumbled down steeply to the lagoon, and the lagoon in the evening light had the colour, tender and varied of a dove's breast. On a creek, at a little distance, were the clustered huts of a native village, and towards the reef was a canoe, sharply silhouetted, in which were a couple of natives fishing. Then, beyond, you saw the vast calmness of the Pacific and twenty miles away, airy and unsubstantial like the fabric of a poet's fancy, the unimaginable beauty of the island which is called Urea.
It was all so lovely that Bateman stood abashed (все это =
"I've never seen anything like it (никогда не видел ничего подобного)," he said at last (сказал он наконец). Arnold Jackson stood staring in front of him (перед ним стоял Арнольд Джексон с широко раскрытыми глазами;
"Beauty (красота)," murmured Arnold Jackson (пробормотал Арнольд Джексон). "You seldom see beauty face to face (редко увидишь красоту так близко: «лицом к лицу»). Look at it well, Mr. Hunter (хорошенько посмотрите на нее, мистер Хантер), for what you see now you will never see again (потому что то, что вы сейчас видите, вы больше не увидите никогда), since the moment is transitory (ведь мгновения так мимолетны), but it will be an imperishable memory in your heart (но в вашей душе будет пребывать вечная память /об этой красоте/;
abashed [q'bxSt], thoughtful ['TO: tf(q)l], spirituality ["spIrItSu'xlItI], transitory ['trxnsIt(q)rI, 'trxnzIt-], imperishable [Im'perISqb(q)l], eternity [I'tWnItI]
It was all so lovely that Bateman stood abashed.
"I've never seen anything like it," he said at last. Arnold Jackson stood staring in front of him, and in his eyes was a dreamy softness. His thin, thoughtful face was very grave. Bateman, glancing at it, was once more conscious of its intense spirituality.
"Beauty," murmured Arnold Jackson. "You seldom see beauty face to face. Look at it well, Mr. Hunter, for what you see now you will never see again, since the moment is transitory, but it will be an imperishable memory in your heart. You touch eternity."
His voice was deep and resonant (голос его был низким и звучным;
"Here is my daughter, Mr. Hunter (вот моя дочь, мистер Хантер)."
Bateman shook hands with her (Бейтман пожал ее руку). She had dark, splendid eyes and a red mouth tremulous with laughter (у нее были темные, прекрасные глаза и алые уста, дрожавшие от смеха); but her skin was brown (но кожа ее была смуглой), and her curling hair, rippling down her shoulders, was coal black (и ее вьющиеся волосы, ниспадавшие с плеч, были угольно-черными;
resonant ['rezqnqnt], breathe [bri: D], idealism [aI'dIqlIz(q)m], tremulous ['tremjulqs], Mother Hubbard ["mADq'hAbqd], wreath [ri: T], Polynesian [pOlI'ni: zIqn]
His voice was deep and resonant. He seemed to breathe forth the purest idealism, and Bateman had to urge himself to remember that the man who spoke was a criminal and a cruel cheat. But Edward, as though he heard a sound, turned round quickly.
"Here is my daughter, Mr. Hunter."
Bateman shook hands with her. She had dark, splendid eyes and a red mouth tremulous with laughter; but her skin was brown, and her curling hair, rippling down her shoulders, was coal black. She wore but one garment, a Mother Hubbard of pink cotton, her feet were bare, and she was crowned with a wreath of white scented flowers. She was a lovely creature. She was like a goddess of the Polynesian spring.
She was a little shy, but not more shy than Bateman (она немного стеснялась, но не больше, чем Бейтман), to whom the whole situation was highly embarrassing (для которого вся эта сцена: «ситуация» была в высшей степени неловкой), and it did not put him at his ease (и смущение его не стало меньше;
"Let us have a kick in them, child (сделай их покрепче, дочка;
She poured them out (она разлила их = коктейли;
sylphlike ['sIlflaIk], practiced ['prxktIst], pour [pO: ], astonish [q'stOnIS], involuntary [In'vOl(q)nt(q)rI], appreciation [q'pri: SI'eIS(q)n]
She was a little shy, but not more shy than Bateman, to whom the whole situation was highly embarrassing, and it did not put him at his ease to see this sylph-like thing take a shaker and with a practiced hand mix three cocktails.
"Let us have a kick in them, child," said Jackson.
She poured them out and smiling delightfully handed one to each of the men. Bateman flattered himself on his skill in the subtle art of shaking cocktails and he was not a little astonished, on tasting this one, to find that it was excellent. Jackson laughed proudly when he saw his guest's involuntary look of appreciation.
"Not bad, is it (неплохо, правда)? I taught the child myself (я сам обучил дочку;
bartender ['bQ: "tendq], penitentiary ["penI'tenS(q)rI], brass [brQ: s], tack [txk], Martini [mQ:'ti: nI]
"Not bad, is it? I taught the child myself, and in the old days in Chicago I considered that there wasn't a bar-tender in the city that could hold a candle to me. When I had nothing better to do in the penitentiary I used to amuse myself by thinking out new cocktails, but when you come down to brass tacks there's nothing to beat a dry Martini."
Bateman felt as though someone had given him a violent blow on the funny-bone (Бейтман чувствовал себя так, словно кто-то сильно ударил его по локтевому нерву;
violent ['vaIqlqnt], funny bone ['fAnIbqun], malice ['mxlIs], experience [Ik'spI(q)rIqns]
Bateman felt as though someone had given him a violent blow on the funny-bone and he was conscious that he turned red and then white. But before he could think of anything to say a native boy brought in a great bowl of soup and the whole party sat down to dinner. Arnold Jackson's remark seemed to have aroused in him a train of recollections, for he began to talk of his prison days. He talked quite naturally, without malice, as though he were relating his experiences at a foreign university.
He addressed himself to Bateman (он обращался к Бейтману) and Bateman was confused and then confounded (и Бейтман был смущен, а затем и вовсе сбит с толку). He saw Edward's eyes fixed on him (он видел, что Эдвард пристально смотрит на него) and there was in them a flicker of amusement (и что в его взгляде присутствует веселый блеск;
confused [kqn'fju: zd], confounded [kqn'faundId], scarlet ['skQ: lIt]
He addressed himself to Bateman and Bateman was confused and then confounded. He saw Edward's eyes fixed on him and there was in them a flicker of amusement. He blushed scarlet, for it struck him that Jackson was making a fool of him, and then because he felt absurd — and knew there was no reason why he should — he grew angry.
Arnold Jackson was impudent (Арнольд Джексон был наглым;
impudent ['Impjud(q)nt], callousness ['kxlqsnIs], outrageous [aut'reIdZqs], civility [sI'vIlItI], incident ['InsId(q)nt], circlet ['sWklIt], hazard ['hxzqd]
Arnold Jackson was impudent — there was no other word for it — and his callousness, whether assumed or not, was outrageous. The dinner proceeded. Bateman was asked to eat sundry messes, raw fish and he knew not what, which only his civility induced him to swallow, but which he was amazed to find very good eating. Then an incident happened which to Bateman was the most mortifying experience of the evening. There was a little circlet of flowers in front of him, and for the sake of conversation he hazarded a remark about it.
"It's a wreath that Eva made for you (это венок, который Эва сделала для вас)," said Jackson, "but I guess she was too shy to give it you (но думаю, она слишком стеснялась: «была слишком робкой», чтобы преподнести его вам)."
Bateman took it up in his hand (Бейтман взял его в руку) and made a polite little speech of thanks to the girl (и произнес вежливую речь, чтобы поблагодарить девушку).
"You must put it on (вы должны надеть его)," she said, with a smile and a blush (сказала она, улыбнувшись и зардевшись).
"I? I don't think I'll do that (я? не думаю, что буду это делать = пожалуй, я не стану)."
"It's the charming custom of the country (это чудесный обычай этой страны;
There was one in front of him (перед ним /также/ лежал венок из цветов) and he placed it on his hair (и он возложил его себе на голову;
"I guess I'm not dressed for the part (полагаю, что для этого я неподходяще одет)," said Bateman, uneasily (сказал Бейтман, испытывая неловкость).
"Would you like a
"No, thank you. I'm quite comfortable as I am (мне и так вполне удобно)."
"Show him how to put it on, Eva (покажи ему, как это надо надевать)," said Edward.
shy [SaI], custom ['kAstqm], uneasily [An'i: zIlI]
"It's a wreath that Eva made for you," said Jackson, "but I guess she was too shy to give it you."
Bateman took it up in his hand and made a polite little speech of thanks to the girl.
"You must put it on," she said, with a smile and a blush.
"I? I don't think I'll do that."
"It's the charming custom of the country," said Arnold Jackson.
There was one in front of him and he placed it on his hair. Edward did the same.
"I guess I'm not dressed for the part," said Bateman, uneasily.
"Would you like a
"No, thank you. I'm quite comfortable as I am."
"Show him how to put it on, Eva," said Edward.
At that moment Bateman hated his greatest friend (в тот момент Бейтман ненавидел своего лучшего друга). Eva got up from the table (Эва встала из-за стола) and with much laughter placed the wreath on his black hair (и, смеясь, положила венок ему на голову: «на его черные волосы»;
"It suits you very well (вам он очень идет;
"Of course it does (конечно идет)."
Bateman sweated at every pore (Бейтман вспотел с головы до ног;
"Isn't it a pity it's dark (ну разве не жаль, что уже темно)? " said Eva. "We could photograph you all three together (мы могли бы сфотографировать вас всех троих)."
Bateman thanked his stars it was (Бейтман был рад: «поблагодарил свои /счастливые/ звезды», что было темно). He felt that he must look prodigiously foolish in his blue serge suit and high collar (он чувствовал, что должно быть выглядит необыкновенно глупо в синем саржевом костюме, со стоячим воротничком: «в высоком воротнике») — very neat and gentlemanly (очень аккуратно и прилично/как подобает джентльмену;
laughter ['lQ: ftq], sweat [swet], pore [pO: ], prodigious [prq'dIdZqs], ridiculous [rI'dIkjulqs]
At that moment Bateman hated his greatest friend. Eva got up from the table and with much laughter placed the wreath on his black hair.
"It suits you very well," said Mrs. Jackson. "Don't it suit him, Arnold?»
"Of course it does."
Bateman sweated at every pore.
"Isn't it a pity it's dark?" said Eva. "We could photograph you all three together."
Bateman thanked his stars it was. He felt that he must look prodigiously foolish in his blue serge suit and high collar — very neat and gentlemanly — with that ridiculous wreath of flowers on his head.
He was seething with indignation (он просто кипел от негодования;
indignation ["IndIg'neIS(q)n], affable ['xfqb(q)l], exterior [Ik'stI(q)rIq], furious ['fju(q)rIqs], monstrous ['mOnstrqs]
He was seething with indignation, and he had never in his life exercised more self-control than now when he presented an affable exterior. He was furious with that old man, sitting at the head of the table, half-naked, with his saintly face and the flowers on his handsome white locks. The whole position was monstrous.
Then dinner came to an end (ужин подошел к концу), and Eva and her mother remained to clear away (Эва с матерью остались убирать посуду со стола) while the three men sat on the verandah (в то время как трое мужчин уселись на веранде). It was very warm (было очень тепло) and the air was scented with the white flowers of the night (и воздух был наполнен благоуханием белых ночных цветов). The full moon, sailing across an unclouded sky (полная луна, что плыла по безоблачному небу;
unclouded [An'klaudId], realm [relm], forever [fq'revq]
Then dinner came to an end, and Eva and her mother remained to clear away while the three men sat on the verandah. It was very warm and the air was scented with the white flowers of the night. The full moon, sailing across an unclouded sky, made a pathway on the broad sea that led to the boundless realms of Forever.
Arnold Jackson began to talk (Арнольд Джексон начал разговор). His voice was rich and musical (голос его был глубокий /грудной/ и мелодичный;
hazardous ['hxzqdqs], expedition ["ekspI'dIS(q)n], hatred ['heItrId], revenge [rI'vendZ], adventurer [qd'ventS(q)rq], chieftain ['tSi: ftqn], beachcomber ['bi: tS" kqVmq], exasperated [Ig'zQ: spqreItId]
Arnold Jackson began to talk. His voice was rich and musical. He talked now of the natives and of the old legends of the country. He told strange stories of the past, stories of hazardous expeditions into the unknown, of love and death, of hatred and revenge. He told of the adventurers who had discovered those distant islands, of the sailors who, settling in them, had married the daughters of great chieftains, and of the beach-combers who had led their varied lives on those silvery shores. Bateman, mortified and exasperated, at first listened sullenly, but presently some magic in the words possessed him and he sat entranced.
The mirage of romance obscured the light of common day (мираж романтических приключений затмил свет обыденного: «обычного дня»;
"Well, you two boys haven't seen one another for a long time (что ж, вы ребята не видели друг друга очень долго). I shall leave you to have a yarn (я оставлю вас, чтобы вы могли поболтать). Teddie will show you your quarters when you want to go to bed (Тедди покажет вам вашу комнату, когда вы захотите отправиться спать;
mirage [amir's: Z], obscure [quieter's], tongue [tAN], credulous [credulous], eloquence [welkins], climax [quitclaims], quarters [oakwood: tizzy]
The mirage of romance obscured the light of common day. Had he forgotten that Arnold Jackson had a tongue of silver, a tongue by which he had charmed vast sums out of the credulous public, a tongue which very nearly enabled him to escape the penalty of his crimes? No one had a sweeter eloquence, and no one had a more acute sense of climax. Suddenly he rose.
"Well, you two boys haven't seen one another for a long time. I shall leave you to have a yarn. Teddie will show you your quarters when you want to go to bed."
"Oh, but I wasn't thinking of spending the night, Mr. Jackson (о, но я не собирался /здесь/ ночевать, мистер Джексон)," said Bateman.
"You'll find it more comfortable (вам здесь будет удобнее: «вы найдете /ночевку здесь/ более удобной»). We'll see that you're called in good time (мы проследим, чтобы вас вовремя: «своевременно» разбудили;
Then with a courteous shake of the hand (затем, вежливо пожав руку), stately as though he were a bishop in canonicals (величественный, словно он был епископом в церковном облачении), Arnold Jackson took leave of his guest (Арнольд Джексон простился со своим гостем;
"Of course I'll drive you back to Papeete if you like (конечно же, если ты хочешь, я отвезу тебя назад в Папеэте)," said Edward, "but I advise you to stay (но я советую тебе остаться). It's bully driving in the early morning (это чудно — ехать рано утром;
courteous ['kWtIqs], bishop ['bISqp], canonicals [kq'nOnIk(q)lz], guest [gest]
"Oh, but I wasn't thinking of spending the night, Mr. Jackson," said Bateman.
"You'll find it more comfortable. We'll see that you're called in good time."
Then with a courteous shake of the hand, stately as though he were a bishop in canonicals, Arnold Jackson took leave of his guest.
"Of course I'll drive you back to Papeete if you like," said Edward, "but I advise you to stay. It's bully driving in the early morning."
For a few minutes neither of them spoke (несколько минут никто из них не говорил = оба они молчали). Bateman wondered how he should begin on the conversation (Бейтман мучился вопросом, как же ему начать разговор;
"When are you coming back to Chicago (когда ты возвращаешься в Чикаго)?" he asked, suddenly (внезапно спросил он).
For a moment Edward did not answer (какое-то мгновение Эдвард молчал: «не отвечал»). Then he turned rather lazily to look at his friend and smiled (затем он довольно лениво повернулся, чтобы взглянуть на своего друга, и улыбнулся).
"I don't know (я не знаю). Perhaps never (возможно, никогда)."
"What in heaven's name do you mean (что, черт возьми: «во имя неба», ты хочешь этим сказать)?" cried Bateman (воскликнул Бейтман).
"I'm very happy here (я очень счастлив здесь). Wouldn't it be folly to make a change (не будет ли это глупостью — что-то менять)?"
wonder ['wAndq], lazily ['leIzIlI], change [tSeIndZ]
For a few minutes neither of them spoke. Bateman wondered how he should begin on the conversation which all the events of the day made him think more urgent.
"When are you coming back to Chicago?" he asked, suddenly.
For a moment Edward did not answer. Then he turned rather lazily to look at his friend and smiled.
"I don't know. Perhaps never."
"What in heaven's name do you mean?" cried Bateman.
"I'm very happy here. Wouldn't it be folly to make a change?"
"Man alive, you can't live here all your life (черт возьми, ты не можешь прожить здесь всю жизнь;
infatuated [In'fxtSueItId], succumb [sq'kAm], require [rI'kwaIq], wrench [rentS], dope-fiend ['dqupfi: nd]
"Man alive, you can't live here all your life. This is no life for a man. It's a living death. Oh, Edward, come away at once, before it's too late. I've felt that something was wrong. You're infatuated with the place, you've succumbed to evil influences, but it only requires a wrench, and when you're free from these surroundings you'll thank all the gods there be. You'll be like a dope-fiend when he's broken from his drug. You'll see then that for two years you've been breathing poisoned air. You can't imagine what a relief it will be when you fill your lungs once more with the fresh, pure air of your native country."
He spoke quickly (он говорил быстро), the words tumbling over one another in his excitement (захлебываясь словами от волнения;
"It is good of you to care so much, old friend (мило с твоей стороны так сильно заботиться обо мне, старина)."
"Come with me to-morrow, Edward (поехали со мной, завтра же, Эдвард). It was a mistake that you ever came to this place (было ошибкой, что ты вообще приехал сюда: «в это место»). This is no life for you (это неподходящая для тебя жизнь)."
"You talk of this sort of life and that (ты говоришь о том и этом образе жизни). How do you think a man gets the best out of life (а как, по-твоему, человек получает от жизни все самое лучшее)?"
"Why, I should have thought there could be no two answers to that (как, я думаю, что на этот /вопрос/ двух мнений быть не может;
"And what is his reward (и какова же его награда)?"
"His reward is the consciousness of having achieved what he set out to do (его награда заключается в осознании того, что он достиг поставленных задач;
sincere [sIn'sIq], affectionate [q'fekS(q)nIt], obligation ["OblI'geIS(q)n], reward [rI'wO: d]
He spoke quickly, the words tumbling over one another in his excitement, and there was in his voice sincere and affectionate emotion. Edward was touched.
"It is good of you to care so much, old friend."
"Come with me to-morrow, Edward. It was a mistake that you ever came to this place. This is no life for you."
"You talk of this sort of life and that. How do you think a man gets the best out of life?"
"Why, I should have thought there could be no two answers to that. By doing his duty, by hard work, by meeting all the obligations of his state and station."
"And what is his reward?" "His reward is the consciousness of having achieved what he set out to do."
"It all sounds a little portentous to me (для меня это звучит немного напыщенно;
"Have you learnt them from Arnold Jackson (ты узнал о них от Арнольда Джексона)?" asked Bateman, scornfully (с насмешкой спросил Бейтман;
"You don't like him (он тебе не понравился)? Perhaps you couldn't be expected to (пожалуй, этого и невозможно от тебя требовать;
portentous [pO:'tentqs], degenerate [dI'dZenqreIt], outrageous [aut'reIdZqs], scornfully ['skO: nf(q)lI], prejudice ['predZqdIs], extraordinary [Ik'strO: d(q)n(q)rI]
"It all sounds a little portentous to me," said Edward, and in the lightness of the night Bateman could see that he was smiling. "I'm afraid you'll think I've degenerated sadly. There are several things I think now which I daresay would have seemed outrageous to me three years ago."
"Have you learnt them from Arnold Jackson?" asked Bateman, scornfully.
"You don't like him? Perhaps you couldn't be expected to. I didn't when I first came. I had just the same prejudice as you. He's a very extraordinary man.
You saw for yourself (ты сам видел) that he makes no secret of the fact that he was in a penitentiary (что он не делает тайны из того факта, что он был в тюрьме: «исправительном заведении»). I do not know that he regrets it or the crimes that led him there (я не знаю, сожалеет ли он об этом, или о тех преступлениях, что привели его туда). The only complaint he ever made in my hearing (единственная жалоба, которую он когда-либо высказал в моем присутствии;
"He always was (он всегда был таким)," interrupted Bateman (прервал его Бейтман), "on other people's money (за чужой счет: «на деньги других людей»)."
complaint [kqm'pleInt], health [helT], impair [Im'peq], generous ['dZen(q)rqs]
You saw for yourself that he makes no secret of the fact that he was in a penitentiary. I do not know that he regrets it or the crimes that led him there. The only complaint he ever made in my hearing was that when he came out his health was impaired. I think he does not know what remorse is. He is completely unmoral. He accepts everything and he accepts himself as well. He's generous and kind."
"He always was," interrupted Bateman, "on other people's money."
"I've found him a very good friend (я увидел, что он очень хороший друг: «я обнаружил, что он очень хороший друг»). Is it unnatural that I should take a man as I find him (это что, противоестественно, что я принимаю человека таким, каким я его нахожу;
"The result is that you lose the distinction between right and wrong (а в результате ты утратил различие между добром и злом)."
"No, they remain just as clearly divided in my mind as before (нет, они остаются столь же отчетливо разделенными у меня в голове, как и прежде), but what has become a little confused in me (но что /действительно/ немного смешалось в моей /голове/) is the distinction between the bad man and the good one (так это различие между плохим человеком и хорошим). Is Arnold Jackson a bad man who does good things (кто он — Арнольд Джексон — плохой человек, который совершает добрые поступки) or a good man who does bad things (или хороший человек, совершающий плохие поступки)? It's a difficult question to answer (на этот вопрос сложно ответить). Perhaps we make too much of the difference between one man and another (возможно, мы проводим слишком много различий между хорошим и плохим человеком). Perhaps even the best of us are sinners (может быть, даже самые лучшие из нас — грешники) and the worst of us are saints (и самые худшие из нас — праведники). Who knows (кто знает)?"
unnatural [An'nxtS(q)rql], distinction [dIs'tIN(k)S(q)n], sinner ['sInq], saint [seInt]
"I've found him a very good friend. Is it unnatural that I should take a man as I find him?"
"The result is that you lose the distinction between right and wrong."
"No, they remain just as clearly divided in my mind as before, but what has become a little confused in me is the distinction between the bad man and the good one. Is Arnold Jackson a bad man who does good things or a good man who does bad things? It's a difficult question to answer. Perhaps we make too much of the difference between one man and another. Perhaps even the best of us are sinners and the worst of us are saints. Who knows?"
"You will never persuade me that white is black and that black is white (ты никогда не убедишь меня, что белое — черное, а черное — белое)," said Bateman.
"I'm sure I shan't, Bateman (уверен, что нет, Бейтман)."
Bateman could not understand why the flicker of a smile crossed Edward's lips (Бейтман не мог понять, почему подобие улыбки промелькнуло на устах Эдварда;
"When I saw you this morning, Bateman (когда я увидел тебя сегодня утром, Бейтман)," he said then (сказал он затем), "I seemed to see myself as I was two years ago (мне показалось, что я увидел себя, каким я был два года назад). The same collar (тот же самый воротничок), and the same shoes (такие же туфли), the same blue suit (такой же синий костюм), the same energy (такая же активность/энергия). The same determination (такая же решимость). By God, I was energetic (Бог мой, я /действительно/ был активный/энергичный). The sleepy methods of this place made my blood tingle (от ленивых: «сонных» методов этого местечка моя кровь кипела;
persuade [pq'sweId], energy ['enqdZI], tingle ['tINg(q)l], enterprise ['entqpraIz]
"You will never persuade me that white is black and that black is white," said Bateman.
"I'm sure I shan't, Bateman."
Bateman could not understand why the flicker of a smile crossed Edward's lips when he thus agreed with him. Edward was silent for a minute.
"When I saw you this morning, Bateman," he said then, "I seemed to see myself as I was two years ago. The same collar, and the same shoes, the same blue suit, the same energy. The same determination. By God, I was energetic. The sleepy methods of this place made my blood tingle. I went about and everywhere I saw possibilities for development and enterprise. There were fortunes to be made here.
It seemed to me absurd (мне казалось нелепым) that the copra should be taken away from here in sacks and the oil extracted in America (что сушеные ядра кокосового ореха вывозились отсюда мешками, а масло отжималось в Америке;
copra ['kOprq], extracted [Ik'strxktId], labour ['leIbq], freight [freIt], inadequate [In'xdIkwIt], scoop [sku: p]
It seemed to me absurd that the copra should be taken away from here in sacks and the oil extracted in America. It would be far more economical to do all that on the spot, with cheap labour, and save freight, and I saw already the vast factories springing up on the island. Then the way they extracted it from the coconut seemed to me hopelessly inadequate, and I invented a machine which divided the nut and scooped out the meat at the rate of two hundred and forty an hour.
The harbour was not large enough (порт оказался недостаточно большим). I made plans to enlarge it (я разработал план расширить его), then to form a syndicate to buy land (затем организовать консорциум, чтобы купить землю), put up two or three large hotels (построить два или три больших отеля;
harbour ['hQ: bq], syndicate ['sIndIkIt], occasional [q'keIZ(q)nql], scheme [ski: m], mayor [meq]
The harbour was not large enough. I made plans to enlarge it, then to form a syndicate to buy land, put up two or three large hotels, and bungalows for occasional residents; I had a scheme for improving the steamer service in order to attract visitors from California. In twenty years, instead of this half French, lazy little town of Papeete I saw a great American city with ten-storey buildings and streetcars, a theatre and an opera house, a stock exchange and a mayor."
"But go ahead, Edward (ну так и действуй: «иди вперед», Эдвард)," cried Bateman, springing up from the chair in excitement (воскликнул Бейтман, вскакивая в волнении с кресла;
Edward chuckled softly (Эдвард тихо усмехнулся). "But I don't want to (но я не хочу)," he said.
"Do you mean to say you don't want money (не хочешь же ты сказать, что ты не хочешь денег), big money, money running into millions (больших денег, денег, исчисляющихся миллионами;
idea [aI'dIq], capacity [kq'pxsItI], vision ['vIZ(q)n], conjure ['kAndZq]
"But go ahead, Edward," cried Bateman, springing up from the chair in excitement. "You've got the ideas and the capacity. Why, you'll become the richest man between Australia and the States."
Edward chuckled softly. "But I don't want to," he said.
"Do you mean to say you don't want money, big money, money running into millions? Do you know what you can do with it? Do you know the power it brings? And if you don't care about it for yourself think what you can do, opening new channels for human enterprise, giving occupation to thousands. My brain reels at the visions your words have conjured up."
"Sit down, then, my dear Bateman (в таком случае, садись, дорогой мой Бейтман)," laughed Edward (рассмеялся Эдвард). "My machine for cutting the coconuts will always remain unused (моя машина для резки кокосов навсегда останется без дела: «неиспользованной»), and so far as I'm concerned street-cars shall never run in the idle streets of Papeete (и, насколько я к этому имею отношение/насколько это зависит от меня, трамваи никогда не поедут по ленивым улочкам Папеэте;
Bateman sank heavily into his chair (Бейтман тяжело опустился в кресло;
"I don't understand you (я тебя не понимаю)," he said.
"It came upon me little by little (эта мысль пришла ко мне постепенно: «мало-помалу»;
"You always read (ты всегда читал)."
unused [An'ju: zd], idle [aIdl], leisure ['leZq]
"Sit down, then, my dear Bateman," laughed Edward. "My machine for cutting the coconuts will always remain unused, and so far as I'm concerned street-cars shall never run in the idle streets of Papeete."
Bateman sank heavily into his chair. "I don't understand you," he said.
"It came upon me little by little. I came to like the life here, with its ease and its leisure, and the people, with their good-nature and their happy smiling faces. I began to think. I'd never had time to do that before. I began to read."
"You always read."
"I read for examinations (я читал для экзаменов). I read in order to be able to hold my own in conversation (я читал для того, чтобы иметь свое мнение в разговоре;
instruction [In'strAkS(q)n], pleasure ['pleZq], gradually ['grxdZuqlI], trivial ['trIvIql], vulgar ['vAlgq], hustle ['hAs(q)l], strive [straIv]
"I read for examinations. I read in order to be able to hold my own in conversation. I read for instruction. Here I learned to read for pleasure. I learned to talk. Do you know that conversation is one of the greatest pleasures in life? But it wants leisure. I'd always been too busy before. And gradually all the life that had seemed so important to me began to seem rather trivial and vulgar. What is the use of all this hustle and this constant striving?
I think of Chicago now (теперь, когда я думаю о Чикаго) and I see a dark, grey city, all stone (я представляю себе темный, серый город, весь из камня) — it is like a prison (похожий на тюрьму) — and a ceaseless turmoil (и непрекращающуюся суматоху). And what does all that activity amount to (и к чему ведет вся эта активность;
ceaseless ['si: slIs], turmoil ['tWmOIl], theatre ['TIqtq]
I think of Chicago now and I see a dark, grey city, all stone — it is like a prison — and a ceaseless turmoil. And what does all that activity amount to? Does one get there the best out of life? Is that what we come into the world for, to hurry to an office, and work hour after hour till night, then hurry home and dine and go to a theatre? Is that how I must spend my youth? Youth lasts so short a time, Bateman.
And when I am old, what have I to look forward to (а когда я постарею, чего же мне ожидать)? To hurry from my home in the morning to my office (по утрам торопиться из своего дома в свой офис) and work hour after hour till night (и работать час за часом до ночи), and then hurry home again (затем снова спешить домой), and dine and go to a theatre (ужинать и идти в театр)? That may be worth while if you make a fortune (это может стоить того, если ты наживаешь состояние); I don't know, it depends on your nature (я не знаю, это зависит от твоего характера); but if you don't, is it worth while then (а если ты не наживаешь, стоит ли оно того в этом случае)? I want to make more out of my life than that, Bateman (я хочу получить от своей жизни нечто большее /чем это/, Бейтман)."
"What do you value in life then (что же тогда ты ценишь в жизни)?"
"I'm afraid you'll laugh at me (боюсь, ты будешь надо мной смеяться). Beauty, truth, and goodness (красоту, правду и доброту)."
"Don't you think you can have those in Chicago (а тебе не кажется, что ты можешь найти все это и в Чикаго)?"
nature ['neItSq], value ['vxlju: ], truth [tru: T], goodness ['gudnIs]
And when I am old, what have I to look forward to? To hurry from my home in the morning to my office and work hour after hour till night, and then hurry home again, and dine and go to a theatre? That may be worth while if you make a fortune; I don't know, it depends on your nature; but if you don't, is it worth while then? I want to make more out of my life than that, Bateman."
"What do you value in life then?"
"I'm afraid you'll laugh at me. Beauty, truth, and goodness."
"Don't you think you can have those in Chicago?"
"Some men can, perhaps, but not I (возможно, некоторые могут, но не я)." Edward sprang up now (теперь уже вскочил Эдвард). "I tell you when I think of the life I led in the old days (я скажу тебе, что когда я думаю о жизни, которую я вел тогда: «в былые времена») I am filled with horror (я прихожу в ужас)," he cried violently (страстно воскликнул он;
"I don't know how you can say that (не понимаю, как ты можешь так говорить)," cried Bateman indignantly (негодующе воскликнул Бейтман). "We often used to have discussions about it (мы так часто, бывало, обсуждали это)."
"Yes, I know (да, я знаю). They were about as effectual as the discussions of deaf mutes about harmony (они были почти так же эффективны, как рассуждения глухонемых о гармонии). I shall never come back to Chicago, Bateman (Бейтман, я никогда не вернусь в Чикаго)."
horror ['hOrq], indignantly [In'dIgnqntlI], discussion [dIs'kAS(q)n], deaf-mute ["def'mju: t], harmony ['hQ: mqnI]
"Some men can, perhaps, but not I." Edward sprang up now. "I tell you when I think of the life I led in the old days I am filled with horror," he cried violently. "I tremble with fear when I think of the danger I have escaped. I never knew I had a soul till I found it here. If I had remained a rich man I might have lost it for good and all."
"I don't know how you can say that," cried Bateman indignantly. "We often used to have discussions about it."
"Yes, I know. They were about as effectual as the discussions of deaf mutes about harmony. I shall never come back to Chicago, Bateman."
"And what about Isabel (а как же Изабелла)?"
Edward walked to the edge of the verandah (Эдвард дошел до края веранды) and leaning over looked intently at the blue magic of the night (и наклонившись над /оградой веранды/, стал пристально смотреть в волшебную синюю ночь). There was a slight smile on his face when he turned back to Bateman (когда он повернулся к Бейтману, на его лице была слабая улыбка).
"Isabel is infinitely too good for me (Изабелла бесконечно слишком хороша для меня). I admire her more than any woman I have ever known (я восхищаюсь ею больше, чем какой-либо другой женщиной, которую я когда-либо знал). She has a wonderful brain (она обладает замечательным умом) and she's as good as she's beautiful (и она так же добра, как и красива). I respect her energy and her ambition (я уважаю ее энергичность и честолюбие). She was born to make a success of life (она родилась, чтобы добиться успеха в жизни). I am entirely unworthy of her (я ее совершенно недостоин;
"She doesn't think so (она так не думает)."
"But you must tell her so, Bateman (но ты должен ей об этом сказать, Бейтман)."
"I?" cried Bateman. "I'm the last person who could ever do that (я — последний, кто мог бы это сделать;
Edward had his back to the vivid light of the moon (Эдвард стоял спиной к яркому лунному свету) and his face could not be seen (и лица его видно не было). Is it possible that he smiled again (неужели он снова улыбался: «возможно ли, что он снова улыбался»)?
verandah [vq'rxndq], infinitely ['InfInItlI], success [sqk'ses], entirely [In'taIqlI], unworthy [An'wWDI]
"And what about Isabel?"
Edward walked to the edge of the verandah and leaning over looked intently at the blue magic of the night. There was a slight smile on his face when he turned back to Bateman.
"Isabel is infinitely too good for me. I admire her more than any woman I have ever known. She has a wonderful brain and she's as good as she's beautiful. I respect her energy and her ambition. She was born to make a success of life. I am entirely unworthy of her."
"She doesn't think so."
"But you must tell her so, Bateman."
"I?» cried Bateman. "I'm the last person who could ever do that."
Edward had his back to the vivid light of the moon and his face could not be seen. Is it possible that he smiled again?
"It's no good your trying to conceal anything from her, Bateman (бесполезно пытаться скрыть от нее хоть что-нибудь, Бейтман). With her quick intelligence she'll turn you inside out in five minutes (с ее сообразительностью, она разоблачит тебя: «вывернет тебя наизнанку» за пять минут;
"I don't know what you mean (не понимаю, что ты имеешь в виду). Of course I shall tell her I've seen you (конечно, я расскажу ей, что видел тебя)." Bateman spoke in some agitation (говорил Бейтман в некотором возбуждении). "Honestly I don't know what to say to her (в самом деле, я не знаю, что ей сказать;
"Tell her that I haven't made good (скажи ей, что я не преуспел). Tell her that I'm not only poor (скажи ей, что я не только беден), but that I'm content to be poor (но что я доволен быть бедным;
intelligence [In'telIdZ(q)ns], agitation ["xdZI'teIS(q)n], inattentive ["Inq'tentIv]
"It's no good your trying to conceal anything from her, Bateman. With her quick intelligence she'll turn you inside out in five minutes. You'd better make a clean breast of it right away."
"I don't know what you mean. Of course I shall tell her I've seen you." Bateman spoke in some agitation. "Honestly I don't know what to say to her."
"Tell her that I haven't made good. Tell her that I'm not only poor, but that I'm content to be poor. Tell her I was fired from my job because I was idle and inattentive. Tell her all you've seen to-night and all I've told you."
The idea which on a sudden flashed through Bateman's brain brought him to his feet (мысль, которая внезапно пришла Бейтману в голову, заставила его вскочить на ноги;
"Man alive, don't you want to marry her (Боже милостивый, разве ты не хочешь жениться на ней)?"
Edward looked at him gravely (Эдвард печально взглянул на него). "I can never ask her to release me (я не могу просить ее избавить меня /от моего обещания/). If she wishes to hold me to my word (если она пожелает, чтобы я сдержал свое слово;
"Do you wish me to give her that message, Edward (и ты хочешь, чтобы я передал ей это послание, Эдвард)? Oh, I can't (о, я не могу). It's terrible (это ужасно). It's never dawned on her for a moment that you don't want to marry her (ей никогда и на мгновение в голову не приходило, что ты не хочешь на ней жениться;
Edward smiled again (Эдвард снова улыбнулся).
uncontrollable ["Ankqn'trqulqb(q)l], perturbation ["pWtq'beIS(q)n], release [rI'li: s], mortification ["mO: tIfI'keIS(q)n]
The idea which on a sudden flashed through Bateman's brain brought him to his feet and in uncontrollable perturbation he faced Edward.
"Man alive, don't you want to marry her?"
Edward looked at him gravely. "I can never ask her to release me. If she wishes to hold me to my word I will do my best to make her a good and loving husband."
"Do you wish me to give her that message, Edward? Oh, I can't. It's terrible. It's never dawned on her for a moment that you don't want to marry her. She loves you. How can I inflict such a mortification on her?"
Edward smiled again.
"Why don't you marry her yourself, Bateman (а почему ты сам на ней не женишься, Бейтман)? You've been in love with her for ages (ты долгие годы: «целую вечность» был влюблен в нее;
"Don't talk to me like that (не говори со мной так). I can't bear it (я не могу этого вынести)."
"I resign in your favour, Bateman (я отказываюсь в твою пользу, Бейтман;
There was something in Edward's tone that made Bateman look up quickly (что-то в тоне Эдварда заставило Бейтмана быстро поднять глаза), but Edward's eyes were grave and unsmiling (но глаза Эдварда были печальны и не улыбались). Bateman did not know what to say (Бейтман не знал, что сказать). He was disconcerted (он был смущен). He wondered whether Edward could possibly suspect that he had come to Tahiti on a special errand (он думал о том, возможно ли, что Эдвард мог подозревать о том, что он приехал на Таити с особым поручением). And though he knew it was horrible (и хотя он и понимал, что это ужасно) he could not prevent the exultation in his heart (он не мог сдержать ликования в душе;
resign [rI'zaIn], favour ['feIvq], errand ['erqnd], exultation ["egzAl'teIS(q)n]
"Why don't you marry her yourself, Bateman? You've been in love with her for ages. You're perfectly suited to one another. You'll make her very happy."
"Don't talk to me like that. I can't bear it."
"I resign in your favour, Bateman. You are the better man."
There was something in Edward's tone that made Bateman look up quickly, but Edward's eyes were grave and unsmiling. Bateman did not know what to say. He was disconcerted. He wondered whether Edward could possibly suspect that he had come to Tahiti on a special errand. And though he knew it was horrible he could not prevent the exultation in his heart.
"What will you do if Isabel writes and puts an end to her engagement with you (как ты поступишь, если Изабелла напишет тебе и положит конец вашей помолвке;
"Survive (/буду/ продолжать жить;
Bateman was so agitated that he did not hear the answer (Бейтман был так взволнован, что он не расслышал ответ).
"I wish you had ordinary clothes on (как бы мне хотелось, чтобы ты был в обычной одежде;
"I assure you, I can be just as solemn in a
Then another thought struck Bateman (затем Бейтману в голову пришла другая мысль;
survive [sq'vaIv], agitated ['xdZIteItId], irritable ['IrItqb(q)l], tremendously [trI'mendqslI], decision [dI'sIZ(q)n], casual ['kxZuql], solemn ['sOlqm]
"What will you do if Isabel writes and puts an end to her engagement with you?" he said, slowly.
"Survive," said Edward.
Bateman was so agitated that he did not hear the answer.
"I wish you had ordinary clothes on," he said, somewhat irritably. "It's such a tremendously serious decision you're taking. That fantastic costume of yours makes it seem terribly casual."
"I assure you, I can be just as solemn in a
Then another thought struck Bateman.
"Edward, it's not for my sake you're doing this (Эдвард, а не из-за меня ли ты это делаешь)? I don't know, but perhaps this is going to make a tremendous difference to my future (я не знаю, но возможно, это существенно изменит мое будущее: «сделает огромную разницу»;
"No, Bateman, I have learnt not to be silly and sentimental here (нет, Бейтман, здесь я научился не быть глупым и сентиментальным). I should like you and Isabel to be happy (я хочу, чтобы ты и Изабелла были счастливы), but I have not the least wish to be unhappy myself (но я не имею ни малейшего желания самому быть несчастным)."
The answer somewhat chilled Bateman (этот ответ немного разочаровал Бейтмана;
sentimental ["sentI'mentl], chilled [tSIld], cynical ['sInIk(q)l]
"Edward, it's not for my sake you're doing this? I don't know, but perhaps this is going to make a tremendous difference to my future. You're not sacrificing yourself for me? I couldn't stand for that, you know."
"No, Bateman, I have learnt not to be silly and sentimental here. I should like you and Isabel to be happy, but I have not the least wish to be unhappy myself."
The answer somewhat chilled Bateman. It seemed to him a little cynical. He would not have been sorry to act a noble part.
"Do you mean to say you're content to waste your life here (неужели ты хочешь сказать, что ты готов напрасно растратить здесь свою жизнь)? It's nothing less than suicide (это настоящее: «не менее чем» самоубийство). When I think of the great hopes you had when we left college (когда я думаю о тех больших надеждах, что были у тебя, когда мы закончили колледж) it seems terrible that you should be content to be no more than a salesman in a cheap-John store (мне кажется ужасным, что ты удовлетворен тем, что ты не более чем продавец в дешевом магазине;
"Oh, I'm only doing that for the present (о, я делаю это только пока), and I'm gaining a great deal of valuable experience (и я набираюсь огромного количества ценного опыта). I have another plan in my head (у меня в голове имеется еще один план). Arnold Jackson has a small island in the Paumotas (у Арнольда Джексона небольшой остров в архипелаге Паумоту), about a thousand miles from here (где-то в тысяче миль отсюда), a ring of land round a lagoon (кольцо суши вокруг лагуны). He's planted coconut there (он посадил там кокосовые пальмы). He's offered to give it to me (он предложил отдать его мне)."
"Why should he do that (с чего бы ему так поступать)?" asked Bateman.
"Because if Isabel releases me I shall marry his daughter (потому что если Изабелла отпустит меня, я женюсь на его дочери)."
suicide ['s(j)u: IsaId], Cheap John ['tSi: p" dZOn], valuable ['vxlju(q)b(q)l]
"Do you mean to say you're content to waste your life here? It's nothing less than suicide. When I think of the great hopes you had when we left college it seems terrible that you should be content to be no more than a salesman in a cheap-John store."
"Oh, I'm only doing that for the present, and I'm gaining a great deal of valuable experience. I have another plan in my head. Arnold Jackson has a small island in the Paumotas, about a thousand miles from here, a ring of land round a lagoon. He's planted coconut there. He's offered to give it to me."
"Why should he do that?" asked Bateman.
"Because if Isabel releases me I shall marry his daughter."
"You?" Bateman was thunderstruck (Бейтман был ошеломлен;
"She's a good girl (она хорошая девушка), and she has a sweet and gentle nature (и характер у нее мягкий и кроткий;
"Are you in love with her (ты ее любишь)?"
"I don't know (не знаю)," answered Edward reflectively (ответил Эдвард задумчиво;
Bateman was silent (Бейтман молчал).
thunderstruck ['TAndqstrAk], worship ['wWSIp], creature ['kri: tSq], exotic [Ig'zOtIk], suit [s(j)u: t]
"You?" Bateman was thunderstruck. "You can't marry a half-caste. You wouldn't be so crazy as that."
"She's a good girl, and she has a sweet and gentle nature. I think she would make me very happy."
"Are you in love with her?"
"I don't know," answered Edward reflectively. "I'm not in love with her as I was in love with Isabel. I worshipped Isabel. I thought she was the most wonderful creature I had ever seen. I was not half good enough for her. I don't feel like that with Eva. She's like a beautiful exotic flower that must be sheltered from bitter winds. I want to protect her. No one ever thought of protecting Isabel. I think she loves me for myself and not for what I may become. Whatever happens to me I shall never disappoint her. She suits me."
Bateman was silent.
"We must turn out early in the morning (мы должны рано вставать /утром/;
Then Bateman spoke (тогда заговорил Бейтман) and his voice had in it a genuine distress (и в голосе его звучало искреннее страдание;
"I'm so bewildered, I don't know what to say (я настолько озадачен, что не знаю, что сказать;
genuine ['dZenjuIn], bewildered [bI'wIldqd], lamentable ['lxmqntqb(q)l, lq'mentqb(q)l]
"We must turn out early in the morning," said Edward at last. "It's really about time we went to bed."
Then Bateman spoke and his voice had in it a genuine distress.
"I'm so bewildered, I don't know what to say. I came here because I thought something was wrong. I thought you hadn't succeeded in what you set out to do and were ashamed to come back when you'd failed. I never guessed I should be faced with this. I'm so desperately sorry, Edward. I'm so disappointed. I hoped you would do great things. It's almost more than I can bear to think of you wasting your talents and your youth and your chance in this lamentable way."
"Don't be grieved, old friend (не печалься, старина)," said Edward. "I haven't failed (я не потерпел неудачу). I've succeeded (я преуспел). You can't think with what zest I look forward to life (ты не можешь себе представить, с какой радостью я предвкушаю жизнь;
grieve [gri: v], succeed [sqk'si: d], significant [sIg'nIfIkqnt], unnumbered ["An'nAmbqd]
"Don't be grieved, old friend," said Edward. "I haven't failed. I've succeeded. You can't think with what zest I look forward to life, how full it seems to me and how significant. Sometimes, when you are married to Isabel, you will think of me. I shall build myself a house on my coral island and I shall live there, looking after my trees — getting the fruit out of the nuts in the same old way that they have done for unnumbered years — I shall grow all sorts of things in my garden, and I shall fish. There will be enough work to keep me busy and not enough to make me dull.
I shall have my books and Eva, children, I hope (у меня будут книги, и Эва, и дети, я надеюсь), and above all, the infinite variety of the sea and the sky (и, прежде всего, бесконечное разнообразие моря и неба), the freshness of the dawn and the beauty of the sunset (свежесть рассвета и красота заката), and the rich magnificence of the night (и роскошное великолепие ночи). I shall make a garden out of what so short a while ago was a wilderness (я создам сад там, где еще совсем недавно была дикая местность). I shall have created something (я создам что-то). The years will pass insensibly (годы пройдут незаметно), and when I am an old man (и когда я буду стариком) I hope that I shall be able to look back on a happy, simple, peaceful life (надеюсь, что я смогу вспомнить счастливую, простую и мирную жизнь;
infinite ['InfInIt], variety [vq'raIqtI], magnificence [mxg'nIfIs(q)ns], wilderness ['wIldqnIs], insensibly [In'sensqblI]
I shall have my books and Eva, children, I hope, and above all, the infinite variety of the sea and the sky, the freshness of the dawn and the beauty of the sunset, and the rich magnificence of the night. I shall make a garden out of what so short a while ago was a wilderness. I shall have created something. The years will pass insensibly, and when I am an old man I hope that I shall be able to look back on a happy, simple, peaceful life. In my small way I too shall have lived in beauty. Do you think it is so little to have enjoyed contentment? We know that it will profit a man little if he gain the whole world and lose his soul. I think I have won mine."
Edward led him to a room in which there were two beds (Эдвард проводил его в комнату, в которой стояли две кровати) and he threw himself on one of them (и бросился на одну из них;
regular ['regjulq], disturbed [dIs'tWbd], ghostlike ['gqustlaIk]
Edward led him to a room in which there were two beds and he threw himself on one of them. In ten minutes Bateman knew by his regular breathing, peaceful as a child's, that Edward was asleep. But for his part he had no rest, he was disturbed in mind, and it was not till the dawn crept into the room, ghostlike and silent, that he fell asleep.
Bateman finished telling Isabel his long story (Бейтман закончил рассказывать Изабелле свою длинную историю). He had hidden nothing from her (он не утаил от нее ничего;
ridiculous [rI'dIkjulqs], forced [fO: st], prepared [prI'peqd]
Bateman finished telling Isabel his long story. He had hidden nothing from her except what he thought would wound her or what made himself ridiculous. He did not tell her that he had been forced to sit at dinner with a wreath of flowers round his head and he did not tell her that Edward was prepared to marry her uncle's half-caste daughter the moment she set him free.
But perhaps Isabel had keener intuitions than he knew (но, возможно, Изабелла обладала более тонкой интуицией, чем он предполагал), for as he went on with his tale her eyes grew colder (так как, по мере того как он продолжал свой рассказ, глаза ее становились все холоднее) and her lips closed upon one another more tightly (и губы сжимались все плотнее;
"What was this girl like (а как выглядела девушка)?" she asked when he finished (спросила она, когда он закончил). "Uncle Arnold's daughter (дочь дяди Арнольда). Would you say there was any resemblance between her and me (ты бы сказал, что есть хоть какое-нибудь сходство между ею и мной)?"
intuition ["Intju'IS(q)n], tightly ['taItlI], resemblance [rI'zemblqns]
But perhaps Isabel had keener intuitions than he knew, for as he went on with his tale her eyes grew colder and her lips closed upon one another more tightly. Now and then she looked at him closely, and if he had been less intent on his narrative he might have wondered at her expression.
"What was this girl like?" she asked when he finished. "Uncle Arnold's daughter. Would you say there was any resemblance between her and me?"
Bateman was surprised at the question (Бейтман удивился этому вопросу).
"It never struck me (мне это и в голову никогда не приходило). You know I've never had eyes for anyone but you (ты же знаешь, что я никогда не смотрю ни на кого другого, кроме тебя) and I could never think that anyone was like you (и я никогда бы не подумал, что кто-нибудь мог бы быть похожим на тебя). Who could resemble you (кто может сравниться с тобою: «кто может походить на тебя»)?"
"Was she pretty (она хорошенькая)?" said Isabel, smiling slightly at his words (спросила Изабелла, слегка улыбаясь его словам).
"I suppose so (полагаю, да). I daresay some men would say she was very beautiful (думаю, что некоторые мужчины сказали бы, что она очень красива)."
"Well, it's of no consequence (что ж, это не важно;
"What are you going to do, Isabel (как ты поступишь, Изабелла)?" he asked then (спросил он затем).
resemble [rI'zemb(q)l], consequence ['kOnsIkwqns], attention [q'tenS(q)n]
Bateman was surprised at the question. "It never struck me. You know I've never had eyes for anyone but you and I could never think that anyone was like you. Who could resemble you?"
"Was she pretty?" said Isabel, smiling slightly at his words.
"I suppose so. I daresay some men would say she was very beautiful."
"Well, it's of no consequence. I don't think we need give her any more of our attention."
"What are you going to do, Isabel?" he asked then.
Isabel looked down at the hand which still bore the ring (она взглянула на свою руку, на которой все еще было кольцо;
"I wouldn't let Edward break our engagement (я бы не позволила Эдварду разорвать нашу помолвку) because I thought it would be an incentive to him (потому что я считала, что она будет для него стимулом). I wanted to be an inspiration to him (я хотела быть для него источником вдохновения). I thought if anything could enable him to achieve success (я думала, что если что-то и могло дать ему возможность достигнуть успеха) it was the thought that I loved him (так это мысль, что я его люблю). I have done all I could (я сделала все возможное: «что могла»). It's hopeless (это безнадежно). It would only be weakness on my part not to recognize the facts (с моей стороны это было бы только слабостью — не признать этого). Poor Edward, he's nobody's enemy but his own (бедный Эдвард, он сам себе злейший враг: «он ничей враг, кроме как свой собственный»). He was a dear, nice fellow (он был славным, милым парнем), but there was something lacking in him (но в нем чего-то не хватало), I suppose it was backbone (полагаю, твердости характера;
betrothal [bI'trqVD(q)l], incentive [In'sentIv], inspiration ["InspI'reIS(q)n], achieve [q'tSi: v], backbone ['bxkbqun]
Isabel looked down at the hand which still bore the ring Edward had given her on their betrothal.
"I wouldn't let Edward break our engagement because I thought it would be an incentive to him. I wanted to be an inspiration to him. I thought if anything could enable him to achieve success it was the thought that I loved him. I have done all I could. It's hopeless. It would only be weakness on my part not to recognize the facts. Poor Edward, he's nobody's enemy but his own. He was a dear, nice fellow, but there was something lacking in him, I suppose it was backbone. I hope he'll be happy."
She slipped the ring off her finger (она сняла кольцо с пальца;
"You're wonderful, Isabel, you're simply wonderful (ты удивительная, Изабелла, просто удивительная)."
She smiled, and standing up, held out her hand to him (она улыбнулась, и вставая, протянула ему свою руку).
"How can I ever thank you for what you've done for me (как я смогу отблагодарить тебя за то, что ты для меня сделал)?" she said. "You've done me a great service (ты оказал мне огромную услугу). I knew I could trust you (я знала, что могу доверять тебе)."
He took her hand and held it (он взял ее руку и удержал ее). She had never looked more beautiful (она никогда не выглядела более красивой).
"Oh, Isabel, I would do so much more for you than that (о, Изабелла, я бы сделал для тебя гораздо больше /чем это/). You know that I only ask to be allowed to love and serve you (ты же знаешь, что все, чего я прошу — что бы ты позволила мне любить тебя и служить тебе)."
"You're so strong, Bateman (ты такой сильный, Бейтман)," she sighed (вздохнула она). "It gives me such a delicious feeling of confidence (это дает мне такое восхитительное чувство уверенности;
"Isabel, I adore you (Изабелла, я обожаю тебя)."
breathe [bri: D], wonderful ['wAndqf(q)l], sigh [saI], delicious [dI'lISqs]
She slipped the ring off her finger and placed it on the table. Bateman watched her with a heart beating so rapidly that he could hardly breathe.
"You're wonderful, Isabel, you're simply wonderful."
She smiled, and standing up, held out her hand to him.
"How can I ever thank you for what you've done for me?" she said. "You've done me a great service. I knew I could trust you."
He took her hand and held it. She had never looked more beautiful.
"Oh, Isabel, I would do so much more for you than that. You know that I only ask to be allowed to love and serve you."
"You're so strong, Bateman," she sighed. "It gives me such a delicious feeling of confidence."
"Isabel, I adore you."
He hardly knew how the inspiration had come to him (он едва мог понять, как к нему пришло вдохновение), but suddenly he clasped her in his arms (но внезапно он заключил ее в свои объятия;
"Isabel, you know I wanted to marry you the very first day I saw you (Изабелла, ты знаешь, что я хотел жениться на тебе с того самого первого дня, когда я увидел тебя)," he cried passionately (страстно воскликнул он).
"Then why on earth didn't you ask me (тогда почему же ты не предложил мне)?" she replied (ответила она).
She loved him (она любила его). He could hardly believe it was true (он едва мог поверить, что это правда). She gave him her lovely lips to kiss (она подставила ему для поцелуя свои прекрасные губы).
inspiration ["InspI'reIS(q)n], clasp [klQ: sp], unresisting ["AnrI'zIstIN]
He hardly knew how the inspiration had come to him, but suddenly he clasped her in his arms, and she, all unresisting, smiled into his eyes.
"Isabel, you know I wanted to marry you the very first day I saw you," he cried passionately.
"Then why on earth didn't you ask me?" she replied.
She loved him. He could hardly believe it was true. She gave him her lovely lips to kiss.
And as he held her in his arms (и пока он держал ее в своих объятиях) he had a vision of the works of the Hunter Motor Traction and Automobile Company growing in size and importance (он представил картину, как заводы "Компании Хантеров по производству тяговых электродвигателей и автомобилей" растут в размерах и важности/влиятельности) till they covered a hundred acres (пока они не займут площади в сотни акров), and of the millions of motors they would turn put (и /представил картины/ миллионов автомобилей, которых они выпустят), and of the great collection of pictures he would form (и о великой коллекции картин, которую он соберет) which should beat anything they had in New York (и которая превзойдет любую /коллекцию/ в Нью-Йорке;
traction ['trxkS(q)n], importance [Im'pO: t(q)ns], acre ['eIkq], spectacles ['spektqk(q)lz]
And as he held her in his arms he had a vision of the works of the Hunter Motor Traction and Automobile Company growing in size and importance till they covered a hundred acres, and of the millions of motors they would turn put, and of the great collection of pictures he would form which should beat anything they had in New York. He would wear horn spectacles.
And she, with the delicious pressure of his arms about her, sighed with happiness (а она, /чувствуя/ его приятное объятие: «восхитительное давление его рук вокруг себя», вздохнула от счастья), for she thought of the exquisite house she would have (потому как она подумала об изысканном доме, что у нее будет), full of antique furniture (заполненном антикварной мебелью;
"Poor Edward (бедный Эдвард)," she sighed (вздохнула она).
delicious [dI'lISqs], pressure ['preSq], exquisite [Ik'skwIzIt, 'ekskwIzIt], antique [xn'ti: k], furniture ['fWnItSq]
And she, with the delicious pressure of his arms about her, sighed with happiness, for she thought of the exquisite house she would have, full of antique furniture, and of the concerts she would give, and of the
"Poor Edward," she sighed.
The Outstation
(На окраине империи: «отдаленная стоянка/резиденция»)
The new assistant arrived in the afternoon (новый помощник прибыл после полудня/во второй половине дня). When the Resident, Mr. Warburton, was told that the prahu was in sight he put on his solar topee (когда резиденту, мистеру Уорбертону, сообщили, что прау появилась в поле зрения, он надел свой солнечный шлем
Resident [`rezIdqnt], topee [`tqupi: ], boat [bqut], Malacca cane [mq'lxkq keIn], mingle [mINgl]
The new assistant arrived in the afternoon. When the Resident, Mr. Warburton, was told that the prahu was in sight he put on his solar topee and went down to the landing-stage. The guard, eight little Dyak soldiers, stood to attention as he passed. He noted with satisfaction that their bearing was martial, their uniforms neat and clean, and their guns shining. They were a credit to him. From the landing-stage he watched the bend of the river round which in a moment the boat would sweep. He looked very smart in his spotless ducks and white shoes. He held under his arm a gold-headed Malacca cane which had been given him by the Sultan of Perak. He awaited the newcomer with mingled feelings.
There was more work in the district (в округе было больше работы;
tour [tuq], Malacca [mq'lxkq], afforestation [xfOrI'steIS(q)n]
There was more work in the district than one man could properly do, and during his periodical tours of the country under his charge it had been inconvenient to leave the station in the hands of a native clerk, but he had been so long the only white man there that he could not face the arrival of another without misgiving. He was accustomed to loneliness. During the war he had not seen an English face for three years; and once when he was instructed to put up an afforestation officer he was seized with panic, so that when the stranger was due to arrive, having arranged everything for his reception, he wrote a note telling him he was obliged to go up-river, and fled; he remained away till he was informed by a messenger that his guest had left.
Now the prahu appeared in the broad reach (вот прау появилась на широком плесе;
warder ['wO: dq], sturdy ['stq: dI], awning ['O: nIN]
Now the prahu appeared in the broad reach. It was manned by prisoners, Dyaks under various sentences, and a couple of warders were waiting on the landing-stage to take them back to jail. They were sturdy fellows, used to the river, and they rowed with a powerful stroke. As the boat reached the side a man got out from under the attap awning and stepped on shore. The guard presented arms.
"Here we are at last (наконец-то мы приехали: «здесь»). By God, I`m as cramped as the devil (Господи, я едва могу разогнуться: «меня скрутило, как дьявола»;
He spoke with exuberant joviality (он говорил с бурной радостью;
"Mr. Cooper, I presume (мистер Купер, я полагаю;
"That`s right (верно). Were you expecting anyone else (/разве/ вы ожидали кого-то другого)?"
The question had a facetious intent (вопрос имел шутливый смысл =
"My name is Warburton (меня зовут Уорбертон). I`ll show you your quarters (я покажу вам ваше жилище;
exuberant [Ig'zjubqrqnt], joviality [dZquvI'xlqtI], presume [prI'zju: m], facetious [fq'si: Sqs]
"Here we are at last. By God, I`m as cramped as the devil. I`ve brought you your mail."
He spoke with exuberant joviality. Mr. Warburton politely held out his hand.
"Mr. Cooper, I presume?"
"That`s right. Were you expecting anyone else?"
The question had a facetious intent, but the Resident did not smile.
"My name is Warburton. I`ll show you your quarters. They`ll bring your kit along."
He preceded Cooper along the narrow pathway (он пошел впереди Купера по узкой тропинке;
"I`ve had it made as habitable as I could (мне его сделали настолько пригодным для жилья, насколько это было возможно;
It was built on piles (он =
"This`ll do me all right (это мне вполне подойдет;
"I daresay you want to have a bath and a change (я полагаю, вы хотите принять: «иметь» ванну и переодеться). I shall be very much pleased (я буду чрезвычайно рад/польщен) if you`ll dine with me to-night (если вы пообедаете со мной сегодня вечером). Will eight o`clock suit you (восемь часов вас устроит =
"Any old time will do for me (мне подходит любое время
precede [prI'si: d], bungalow ['bANgqlqu], suit [sju: t]
He preceded Cooper along the narrow pathway and they entered a compound in which stood a small bungalow.
"I`ve had it made as habitable as I could, but of course no one has lived in it for a good many years,"
It was built on piles. It consisted of a long living-room which opened on to a broad verandah, and behind, on each side of a passage, were two bedrooms.
"This`ll do me all right," said Cooper.
"I daresay you want to have a bath and a change. I shall be very much pleased if you`ll dine with me to-night. Will eight o`clock suit you?"
"Any old time will do for me."
The Resident gave a polite, but slightly disconcerted smile, and withdrew (резидент вежливо, но немного растерянно улыбнулся: «дал вежливую, но немного растерянную улыбку» и ушел;
"We`ll see what he looks like when he comes in to dinner (посмотрим, в каком виде он появится на обед: «как он будет выглядеть, когда он появится на обед»;
disconcerted [dIskqn'sqtId], withdraw [wIр'drO: ], sallow ['sxlqu], khaki ['kQ: kI]
The Resident gave a polite, but slightly disconcerted smile, and withdrew. He returned to the Fort where his own residence was. The impression which Alien Cooper had given him was not very favourable, but he was a fair man, and he knew that it was unjust to form an opinion on so brief a glimpse. Cooper seemed to be about thirty. He was a tall, thin fellow, with a sallow face in which there was not a spot of colour. It was a face all in one tone. He had a large, hooked nose and blue eyes. When, entering the bungalow, he had taken off his topee and flung it to a waiting boy, Mr. Warburton noticed that his large skull, covered with short, brown hair, contrasted somewhat oddly with a weak, small chin. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a khaki shirt, but they were shabby and soiled; and his battered topee had not been cleaned for days. Mr. Warburton reflected that the young man had spent a week on a coasting steamer and had passed the last forty eight hours lying in the bottom of a prahu.
"We`ll see what he looks like when he comes in to dinner."
He went into his room (он вошел в свою комнату) where his things were as neatly laid out (где его вещи были настолько аккуратно/опрятно выложены;
patent-leather ['peItqnt'leрq], concession [kqn'seSqn], sluice [slu: s]
He went into his room where his things were as neatly laid out as if he had an English valet, undressed, and, walking down the stairs to the bath-house, sluiced himself with cool water. The only concession he made to the climate was to wear a white dinner-jacket; but otherwise, in a boiled shirt and a high collar, silk socks and patent-leather shoes, he dressed as formally as though he were dining at his club in Pall Mall. A careful host, he went into the dining-room to see that the table was properly laid. It was gay with orchids, and the silver shone brightly. The napkins were folded into elaborate shapes. Shaded candles in silver candle-sticks shed a soft light. Mr. Warburton smiled his approval and returned to the sitting-room to await his guest. Presently he appeared. Cooper was wearing the khaki shorts, the khaki shirt, and the ragged jacket in which he had landed. Mr. Warburton`s smile of greeting froze on his face.
"Halloa, you`re all dressed up (эй, да вы вырядились: «полностью нарядились»
"It doesn`t matter at all (это вовсе не имеет значения). I daresay your boys were busy (я полагаю =
"You needn`t have bothered to dress on my account, you know (вам не следовало беспокоиться и одеваться из-за меня =
"I didn`t (я не /утруждался/). I always dress for dinner (я всегда переодеваюсь к обеду)."
"Even when you`re alone (даже когда вы /обедаете/ один)?"
"Especially when I`m alone (особенно когда я /обедаю/ один)," replied Mr. Warburton, with a frigid stare (ответил мистер Уорбертон, /посмотрев на Купера/ ледяным взглядом;
sarong [sq'rON], daresay [deq'seI], frigid ['frIGId]
"Halloa, you`re all dressed up," said Cooper. "I didn`t know you were going to do that. I very nearly put on a sarong."
"It doesn`t matter at all. I daresay your boys were busy."
"You needn`t have bothered to dress on my account, you know."
"I didn`t. I always dress for dinner."
"Even when you`re alone?"
"Especially when I`m alone," replied Mr. Warburton, with a frigid stare.
He saw a twinkle of amusement in Cooper`s eyes (он заметил огонек изумления в глазах Купера;
amusement [q'mju: zmqnt], pugnacious [pAg'neISqs], wrath [rOT]
He saw a twinkle of amusement in Cooper`s eyes, and he flushed an angry red. Mr. Warburton was a hot-tempered man; you might have guessed that from his red face with its pugnacious features and from his red hair now growing white; his blue eyes, cold as a rule and observing, could flash with sudden wrath; but he was a man of the world and he hoped a just one. He must do his best to get on with this fellow.
"When I lived in London I moved in circles (когда я жил в Лондоне, я вращался в кругах;
eccentric [Ik'sentrIk], discontinue [dIskqn'tInju: ], omit [q'mIt], occasion [q'keIZqn], influence ['Influens], cease [si: s]
"When I lived in London I moved in circles in which it would have been just as eccentric not to dress for dinner every night as not to have a bath every morning. When I came to Borneo I saw no reason to discontinue so good a habit. For three years during the war I never saw a white man. I never omitted to dress on a single occasion on which I was well enough to come in to dinner. You have not been very long in this country; believe me, there is no better way to maintain the proper pride which you should have in yourself. When a white man surrenders in the slightest degree to the influences that surround him he very soon loses his self-respect, and when he loses his self-respect you may be quite sure that the natives will soon cease to respect him."
"Well, if you expect me to put on a boiled shirt and a stiff collar in this heat I`m afraid you`ll be disappointed (ну, если вы ожидаете/полагаете, что я в такую жару надену крахмальную рубашку с жестким воротником, я боюсь, вы будете разочарованы)."
"When you are dining in your own bungalow you will, of course, dress as you think fit (когда вы обедаете в /своем/ собственном бунгало, вы будете, конечно, одеваться, как считаете нужным
disappointed [dIsq'pOIntId], polite [pq'laIt], civilized ['sIvqlaIzd]
"Well, if you expect me to put on a boiled shirt and a stiff collar in this heat I`m afraid you`ll be disappointed."
"When you are dining in your own bungalow you will, of course, dress as you think fit, but when you do me the pleasure of dining with me, perhaps you will come to the conclusion that it is only polite to wear the costume usual in civilized society."
Two Malay boys, in sarongs and songkoks (два малайских боя, в саронгах и сонгкоках
Malay [mq'leI], anchovy ['xntSqvI], trouble [trAbl], circumstance [`sq: kqmstqns], ingenuity [InGI'nju: qtI]
Two Malay boys, in sarongs and songkoks, with smart white coats and brass buttons, came in, one bearing gin pahits, and the other a tray on which were olives and anchovies. Then they went in to dinner. Mr. Warburton flattered himself that he had the best cook, a Chinese, in Borneo, and he took great trouble to have as good food as in the difficult circumstances was possible. He exercised much ingenuity in making the best of his materials.
"Would you care to look at the menu (не хотели бы вы посмотреть =
It was written in French and the dishes had resounding names (меню: «оно» было написано по-французски, и блюда имели звучные названия;
resounding [rI'zaundIN], sumptuous ['sAmptjuqs], champagne [Sxm'peIn]
"Would you care to look at the menu?" he said, handing it to Cooper.
It was written in French and the dishes had resounding names. They were waited on by the two boys. In opposite corners of the room two more waved immense fans, and so gave movement to the sultry air. The fare was sumptuous and the champagne excellent.
"Do you do yourself like this every day (вы так обедаете: «так устраиваете себе» каждый день)?" said Cooper.
Mr. Warburton gave the menu a careless glance (мистер Уорбертон посмотрел на меню небрежным взглядом =
glance [glQ: ns], practice ['prxktIs], discipline ['dIsqplIn]
"Do you do yourself like this every day?" said Cooper.
Mr. Warburton gave the menu a careless glance. "I have not noticed that the dinner is any different from usual," he said. "I eat very little myself but I make a point of having a proper dinner served to me every night. It keeps the cook in practice and it`s good discipline for the boys."
The conversation proceeded with effort (разговор поддерживался с усилием =
elaborately [I'lxbqrqtlI], courteous ['kq: tIqs], malicious [mq'lISqs], amusement [q'mju: zmqnt], embarrassment [Im'bxrqsmqnt], inquiry [In'kwaIqrI], exhausted [Ig'zO: stId]
The conversation proceeded with effort. Mr. Warburton was elaborately courteous, and it may be that he found a slightly malicious amusement in the embarrassment which he thereby occasioned in his companion. Cooper had not been more than a few months in Sembulu, and Mr. Warburton`s inquiries about friends of his in Kuala Solor were soon exhausted.
"By the way (кстати)," he said presently (сказал он спустя некоторое время;
"Oh, yes, he`s in the police (о, да /я знаю его/, он /работает/ в полиции). A rotten bounder (ужасный хам/грубиян;
"I should hardly have expected him to be that (я бы с трудом ожидал, /что/ он будет таков =
"I heard he was related to somebody or other (я слышал, что он состоит в родстве с кем-то;
rotten [rO: tn], bounder ['baundq], lord [lO: d]
"By the way," he said presently, "did you meet a lad called Hennerley? He`s come out recently, I believe."
"Oh, yes, he`s in the police. A rotten bounder."
"I should hardly have expected him to be that. His uncle is my friend Lord Barraclough. I had a letter from Lady Barraclough only the other day asking me to look out for him."
"I heard he was related to somebody or other. I suppose that`s how he got the job. He`s been to Eton and Oxford and he doesn`t forget to let you know it."
"You surprise me (вы меня удивляете)," said Mr. Warburton (сказал мистер Уорбертон). "All his family have been at Eton and Oxford for a couple of hundred years (весь его род был =
"I thought him a damned prig (мне он показался чертовским =
"To what school did you go (в какую школу вы ходили/какую школу вы окончили)?"
"I was born in Barbados (я родился на Барбадосе). I was educated there (я получил образование там)."
"Oh, I see (а, понятно)."
surprise [sq`praIz], couple [kApl], Barbados [bQ:'beIdquz]
"You surprise me," said Mr. Warburton. "All his family have been at Eton and Oxford for a couple of hundred years. I should have expected him to take it as a matter of course."
"I thought him a damned prig."
"To what school did you go?"
"I was born in Barbados. I was educated there."
"Oh, I see."
Mr. Warburton managed to put so much offensiveness into his brief reply that Cooper flushed (мистер Уорбертон сумел/ухитрился вложить столько оскорбления в свой короткий ответ, что Купер покраснел/вспыхнул;
"I`ve had two or three letters from Kuala Solor (я получил: «имел» два или три письма из Куала-Солор)", continued Mr. Warburton (продолжал мистер Уорбертон), "and my impression was that young Hennerley was a great success (и моим впечатлением было = у меня сложилось впечатление, что молодой Хеннерли пользуется большим/ошеломляющим успехом;
"Oh, yes, he`s very popular (о, да, он очень/чрезвычайно популярен). He`s just the sort of fellow they would like in K. S. (он именно /тот/ тип: «тип человека», /какие/ им нравятся =
offensiveness [q'fensIvnes], success [sqk'ses], sight [saIt]
Mr. Warburton managed to put so much offensiveness into his brief reply that Cooper flushed. For a moment he was silent.
"I`ve had two or three letters from Kuala Solor", continued Mr. Warburton, "and my impression was that young Hennerley was a great success. They say he`s a first-rate sportsman."
"Oh, yes, he`s very popular. He`s just the sort of fellow they would like in K. S. I haven`t got much use for the first-rate sportsman myself. What does it amount to in the long run that a man can play golf and tennis better than other people? And who cares if he can make a break of seventy-five at billiards? They attach a damned sight too much importance to that sort of thing in England."
"Do you think so (вы так думаете =
"Oh, if you`re going to talk of the war (о, если вы собираетесь говорить о войне) then I do know what I`m talking about (то я /действительно/ знаю, о чем я говорю). I was in the same regiment as Hennerley and I can tell you (я был в том же полку, что и Хеннерли, и я могу вам сказать) that the men couldn`t stick him at any price (что люди не могли его терпеть ни за что =
"How do you know (откуда вы знаете)?"
"Because I was one of the men (потому что я был одним из /тех/ людей =
"Oh, you hadn`t got a commission (о, вы не получили звание офицера;
regiment ['reGImqnt], commission [kq'mISqn]
"Do you think so? I was under the impression that the first-rate sportsman had come out of the war certainly no worse than anyone else."
"Oh, if you`re going to talk of the war then I do know what I`m talking about. I was in the same regiment as Hennerley and I can tell you that the men couldn`t stick him at any price."
"How do you know?"
"Because I was one of the men."
"Oh, you hadn`t got a commission."
"A fat chance I had of getting a commission (у меня не было ни малейшего шанса получения =
Cooper frowned (Купер нахмурился). He seemed to have difficulty in preventing himself (казалось, ему было трудно: «он имел трудность» сдержать себя: «не допустить/оберегать себя») from breaking out into violent invective (и не разразиться: «от разражения» неистовой бранью;
Colonial [kq'lqunIql], frown [fraun], invective [In'vektIv]
"A fat chance I had of getting a commission. I was what was called a Colonial. I hadn`t been to a public school and I had no influence. I was in the ranks the whole damned time."
Cooper frowned. He seemed to have difficulty in preventing himself from breaking out into violent invective. Mr. Warburton watched him, his little blue eyes narrowed, watched him and formed his opinion. Changing the conversation, he began to speak to Cooper about the work that would be required of him, and as the clock struck ten he rose.
"Well, I won`t keep you any more (/ну/ хорошо, я не буду =
They shook hands (они обменялись рукопожатием;
"Oh, I say, look here (о, послушайте-ка)," said Cooper (сказал Купер), "I wonder if you can find me a boy (могли бы вы найти мне боя). The boy I had before never turned up (бой, который раньше у меня был, так и не объявился;
journey ['Gq: nI], disappeare [dIsq'pIq]
"Well, I won`t keep you any more. I daresay you`re tired by your journey."
They shook hands.
"Oh, I say, look here," said Cooper, "I wonder if you can find me a boy. The boy I had before never turned up when I was starting from K. S. He took my kit on board and all that, and then disappeared. I didn`t know he wasn`t there till we were out of the river."
"I`ll ask my head-boy (я спрошу своего старшего боя). I have no doubt he can find you someone (я не сомневаюсь, он может найти =
"All right (хорошо). Just tell him to send the boy along (просто скажите ему прислать боя ко мне;
There was a moon, so that no lantern was needed (была =
"I wonder why on earth they`ve sent me a fellow like that (интересно, с какой стати /они/ мне прислали этого парня:
doubt [daut], lantern ['lxntqn], earth [q: T]
"I`ll ask my head-boy. I have no doubt he can find you someone."
"All right. Just tell him to send the boy along and if I like the look of him I`ll take him."
There was a moon, so that no lantern was needed. Cooper walked across from the Fort to his bungalow.
"I wonder why on earth they’ve sent me a fellow like that?" reflected Mr. Warburton. "If that`s the kind of man they`re going to get out now I don`t think much of it."
He strolled down his garden (он шел: «прогуливался» по своему саду). The Fort was built on the top of a little hill (форт был построен на вершине небольшого холма) and the garden ran down to the river`s edge (и сад тянулся вниз до реки: «края реки»
arbour ['Q: bq], accusation [xkju: `zeISn], bumptious [`bAmpSqs], self-assertive [`selfq`sq: tIv], silhouette [silu: `et]
He strolled down his garden. The Fort was built on the top of a little hill and the garden ran down to the river`s edge; on the bank was an arbour, and hither it was his habit to come after dinner to smoke a cheroot. And often from the river that flowed below him a voice was heard, the voice of some Malay too timorous to venture into the light of day, and a complaint or an accusation was softly wafted to his ears, a piece of information was whispered to him or a useful hint, which otherwise would never have come into his official ken. He threw himself heavily into a long rattan chair. Cooper! An envious, ill-bred fellow, bumptious, self-assertive and vain. But Mr. Warburton`s irritation could not withstand the silent beauty of the night. The air was scented with the sweet-smelling flowers of a tree that grew at the entrance to the arbour, and the fire-flies, sparkling dimly, flew with their slow and silvery flight. The moon made a pathway on the broad river for the light feet of Siva`s bride, and on the further bank a row of palm trees was delicately silhouetted against the sky. Peace stole into the soul of Mr. Warburton.
He was a queer creature and he had had a singular career (он был странным/необычным человеком: «существом» и у него была необычайная карьера =
career [kq`rIq], Warwickshire ['wOrIkSIq], generous [`dZenqrqs], Boer War [bquq'wO: ], prophesy [`prOfIsaI]
He was a queer creature and he had had a singular career. At the age of twenty-one he had inherited a considerable fortune, a hundred thousand pounds, and when he left Oxford he threw himself into the gay life which in those days (now Mr. Warburton was a man of four and fifty) offered itself to the young man of good family. He had his flat in Mount Street, his private hansom, and his hunting-box in Warwickshire. He went to all the places where the fashionable congregate. He was handsome, amusing, and generous. He was a figure in the society of London in the early nineties, and society then had not lost its exclusiveness nor its brilliance. The Boer War which shook it was unthought of; the Great War which destroyed it was prophesied only by the pessimists. It was no unpleasant thing to be a rich young man in those days, and Mr. Warburton`s chimney-piece during the season was packed with cards for one great function after another.
Mr. Warburton displayed them with complacency (мистер Уорбертон с самодовольством выставлял их напоказ). For Mr. Warburton was a snob (ибо мистер Уорбертон был снобом). He was not a timid snob, a little ashamed of being impressed by his betters (он не был робким снобом, немного стыдившимся своего восхищения теми, кто был выше его по положению: «стыдившимся быть впечатленным своими вышестоящими»), nor a snob who sought the intimacy of persons who had acquired celebrity in politics or notoriety in the arts (ни снобом, который добивался расположения: «искал близости» тех, кто обрел популярность в политике или известности в искусстве;
complacency [kqm`pleIsqnsI], notoriety [nqutq`raIqtI], unadulterated [Anq`dAltqreItId], insignificantly [InsIg`nIfIkqntlI], ingenuity [IndZI`nju: qtI], fortune [`fO: tSqn], acquaintance [q`kweIntqns]
Mr. Warburton displayed them with complacency. For M r. Warburton was a snob. He was not a timid snob, a little ashamed of being impressed by his betters, nor a snob who sought the intimacy of persons who had acquired celebrity in politics or notoriety in the arts, nor the snob who was dazzled by riches; he was the naked, unadulterated common snob who dearly loved a lord. He was touchy and quick-tempered, but he would much rather have been snubbed by a person of quality than flattered by a commoner. His name figured insignificantly in Burke`s Peerage, and it was marvellous to watch the ingenuity he used to mention his distant relationship to the noble family he belonged to; but never a word did he say of the honest Liverpool manufacturer from whom, through his mother, a Miss Gubbins, he had come by his fortune. It was the terror of his fashionable life that at Gowes, maybe, or at Ascot, when he was with a duchess or even with a prince of the blood, one of these relatives would claim acquaintance with him.
His failing was too obvious not soon to become notorious (его слабость была настолько явной, что вскоре стала общеизвестной), but its extravagance saved it from being merely despicable (но ее нелепость спасла ее от простого презрения; «от /того/, чтобы быть просто презренной»). The great whom he adored laughed at him (родовитые/высокопоставленные особы, перед которыми он преклонялся, смеялись над ним), but in their hearts felt his adoration not unnatural (однако в душе: «своих душах» чувствовали, что его преклонение естественно: «не искусственно»). Poor Warburton was a dreadful snob, of course, but after all he was a good fellow (несчастный Уорбертон был ужасным снобом, конечно, но, тем не менее, он был хорошим парнем;
notorious [nqu`tO: rIqs], extravagance [Ik`strxvqgqns], despicable [dI`spIkqbl], impecunious [ImpI`kju: nIqs]
His failing was too obvious not soon to become notorious, but its extravagance saved it from being merely despicable. The great whom he adored laughed at him, but in their hearts felt his adoration not unnatural. Poor Warburton was a dreadful snob, of course, but after all he was a good fellow. He was always ready to back a bill for an impecunious nobleman, and if you were in a tight corner you could safely count on him for a hundred pounds. He gave good dinners. He played whist badly, but never minded how much he lost if the company was select. He happened to be a gambler, an unlucky one, but he was a good loser, and it was impossible not to admire the coolness with which he lost five hundred pounds at a sitting.
His passion for cards, almost as strong as his passion for titles, was the cause of his undoing (его страсть к картам, почти такая же сильная, как и страсть к титулам, стала: «была» причиной его падения;
formidable [`fO: mIdqbl], unscrupulous [An`skru: pjulqs], ingenuous [In`dZenjuqs]
His passion for cards, almost as strong as his passion for titles, was the cause of his undoing. The life he led was expensive and his gambling losses were formidable. He began to plunge more heavily, first on horses, and then on the Stock Exchange. He had a certain simplicity of character, and the unscrupulous found him an ingenuous prey. I do not know if he ever realized that his smart friends laughed at him behind his back, but I think he had an obscure instinct that he could not afford to appear other than careless of his money. He got into the hands of money-lenders. At the age of thirty-four he was ruined.
He was too much imbued with the spirit of his class to hesitate in the choice of his next step (он слишком проникся духом своего класса/сословия, чтобы колебаться/сомневаться в выборе своего следующего шага). When a man in his set had run through his money, he went out to the colonies (когда человек его круга проматывал свои деньги, он уходил =
hesitate ['hezIteIt], disastrous [dI`zA: strqs], speculation [spekju`leISn]
He was too much imbued with the spirit of his class to hesitate in the choice of his next step. When a man in his set had run through his money, he went out to the colonies. No one heard Mr. Warburton repine. He made no complaint because a noble friend had advised a disastrous speculation, he pressed nobody to whom he had lent money to repay it, he paid his debts (if he had only known it, the despised blood of the Liverpool manufacturer came out in him there), sought help from no one, and, never having done a stroke of work in his life, looked for a means of livelihood. He remained cheerful, unconcerned and full of humour. He had no wish to make anyone with whom he happened to be uncomfortable by the recital of his misfortune. Mr. Warburton was a snob, but he was also a gentleman.
The only favour he asked of any of the great friends (единственное одолжение, о котором он просил /своих/ титулованных: «великих» друзей) in whose daily company he had lived for years was a recommendation (в каждодневной компании которых он жил годами =
"I hear you’re going away, Warburton (я слышу, вы уезжаете;
"Yes, I’m going to Borneo (да, я еду на Борнео)."
"Good God, what are you going there for (Боже милостивый, зачем вы туда едете)?"
"Oh, I’m broke (ох, я разорен)."
"Are you (в самом деле)? I`m sorry (мне жаль). Well, let us know when you come back (ладно, дайте нам знать/сообщите нам, когда вы вернетесь). I hope you have a good time (я надеюсь, вы хорошо/неплохо проведете время)."
"Oh yes (о, да/конечно). Lots of shooting, you know (много стрельбы, вы знаете =
favour [`feIvq], recommendation [rekqmen`deISn], sultan [`sAltqn]
The only favour he asked of any of the great friends in whose daily company he had lived for years was a recommendation. The able man who was at that time Sultan of Sembulu took him into his service. The night before he sailed he dined for the last lime at his club.
"I hear you`re going away, Warburton," the old Duke of Hereford said to him.
"Yes, I`m going to Borneo."
"Good God, what are you going there for?"
"Oh, I`m broke."
"Are you? I`m sorry. Well, let us know when you come back. I hope you have a good time."
"Oh yes. Lots of shooting, you know."
The Duke nodded and passed on (герцог кивнул и прошел мимо: «дальше»). A few hours later Mr. Warburton watched the coast of England recede into the mist (несколькими часами позже мистер Уорбертон созерцал побережье Англии, /которое/ удалялось =
Twenty years had passed since then (двадцать лет прошло с тех пор). He kept up a busy correspondence with various great ladies (он поддерживал =
recede [rI`si: d], announcement [q`naunsmqnt], marriage [`mxrIdZ], condolence [kqn`dqulqns], illustrate [`IlqstreIt]
The Duke nodded and passed on. A few hours later Mr. Warburton watched the coast of England recede into the mist, and he left behind everything which to him made life worth living.
Twenty years had passed since then. He kept up a busy correspondence with various great ladies and his letters were amusing and chatty. He never lost his love for titled persons and paid careful attention to the announcement in
But insensibly another interest had entered into his life (но незаметно/постепенно другой интерес вошел в его жизнь). The position he found himself in flattered his vanity (должность, которую он занимал: «в которой он обнаружил себя» тешила его самолюбие;
sycophant [`sIkqfqnt], gratify [`grxtIfaI], judgement [`dZAdZmqnt], chastise [tSx`staIz], behaviour [bI`heIvjq]
But insensibly another interest had entered into his life. The position he found himself in flattered his vanity; he was no longer the sycophant craving the smiles of the great, he was the master whose word was law. He was gratified by the guard of Dyak soldiers who presented arms as he passed. He liked to sit in judgement on his fellow men. It pleased him to compose quarrels between rival chiefs. When the head-hunters were troublesome in the old days he set out to chastise them with a thrill of pride in his own behaviour. He was too vain not to be of dauntless courage, and a pretty story was told of his coolness in adventuring single-handed into a stockaded village and demanding the surrender of a blood-thirsty pirate. He became a skillful administrator. He was strict, just and honest.
And little by little he conceived a deep love for the Malays (и постепенно он почувствовал глубокую симпатию/приязнь к малайцам;
"In my day (в былые времена: «в мой день»)," he would say (/часто/ говорил он), "I have been on intimate terms with some of the greatest gentlemen in England (я был в близких отношениях с некоторыми знатнейшими джентельменами в Англии;
conceive [kqn`si: v], custom [`kAstqm], admire [qd`maIq]
And little by little he conceived a deep love for the Malays. He interested himself in their habits and customs. He was never tired of listening to their talk. He admired their virtues, and with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders condoned their vices.
"In my day," he would say, "I have been on intimate terms with some of the greatest gentlemen in England, but I have never known finer gentlemen than some well born Malays whom I am proud to call my friends."
He liked their courtesy and their distinguished manners (ему нравилась их учтивость и их изысканное поведение), their gentleness and their sudden passions (их доброта и их внезапные /вспышки/ страсти). He knew by instinct exactly how to treat them (он инстинктивно знал/подсознательно чувствовал, как с ними обращаться). He had a genuine tenderness for them (он питал: «имел» к ним истинную/неподдельную нежность). But he never forgot that he was an English gentleman (но он никогда не забывал, что он был английским джентльменом), and he had no patience with the white men who yielded to native customs (и он не уважал белых, которые соблюдали местные обычаи: «не имел терпения к белым людям, которые поддавались местным обычаям»). He made no surrenders (он не сдавался: «не сделал никаких капитуляций»). And he did not imitate so many of the white men in taking a native woman to wife (и он не подражал множеству белых мужчин, берущих в жены туземок: «местных женщин»), for an intrigue of this nature, however sanctified by custom, seemed to him not only shocking but undignified (так как интриги такого рода, хоть и освященные обычаем, казались ему не только скандальными, но и недостойными). A man who had been called George by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (человек, которого принц Уэльский, Альберт Эдуард
courtesy [`kq: tqsI], distinguish [dI`stINgwIS], yield [ji: ld], intrigue [In`tri: g]
He liked their courtesy and their distinguished manners, their gentleness and their sudden passions. He knew by instinct exactly how to treat them. He had a genuine tenderness for them. But he never forgot that he was an English gentleman, and he had no patience with the white men who yielded to native customs. He made no surrenders. And he did not imitate so many of the white men in taking a native woman to wife, for an intrigue of this nature, however sanctified by custom, seemed to him not only shocking but undignified. A man who had been called George by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, could hardly be expected to have any connection with a native. And when he returned to Borneo from his visits to England it was now with something like relief.
His friends, like himself, were no longer young (его друзья, как и он сам, больше не были молодыми), and there was a new generation which looked upon him as a tiresome old man (пришло: «и было» новое поколение, которое смотрело на него как на надоедливого старика). It seemed to him that the England of to-day had lost a good deal of what he had loved in the England of his youth (ему казалось, что нынешняя Англия потеряла большую часть того, что он любил в Англии своей юности). But Borneo remained the same (но Борнео оставался таким же). It was home to him now (сейчас оно было для него домом). He meant to remain in the service as long as was possible (он намеревался оставаться на службе как можно дольше), and the hope in his heart was that he would die before at last he was forced to retire (а в его сердце была надежда, что он умрет до того, когда наконец будет вынужден пойти в отставку). He had stated in his will that wherever he died he wished his body to be brought back to Sembulu (он написал: «заявил» в своем завещании, что где бы он ни умер, он желает, чтобы его прах перевезли: «тело было возвращено» в Сембулу), and buried among the people he loved within the sound of the softly flowing river (и похоронили среди людей, которых он любил, там, где слышен шум: «в пределах шума» мягко струящейся реки).
generation [dZenq`reISn], youth [ju: T], retire [rI`taIq]
His friends, like himself, were no longer young, and there was a new generation which looked upon him as a tiresome old man. It seemed to him that the England of to-day had lost a good deal of what he had loved in the England of his youth. But Borneo remained the same. It was home to him now. He meant to remain in the service as long as was possible, and the hope in his heart was that he would die before at last he was forced to retire. He had stated in his will that wherever he died he wished his body to be brought back to Sembulu, and buried among the people he loved within the sound of the softly flowing river
But these emotions he kept hidden from the eyes of men (но эти чувства он скрывал: «держал спрятанными» от человеческих глаз); and no one, seeing this spruce, stout, well-set-up man, with his clean-shaven strong face and his whitening hair (и никто, глядя на этого элегантного, крепкого мужчину со стройным телосложением, с чисто выбритым сильным лицом и седеющими волосами;
He knew how the work of the station should be done (он знал как следует вести: «делать» работу резиденции), and during the next few days he kept a suspicious eye on his assistant (и в следующие несколько дней он с недоверием наблюдал за своим помощником;
spruce [spru: s], profound [prq`faund], brusque [bru: sk]
But these emotions he kept hidden from the eyes of men; and no one, seeing this spruce, stout, well-set-up man, with his clean-shaven strong face and his whitening hair, would have dreamed that he cherished so profound a sentiment.
He knew how the work of the station should be done, and during the next few days he kept a suspicious eye on his assistant. He saw very soon that he was painstaking and competent. The only fault he had to find with him was that he was brusque with the natives.
"The Malays are shy and very sensitive (малайцы робкие и очень чувствительные)," he said to him (сказал он ему /Куперу/). "I think you will find that you will get much better results (я уверен: «думаю», вы обнаружите, что получите =
Cooper gave a short, grating laugh (/в ответ/ Купер коротко, резко рассмеялся;
" I was born in Barbados and I was in Africa in the war (я родился на Барбадосе и воевал в Африке: «был в Африке на войне»). I don`t think there`s much about niggers that I don`t know (не думайте, что существует еще что-то: «многое», чего я не знаю о неграх)."
"I know nothing (я /о них/ не знаю ничего)," said Mr. Warburton acidly (сказал мистер Уорбертон с раздражением). "But we were not talking of them (но мы говорили не о них). We were talking of Malays (мы говорили о малайцах)."
"Aren`t they niggers (разве они не негры)?"
"You are very ignorant (вы очень невежественны)," replied Mr. Warburton (сказал мистер Уорбертон).
He said no more (он больше ничего не сказал).
result [rI`zAlt], patient [peISnt], laugh [lQ: f], acidly [`жsIdlI], ignorant [`Ignqrqnt]
"The Malays are shy and very sensitive," he said to him. "I think you will find that you will get much better results if you take care always to be polite, patient and kindly."
Cooper gave a short, grating laugh.
"I was born in Barbados and I was in Africa in the war. I don`t think there`s much about niggers that I don`t know."
"I know nothing," said Mr. Warburton acidly. "But we were not talking of them. We were talking of Malays."
"Aren`t they niggers?"
"You are very ignorant," replied Mr. Warburton.
He said no more.
On the first Sunday after Cooper`s arrival he asked him to dinner (в первое воскресенье после приезда Купера он пригласил его на обед;
previous [`pri: vjqs], verandah [vq`rxndq], gratified [`grxtIfaI]
On the first Sunday after Cooper`s arrival he asked him to dinner. He did everything ceremoniously, and though they had met on the previous day in the office and later, on the Fort verandah where they drank a gin and bitters together at six o`clock, he sent a polite note across to the bungalow by a boy. Cooper, however unwillingly, came in evening dress and Mr. Warburton, though gratified that his wish was respected, noticed with disdain that the young man`s clothes were badly cut and his shirt ill-fitting. But Mr. Warburton was in a good temper that evening.
"By the way (кстати)," he said to him, as he shook hands (сказал он ему =
"I don`t mind (я не против)."
"He`s waiting now (он ждет здесь: «сейчас»)."
nephew [`nevju:]
"By the way," he said to him, as he shook hands, "I`ve talked to my head-boy about finding you someone and he recommends his nephew. I`ve seen him and he seems a bright and willing lad. Would you like to see him?"
"I don`t mind."
"He`s waiting now."
Mr. Warburton called his boy and told him to send for his nephew (мистер Уорбертон позвал своего боя и сказал =
tassel [txsl], approval [q`pru: vl], insensibly [In`sensqblI], condescension [kOndI`senSn]
Mr. Warburton called his boy and told him to send for his nephew. In a moment a tall, slender youth of twenty appeared. He had large dark eyes and a good profile. He was very neat in his sarong, a little white coat, and a fez, without a tassel, of plum-coloured velvet. He answered to the name of Abas. Mr. Warburton looked on him with approval, and his manner insensibly softened as he spoke to him in fluent and idiomatic Malay. He was inclined to be sarcastic with white people, but with the Malays he had a happy mixture of condescension and kindliness. He stood in the place of the Sultan. He knew perfectly how to preserve his own dignity, and at the same time put a native at his ease.
"Will he do (он вам подходит: «он подойдет»)?" said Mr. Warburton, turning to Cooper (сказал =
"Yes, I daresay he`s no more of a scoundrel than any of the rest of them (да, я полагаю, он не больший негодяй/мерзавец, чем остальные;
Mr. Warburton informed the boy that he was engaged, and dismissed him (мистер Уорбертон сообщил юноше, что его наняли, и отпустил его).
"You`re very lucky to get a boy like that (вам очень повезло получить такого боя, как этот)," he told Cooper (сказал он Куперу). "He belongs to a very good family (он принадлежит к очень хорошей семье). They came over from Malacca nearly a hundred years ago (они приехали =
"I don`t much mind if the boy who cleans my shoes and brings me a drink when I want it has blue blood in his veins or not (мне не очень важно, есть ли у боя, который чистит мои туфли или приносит напиток, когда мне нужно, в венах голубая кровь, или нет). All I ask is that he should do what I tell him and look sharp about it (все, чего я прошу/требую — чтобы он делал/выполнял, что я скажу ему, и поживее;
Mr. Warburton pursed his lips, but made no reply (мистер Уорбертон сжал губы, но ничего не ответил).
scoundrel [`skaundrql], engage [In`geIdZ]
"Will he do?" said Mr. Warburton, turning to Cooper.
"Yes, I daresay he`s no more of a scoundrel than any of the rest of them."
Mr. Warburton informed the boy that he was engaged, and dismissed him.
"You`re very lucky to get a boy like that," he told Cooper. "He belongs to a very good family. They came over from Malacca nearly a hundred years ago."
"I don`t much mind if the boy who cleans my shoes and brings me a drink when I want it has blue blood in his veins or not. All I ask is that he should do what I tell him and look sharp about it."
Mr. Warburton pursed his lips, but made no reply.
They went in to dinner (они перешли к обеду: «пошли обедать»). It was excellent, and the wine was good (он был превосходный, и вино было отличным). Its influence presently had its effect on them (оно: «его влияние» сразу же подействовало на них =
acrimony [`xkrImqnI], сonscientious [kOnSI'enSqs], thorough ['TArq]
They went in to dinner. It was excellent, and the wine was good. Its influence presently had its effect on them, and they talked not only without acrimony, but even with friendliness. Mr. Warburton liked to do himself well, and on Sunday night he made it a habit to do himself even a little better than usual. He began to think he was unfair to Cooper. Of course he was not a gentleman, but that was not his fault, and when you got to know him it might be that he would turn out a very good fellow. His faults, perhaps, were faults of manner. And he was certainly good at his work, quick, conscientious and thorough. When they reached the dessert Mr. Warburton was feeling kindly disposed towards all mankind.
"This is your first Sunday, and I`m going to give you a very special glass of port (это ваше первое воскресенье /на работе/, и я собираюсь дать вам =
He gave his boy instructions and presently the bottle was brought (он отдал своему бою распоряжение, и вскоре бутылку принесли). Mr. Warburton watched the boy open it (мистер Уорбертон следил, как бой открывал =
"I got this port from my old friend Charles Hollington (я получил этот портвейн от моего старого друга Чарлза Холлингтона). He`d had it for forty years, and I`ve had it for a good many (он хранил: «имел» его сорок лет, и у меня он хранился: «был» уже довольно долго;
"Is he a wine merchant (он виноторговец)?"
"Not exactly (не совсем: «не точно»)," smiled Mr. Warburton (улыбнулся мистер Уорбертон). "I was speaking of Lord Hollington of Castle Reagh (я говорил о лорде Холлингтоне из Каслрэя
dozen ['dAzqn], merchant ['mq: tSqnt], peer [pIq]
"This is your first Sunday, and I`m going to give you a very special glass of port. I`ve only got about two dozen of it left and I keep it for special occasions."
He gave his boy instructions and presently the bottle was brought. Mr. Warburton watched the boy open it.
"I got this port from my old friend Charles Hollington. He`d had it for forty years, and I`ve had it for a good many. He was well-known to have the best cellar in England."
"Is he a wine merchant?"
"Not exactly," smiled Mr. Warburton. "I was speaking of Lord Hollington of Castle Reagh. He`s one of the richest peers in England. A very old friend of mine. I was at Eton with his brother."
This was an opportunity that Mr. Warburton could never resist (это была возможность, перед которой мистер Уорбертон ни за что не мог устоять), and he told a little anecdote of which the only point seemed to be that he knew an Earl (и он рассказал небольшой анекдот, вся соль которого, кажется, была =
caution ['kO: Sqn], whisper ['wIspq], sovereign ['sO: vrIn]
This was an opportunity that Mr. Warburton could never resist, and he told a little anecdote of which the only point seemed to be that he knew an Earl. The port was certainly very good; he drank a glass and then a second. He lost all caution. He had not talked to a white man for months. He began to tell stories. He showed himself in the company of the great. Hearing him, you would have thought that at one time ministries were formed and policies decided on his suggestion whispered into the ear of a duchess or thrown over the dinner-table to be gratefully acted on by the confidential adviser of the sovereign. The old days at Ascot, Goodwood and Cowes lived again for him. Another glass of port. There were the great house-parties in Yorkshire and in Scotland to which he went every year.
"I had a man called Foreman then, the best valet I ever had (у меня был =
precedence [prI'si: dqns], viscount ['vaIkaunt], valet ['vxlIt]
"I had a man called Foreman then, the best valet I ever had, and why do you think he gave me notice? You know in the Housekeeper`s Room the ladies` maids and the gentlemen`s gentlemen sit according to the precedence of their masters. He told me he was sick of going to party after party at which I was the only commoner. It meant that he always had to sit at the bottom of the table, and all the best bits were taken before a dish reached him. I told the story to the old Duke of Hereford, and he roared. `By God, Sir,` he said, `if I were King of England, I`d make you a viscount just to give your man a chance.` `Take him yourself, Duke,` I said, `He`s the best valet I`ve ever had.` `Well, Warburton,` he said, `if he`s good enough for you he`s good enough for me. Send him along."
Then there was Monte Carlo where Mr. Warburton and the Grand Duke Fyodor, playing in partnership, had broken the bank one evening; and there was Marienbad (затем было Монте-Карло, где мистер Уорбертон с великим герцогом: «князем» Федором, совместно =
"He was only Prince of Wales then, of course (тогда он, конечно, был еще только принцем Уэльским). I remember him saying to me (я помню, он сказал мне), `George, if you draw on a five you`ll lose your shirt (Джордж, если вы прикупите к пятерке, вы спустите все до нитки: «лишитесь /даже/ своей рубашки»).` He was right (он был прав); I don`t think he ever said a truer word in his life (я не думаю, что он когда-либо сказал более правдивое слово =
draw [drO: ], baccarat ['bxkqrQ: ], Europe ['juqrqp]
Then there was Monte Carlo where Mr. Warburton and the Grand Duke Fyodor, playing in partnership, had broken the bank one evening; and there was Marienbad. At Marienbad Mr. Warburton had played baccarat with Edward VII.
"He was only Prince of Wales then, of course. I remember him saying to me, `George, if you draw on a five you`ll lose your shirt.` He was right; I don`t think he ever said a truer word in his life. He was a wonderful man. I always said he was the greatest diplomatist in Europe. But I was a young fool in those days, I hadn`t the sense to take his advice. If I had, if I`d never drawn on a five, I daresay I shouldn`t be here to-day."
Cooper was watching him (Купер наблюдал за ним). His brown eyes, deep in their sockets, were hard and supercilious, and on his lips was a mocking smile (его карие глаза, глубоко посаженные: «глубоко в их гнездах», были =
supercilious [sju: pq'sIlIqs], generous ['dZenqrqs], indulgence [In'dAldZqns]
Cooper was watching him. His brown eyes, deep in their sockets, were hard and supercilious, and on his lips was a mocking smile, he had heard a good deal about Mr. Warburton in Kuala Solor, not a bad sort, and he ran his district like clockwork, they said, but by heaven, what a snob! They laughed at him good-naturedly, for it was impossible to dislike a man who was so generous and so kindly, and Cooper had already heard the story of the Prince of Wales and the game of baccarat. But Cooper listened without indulgence. From the beginning he had resented the Resident`s manner.
He was very sensitive, and he writhed under Mr. Warburton`s polite sarcasms (он был очень впечатлительным, и он тяжело переносил вежливый сарказм мистера Уорбертона;
sarcasm ['sQ: kxzm], writhe [rQIр], insufferably [In'sAfqrqblI], conceited [kqn'si: tId]
He was very sensitive, and he writhed under Mr. Warburton`s polite sarcasms. Mr. Warburton had a knack of receiving a remark of which he disapproved with a devastating silence. Cooper had lived little in England and he had a peculiar dislike of the English. He resented especially the public-school boy since he always feared that he was going to patronise him. He was so much afraid of others putting on airs with him that, in order as it were to get in first, he put on such airs as to make everyone think him insufferably conceited.
"Well, at all events the war has done one good thing for us (ну, во всяком случае, война сделала одну хорошую вещь для нас;
"The great families of England are doomed (знатные семейства Англии обречены)," said Mr. Warburton with the complacent melancholy of an
"And a damned good job too in my opinion (и /это/ чертовски хорошая работа = хорошее дело, по-моему)."
complacent [kqm'pleIsqnt], melancholy ['melqnkqlI], emigre ['emIgreI]
"Well, at all events the war has done one good thing for us," he said at last. "It`s smashed up the power of the aristocracy. The Boer War started it, and 1914 put the lid on."
"The great families of England are doomed," said Mr. Warburton with the complacent melancholy of an
"And a damned good job too in my opinion."
"My poor Cooper, what can you know of the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome (мой бедный Купер, что можете вы знать о славе, которой была Греция =
Mr. Warburton made an ample gesture (мистер Уорбертон сделал широкий жест;
"Well, believe me, we`re fed up with all that rot (ну, поверьте мне, мы по горло сыты всей этой чепухой;
poor [puq], Greece [gri: s], Rome [rqum], ample [xmpl], grandeur ['grxndZq], gesture ['dZestSq]
"My poor Cooper, what can you know of the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome?"
Mr. Warburton made an ample gesture. His eye for an instant grew dreamy with a vision of the past.
"Well, believe me, we`re fed up with all that rot. What we want is a business government by business men. I was born in a Crown Colony, and I`ve lived practically all my life in the colonies. I don`t give a row of pins for a lord. What`s wrong with England is snobbishness. And if there`s anything that gets my goat it`s a snob."
A snob (сноб)! Mr. Warburton`s face grew purple and his eyes blazed with anger (лицо мистера Уорбертона побагровело: «стало багровым», и его глаза вспыхнули гневом). That was a word that had pursued him all his life (это было слово, которое преследовало его всю его жизнь). The great ladies whose society he had enjoyed in his youth were not inclined to look upon his appreciation of themselves as unworthy (знатные леди, обществом которых он наслаждался в своей юности, не считали: «не были склонны считать» его оценку их /достоинств/ незаслуженной;
appreciation [qpri: SI'eISqn], unworthy [An'wqрI], odious ['qudIqs]
A snob! Mr. Warburton`s face grew purple and his eyes blazed with anger. That was a word that had pursued him all his life. The great ladies whose society he had enjoyed in his youth were not inclined to look upon his appreciation of themselves as unworthy, but even great ladies are sometimes out of temper and more than once Mr. Warburton had had the dreadful word flung in his teeth. He knew, he could not help knowing, that there were odious people who called him a snob. How unfair it was! Why, there was no vice he found so detestable as snobbishness. After all, he liked to mix with people of his own class, he was only at home in their company, and how in heaven`s name could anyone say that was snobbish? Birds of a feather.
"I quite agree with you (я полностью с вами согласен)," he answered (ответил он). "A snob is a man who admires or despises another (сноб — человек, который восхищается другими или презирает других: «другого») because he is of a higher social rank than his own (потому что они имеют более высокое социальное положение, чем он: «его собственное»). It is the most vulgar failing of our English middle-class (это самая вульгарная черта нашего английского среднего класса/буржуазии;
He saw a flicker of amusement in Cooper`s eyes (он увидел вспышку веселья =
Probably Cooper never knew how greatly he had offended his chief (вероятно, Купер и не знал/догадывался, как сильно =
admire [qd'maIq], flicker ['flIkq], noticeable ['nqutIsqbl]
"I quite agree with you," he answered. "A snob is a man who admires or despises another because he is of a higher social rank than his own. It is the most vulgar failing of our English middle-class."
He saw a flicker of amusement in Cooper`s eyes. Cooper put up his hand to hide the broad smile that rose to his lips, and so made it more noticeable. Mr. Warburton`s hands trembled a little.
Probably Cooper never knew how greatly he had offended his chief. A sensitive man himself he was strangely insensitive to the feelings of others.
Their work forced them to see one another for a few minutes now and then during the day (/их/ работа вынуждала их видеться друг с другом время от времени по несколько минут в течение дня;
dusk [dAsk], jungle [GANgl], conceit [kqn'sIt], incident ['InsIdqnt]
Their work forced them to see one another for a few minutes now and then during the day, and they met at six to have a drink on Mr. Warburton`s verandah. This was an old-established custom of the country which Mr. Warburton would not for the world have broken. But they ate their meals separately. Cooper in his bungalow and Mr. Warburton at the Fort. After the office work was over they walked till dusk fell, but they walked apart. There were but few paths in this country, where the jungle pressed close upon the plantations of the village, and when Mr. Warburton caught sight of his assistant passing along with his loose stride, he would make a circuit in order to avoid him. Cooper, with his bad manners, his conceit in his own judgement and his intolerance, had already got on his nerves; but it was not till Cooper had been on the station for a couple of months that an incident happened which turned the Resident`s dislike into bitter hatred.
Mr. Warburton was obliged to go up-country on a tour of inspection (мистер Уорбертон был вынужден отправиться во внутреннюю =
conclusion [kqn'klu: Zqn], honest ['OnIst], inferior [In'fIqrIq]
Mr. Warburton was obliged to go up-country on a tour of inspection, and he left the station in Cooper`s charge with mere confidence, since had definitely come to the conclusion that he was a capable fellow. The only thing he did not like was that he had no indulgence. He was honest, just and painstaking, but he had no sympathy for the natives. It bitterly amused Mr. Warburton to observe that this man who looked upon himself as every man`s equal, should look upon so many men as his own inferiors, he was hard, he had no patience with the native mind, and he was a bully. Mr. Warburton very quickly realized that the Malays disliked and feared him.
He was not altogether displeased (он /этим/ не был совершенно недоволен = это не вызвало у него /того/ недовольства, которого можно было ожидать). He would not have liked it very much if his assistant had enjoyed a popularity which might rival his own (ему бы не очень понравилось, чтобы его помощник пользовался популярностью, которая могла бы конкурировать с его собственной;
altogether [O: ltq'geрq], expedition [ekspI'dISqn], hasten ['heIs(q)n]
He was not altogether displeased. He would not have liked it very much if his assistant had enjoyed a popularity which might rival his own. Mr. Warburton made his elaborate preparations, set out on his expedition, and in three weeks returned. Meanwhile the mail had arrived. The first thing that struck his eyes when he entered his sitting-room was a great pile of open newspapers. Cooper had met him, and they went into the room together. Mr. Warburton turned to one of the servants who had been left behind and sternly asked him what was the meaning of those open papers. Cooper hastened to explain.
"I wanted to read all about the Wolverhampton murder (я хотел прочитать все о вулвергемптонском убийстве), and so I borrowed your Times (и потому позаимствовал ваш «Таймс»). I brought them back again (я вернул их обратно: «снова»;
Mr. Warburton turned on him, white with anger (мистер Уорбертон обернулся к нему, белый =
"But I do mind (но я против). I mind very much (я очень =
"I`m sorry (прошу прощения)," said Cooper, with composure (сказал Купер с хладнокровием;
"I wonder you didn`t open my letters as well (я удивляюсь, что вы не открыли также и мои письма)."
murder ['mq: dq], composure [kqm'pquZq]
"I wanted to read all about the Wolverhampton murder, and so I borrowed your Times. I brought them back again. I knew you wouldn`t mind."
Mr. Warburton turned on him, white with anger.
"But I do mind. I mind very much."
"I`m sorry," said Cooper, with composure. "The fact is, I simply couldn`t wait till you came back."
"I wonder you didn`t open my letters as well."
Cooper, unmoved, smiled al his chief`s exasperation (Купер, непоколебленный/нетронутый, улыбнулся недовольству своего начальника;
"Oh, that`s not quite the same thing (о, это не одно и то же: «не совсем та же самая вещь»). After all, I couldn`t imagine you`d mind my looking at your newspapers (в конце концов, я не мог себе представить, что вам будет неприятно, если я посмотрю ваши газеты). There`s nothing private in them (в них нет ничего личного)."
"I very much object to anyone reading my paper before me (я сильно против того, чтобы кто-либо читал мои газеты до меня)." He went up to the pile (он подошел к стопке/кипе /газет/). There were nearly thirty numbers there (там было около тридцати номеров). "I think it extremely impertinent of you (я считаю, это чрезвычайно дерзко с вашей стороны). They`re all mixed up (они все перепутаны;
"We can easily put them in order (мы легко можем привести их в порядок;
exasperation [Igzxspq'reISqn], impertinent [Im'pq: tInqnt]
Cooper, unmoved, smiled al his chief`s exasperation.
"Oh, that`s not quite the same thing. After all, I couldn`t imagine you`d mind my looking at your newspapers. There`s nothing private in them."
"I very much object to anyone reading my paper before me." He went up to the pile. There were nearly thirty numbers there. "I think it extremely impertinent of you. They`re all mixed up."
"We can easily put them in order," said Cooper, joining him at the table.
"Don`t touch them (не трогайте их/не прикасайтесь к ним)," cried Mr. Warburton (закричал мистер Уорбертон).
"I say, it`s childish to make a scene about a little thing like that (по-моему: «я говорю» это глупо — устраивать сцену из-за такой мелочи: «такой маленькой вещи, как эта»;
"How dare you speak to me like that (как вы смеете так разговаривать со мной;
"Oh, go to hell (а, идите к черту;
touch [tAtS], scene [si: n]
"Don`t touch them," cried Mr. Warburton.
"I say, it`s childish to make a scene about a little thing like that."
"How dare you speak to me like that?"
"Oh, go to hell," said Cooper, and he flung out of the room.
Mr. Warburton, trembling with passion, was left contemplating his papers (мистер Уорбертон, дрожа от гнева/ярости, был оставлен разглядывать = остался разглядывать свои газеты;
contemplate [`kOntqmpleIt], pleasure [`pleZq], callous [`kxlqs], glance [glQ: ns], wrapper [`rxpq]
Mr. Warburton, trembling with passion, was left contemplating his papers. His greatest pleasure in life had been destroyed by those callous, brutal hands. Most people living in out of the way places when the mail comes tear open impatiently their papers and taking the last ones first glance at the latest news from home. Not so Mr. Warburton. His newsagent had instructions to write on the outside of the wrapper the date of each paper he dispatched, and when the great bundle arrived Mr. Warburton looked at these dates and with his blue pencil numbered them. His head-boy`s orders were to place one on the table every morning in the verandah with the early cup of tea, and it was Mr. Warburton`s especial delight to break the wrapper as he sipped his tea, and reap the morning paper.
It gave him the illusion of living at home (это создавало: «давало» для него иллюзию жизни дома). Every Monday morning he read the
illusion [I`lu: Zn], yield [ji: ld], exciting [Ik`saItIN], victoriously [vIk`tO: rIqslI]
It gave him the illusion of living at home. Every Monday morning he read the
Mr. Warburton sent for his boy and told him to bring wrappers (мистер Уорбертон послал за своим боем и сказал/велел ему принести оберточную бумагу). He folded up the papers as neatly as he could (он свернул газеты как можно аккуратнее), placed a wrapper round each and numbered it (поместил вокруг каждой =
"I shall never forgive him (я никогда ему не прощу)," he said. "Never (никогда)."
Of course his boy had been with him on his expedition (конечно, его бой был с ним =
dispense [dI`spens], arrival [q`raIvl], quarter [`kwO: tq]
Mr. Warburton sent for his boy and told him to bring wrappers. He folded up the papers as neatly as he could, placed a wrapper round each and numbered it. But it was a melancholy task.
"I shall never forgive him," he said. "Never."
Of course his boy had been with him on his expedition; he never travelled without him, for his boy knew exactly how he liked things, and Mr. Warburton was not the kind of jungle traveller who was prepared to dispense with his comforts; but in the interval since their arrival he had been gossiping in the servants` quarters. He had learnt that Cooper had had trouble with his boys. All but the youth Abas had left him. Abas had desired to go too, but his uncle had placed him there on the instructions of the Resident, and he was afraid to leave without his uncle`s permission.
"I told him he had done well, Tuan (я сказал ему, что он хорошо сделал =
"No, he must stay (нет, он должен остаться). The Tuan must have servants (туан должен иметь слуг). Have those who went been replaced (заменили ли тех, которые ушли)?"
"No, Tuan, no one will go (нет, туан, никто не хочет идти)."
Mr. Warburton frowned (мистер Уорбертон нахмурился). Cooper was an insolent fool, but he had an official position (Купер — наглый болван, но он занимает официальное/служебное положение) and must be suitably provided with servants (и ему необходимо предоставить слуг соответствующим образом: «должен быть надлежащим образом снабжен слугами»). It was not seemly that his house should be improperly conducted (это неподобающе =
insolent [`Insqlqnt], official [q`fIS(q)l], suitably [`su: tqblI], servant [`sq: vqnt]
"I told him he had done well, Tuan," said the boy. "But he is unhappy. He says it is not a good house, and he wishes to know if he may go as the others have gone."
"No, he must stay. The Tuan must have servants. Have those who went been replaced?"
"No, Tuan, no one will go."
Mr. Warburton frowned. Cooper was an insolent fool, but he had an official position and must be suitably provided with servants. It was not seemly that his house should be improperly conducted.
"Where are the boys who ran away (где бои, которые убежали)?"
"They are in the kampong, Tuan (они в поселке, туан;
"Go and see them to-night (пойди и повидайся с ними сегодня), and tell them that I expect them to be back in Tuan Cooper`s house at dawn to-morrow (и скажи им, я рассчитываю, что они вернутся: «ожидаю их вернуться» в дом туана Купера завтра на рассвете)."
"They say they will not go, Tuan (они сказали, /что/ они не пойдут, туан)."
"On my order (по моему распоряжению)?"
The boy had been with Mr. Warburton for fifteen years (бой пробыл =
kampong ['kxmpON], dawn [dO: n], obey [q`beI]
"Where are the boys who ran away?"
"They are in the kampong, Tuan."
"Go and see them to-night, and tell them that I expect them to be back in Tuan Cooper`s house at dawn to-morrow."
"They say they will not go, Tuan."
"On my order?"
The boy had been with Mr. Warburton for fifteen years, and he knew every intonation of his master`s voice. He was not afraid of him, they had gone through too much together, once in the jungle the Resident had saved his life, and once, upset in some rapids, but for him the Resident would have been drowned; but he knew when the Resident must be obeyed without question. "I will go to the kampong," he said.
Mr. Warburton expected that his subordinate would take the first opportunity to apologise for his rudeness (мистер Уорбертон надеялся/полагал, что его подчиненный воспользуется первым /же удобным/ случаем, чтобы извиниться за свою грубость;
"I don`t think there`s anything else, thank you (я не думаю что есть =
Cooper gave a harsh laugh (Купер неприятно рассмеялся;
"What do you mean by that (что вы имеете в виду)?"
apologise [q`pOlqdZaIz], incident [`InsIdqnt], incompetent [In`kOmpItqnt]
Mr. Warburton expected that his subordinate would take the first opportunity to apologise for his rudeness, but Cooper had the ill-bred man`s inability to express regret; and when they met next morning in the office he ignored the incident. Since Mr. Warburton had been away for three weeks it was necessary for them to have a somewhat prolonged interview. At the end of it, Mr. Warburton dismissed him.
"I don`t think there`s anything else, thank you." Cooper turned to go, but Mr. Warburton stopped him. "I understand you`ve been having some trouble with your boys."
Cooper gave a harsh laugh. "They tried to blackmail me. They had the damned cheek to run away, all except that incompetent fellow Abas — he knew when he was well off — but I just sat tight. They`ve all come to heel again."
"What do you mean by that?"
"This morning they were all back on their jobs, the Chinese cook and all (сегодня: «этим» утром все они вернулись на свои места: «работы» — китайский повар и все /остальные/). There they were, as cool as cucumbers (я вам говорю: «они были там», невозмутимые;
"By no means (отнюдь нет;
Cooper flushed slightly (Купер слегка покраснел).
"I should be obliged if you wouldn`t interfere with my private concerns (я был бы признателен: «одолжен», если бы вы не вмешивались в мои личные дела)."
"They`re not your private concerns (это не ваши личные дела). When your servants run away it makes you ridiculous (когда ваши слуги сбегают, это превращает вас в посмешище: «делает вас смешным»;
cucumber [`kju: kqmbq], ridiculous [rI`dIkjulqs], interfere [Intq`fIq]
"This morning they were all back on their jobs, the Chinese cook and all. There they were, as cool as cucumbers; you would have thought they owned the place. I suppose they`d come to the conclusion that I wasn`t such fool as I looked."
"By no means. They came back on my express order."
Cooper flushed slightly.
"I should be obliged if you wouldn`t interfere with my private concerns."
"They`re not your private concerns. When your servants run away it makes you ridiculous. You are perfectly free to make a fool of yourself, but I cannot allow you to be made a fool of. It is unseemly that your house should not be properly staffed. As soon as I heard that your boys had left you, I had them told to be back in their places at dawn. That`ll do."
Mr. Warburton nodded to signify that the interview was at an end (мистер Уорбертон кивнул, чтобы выразить = давая понять, что разговор окончен). Cooper took no notice (Купер не обратил внимания).
"Shall I tell you what I did (сказать вам, что я сделал)? I called them and gave the whole bally lot the sack (я позвал их и уволил всю /эту/ проклятую компанию;
Mr. Warburton shrugged his shoulders (мистер Уорбертон пожал плечами).
"What makes you think you can get others (что заставляет вас думать =
"I`ve told my own clerk to see about it (я сказал/велел своему личному секретарю об этом позаботиться;
Mr. Warburton reflected for a moment (мистер Уорбертон минуту подумал).
"I think you behaved very foolishly (я считаю, вы повели себя очень безрассудно/неразумно). You will do well to remember in future that good masters make good servants (хорошо бы вам запомнить на будущее, что у хороших хозяев — хорошие слуги)."
signify [`sIgnIfaI], sack [sxk], reflect [rI`flekt]
Mr. Warburton nodded to signify that the interview was at an end. Cooper took no notice.
"Shall I tell you what I did? I called them and gave the whole bally lot the sack. I gave them ten minutes to get out of the compound."
Mr. Warburton shrugged his shoulders.
"What makes you think you can get others?"
"I`ve told my own clerk to see about it."
Mr. Warburton reflected for a moment.
"I think you behaved very foolishly. You will do well to remember in future that good masters make good servants."
"Is there anything else you want to teach me (есть еще что-то, чему =
"I should like to teach you manners (я бы хотел поучить вас хорошим манерам), but it would be an arduous task (но это будет трудной задачей;
"Please don`t put yourself to any trouble on my account (пожалуйста, не беспокойтесь обо мне: «насчет меня»). I`m quite capable of getting them for myself (я вполне способен получить/достать =
Mr. Warburton smiled acidly (мистер Уорбертон едко/кисло улыбнулся). He had an inkling that Cooper disliked him as much as he disliked Cooper (он подозревал: «имел легкое подозрение», что Купер не любил его так же, как он не любил Купера), and he knew that nothing is more galling than to be forced to accept the favours of a man you detest (и он знал, что нет ничего более раздражающего, чем быть вынужденным принять одолжения/услуги от человека, которого ненавидишь;
arduous [`Q: djuqs], manner [`mxnq], gall [gxl], accept [qk`sept], favour [`feIvq]
"Is there anything else you want to teach me?"
"I should like to teach you manners, but it would be an arduous task, and I have not the time to waste. I will see that you get boys."
"Please don`t put yourself to any trouble on my account. I`m quite capable of getting them for myself."
Mr. Warburton smiled acidly. He had an inkling that Cooper disliked him as much as he disliked Cooper, and he knew that nothing is more galling than to be forced to accept the favours of a man you detest.
"Allow me to tell you that you have no more chance of getting Malay or Chinese servants here now (разрешите мне =
"No."
"As you please (как вам угодно). Good morning (хорошего вам утра)."
chance [tSQ: ns], except [I'ksept]
"Allow me to tell you that you have no more chance of getting Malay or Chinese servants here now than you have of getting an English butler or a French chef. No one will come to you except on an order from me. Would you like me to give it?"
"No."
"As you please. Good morning."
Mr. Warburton watched the development of the situation with acrid humour (мистер Уорбертон наблюдал за развитием ситуации =
humour [`hju: mq], coarse [kO: s], sullen [`sAlqn], violent [`vaIqlqnt], humiliation [hju: mIlI`eISn], idiosyncrasy [IdIq`sINkrqsI], malicious [mq`lISqs]
Mr. Warburton watched the development of the situation with acrid humour. Cooper`s clerk was unable to persuade Malay, Dyak or Chinese to enter the house of such a master. Abas, the boy who remained faithful to him, knew how to cook only native food, and Cooper, a coarse feeder, found his gorge rise against the everlasting rice. There was no water-carrier, and in that great heat he needed several baths a day. He cursed Abas, but Abas opposed him with sullen resistance and would not do more than he chose. It was galling to know that the lad stayed with him only because the Resident insisted. This went on for a fortnight and then, one morning, he found in his house the very servants whom he had previously dismissed. He fell into a violent rage, but he had learnt a little sense, and this time, without a word, he let them stay. He swallowed his humiliation, but the impatient contempt he had felt for Mr. Warburton`s idiosyncrasies changed into a sullen hatred: the Resident with this malicious stroke had made him the laughing-stock of all the natives.
The two men now held no communication with one another (эти двое мужчин теперь не поддерживали никакой связи друг с другом). They broke the time-honoured custom of sharing, notwithstanding personal dislike, a drink at six o`clock with any white man who happened to be at the station (они сломали/нарушили освященную временем традицию совместного выпивания, несмотря на личную неприязнь, в шесть часов стаканчика с любым белым, оказавшимся на станции;
notwithstanding [nOtwIT`stxndIN], inevitable [In`evItqbl], antagonism [xn`txgqnIzm]
The two men now held no communication with one another. They broke the time-honoured custom of sharing, notwithstanding personal dislike, a drink at six o`clock with any white man who happened to be at the station. Each lived in his own house as though the other did not exist. Now that Cooper had fallen into the work, it was necessary for them to have little to do with one another in the office. Mr. Warburton used his orderly to send any message he had to give his assistant, and his instructions he sent by formal letter. They saw one another constantly, that was inevitable, but did not exchange half a dozen words in a week. The fact that they could not avoid catching sight of one another got on their nerves. They brooded over their antagonism, and Mr. Warburton, taking his daily walk, could think of nothing but how much he detested his assistant.
And the dreadful thing was that in all probability they would remain thus (и ужасной вещью было то, что по всей вероятности, они останутся =
headquarters [hed'kwO: tqz], severity [sI`verItI], suspicion [sq`spISn], exasperate [Ig`zQ: spqreIt], incessant [In`sesnt]
And the dreadful thing was that in all probability they would remain thus, facing each other in deadly enmity, till Mr. Warburton went on leave, it might be three years, he had no reason to send in a complaint to headquarters: Cooper did his work very well, and at that time men were hard to get. True, vague complaints reached him and hints that the natives found Cooper harsh. There was certainly a feeling of dissatisfaction among them. But when Mr. Warburton looked into specific cases, all he could say was that Cooper had shown severity where mildness would not have been misplaced, and had been unfeeling when himself would have been sympathetic. He had done nothing for which he could be taken to task. But Mr. Warburton watched him. Hatred will often make a man clear-sighted, and he had a suspicion that Cooper was using the natives without consideration, yet keeping within the law, because he felt that thus he could exasperate his chief. One day perhaps he would go too far. None knew better than Mr. Warburton how irritable the incessant heat could make a man and how difficult it was to keep one`s self-control after a sleepless night. He smiled softly to himself. Sooner or later Cooper would deliver himself into his hand.
When at last the opportunity came, Mr. Warburton laughed aloud (когда, наконец, такой случай представился, мистер Уорбертон рассмеялся во весь голос/вслух). Cooper had charge of the prisoners (Купер руководил заключенными); they made roads (они делали =
astound [q`stqund], devise [dI`vaIz], warder [`wO: dq]
When at last the opportunity came, Mr. Warburton laughed aloud. Cooper had charge of the prisoners; they made roads, built sheds, rowed when it was necessary to send the prahu up or down stream, kept the town clean and otherwise usefully employed themselves. If well-behaved they even on occasion served as house-boys. Cooper kept them hard at it. He liked to see them work. He took pleasure in devising tasks for them; and seeing quickly enough that they were being made to do useless things the prisoners worked badly. He punished them by lengthening their hours. This was contrary to the regulations, and as soon as it was brought to the attention of Mr. Warburton, without referring the matter back to his subordinate, he gave instructions that the old hours should be kept; Cooper, going out for his walk, was astounded to see the prisoners strolling back to the jail; he had given instructions that they were not to knock off till dusk. When he asked the warder in charge why they had left off work he was told that it was the Resident`s bidding.
White with rage he strode to the Fort (белый =
"I want to know what the hell you mean by countermanding my order (я хочу знать, какого черта вы отменили мой приказ: «что вы имели в виду отменой моего приказа») that the prisoners were to work till six (что заключенные должны работать до шести)," he burst out, beside himself with fury (воскликнул он, вне себя от ярости).
Mr. Warburton opened his cold blue eyes very wide and assumed an expression of great surprise (мистер Уорбертон открыл свои холодные синие глаза очень широко и изобразил: «принял» выражение большого/огромного удивления).
straight [streIt], countermand [kauntq`mQ: nd]
White with rage he strode to the Fort. Mr. Warburton, in his spotless white ducks and his neat topee, with a walking-stick in his hand, followed by his dogs, was on the point of starting out on his afternoon stroll. He had watched Cooper go, and knew that he had taken the road by the river. Cooper jumped up the steps and went straight up to the Resident.
"I want to know what the hell you mean by countermanding my order that the prisoners were to work till six," he burst out, beside himself with fury.
Mr. Warburton opened his cold blue eyes very wide and assumed an expression of great surprise.
"Are you out of your mind (вы в своем уме: «вы вне своего ума»)? Are you so ignorant that you do not know (неужели вы настолько невежественны, что не знаете) that that is not the way to speak to your official superior (что так не разговаривают: «это не способ разговорить =
"Oh, go to hell (а, да идите к черту). The prisoners are my pidgin, and you`ve got no right to interfere (заключенные — моя забота, и вы не имеете права вмешиваться;
Mr. Warburton kept very cool (мистер Уорбертон сохранял невозмутимость: «держался очень спокойно/хладнокровно»;
"You had no power to give the order you did (вы не имели никакой власти отдать приказ, который вы отдали). I countermanded it because it was harsh and tyrannical (я отменил его, потому что он был жестоким и тираническим). Believe me, I have not made half such a damned fool of you as you have made of yourself (поверьте мне, я не выставил вас и в половину таким полным дураком, каким вы сами себя выставляете: «какого вы сделали из себя сами»)."
ignorant [`Ignqrqnt], superior [sju`pIqriq], tyrannical [tI'rxnIkql]
"Are you out of your mind? Are you so ignorant that you do not know that that is not the way to speak to your official superior?"
"Oh, go to hell. The prisoners are my pidgin, and you`ve got no right to interfere. You mind your business and I`ll mind mine. I want to know what the devil you mean by making a damned fool of me. Everyone in the place will know that you`ve countermanded my order."
Mr. Warburton kept very cool.
"You had no power to give the order you did. I countermanded it because it was harsh and tyrannical. Believe me, I have not made half such a damned fool of you as you have made of yourself."
"You disliked me from the first moment I came here (вы невзлюбили: «не любили» меня с первого =
Cooper, spluttering with rage, was nearing dangerous ground (Купер, захлебываясь/задыхаясь от ярости, ступил на зыбкую почву: «приближался к опасной почве»;
"You are wrong (вы ошибаетесь). I thought you were a cad (я считал вас невежей/хамом: «я думал, вы — невежа/хам»), but I was perfectly satisfied with the way you did your work (но я был совершенно удовлетворен тем, как вы делали вашу работу)."
splutter [`splAtq], dangerous [`deIndZqrqs], piercing [`pIqsIN]
"You disliked me from the first moment I came here. You`ve done everything you could to make the place impossible for me because I wouldn`t lick your boots for you. You got your knife into me because I wouldn`t flatter you."
Cooper, spluttering with rage, was nearing dangerous ground, and Mr. Warburton`s eyes grew on a sudden colder and more piercing.
"You are wrong. I thought you were a cad, but I was perfectly satisfied with the way you did your work."
"You snob (вы — сноб). You damned snob (вы — проклятый сноб). You thought me a cad because I hadn`t been to Eton (вы сочли меня наглецом/невежей, потому что я не учился в Итоне). Oh, they told me in K. S. what to expect (о, /они/ мне говорили =
He got Mr. Warburton on the raw (он задел мистера Уорбертона за живое;
"If you don`t get out of my house this minute I shall knock you down (если вы не уберетесь из моего дома сию же минуту, я вас ударю)," he cried (крикнул он).
The other came a little closer to him and put his face in his (другой =
cad [kxd], expect [Ik`spekt], burst [bq: st], roar [rO:]
"You snob. You damned snob. You thought me a cad because I hadn`t been to Eton. Oh, they told me in K. S. what to expect. Why, don`t you know that you`re the laughing-stock of the whole country? I could hardly help bursting into a roar of laughter when you told your celebrated story about the Prince of Wales. My God, how they shouted at the club when they told it. By God, I`d rather be the cad I am than the snob you are."
He got Mr. Warburton on the raw.
"If you don`t get out of my house this minute I shall knock you down," he cried.
The other came a little closer to him and put his face in his.
"Touch me, touch me (/ну-ка/ троньте меня)," he said. "By God, I`d like to see you hit me (ей-богу, мне бы хотелось посмотреть, как вы меня ударите). Do you want me to say it again (вы хотите, чтобы я сказал это снова)? Snob. Snob."
Cooper was three inches taller than Mr. Warburton (Купер был на три дюйма выше, чем мистер Уорбертон), a strong, muscular young man (сильный, мускулистый молодой человек). Mr. Warburton was fat and fifty-four (мистеру Уорбертон был тучным, и ему было пятьдесят четыре). His clenched fist shot out (он махнул своим сжатым кулаком: «его сжатый кулак вылетел»;
"Don`t be a damned fool (не будьте полным дураком). Remember I`m not a gentleman (помните/не забывайте, я — не джентльмен). I know how to use my hands (я знаю, как работать кулаками: «как использовать свои руки»)."
touch [tAtS], muscular [`mAskjulq]
"Touch me, touch me," he said. "By God, I`d like to see you hit me. Do you want me to say it again? Snob. Snob."
Cooper was three inches taller than Mr. Warburton, a strong, muscular young man. Mr. Warburton was fat and fifty-four. His clenched fist shot out. Cooper caught him by the arm and pushed him back.
"Don`t be a damned fool. Remember I`m not a gentleman. I know how to use my hands."
He gave a sort of hoot (он издал своего рода =
Without a word Mr. Warburton took it and drank it to the dregs (не говоря ни слова, мистер Уорбертон взял стакан и выпил до дна: «остатка»;
"What do you want to say to me (что ты хочешь мне сказать)?" asked Mr. Warburton, trying to force a smile on to his strained lips (спросил мистер Уорбертон, стараясь вызвать улыбку =
exhausted [Ig`zO: stId], conscious [`kOnSqs], whisky [`wIskI]
He gave a sort of hoot, and, grinning all over his pale, sharp face, jumped down the verandah steps. Mr. Warburton, his heart in his anger pounding against his ribs, sank exhausted into a chair. His body tingled as though he had prickly heat. For one horrible moment he thought he was going to cry. But suddenly he was conscious that his head-boy was on the verandah and instinctively regained control of himself. The boy came forward and filled him a glass of whisky and soda.
Without a word Mr. Warburton took it and drank it to the dregs.
"What do you want to say to me?" asked Mr. Warburton, trying to force a smile on to his strained lips.
"Tuan, the assistant tuan is a bad man (туан, помощник туан — плохой человек). Abas wishes again to leave him (Абас опять хочет уйти от него: «оставить его»)."
"Let him wait a little (пусть немного подождет: «позволь ему подождать немного»). I shall write to Kuala Solor (я напишу в Куала-Солор) and ask that Tuan Cooper should go elsewhere (и попрошу, чтобы туан Купер уехал куда-то в другое место)."
"Tuan Cooper is not good with the Malays (туан Купер недобр с малайцами)."
"Leave me (оставь меня)."
elsewhere [els`weq]
"Tuan, the assistant tuan is a bad man. Abas wishes again to leave him."
"Let him wait a little. I shall write to Kuala Solor and ask that Tuan Cooper should go elsewhere."
"Tuan Cooper is not good with the Malays."
"Leave me."
The boy silently withdrew (бой бесшумно ушел;
withdraw [wIр'drO: ], thrash [TrxS], mortification [mO: tIfI`keISn]
The boy silently withdrew. Mr. Warburton was left alone with his thoughts. He saw the club at Kuala Solor, the men sitting round the table in the window in their flannels, when the night had driven them in from golf and tennis, drinking whiskies and gin pahits, and laughing when they told the celebrated story of the Prince of Wales and himself at Marienbad. He was hot with shame and misery. A snob! They all thought him a snob. And he had always thought them very good fellows, he had always been gentleman enough to let it make no difference to him that they were of very second-rate position. He hated them now. But his hatred for them was nothing compared with his hatred for Cooper. And if it had come to blows Cooper could have thrashed him. Tears of mortification ran down his red, fat face. He sat there for a couple of hours smoking cigarette after cigarette, and he wished he were dead
At last the boy came back and asked him if he would dress for dinner (наконец бой вернулся и спросил его, переоденется ли он к обеду). Of course (конечно)! He always dressed for dinner (он всегда одевался к обеду). He rose wearily from his chair and put on his stiff shirt and the high collar (он устало поднялся со своего кресла и надел свою жесткую =
filthy [`fIlTI], confidentially [kOnfI`denSqlI], transfer ['trxnsfq:]
At last the boy came back and asked him if he would dress for dinner. Of course! He always dressed for dinner. He rose wearily from his chair and put on his stiff shirt and the high collar. He sat down at the prettily decorated table, and was waited on as usual by the two boys while two others waved their great fans. Over there in the bungalow, two hundred yards away, Cooper was eating a filthy meal clad only in a sarong and a baju. His feet were bare and while he ate he probably read a detective story. After dinner Mr. Warburton sat down to write a letter. The Sultan was away, but he wrote, privately and confidentially, to his representative. Cooper did his work very well, he said, but the fact was that he couldn`t get on with him. They were getting dreadfully on each other`s nerves and he would look upon it as a very great favour if Cooper could be transferred to another post.
He dispatched the letter next morning by special messenger (он отправил письмо на следующее утро специальным курьером). The answer came a fortnight later with the month`s mail (ответ пришел через две недели, с ежемесячной почтой). It was a private note and ran as follows (это была личная записка и гласила следующее: «бежала следующим образом»): —
"My dear Warburton (мой дорогой Уорбертон),
I do not want to answer your letter officially (я не хочу отвечать на ваше письмо официально), and so I am writing you a few lines myself (и поэтому я пишу вам несколько строк сам). Of course if you insist I will put the matter up to the Sultan (конечно, если вы настаиваете, я направлю вопрос =
Yours very sincerely, Richard Temple (Ваш, очень искренне =
despatch [dI`spxtS], diamond [`daIqmqnd], incline [In`klaIn], tolerance [`tOlqrqns]
He dispatched the letter next morning by special messenger. The answer came a fortnight later with the month`s mail. It was a private note and ran as follows: —
"My dear Warburton,
I do not want to answer your letter officially, and so I am writing you a few lines myself. Of course if you insist I will put the matter up to the Sultan, but I think you would be much wiser to drop it. I know Cooper is a rough diamond, but he is capable, and he had a pretty thin time in the war, and I think he should be given every chance. I think you are a little too much inclined to attach importance to a man`s social position. You must remember that times have changed. Of course it’s a very good thing for a man to be a gentleman, but it’s better that he should be competent and hard-working. I think if you`ll exercise a little tolerance you`ll get on very well with Cooper.
Yours very sincerely, Richard Temple."
The letter dropped from Mr. Warburton`s hand (письмо выпало из руки =
"I didn`t know you were there (я не знал, что ты здесь)."
The boy picked up the official letter (бой поднял официальное письмо). Ah, that was why he was waiting (а, вот: «это было то», почему он ждал).
"Does Tuan Cooper go, Tuan (туан Купер уходит, туан)?"
"No (нет)."
"There will be a misfortune (будет беда)."
patience [peISns], discourage [dI'skArIG], misfortune [mIs'fO: tSqn]
The letter dropped from Mr. Warburton`s hand. It was easy to read between the lines. Dick Temple, whom he had known for twenty years, Dick Temple, who came from quite a good country family, thought him a snob, and for that reason had no patience with his request. Mr. Warburton felt on a sudden discouraged with life. The world of which he was a part had passed away and the future belonged to a meaner generation. Cooper represented it and Cooper he hated with all his heart. He stretched out his hand to fill his glass, and at the gesture his head-boy stepped forward.
"I didn`t know you were there."
The boy picked up the official letter. Ah, that was why he was waiting.
"Does Tuan Cooper go, Tuan?"
"No."
"There will be a misfortune."
For a moment the words conveyed nothing to his lassitude (на мгновение эти слова не подействовали на него: «не передали ничего» /из-за/ его усталости). But only for a moment (но только на мгновение). He sat up in his chair and looked at the boy (он приподнялся в своем кресле и посмотрел на боя). He was all attention (он был сосредоточен/настороже: «весь внимание»).
"What do you mean by that (что ты имеешь в виду: «подразумеваешь этим»)?"
"Tuan Cooper is not behaving rightly with Abas (туан Купер несправедливо ведет себя/поступает с Абасом)."
Mr. Warburton shrugged his shoulders (мистер Уорбертон пожал плечами). How should a man like Cooper know how to treat servants (как должен =
convey [kqn`veI], lassitude [`lxsItju: d], shrug [SrAg]
For a moment the words conveyed nothing to his lassitude. But only for a moment. He sat up in his chair and looked at the boy. He was all attention.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Tuan Cooper is not behaving rightly with Abas."
Mr. Warburton shrugged his shoulders. How should a man like Cooper know how to treat servants? Mr. Warburton knew the type: he would be grossly familiar with them at one moment and rude and inconsiderate the next.
"Let Abas go back to his family (пусть Абас идет назад =
"Tuan Cooper holds back his wages so that he may not run away (туан Купер удерживает его заработную плату, для того, чтобы он не мог убежать). He has paid him nothing for three months (он не платил ему ничего /уже/ три месяца). I tell him to be patient (я говорю ему быть терпеливым = потерпеть). But he is angry, he will not listen to reason (но он сердит, он не хочет слушать /мои/ доводы). If the Tuan continues to use him ill there will be a misfortune (если туан Купер будет продолжать обращаться с ним плохо, будет беда;
"You were right to tell me (ты правильно /сделал/, что сказал мне)."
wages [weIGqz]
"Let Abas go back to his family."
"Tuan Cooper holds back his wages so that he may not run away. He has paid him nothing for three months. I tell him to be patient. But he is angry, he will not listen to reason. If the Tuan continues to use him ill there will be a misfortune."
"You were right to tell me."
The fool (глупец)! Did he know so little of the Malays (он знал так мало =
faintly [`feIntlI], pathway [`pQ: TweI], bully [`bulI]
The fool! Did he know so little of the Malays as to think he could safely injure them? It would serve him damned well right if he got a kris in his back. A kris. Mr. Warburton`s heart seemed on a sudden to miss a beat. He had only to let things take their course and one fine day he would be rid of Cooper. He smiled faintly as the phrase, a masterly inactivity, crossed his mind. And now his heart beat a little quicker, for he saw the man he hated lying on his face in a pathway of the jungle with a knife in his back. A fit end for the cad and the bully. Mr. Warburton sighed. It was his duty to warn him, and of course he must do it. He wrote a brief and formal note to Cooper asking him to come to the Fort at once.
In ten minutes Cooper stood before him (через десять минут Купер стоял перед ним). They had not spoken to one another since the day (они не разговаривали друг с другом с того дня) when Mr. Warburton had nearly struck him (когда мистер Уорбертон чуть не ударил его). He did not now ask him to sit down (он теперь не предложил ему сесть).
"Did you wish to see me (вы хотели меня видеть)?" asked Cooper (спросил Купер).
He was untidy and none too clean (он был неопрятен и не очень чист;
"I understand that you are again having trouble with your servants (я понимаю =
mosquitoe [mOs'ki: tqu], nephew ['nevju: ], arbitrary [`Q: bItrqrI], proceeding [prq'si: dIN]
In ten minutes Cooper stood before him. They had not spoken to one another since the day when Mr. Warburton had nearly struck him. He did not now ask him to sit down.
"Did you wish to see me?" asked Cooper.
He was untidy and none too clean. His face and hands were covered with little red blotches where mosquitoes had bitten him and he had scratched himself till the blood came. His long, thin face bore a sullen look.
"I understand that you are again having trouble with your servants. Abas, my head-boy`s nephew, complains that you have held back his wages for three months. I consider it a most arbitrary proceeding. The lad wishes to leave you, and I certainly do not blame him. I must insist on your paying what is due to him."
"I don`t choose that he should leave me (я предпочитаю, чтобы он остался: «не предпочитаю, чтобы он покидал меня»;
"You do not know the Malay character (вы не знаете малайского характера/нрава). The Malays are very sensitive to injury and ridicule (малайцы очень чувствительны к оскорблению и насмешке;
Cooper gave a contemptuous chuckle (Купер презрительно хмыкнул: «издал презрительное хмыканье»).
"What do you think he`ll do (что, вы думаете =
"I think he`ll kill you (я полагаю, он убьет вас)."
"Why should you mind (а вам какое дело: «почему вы беспокоитесь/тревожитесь»)?"
behaviour [bI'heIvjq], сontemptuous [kqn'temptjuqs], chuckle [tSAkl], injury ['InGqrI]
"I don`t choose that he should leave me. I am holding back his wages as a pledge of his good behaviour."
"You do not know the Malay character. The Malays are very sensitive to injury and ridicule. They are passionate and revengeful. It is my duty to warn you that if you drive this boy beyond a certain point you run a great risk."
Cooper gave a contemptuous chuckle.
"What do you think he`ll do?"
"I think he`ll kill you."
"Why should you mind?"
"Oh, I wouldn`t (о, никакого: «я не буду /беспокоиться/»)," replied Mr. Warburton, with a faint laugh (ответил мистер Уорбертон, со слабым смешком). "I should bear it with the utmost fortitude (я перенес/выдержал бы это с предельной/величайшей стойкостью). But I feel the official obligation to give you a proper warning (но я чувствую официальное обязательство =
"Do you think I`m afraid of a damned nigger (вы думаете я боюсь /этого/ проклятого негра)?"
"It`s a matter of entire indifference to me (мне это совершенно безразлично: «это вопрос/предмет полного безразличия для меня»)."
"Well, let me tell you this, I know how to take care of myself (хорошо, позвольте мне сказать вам это =
"That was all I wished to say to you (это было все, /что/ я хотел сказать вам)," said Mr. Warburton (сказал мистер Уорбертон). "Good evening (доброго /вам/ вечера)."
utmost ['Atmqust], fortitude ['fO: tItju: d], monkey [`mANkI]
"Oh, I wouldn`t," replied Mr. Warburton, with a faint laugh. "I should bear it with the utmost fortitude. But I feel the official obligation to give you a proper warning."
"Do you think I`m afraid of a damned nigger?"
"It`s a matter of entire indifference to me."
"Well, let me tell you this, I know how to take care of myself; that boy Abas is a dirty, thieving rascal, and if he tries any monkey tricks on me, by God, I`ll wring his bloody neck."
"That was all I wished to say to you," said Mr. Warburton. "Good evening."
Mr. Warburton gave him a little nod of dismissal (мистер Уорбертон слегка кивнул, разрешая ему уйти: «дал ему небольшой кивок разрешения уйти»). Cooper flushed, did not for a moment know what to say or do (Купер вспыхнул, на мгновение не знал, что сказать и что делать), turned on his heel and stumbled out of the room (повернулся на /своих/ каблуках и, спотыкаясь, вышел из комнаты). Mr. Warburton watched him go with an icy smile on his lips (мистер Уорбертон наблюдал, как он уходил, с ледяной улыбкой на его губах). He had done his duty (он выполнил свой долг). But what would he have thought had he known that when Cooper got back to his bungalow, so silent and cheerless (но что бы он подумал, если бы он знал, что, когда Купер возвратился в свое бунгало, столь безмолвное и унылое), he threw himself down on his bed and in his bitter loneliness on a sudden lost all control of himself (он бросился на свою кровать и в своем горьком одиночестве неожиданно потерял всякий контроль над собой)? Painful sobs tore his chest and heavy tears rolled down his thin cheeks (тяжкие рыдания разрывали его грудь и тяжелые слезы катились вниз /по/ его худым щекам;
dismissal [dIs`mIsl], stumble [stAmbl], loneliness [`lqunlInqs]
Mr. Warburton gave him a little nod of dismissal. Cooper flushed, did not for a moment know what to say or do, turned on his heel and stumbled out of the room. Mr. Warburton watched him go with an icy smile on his lips. He had done his duty. But what would he have thought had he known that when Cooper got back to his bungalow, so silent and cheerless, he threw himself down on his bed and in his bitter loneliness on a sudden lost all control of himself? Painful sobs tore his chest and heavy tears rolled down his thin cheeks.
After this Mr. Warburton seldom saw Cooper, and never spoke to him (после этого мистер Уорбертон редко видел Купера и ни разу не говорил с ним). He read his Times every morning (он читал свою «Таймс» каждое утро), did his work at the office (выполнял свою работу в канцелярии), took his exercise (совершал прогулку: «брал упражнение/ходьбу»), dressed for dinner (переодевался к обеду), dined and sat by the river smoking his cheroot (обедал и сидел у реки, выкуривая свою сигару). If by chance he ran across Cooper he cut him dead (если случайно он сталкивался с Купером, он полностью игнорировал его;
propinquity [prq'pINkwItI], assuage [q'sweIG], animosity [xnI'mOsItI], acquired [q'kwaIqd], triumph ['traIqmf]
After this Mr. Warburton seldom saw Cooper, and never spoke to him. He read his Times every morning, did his work at the office, took his exercise, dressed for dinner, dined and sat by the river smoking his cheroot. If by chance he ran across Cooper he cut him dead. Each, though never for a moment unconscious of the propinquity, acted as though the other did not exist. Time did nothing to assuage their animosity. They watched one another`s actions and each knew what the other did. Though Mr. Warburton had been a keen shot in his youth, with age he had acquired a distaste for killing the wild things of the jungle, but on Sundays and holidays Cooper went out with his gun: if he got something it was a triumph over Mr. Warburton; if not, Mr. Warburton shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. These counter-jumpers trying to be sportsmen! Christmas was a bad time for both of them: they ate their dinners alone, each in his own quarters, and they got deliberately drunk. They were the only white men within two hundred miles and they lived within shouting distance of each other.
At the beginning of the year Cooper went down with fever (в начале года Купера свалила лихорадка: «Купер свалился с лихорадкой»;
rebuke [rI'bju: k], endurance [In'djuqrqns], oppressed [q`prest]
At the beginning of the year Cooper went down with fever, and when Mr. Warburton caught sight of him again he was surprised to see how thin he had grown. He looked ill and worn. The solitude, so much more unnatural because it was due to no necessity, was getting on his nerves. It was getting on Mr. Warburton`s too, and often he could not sleep at night. He lay awake brooding. Cooper was drinking heavily and surely the breaking point was near; but in his dealings with the natives he took care to do nothing that might expose him to his chief`s rebuke. They fought a grim and silent battle with one another. It was a test of endurance. The months passed, and neither gave sign of weakening. They were like men dwelling in regions of eternal night, and their souls were oppressed with the knowledge that never would the day dawn for them. It looked as though their lives would continue for ever in this dull and hideous monotony of hatred.
And when at last the inevitable happened it came upon Mr. Warburton with all the shock of the unexpected (и когда наконец неизбежное случилось, оно охватило/обрушилось на мистера Уорбертона совершенно неожиданным ударом/потрясением: «со всем ударом/потрясением внезапности»;
accuse [q'kju: z], abuse [q`bju: s], clenched [klentSt]
And when at last the inevitable happened it came upon Mr. Warburton with all the shock of the unexpected. Cooper accused the boy Abas of stealing some of his clothes, and when the boy denied the theft took him by the scruff of the neck and kicked him down the steps of the bungalow. The boy demanded his wages and Cooper flung at his head every word of abuse he knew. If he saw him in the compound in an hour he would hand him over to the police. Next morning the boy waylaid him outside the Fort when he was walking over to his office, and again demanded his wages. Cooper struck him in the face with his clenched fist. The boy fell to the ground and got up with blood streaming from his nose.
Cooper walked on and set about his work (Купер пошел дальше и приступил к своей работе;
irritation [IrI`teISn], miserable [`mIzqrqbl], fault [fO: lt]
Cooper walked on and set about his work. But he could not attend to it. The blow had calmed his irritation, and he knew that he had gone too far. He was worried. He felt ill, miserable and discouraged. In the adjoining office sat Mr. Warburton, and his impulse was to go and tell him what he had done; he made a movement in his chair, but he knew with what icy scorn he would listen to the story. He could see his patronising smile. For a moment he had an uneasy fear of what Abas might do. Warburton had warned him all right. He sighed. What a fool he had been! But he shrugged his shoulders impatiently. He did not care; a fat lot he had to live for. It was all Warburton`s fault; if he hadn`t put his back up nothing like this would have happened. Warburton had made life a hell for him from the start. The snob. But they were all like that: it was because he was a Colonial. It was a damned shame that he had never got his commission in the war; he was as good as anyone else. They were a lot of dirty snobs. He was damned if he was going to knuckle under now. Of course Warburton would hear of what had happened; the old devil knew everything. He wasn`t afraid. He wasn`t afraid of any Malay in Borneo, and Warburton could go to blazes.
He was right in thinking that Mr. Warburton would know what had happened (он был прав в суждении =
"Where is your nephew now (где твой племянник сейчас)?"
"I do not know, Tuan (я не знаю, туан). He has gone (он ушел)."
Mr. Warburton remained silent (мистер Уорбертон оставался молчаливым = ничего не сказал). After luncheon as a rule he slept a little (после завтрака он, как правило/обычно, спал немного), but to-day he found himself very wide awake (но сегодня он оказался: «нашел себя» очень бодрствующим;
luncheon ['lAntSqn], rule [ru: l], involuntarily [In'vOlqntqrIlI]
He was right in thinking that Mr. Warburton would know what had happened. His head-boy told him when he went in to tiffin.
"Where is your nephew now?"
"I do not know, Tuan. He has gone."
Mr. Warburton remained silent. After luncheon as a rule he slept a little, but to-day he found himself very wide awake. His eyes involuntarily sought the bungalow where Cooper was now resting.
The idiot (идиот)! Hesitation for a little was in Mr. Warburton`s mind (сомнения на некоторое время охватили мистера Уорбертона: «были в мыслях/уме мистера Уорбертона»). Did the man know in what peril he was (знал =
He was strangely restless that night (он был странно обеспокоен/встревожен в тот вечер: «той ночью»). After dinner he walked up and down the verandah (после обеда он ходил взад и вперед по веранде). When the boy went away to his own quarters (когда бой уходил в свое жилище), Mr. Warburton asked him whether anything had been seen of Abas (мистер Уорбертон спросил его, было ли что-то слышно: «видно» об Абасе).
hesitation [hezI`teISn], peril [`perIl], warning [`wO: nIN]
The idiot! Hesitation for a little was in Mr. Warburton`s mind. Did the man know in what peril he was? He supposed he ought to send for him. But each time he had tried to reason with Cooper, Cooper had insulted him. Anger, furious anger welled up suddenly in Mr. Warburton`s heart, so that the veins on his temples stood out and he clenched his fists. The cad had had his warning. Now let him take what was coming to him. It was no business of his, and if anything happened it was not his fault. But perhaps they would wish in Kuala Solor that they had taken his advice and transferred Cooper to another station.
He was strangely restless that night. After dinner he walked up and down the verandah. When the boy went away to his own quarters, Mr. Warburton asked him whether anything had been seen of Abas.
"No, Tuan (нет, туан), I think maybe he has gone to the village of his mother`s brother (он, наверное, пошел в деревню брата =
Mr. Warburton gave him a sharp glance (мистер Уорбертон посмотрел на него пронзительным взглядом: «дал ему острый взгляд»), but the boy was looking down (но бой смотрел вниз/не поднимал глаз), and their eyes did not meet (и их глаза =
sluggish [`slAgIS], ominously [`OmInqslI], cassia ['kxsIq]
"No, Tuan, I think maybe he has gone to the village of his mother`s brother."
Mr. Warburton gave him a sharp glance, but the boy was looking down, and their eyes did not meet. Mr. Warburton went down to the river and sat in his arbour. But peace was denied him. The river flowed ominously silent. It was like a great serpent gliding with sluggish movement towards the sea. And the trees of the jungle over the water were heavy with a breathless menace. No bird sang. No breeze ruffled the leaves of the cassias. All around him it seemed as though something waited.
He walked across the garden to the road (он шел через сад к дороге). He had Cooper`s bungalow in full view from there (ему оттуда было хорошо видно бунгало Купера: «он имел бунгало Купера в полном обзоре оттуда»). There was a light in his sitting-room (в его гостиной горел свет), and across the road floated the sound of rag-time (и через дорогу доносился звук =
float [flqut], gramophone [`grotesque], instinctive [In`stinkpot]
He walked across the garden to the road. He had Cooper`s bungalow in full view from there. There was a light in his sitting-room, and across the road floated the sound of rag-time. Cooper was playing his gramophone. Mr. Warburton shuddered; he had never got over his instinctive dislike of that instrument. But for that he would have gone over and spoken to Cooper. He turned and went back to his own house. He read late into the night, and at last he slept. But he did not sleep very long, he had terrible dreams, and he seemed to be awakened by a cry. Of course that was a dream too, for no cry — from the bungalow for instance — could be heard in his room. He lay awake till dawn. Then he heard hurried steps and the sound of voices, his head-boy burst suddenly into the room without his fez, and Mr. Warburton`s heart stood still.
"Tuan, Tuan (туан, туан)."
Mr. Warburton jumped out of bed (мистер Уорбертон выпрыгнул из кровати).
"I`ll come at once (я сейчас приду)."
He put on his slippers, and in his sarong and pyjama-jacket walked across his compound and into Cooper`s (он надел свои тапочки и в саронге и пижамной куртке прошел через свой участок к /дому/ Купера). Cooper was lying in bed (Купер лежал на кровати), with his mouth open (с открытым ртом: «его рот был открыт»), and a kris sticking in his heart (и с крисом, вонзенным в его сердце). He had been killed in his sleep (он был убит во сне). Mr. Warburton started, but not because he had not expected to see just such a sight (мистер Уорбертон вздрогнул, но не потому, что он не ожидал увидеть именно такое зрелище;
exultation [egzAl'teISqn], burden [bq: dn]
"Tuan, Tuan."
Mr. Warburton jumped out of bed.
"I`ll come at once."
He put on his slippers, and in his sarong and pyjama-jacket walked across his compound and into Cooper`s. Cooper was lying in bed, with his mouth open, and a kris sticking in his heart. He had been killed in his sleep. Mr. Warburton started, but not because he had not expected to see just such a sight, he started because he felt in himself a sudden glow of exultation. A great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
Cooper was quite cold (Купер /уже/ был совсем холодным). Mr. Warburton took the kris out of the wound (мистер Уорбертон вынул/вытащил крис из раны), it had been thrust in with such force that he had to use an effort to get it out (его вонзили с такой силой, что он должен был использовать/применить усилие, чтобы его вытащить;
He recognized it (он узнал его). It was a kris that a dealer had offered him some weeks before (это был крис, который торговец предлагал ему несколько недель назад), and which he knew Cooper had bought (и, который, он знал =
"Where is Abas (где Абас)?" he asked sternly (он спросил строго;
"Abas is at the village of his mother`s brother (Абас в деревне у брата своей матери)."
The sergeant of the native police was standing at the foot of the bed (сержант туземной полиции стоял в ногах кровати).
"Take two men and go to the village and arrest him (возьмите двух человек, пойдите в деревню и арестуйте его)."
quite [kwaIt], wound [wu: nd], sergeant [`sQ: dZqnt]
Cooper was quite cold. Mr. Warburton took the kris out of the wound, it had been thrust in with such force that he had to use an effort to get it out, and looked at it.
He recognized it. It was a kris that a dealer had offered him some weeks before, and which he knew Cooper had bought.
"Where is Abas?" he asked sternly.
"Abas is at the village of his mother`s brother."
The sergeant of the native police was standing at the foot of the bed.
"Take two men and go to the village and arrest him."
Mr. Warburton did what was immediately necessary (мистер Уорбертон сделал то, что было самым необходимым данном случае: «что было немедленно необходимым»). With set face he gave orders (с неподвижным лицом он отдавал приказания). His words were short and peremptory (его слова были короткими и властными). Then he went back to the Fort (потом он вернулся в Форт). He shaved and had his bath (он побрился и принял ванну;
"What is it (что случилось: «что это»)?" asked Mr. Warburton (спросил мистер Уорбертон).
"Tuan, Abas, my nephew, was in the house of his mother`s brother all night (туан, Абас, мой племянник, был =
Mr. Warburton turned upon him with a frown (мистер Уорбертон повернулся к нему, хмурясь: «с хмурым взглядом»).
"Tuan Cooper was killed by Abas (туан Купер был убит Абасом). You know it as well as I know it (ты знаешь это не хуже меня: «так же, как я знаю это»). Justice must be done (правосудие должно свершиться: «быть сделано»)."
"Tuan, you would not hang him (туан, вы не повесите его)?"
immediately [I`mi: dIqtlI], pour [pO: ], peremptory [pq`remptqrI], justice [`dZAstIs]
Mr. Warburton did what was immediately necessary. With set face he gave orders. His words were short and peremptory. Then he went back to the Fort. He shaved and had his bath, dressed and went into the dining-room. By the side of his plate The Times in its wrapper lay waiting for him. He helped himself to some fruit. The head-boy poured out his tea while the second handed him a dish of eggs. Mr. Warburton ate with a good appetite. The head-boy waited.
"What is it?" asked Mr. Warburton.
"Tuan, Abas, my nephew, was in the house of his mother`s brother all night. It can be proved. His uncle will swear that he did not leave the kampong."
Mr. Warburton turned upon him with a frown.
"Tuan Cooper was killed by Abas. You know it as well as I know it. Justice must be done."
"Tuan, you would not hang him?"
Mr. Warburton hesitated an instant (мистер Уорбертон колебался мгновение), and though his voice remained set and stern a change came into his eyes (и хотя его голос оставался твердым и суровым, его взгляд изменился: «перемена пришла в его глаза»). It was a flicker which the Malay was quick to notice (это была вспышка, которую малаец быстро заметил: «был быстр, чтобы заметить») and across his own eyes flashed an answering look of understanding (и через его собственные глаза =
"The provocation was very great (провокация была очень большой = Купер вел себя вызывающе/сам виноват;
"Shall Abas give himself up, Tuan (Абас должен сдаться;
"It would be wise of him (это было бы разумнее всего: «разумно для него»)."
provocation [prOvq'keISqn], imprisonment [Im'prIzqnmqnt], sentence [`sentqns]
Mr. Warburton hesitated an instant, and though his voice remained set and stern a change came into his eyes. It was a flicker which the Malay was quick to notice and across his own eyes flashed an answering look of understanding.
"The provocation was very great. Abas will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment." There was a pause while Mr. Warburton helped himself to marmalade. "When he has served a part of his sentence in prison I will take him into this house as a boy. You can train him in his duties. I have no doubt that in the house of Tuan Cooper he got into bad habits."
"Shall Abas give himself up, Tuan?"
"It would be wise of him."
The boy withdrew (бой ушел;
Abas would make a very good house-boy (из Абаса выйдет очень хороший слуга;
That fool Cooper (тот =
delicious [dI`lISqs], wander [`wOndq], weight [weIt], dowager ['dauqGq], congratulation [kqngrxtSq`leISn]
The boy withdrew. Mr. Warburton took his Times and neatly slit the wrapper. He loved to unfold the heavy, rustling pages. The morning, so fresh and cool, was delicious and for a moment his eyes wandered out over the garden with a friendly glance. A great weight had been lifted from his mind. He turned to the columns in which were announced the births, deaths, and marriages. That was what he always looked at first. A name he knew caught his attention. Lady Ormskirk had had a son at last. By George, how pleased the old dowager must be! He would write her a note of congratulation by the next mail.
Abas would make a very good house-boy.
That fool Cooper!
German Harry
(Немец Гарри)
I was in Thursday Island and I wanted very much to go to New Guinea (я был на острове Четверга и очень хотел поехать в Новую Гвинею;
Guinea ['gInI], pearling ['pWlIN], anchor ['xNkq], harbour ['hQ: bq]
I was in Thursday Island and I wanted very much to go to New Guinea. Now the only way in which I could do this was by getting a pearling lugger to take me across the Arafura Sea. The pearl fishery at that time was in a bad way and a flock of neat little craft lay anchored in the harbour. I found a skipper with nothing much to do (the journey to Merauke and back could hardly take him less than a month) and with him I made the necessary arrangements.
He engaged four Torres Straits islanders as crew (в качестве /судовой/ команды он нанял четырех островитян /с Торресова пролива/;
islander ['aIlqndq], pearler ['pWlq], hermit ['hWmIt]
He engaged four Torres Straits islanders as crew (the boat was but nineteen tons) and we ransacked the local store for canned goods. A day or two before I sailed a man who owned a number of pearlers came to me and asked whether on my way I would stop at the island of Trebucket and leave a sack of flour, another of rice, and some magazines for the hermit who lived there.
I pricked up my ears (я навострил уши = я заинтересовался;
appear [q'pIq], opportunity ["Opq'tju: nItI], provision [prq'vIZ(q)n]
I pricked up my ears. It appeared that the hermit had lived by himself on this remote and tiny island for thirty years, and when opportunity occurred provisions were sent to him by kindly souls. He said that he was a Dane, but in the Torres Straits he was known as German Harry.
His history went back a long way (его история началась очень давно;
vessel ['ves(q)l], treacherous ['tretS(q)rqs], eventually [I'ventSu(q)lI], desert ['dezqt]
His history went back a long way. Thirty years before, he had been an able seaman on a sailing vessel that was wrecked in those treacherous waters. Two boats managed to get away and eventually hit upon the desert island of Trebucket. This is well out of the line of traffic and it was three years before any ship sighted the castaways.
Sixteen men had landed on the island (шестнадцать человек высадились на остров /после кораблекрушения/;
schooner ['sku: nq], skipper ['skIpq], eventually [I'ventSu(q)lI], terrible ['terqbl]
Sixteen men had landed on the island, but when at last a schooner, driven from her course by stress of weather, put in for shelter, no more than five were left. When the storm abated the skipper took four of these on board and eventually landed them at Sydney. German Harry refused to go with them. He said that during those three years he had seen such terrible things that he had a horror of his fellow-men and wished never to live with them again.
He would say no more (больше он ничего не говорил). He was absolutely fixed in his determination to stay, entirely by himself (он был совершенно непоколебим в своем решении остаться в совершенном одиночестве;
absolutely ["xbsq'lu: tlI], determination [dI" tWmI'neIS(q)n], entirely [In'taIqlI]
He would say no more. He was absolutely fixed in his determination to stay, entirely by himself, in that lonely place. Though now and then opportunity had been given him to leave he had never taken it.
A strange man and a strange story (странный человек и странная история;
desolate ['desqlqt, 'dezqlqt], various ['ve(q)rIqs], necessity [nI'sesItI]
A strange man and a strange story. I learned more about him as we sailed across the desolate sea. The Torres Straits are peppered with islands and at night we anchored on the lee of one or other of them. Of late new pearling grounds have been discovered near Trebucket and in the autumn pearlers, visiting it now and then, have given German Harry various necessities so that he has been able to make himself sufficiently comfortable.
They bring him papers (они привозят ему газеты;
enough [I'nAf], unwieldy [An'wi: ldI], abundant [q'bAndqnt], tobacco [tq'bxkqu]
They bring him papers, bags of flour and rice, and canned meats. He has a whale boat and used to go fishing in it, but now he is no longer strong enough to manage its unwieldy bulk. There is abundant pearl shell on the reef that surrounds his island and this he used to collect and sell to the pearlers for tobacco, and sometimes he found a good pearl for which he got a considerable sum.
It is believed that he has, hidden away somewhere, a collection of magnificent pearls (считается, что у него где-то запрятана коллекция великолепных жемчужин;
"I thought something had happened (я думал, что что-то случилось)," he said.
magnificent [mxg'nIfIs(q)nt], epidemic ["epI'demIk], thought [TO: t]
It is believed that he has, hidden away somewhere, a collection of magnificent pearls. During the war no pearlers came out and for years he never saw a living soul. For all he knew, a terrible epidemic had killed off the entire human race and he was the only man alive. He was asked later what he thought.
"I thought something had happened," he said.
He ran out of matches and was afraid that his fire would go out (у него закончились спички, и он боялся, что /его/ огонь потухнет;
match [mxtS], snatch [snxtS], turtle [tWtl]
He ran out of matches and was afraid that his fire would go out, so he only slept in snatches, putting wood on his fire from time to time all day and all night. He came to the end of his provisions and lived on chickens, fish and coconuts. Sometimes he got a turtle.
During the last four months of the year there may be two or three pearlers about (в последние четыре месяца года, где-то рядом с его островом, могут находиться двое или трое ловцов жемчуга;
infrequently [In'fri: kwqntlI], boatload ['bqutlqud], subject ['sAbdZIkt]
During the last four months of the year there may be two or three pearlers about and not infrequently after the day’s work they will row in and spend an evening with him. They try to make him drunk and then they ask him what happened during those three years after the two boat-loads came to the island. How was it that sixteen landed and at the end of that time only five were left? He never says a word. Drunk or sober he is equally silent on that subject and if they insist grows angry and leaves them.
I forget if it was four or five days (я не помню, /прошло/ ли четыре или пять дней) before we sighted the hermit’s little kingdom (прежде чем мы увидели маленькое царство отшельника). We had been driven by bad weather to take shelter (из-за плохой погоды мы были вынуждены укрыться;
sight [saIt], weather ['weDq], approach [q'prqutS], dinghy ['dINgI]
I forget if it was four or five days before we sighted the hermit’s little kingdom. We had been driven by bad weather to take shelter and had spent a couple of days at an island on the way. Trebucket is a low island, perhaps a mile round, covered with coconuts, just raised above the level of the sea and surrounded by a reef so that it can be approached only on one side. There is no opening in the reef and the lugger had to anchor a mile from the shore. We got into a dinghy with the provisions.
It was a stiff pull (грести было тяжело: «это была тяжелая прогулка /на лодке/»;
saunter ['sO: ntq], shout [Saut], hatchet-faced ["hxtSIt'feIst], beard [bIqd]
It was a stiff pull and even within the reef the sea was choppy. I saw the little hut, sheltered by trees, in which German Harry lived, and as we approached he sauntered down slowly to the water’s edge. We shouted a greeting, but he did not answer. He was a man of over seventy, very bald, hatchet-faced, with a grey beard, and he walked with a roll so that you could never have taken him for anything but a sea-faring man.
His sunburn made his blue eyes look very pale and they were surrounded by wrinkles (/из-за/ загара его голубые глаза казались очень блеклыми, и они были окружены морщинками;
interminable [In'tWmInqb(q)l], dungaree ["dANgq'ri: ], singlet ['sInglIt], corrugated ['kOrqgeItId], rough [rAf], utensil [ju:'tens(q)l]
His sunburn made his blue eyes look very pale and they were surrounded by wrinkles as though for long years he had spent interminable hours scanning the vacant sea. He wore dungarees and a singlet, patched, but neat and clean. The house to which he presently led us consisted of a single room with a roof of corrugated iron. There was a bed in it, some rough stools which he himself had made, a table, and his various household utensils. Under a tree in front of it was a table and a bench. Behind was an enclosed run for his chickens.
I cannot say that he was pleased to see us (не могу сказать, что он был рад видеть нас;
accept [qk'sept], brought [brO: t], morose [mq'rqus], jealous ['dZelqs], proprietary [prq'praIqt(q)rI], enterprising ['entqpraIzIN]
I cannot say that he was pleased to see us. He accepted our gifts as a right, without thanks, and grumbled a little because something or other he needed had not been brought. He was silent and morose. He was not interested in the news we had to give him, for the outside world was no concern of his: the only thing he cared about was his island. He looked upon it with a jealous, proprietary right; he called it "my health resort" and he feared that the coconuts that covered it would tempt some enterprising trader.
He looked at me with suspicion (он взглянул на меня подозрительно: «с подозрением»). He was somberly curious to know what I was doing in these seas (он были исполнен мрачного любопытства, что я делал в этих морях;
"Old Charlie dead (старик Чарли мертв) — that’s too bad (это очень плохо). Old Charlie dead."
He repeated it over and over again (он повторял это снова и снова). I asked him if he read (я спросил его, читает ли он /что-нибудь/).
"Not much (не много)," he answered indifferently (ответил он равнодушно/безразличным тоном).
suspicion [sq'spIS(q)n], curious ['kju(q)rIqs], indifferently [In'dIf(q)rqntlI]
He looked at me with suspicion. He was somberly curious to know what I was doing in these seas. He used words with difficulty, talking to himself rather than to us, and it was a little uncanny to hear him mumble away as though we were not there. But he was moved when my skipper told him that an old man of his own age whom he had known for a long time was dead.
"Old Charlie dead — that’s too bad. Old Charlie dead."
He repeated it over and over again. I asked him if he read.
"Not much," he answered indifferently.
He seemed to be occupied with nothing (казалось, что он не был занят ничем;
communion [kq'mju: nIqn], nature ['neItSq], taught [tO: t], subtle [sAtl], savage ['sxvIdZ], ignorant ['Ignqrqnt], cantankerous [kxn'txNk(q)rqs]
He seemed to be occupied with nothing but his food, his dogs and his chickens. If what they tell us in books were true his long communion with nature and the sea should have taught him many subtle secrets. It hadn’t. He was a savage. He was nothing but a narrow, ignorant and cantankerous seafaring man.
As I looked at the wrinkled, mean old face (когда я глядел на это морщинистое, неприветливое, старое лицо;
wrinkled ['rINk(q)ld], dreadful ['dredS(q)l], imprisonment [Im'prIz(q)nmqnt]
As I looked at the wrinkled, mean old face I wondered what was the story of those three dreadful years that had made him welcome this long imprisonment. I sought to see behind those pale blue eyes of his what secrets they were that he would carry to his grave. And then I foresaw the end.
One day a pearl fisher would land on the island (однажды какой-нибудь ловец жемчуга высадится на остров) and German Harry would not be waiting for him (и немец Гарри не будет ожидать его), silent and suspicious, at the water’s edge (молчаливый и подозрительный/недоверчивый, у кромки воды). He would go up to the hut (он
unrecognizable [An'rekqgnaIzqb(q)l], haunt [hO: nt], adventurer [qd'ventS(q)rq]
One day a pearl fisher would land on the island and German Harry would not be waiting for him, silent and suspicious, at the water’s edge. He would go up to the hut and there, lying on the bed, unrecognisable, he would see all that remained of what had once been a man. Perhaps then he would hunt high and low for the great mass of pearls that has haunted the fancy of so many adventurers.
But I do not believe he would find it (но не думаю, что он найдет его;
discover [dIs'kAvq], treasure ['treZq], deserted [dI'zWtId]
But I do not believe he would find it: German Harry would have seen to it that none should discover the treasure, and the pearls would rot in their hiding place. Then the pearl fisher would go back into his dinghy and the island once more be deserted of man.
Red
(Рыжий; red— красный; рыжий /о волосах/)
The skipper thrust his hand into one of his trouser pockets (шкипер засунул руку в карман своих брюк: «в один из своих брючных карманов») and with difficulty, for they were not at the sides but in front (и с трудом, так как они были не по бокам, а спереди;
island [`aIlqnd], lagoon [lq`gHn], anchor [`xNkq]
The skipper thrust his hand into one of his trouser pockets and with difficulty, for they were not at the sides but in front and he was a portly man, pulled out a large silver watch. He looked at it and then looked again at the declining sun. The Kanaka at the wheel gave him a glance, but did not speak. The skipper’s eyes rested on the island they were approaching. A white line of foam marked the reef. He knew there was an opening large enough to get his ship through, and when they came a little nearer he counted on seeing it. They had nearly an hour of daylight still before them. In the lagoon the water was deep and they could anchor comfortably. The chief of the village, which he could already see among the coconut trees was a friend of the mate’s, and it would be pleasant to go ashore for the night. The mate came forward at that minute and the skipper turned to him.
"We’ll take a bottle of booze along with us (мы возьмем бутылку: «бутылку спиртного вместе с нами»;
"I don’t see the opening," said the mate (я не вижу прохода, — сказал помощник).
He was a Kanaka (он был канаком), a handsome, swarthy fellow (красивым, смуглым парнем), with somewhat the look of a later Roman emperor (чем-то похожим на какого-нибудь последнего римского императора;
"I’m dead sure there’s one right here (я совершенно уверен, /что/ он прямо здесь;
Kanaka [`kxnqkq], swarthy [`swLDI], mast [mRst]
"We’ll take a bottle of booze along with us and get some girls in to dance," he said.
"I don’t see the opening," said the mate.
He was a Kanaka, a handsome, swarthy fellow, with somewhat the look of a later Roman emperor, inclined to stoutness; but his face was fine and clean-cut.
"I’m dead sure there’s one right here," said the captain, looking through his glasses. "I can’t understand why I can’t pick it up. Send one of the boys up the mast to have a look."
The mate called one of the crew and gave him the order (помощник позвал одного из матросов: «одного из команды» и отдал ему приказ). The captain watched the Kanaka climb (капитан наблюдал, /как/ канак взбирается /наверх/) and waited for him to speak (и ждал, /когда/ он /начнет/ говорить). But the Kanaka shouted down that he could see nothing (но канак крикнул вниз, что он не видит: «смог увидеть» ничего) but the unbroken line of foam (кроме непрерывной полосы пены;
"Shall he stay up there?" asked the mate (оставаться ли ему там наверху? спросил помощник).
"What the hell good does that do (да что толку-то;
He looked at the slender mast with anger (он гневно: «с гневом» посмотрел на тонкую мачту). It was all very well for a native (это было все очень хорошо для какого-нибудь туземца) who had been used to climbing up coconut trees all his life (который привык лазить наверх по кокосовым пальмам всю свою жизнь). He was fat and heavy (он /же/ был тучным и тяжелым).
"Come down," he shouted (слезай: «иди вниз», крикнул он). "You’re no more use than a dead dog (от тебя не больше пользы, чем от дохлой собаки;
climb [klaIm], answer [`Rnsq], heavy [`hevI]
The mate called one of the crew and gave him the order. The captain watched the Kanaka climb and waited for him to speak. But the Kanaka shouted down that he could see nothing but the unbroken line of foam. The captain spoke Samoan like a native, and he cursed him freely.
"Shall he stay up there?" asked the mate.
"What the hell good does that do?" answered the captain. "The blame fool can’t see worth a cent. You bet your sweet life I’d find the opening if I was up there."
He looked at the slender mast with anger. It was all very well for a native who had been used to climbing up coconut trees all his life. He was fat and heavy.
"Come down," he shouted. "You’re no more use than a dead dog. We’ll just have to go along the reef till we find the opening."
It was a seventy-ton schooner with paraffin auxiliary (это была семидесятитонная шхуна с керосиновым двигателем /в качестве запасного варианта/;
"Put her about," he said (поворачивай ее обратно, — сказал он). "I can’t anchor here (я не могу бросить якорь здесь)."
schooner [`skHnq], auxiliary [Lg`zIljqrI], knot [nOt]
It was a seventy-ton schooner with paraffin auxiliary, and it ran, when there was no head wind, between four and five knots an hour. It was a bedraggled object; it had been painted white a very long time ago, but it was now dirty, dingy, and mottled. It smelt strongly of paraffin, and of the copra which was its usual cargo. They were within a hundred feet of the reef now and the captain told the steersman to run along it till they came to the opening. But when they had gone a couple of miles he realised that they had missed it. He went about and slowly worked back again. The white foam of the reef continued without interruption and now the sun was setting. With a curse at the stupidity of the crew the skipper resigned himself to waiting till next morning.
"Put her about," he said. "I can’t anchor here."
They went out to sea a little (они вышли подальше в море;
"Hell, having to spend the night outside," said the skipper (черт, приходится проводить ночь в открытом море, — сказал шкипер;
manage [`mxnIG], engineer ["enGI`nIq], tattoo [tq`tH]
They went out to sea a little and presently it was quite dark. They anchored. When the sail was furled the ship began to roll a good deal. They said in Apia that one day she would roll right over; and the owner, a German-American who managed one of the largest stores, said that no money was big enough to induce him to go out in her. The cook, a Chinese in white trousers, very dirty and ragged, and a thin white tunic, came to say that supper was ready, and when the skipper went into the cabin he found the engineer already seated at table. The engineer was a long, lean man with a scraggy neck. He was dressed in blue overalls and a sleeveless jersey which showed his thin arms tattooed from elbow to wrist.
"Hell, having to spend the night outside," said the skipper.
The engineer did not answer (механик /ничего/ не ответил), and they ate their supper in silence (и они ели свой ужин в тишине/молчании). The cabin was lit by a dim oil-lamp (каюта освещалась тусклой керосиновой лампой). When they had eaten the canned apricots (когда они доели консервированные абрикосы) with which the meal finished (которые были на десерт: «которыми ужин заканчивался»;
brought [brLt], idly [`aIdlI], primeval [praI`mJv(q)l]
The engineer did not answer, and they ate their supper in silence. The cabin was lit by a dim oil-lamp. When they had eaten the canned apricots with which the meal finished the Chink brought them a cup of tea. The skipper lit a cigar and went on the upper deck. The island now was only a darker mass against the night. The stars were very bright. The only sound was the ceaseless breaking of the surf. The skipper sank into a deck-chair and smoked idly. Presently three or four members of the crew came up and sat down. One of them had a banjo and another a concertina. They began to play, and one of them sang. The native song sounded strange on these instruments. Then to the singing a couple began to dance. It was a barbaric dance, savage and primeval, rapid, with quick movements of the hands and feet and contortions of the body; it was sensual, sexual even, but sexual without passion. It was very animal, direct, weird without mystery, natural in short, and one might almost say childlike. At last they grew tired. They stretched themselves on the deck and slept, and all was silent.
The skipper lifted himself heavily out of his chair (шкипер поднялся тяжело из своего шезлонга) and clambered down the companion (и спустился вниз по лестнице;
But next morning (но на следующее утро), when the dawn crept over the tranquil sea (когда рассвет забрезжил над безмятежным морем;
"I guess I’ll go ashore," he said (я полагаю =
surface [`sWfIs], peculiar [pI`kjHljq], comfort [`kAmfqt]
The skipper lifted himself heavily out of his chair and clambered down the companion. He went into his cabin and got out of his clothes. He climbed into his bunk and lay there. He panted a little in the heat of the night.
But next morning, when the dawn crept over the tranquil sea, the opening in the reef which had eluded them the night before was seen a little to the east of where they lay. The schooner entered the lagoon. There was not a ripple on the surface of the water. Deep down among the coral rocks you saw little coloured fish swim. When he had anchored his ship the skipper ate his breakfast and went on deck. The sun shone from an unclouded sky, but in the early morning the air was grateful and cool. It was Sunday, and there was a feeling of quietness, a silence as though nature were at rest, which gave him a peculiar sense of comfort. He sat, looking at the wooded coast, and felt lazy and well at ease. Presently a slow smile moved his lips and he threw the stump of his cigar into the water.
"I guess I’ll go ashore," he said. "Get the boat out."
He climbed stiffly down the ladder (он слез неуклюже вниз по лестнице;
ballet [`bxleI], require [rI`kwaIq], nestle [nesl]
He climbed stiffly down the ladder and was rowed to a little cove. The coconut trees came down to the water’s edge, not in rows, but spaced out with an ordered formality. They were like a ballet of spinsters, elderly but flippant, standing in affected attitudes with the simpering graces of a bygone age. He sauntered idly through them, along a path that could be just seen winding its tortuous way, and it led him presently to a broad creek. There was a bridge across it, but a bridge constructed of single trunks of coconut trees, a dozen of them, placed end to end and supported where they met by a forked branch driven into the bed of the creek. You walked on a smooth, round surface, narrow and slippery, and there was no support for the hand. To cross such a bridge required sure feet and a stout heart. The skipper hesitated. But he saw on the other side, nestling among the trees, a white man’s house; he made up his mind and, rather gingerly, began to walk. He watched his feet carefully, and where one trunk joined on to the next and there was a difference of level, he tottered a little.
It was with a gasp of relief that he reached the last tree (со вздохом облегчения он добрался до последнего дерева) and finally set his feet on the firm ground of the other side (и в конце концов ступил: «поставил свои ступни» на твердую почву на другом берегу: «на другой стороне»). He had been so intent on the difficult crossing (он был так поглощен этим трудным переходом) that he never noticed anyone was watching him (что даже не заметил, /что/ кто-то наблюдал /за/ ним), and it was with surprise that he heard himself spoken to (и с удивлением он услышал, /что/ с ним разговаривают).
"It takes a bit of nerve to cross these bridges (нужно: «требуется» немного смелости, чтобы переходить по таким мостам;
He looked up and saw a man standing in front of him (он поднял глаза: «посмотрел вверх» и увидел мужчину, стоящего перед ним). He had evidently come out of the house which he had seen (очевидно, он вышел из того дома, который он видел).
"I saw you hesitate (я видел, /что/ вы колебались)," the man continued, with a smile on his lips (продолжал мужчина, улыбаясь: «с улыбкой на своих губах»), "and I was watching to see you fall in (и я наблюдал /за вами/, чтобы увидеть как вы упадете в /воду/)."
"Not on your life," said the captain (ни за что/не дождетесь, — сказал капитан), who had now recovered his confidence (который теперь обрел свою уверенность).
"I’ve fallen in myself before now (я /и/ сам падал раньше: «до настоящего времени»). I remember, one evening I came back from shooting (я помню, однажды вечером я вернулся: «пришел назад» с охоты;
intent [In`tent], surprise [sq`praIz], recover [rI`kAvq]
It was with a gasp of relief that he reached the last tree and finally set his feet on the firm ground of the other side. He had been so intent on the difficult crossing that he never noticed anyone was watching him, and it was with surprise that he heard himself spoken to.
"It takes a bit of nerve to cross these bridges when you’re not used to them."
He looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. He had evidently come out of the house which he had seen.
"I saw you hesitate," the man continued, with a smile on his lips, "and I was watching to see you fall in."
"Not on your life," said the captain, who had now recovered his confidence.
"I’ve fallen in myself before now. I remember, one evening I came back from shooting, and I fell in, gun and all. Now I get a boy to carry my gun for me."
He was a man no longer young (он был уже не молод: «он был человеком уже не молодым»), with a small beard, now somewhat grey (с маленькой бородкой, уже седеющей: «теперь слегка седой»), and a thin face (и худым лицом). He was dressed in a singlet, without arms (на нем была майка: «он был одет в майку без рукавов»;
"Are you Neilson?" asked the skipper (вы Нилсон? спросил шкипер).
"I am (да, я)."
"I’ve heard about you (я слышал о вас). I thought you lived somewheres round here (я /так и/ думал, /что/ вы живете где-то здесь неподалеку;
The skipper followed his host into the little bungalow (шкипер последовал за хозяином в /его/ небольшое бунгало;
neither [`naIDq], slight [slaIt], bungalow [`bANgqlqu]
He was a man no longer young, with a small beard, now somewhat grey, and a thin face. He was dressed in a singlet, without arms, and a pair of duck trousers. He wore neither shoes nor socks. He spoke English with a slight accent.
"Are you Neilson?" asked the skipper.
"I am."
"I’ve heard about you. I thought you lived somewheres round here."
The skipper followed his host into the little bungalow and sat down heavily in the chair which the other motioned him to take. While Neilson went out to fetch whisky and glasses he took a look round the room. It filled him with amazement. He had never seen so many books. The shelves reached from floor to ceiling on all four walls, and they were closely packed. There was a grand piano littered with music, and a large table on which books and magazines lay in disorder. The room made him feel embarrassed. He remembered that Neilson was a queer fellow. No one knew very much about him, although he had been in the islands for so many years, but those who knew him agreed that he was queer. He was a Swede.
"You’ve got one big heap of books here (да у вас тут просто куча книг: «одна большая куча»)," he said, when Neilson returned (сказал он, когда Нилсон вернулся).
"They do no harm," answered Neilson with a smile (они не приносят вреда, ответил Нилсон с улыбкой).
"Have you read them all?" asked the skipper (вы все их прочитали? спросил шкипер).
"Most of them (большую часть)."
"I’m a bit of a reader myself (/да/ я /и/ сам почитываю: «немного читатель сам»). I have the
Neilson poured his visitor a good stiff glass of whisky (Нилсон налил своему гостю стакан хорошего крепкого виски) and gave him a cigar (и протянул: «дал» ему сигару). The skipper volunteered a little information (шкипер разговорился;
"I got in last night (я прибыл вчера вечером;
"Yes, he’s got a store a little way along (да, он держит: «у него есть» магазин недалеко отсюда)."
"Well, there was a lot of canned stuff (ну, там было много всяких консервов;
pour [pL], cigar [sI`gR], volunteer ["vOlqn`tIq]
"You’ve got one big heap of books here," he said, when Neilson returned.
"They do no harm," answered Neilson with a smile.
"Have you read them all?" asked the skipper.
"Most of them."
"I’m a bit of a reader myself. I have the
Neilson poured his visitor a good stiff glass of whisky and gave him a cigar. The skipper volunteered a little information.
"I got in last night, but I couldn’t find the opening, so I had to anchor outside. I never been this run before, but my people had some stuff they wanted to bring over here. Gray, d’you know him?"
"Yes, he’s got a store a little way along."
"Well, there was a lot of canned stuff that he wanted over, an’ he’s got some copra. They thought I might just as well come over as lie idle at Apia. I run between Apia and Pago-Pago mostly, but they’ve got smallpox there just now, and there’s nothing stirring."
He took a drink of his whisky and lit a cigar (он сделал: «взял» глоток своего виски и зажег сигару). He was a taciturn man (он был неразговорчивым человеком), but there was something in Neilson (но было что-то /такое/ в Нилсоне) that made him nervous (что заставляло его нервничать: «делало его нервным»), and his nervousness made him talk (и /эта/ его нервозность заставляла его говорить). The Swede was looking at him with large dark eyes (швед глядел на него большими темными глазами) in which there was an expression of faint amusement (в которых читалась легкая усмешка;
"This is a tidy little place you’ve got here (неплохое местечко у вас тут;
"I’ve done my best with it (я очень старался с ним;
"You must do pretty well with your trees (должно быть, дела у вас идут довольно хорошо с вашими деревьями;
He looked round the room again (он снова оглядел комнату), where all those books gave him a feeling of something incomprehensible and hostile (где все эти книги вселяли в него: «давали ему» ощущение чего-то непонятного и враждебного).
"I guess you must find it a bit lonesome here though (однако, полагаю, вы должны находить это =
"I’ve got used to it (я /уже/ привык к этому). I’ve been here for twenty-five years (я здесь /уже/ двадцать пять лет)."
amusement [q`mjHzmqnt], incomprehensible [In`kOmprI`hensqbl], hostile [`hOstaIl]
He took a drink of his whisky and lit a cigar. He was a taciturn man, but there was something in Neilson that made him nervous, and his nervousness made him talk. The Swede was looking at him with large dark eyes in which there was an expression of faint amusement.
"This is a tidy little place you’ve got here."
"I’ve done my best with it."
"You must do pretty well with your trees. They look fine. With copra at the price it is now. I had a bit of a plantation myself once, in Upolu it was, but I had to sell it."
He looked round the room again, where all those books gave him a feeling of something incomprehensible and hostile.
"I guess you must find it a bit lonesome here though," he said.
"I’ve got used to it. I’ve been here for twenty-five years."
Now the captain could think of nothing more to say (больше капитану нечего было сказать: «теперь капитан /не/ мог придумать больше ничего, чтобы сказать»), and he smoked in silence (и он молча: «в молчании/тишине» курил). Neilson had apparently no wish to break it (Нилсон, очевидно, не хотел: «не имел желания» нарушать тишину: «ее»). He looked at his guest with a meditative eye (он смотрел на своего гостя задумчивым взглядом;
bald [bLld], forehead [`fOrId], limb [lIm]
Now the captain could think of nothing more to say, and he smoked in silence. Neilson had apparently no wish to break it. He looked at his guest with a meditative eye. He was a tall man more than six feet high, and very stout. His face was red and blotchy, with a network of little purple veins on the cheeks, and his features were sunk into its fatness. His eyes were bloodshot. His neck was buried in rolls of fat. But for a fringe of long curly hair, nearly white, at the back of his head, he was quite bald; and that immense, shiny surface of forehead, which might have given him a false look of intelligence, on the contrary gave him one of peculiar imbecility. He wore a blue flannel shirt, open at the neck and showing his fat chest covered with a mat of reddish hair, and a very old pair of blue serge trousers. He sat in his chair in a heavy ungainly attitude, his great belly thrust forward and his fat legs uncrossed. All elasticity had gone from his limbs. Neilson wondered idly what sort of man he had been in his youth. It was almost impossible to imagine that this creature of vast bulk had ever been a boy who ran about.
The skipper finished his whisky (шкипер допил свое виски;
"Help yourself (угощайтесь)."
The skipper leaned forward and with his great hand seized it (шкипер нагнулся вперед и своей огромной ручищей схватил ее).
"And how come you in these parts anyways (а все же, как вы попали в эти края;
"Oh, I came out to the islands for my health (о, я выехал на эти острова из-за моего здоровья). My lungs were bad (у меня были больные легкие) and they said I hadn’t a year to live (и говорили, /что/ я не проживу и года: «у меня не было и года, чтобы жить»). You see they were wrong (/как/ видите, они ошибались)."
"I meant, how come you to settle down right here (я имел в виду, как вы пришли /к тому/, чтобы поселиться именно здесь)?"
"I am a sentimentalist (я сентиментальный человек)."
"Oh (а-а)!"
Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant (Нилсон знал, что шкипер не имел понятия /о том/, что он имел в виду;
"You were too busy keeping your balance to notice (вы были слишком заняты поддержанием своего равновесия, чтобы заметить;
ironical [aI`rOnIk(q)l], perhaps [pq`hxps], pretty [`prItI]
The skipper finished his whisky, and Neilson pushed the bottle towards him.
"Help yourself."
The skipper leaned forward and with his great hand seized it.
"And how come you in these parts anyways?" he said.
"Oh, I came out to the islands for my health. My lungs were bad and they said I hadn’t a year to live. You see they were wrong."
"I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
"I am a sentimentalist."
"Oh!"
Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes. Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
"You were too busy keeping your balance to notice, when you crossed the bridge, but this spot is generally considered rather pretty."
"It’s a cute little house you’ve got here (/какой/ прелестный домик у вас тут)."
"Ah, that wasn’t here when I first came (а, его здесь не было, когда я впервые попал: «пришел» /сюда/). There was a native hut (здесь была туземная хижина), with its beehive roof and its pillars (с ее крышей, похожей на улей, и столбами;
beehive [`bJhaIv], beauty [`bjHtI], philosophy [fI`lOsqfI]
"It’s a cute little house you’ve got here."
"Ah, that wasn’t here when I first came. There was a native hut, with its beehive roof and its pillars, overshadowed by a great tree with red flowers; and the croton bushes, their leaves yellow and red and golden, made a pied fence around it. And then all about were the coconut trees, as fanciful as women, and as vain. They stood at the water’s edge and spent all day looking at their reflections. I was a young man then — Good Heavens, it’s a quarter of a century ago — and I wanted to enjoy all the loveliness of the world in the short time allotted to me before I passed into the darkness. I thought it was the most beautiful spot I had ever seen. The first time I saw it I had a catch at my heart, and I was afraid I was going to cry. I wasn’t more than twenty-five, and though I put the best face I could on it, I didn’t want to die. And somehow it seemed to me that the very beauty of this place made it easier for me to accept my fate. I felt when I came here that all my past life had fallen away, Stockholm and its University, and then Bonn: it all seemed the life of somebody else, as though now at last I had achieved the reality which our doctors of philosophy — I am one myself, you know — had discussed so much. ‘A year,’ I cried to myself. ‘I have a year. I will spend it here and then I am content to die.’
"We are foolish and sentimental and melodramatic at twenty-five (мы глупы, сентиментальны и мелодраматичны в двадцать пять /лет/), but if we weren’t (но если бы мы не были /такими/) perhaps we should be less wise at fifty (может быть, мы были бы не так мудры в пятьдесят;
"Now drink, my friend (а теперь пейте, мой друг). Don’t let the nonsense I talk interfere with you (не обращайте внимания на мою болтовню: «не позволяйте вздору, /который/ я говорю, мешать вам»)."
He waved his thin hand towards the bottle (он махнул своей худой рукой на бутылку;
"You ain’t drinking nothin’ (/а/ вы не пьете ничего)," he said, reaching for the whisky (сказал он, беря виски;
"I am of a sober habit (у меня привычка не пить;
"They say there’s a deal of cocaine taken in the States now (говорят, сейчас столько кокаина употребляют в Штатах;
Neilson chuckled (Нилсон подавил смешок;
"But I do not see a white man often (но я не /так/ часто вижу /здесь/ белых: «белого человека»)," he continued (продолжал он), "and for once I don’t think a drop of whisky can do me any harm (и за один раз, я не думаю, /что/ капля виски может причинить мне какой-либо вред)."
He poured himself out a little (он налил себе немного), added some soda, and took a sip (добавил немного содовой и сделал маленький глоток).
interfere ["Intq`fIq], subtle [sAtl], deleterious ["delI`tIqrIqs]
"We are foolish and sentimental and melodramatic at twenty-five, but if we weren’t perhaps we should be less wise at fifty.
"Now drink, my friend. Don’t let the nonsense I talk interfere with you."
He waved his thin hand towards the bottle, and the skipper finished what remained in his glass.
"You ain’t drinking nothin’," he said, reaching for the whisky.
"I am of a sober habit," smiled the Swede. "I intoxicate myself in ways which I fancy are more subtle. But perhaps that is only vanity. Anyhow, the effects are more lasting and the results less deleterious."
"They say there’s a deal of cocaine taken in the States now," said the captain.
Neilson chuckled.
"But I do not see a white man often," he continued, "and for once I don’t think a drop of whisky can do me any harm."
He poured himself out a little, added some soda, and took a sip.
"And presently I found out (и вскоре я понял: «выяснил») why the spot had such an unearthly loveliness (почему это место обладало такой неземной красотой). Here love had tarried for a moment (здесь на миг задержалась любовь;
He paused (он сделал паузу).
"I think this place was beautiful (я думаю, это место было красивым) because here for a period (потому что здесь на некоторое время) the ecstasy of love had invested it with beauty (восторг любви окутал его красотой)." And now he shrugged his shoulders (и тотчас же он пожал плечами). "But perhaps it is only (но, может быть, это просто) that my aesthetic sense is gratified (моему эстетическому чувству доставляет удовольствие) by the happy conjunction of young love and a suitable setting (удачное сочетание молодой любви и подходящей обстановки)."
unearthly [An`WTlI], fragrance [`freIgr(q)ns], meadow [`medqu]
"And presently I found out why the spot had such an unearthly loveliness. Here love had tarried for a moment like a migrant bird that happens on a ship in mid-ocean and for a little while folds its tired wings. The fragrance of a beautiful passion hovered over it like the fragrance of hawthorn in May in the meadows of my home. It seems to me that the places where men have loved or suffered keep about them always some faint aroma of something that has not wholly died. It is as though they had acquired a spiritual significance which mysteriously affects those who pass. I wish I could make myself clear." He smiled a little. "Though I cannot imagine that if I did you would understand."
He paused.
"I think this place was beautiful because here for a period the ecstasy of love had invested it with beauty." And now he shrugged his shoulders. "But perhaps it is only that my aesthetic sense is gratified by the happy conjunction of young love and a suitable setting."
Even a man less thick-witted than the skipper (даже человек менее глупый, чем шкипер) might have been forgiven (мог бы быть прощен) if he were bewildered by Neilson’s words (если бы слова Нилсона поставили его в тупик). For he seemed faintly to laugh at what he said (ибо, казалось, он /и сам/ почти смеялся над /тем/, что сказал;
He was silent for an instant (он замолчал на мгновение) and looked at the captain with eyes (и посмотрел на капитана глазами) in which there was a sudden perplexity (в которых неожиданно мелькнуло: «было неожиданное» недоумение/растерянность).
"You know, I can’t help thinking (вы знаете, я не могу удержаться от мысли;
"I couldn’t say as I remember you (а я не припоминаю вас: «я не мог бы сказать, что я помню вас»)," returned the skipper (возразил шкипер).
"I have a curious feeling (у меня /такое/ странное чувство) as though your face were familiar to me (как будто бы ваше лицо мне знакомо). It’s been puzzling me for some time (это мучило меня некоторое время;
The skipper massively shrugged his heavy shoulders (шкипер тяжело пожал своими крупными плечами).
"It’s thirty years since I first come to the islands (/прошло уже/ тридцать лет, с тех пор как я впервые приехал на эти острова). A man can’t figure on (нельзя ожидать от человека: «человек не может рассчитывать») remembering all the folk he meets in a while like that (/что он будет/ помнить всех людей, /с которыми/ он встречается за /такой/ промежуток времени как этот)."
laugh [lRf], sentimentality ["sentImen`txlItI], folk [fquk]
Even a man less thick-witted than the skipper might have been forgiven if he were bewildered by Neilson’s words. For he seemed faintly to laugh at what he said. It was as though he spoke from emotion which his intellect found ridiculous. He had said himself that he was a sentimentalist, and when sentimentality is joined with scepticism there is often the devil to pay.
He was silent for an instant and looked at the captain with eyes in which there was a sudden perplexity.
"You know, I can’t help thinking that I’ve seen you before somewhere or other," he said.
"I couldn’t say as I remember you," returned the skipper.
"I have a curious feeling as though your face were familiar to me. It’s been puzzling me for some time. But I can’t situate my recollection in any place or at any time."
The skipper massively shrugged his heavy shoulders.
"It’s thirty years since I first come to the islands. A man can’t figure on remembering all the folk he meets in a while like that."
The Swede shook his head (швед /отрицательно/ покачал головой).
"You know how one sometimes has the feeling (вы знаете, как иногда охватывает чувство;
"Every bit of thirty years (все тридцать лет до одного;
"I wonder if you knew a man called Red (интересно, знали ли вы человека по имени Рыжий)?"
"Red?"
"That is the only name I’ve ever known him by (только под этим именем я его всегда /и/ знал). I never knew him personally (я никогда /не/ знал его лично). I never even set eyes on him (я никогда даже /не/ видел его;
"I can’t say as I have (не могу сказать, чтоб читал)," said the captain.
whimsical [`wImzik(q)l], ancient [`eInS(q)nt], oar [L]
The Swede shook his head.
"You know how one sometimes has the feeling that a place one has never been to before is strangely familiar. That’s how I seem to see you." He gave a whimsical smile. "Perhaps I knew you in some past existence. Perhaps, perhaps you were the master of a galley in ancient Rome and I was a slave at the oar. Thirty years have you been here?"
"Every bit of thirty years."
"I wonder if you knew a man called Red?"
"Red?"
"That is the only name I’ve ever known him by. I never knew him personally. I never even set eyes on him. And yet I seem to see him more clearly than many men, my brothers, for instance, with whom I passed my daily life for many years. He lives in my imagination with the distinctness of a Paolo Malatesta or a Romeo. But I daresay you have never read Dante or Shakespeare?"
"I can’t say as I have," said the captain.
Neilson, smoking a cigar, leaned back in his chair (Нилсон, куря сигару, откинулся на спинку кресла;
"It appears that Red was the most comely thing you ever saw (похоже, что Рыжий был самым привлекательным существом из когда-либо виденных;
appear [q`pIq], comely [`kAmlI], suave [swRv]
Neilson, smoking a cigar, leaned back in his chair and looked vacantly at the ring of smoke which floated in the still air. A smile played on his lips, but his eyes were grave. Then he looked at the captain. There was in his gross obesity something extraordinarily repellent. He had the plethoric self-satisfaction of the very fat. It was an outrage. It set Nelson’s nerves on edge. But the contrast between the man before him and the man he had in mind was pleasant.
"It appears that Red was the most comely thing you ever saw. I’ve talked to quite a number of people who knew him in those days, white men, and they all agree that the first time you saw him his beauty just took your breath away. They called him Red on account of his flaming hair. It had a natural wave and he wore it long. It must have been of that wonderful colour that the pre-Raphaelites raved over. I don’t think he was vain of it, he was much too ingenuous for that, but no one could have blamed him if he had been. He was tall, six feet and an inch or two — in the native house that used to stand here was the mark of his height cut with a knife on the central trunk that supported the roof — and he was made like a Greek god, broad in the shoulders and thin in the flanks; he was like Apollo, with just that soft roundness which Praxiteles gave him, and that suave, feminine grace which has in it something troubling and mysterious. His skin was dazzling white, milky, like satin; his skin was like a woman’s."
"I had kind of a white skin myself when I was a kiddie (/да/ у меня самого была вроде как белая кожа, когда я был ребенком;
But Neilson paid no attention to him (но Нилсон не обратил на него внимание). He was telling his story now (он сейчас рассказывал свою историю) and interruption made him impatient (и он не терпел заминок;
"And his face was just as beautiful as his body (а лицо его было таким же красивым, как его тело). He had large blue eyes (у него были большие синие глаза), very dark (такие темные;
On these words the Swede stopped with a certain sense of the dramatic (при этих словах швед сделал определенно драматическую паузу;
"He was unique (он был единственным в своем роде). There never was anyone more beautiful (никогда /не/ было человека: «кого-нибудь» красивее /его/). There was no more reason for him (для его появления: «для него» было не больше основания) than for a wonderful blossom to flower on a wild plant (чем для прекрасного цветка появиться: «расцвести» на дикорастущем растении). He was a happy accident of nature (он был счастливой случайностью природы).
interruption ["Intq`rApS(q)n], impatient [Im`peIS(q)nt], unique [jH`nJk]
"I had kind of a white skin myself when I was a kiddie," said the skipper, with a twinkle in his bloodshot eyes.
But Neilson paid no attention to him. He was telling his story now and interruption made him impatient.
"And his face was just as beautiful as his body. He had large blue eyes, very dark, so that some say they were black, and unlike most red-haired people he had dark eyebrows and long dark lashes. His features were perfectly regular and his mouth was like a scarlet wound. He was twenty."
On these words the Swede stopped with a certain sense of the dramatic. He took a sip of whisky.
"He was unique. There never was anyone more beautiful. There was no more reason for him than for a wonderful blossom to flower on a wild plant. He was a happy accident of nature.
"One day he landed at that cove (однажды он высадился в той бухте) into which you must have put this morning (в которую вы, должно быть, зашли сегодня утром;
ashore [q`SL], trouble [trAbl], fibre [`faIbq]
"One day he landed at that cove into which you must have put this morning. He was an American sailor, and he had deserted from a man-of-war in Apia. He had induced some good-humoured native to give him a passage on a cutter that happened to be sailing from Apia to Safoto, and he had been put ashore here in a dugout. I do not know why he deserted. Perhaps life on a man-of-war with its restrictions irked him, perhaps he was in trouble, and perhaps it was the South Seas and these romantic islands that got into his bones. Every now and then they take a man strangely, and he finds himself like a fly in a spider’s web. It may be that there was a softness of fibre in him, and these green hills with their soft airs, this blue sea, took the northern strength from him as Delilah took the Nazarite’s. Anyhow, he wanted to hide himself, and he thought he would be safe in this secluded nook till his ship had sailed from Samoa.
"There was a native hut at the cove (там была туземная хижина в этой бухте) and as he stood there (и пока он стоял там), wondering where exactly he should turn his steps (размышляя, куда именно ему направиться;
scarcely [`skFqslI], gesture [`GesCq], palm [pRm]
"There was a native hut at the cove and as he stood there, wondering where exactly he should turn his steps, a young girl came out and invited him to enter. He knew scarcely two words of the native tongue and she as little English. But he understood well enough what her smiles meant, and her pretty gestures, and he followed her. He sat down on a mat and she gave him slices of pineapple to eat. I can speak of Red only from hearsay, but I saw the girl three years after he first met her, and she was scarcely nineteen then. You cannot imagine how exquisite she was. She had the passionate grace of the hibiscus and the rich colour. She was rather tall, slim, with the delicate features of her race, and large eyes like pools of still water under the palm trees; her hair, black and curling, fell down her back, and she wore a wreath of scented flowers. Her hands were lovely. They were so small, so exquisitely formed, they gave your heart-strings a wrench. And in those days she laughed easily. Her smile was so delightful that it made your knees shake. Her skin was like a field of ripe corn on a summer day. Good Heavens, how can I describe her? She was too beautiful to be real.
"And these two young things (и эти два юных существа), she was sixteen and he was twenty (ей было шестнадцать, а ему двадцать), fell in love with one another at first sight (полюбили друг друга с первого взгляда;
community [kq`mjHnItI], dewy [`djHI], resign [rI`zaIn]
"And these two young things, she was sixteen and he was twenty, fell in love with one another at first sight. That is the real love, not the love that comes from sympathy, common interests, or intellectual community, but love pure and simple. That is the love that Adam felt for Eve when he awoke and found her in the garden gazing at him with dewy eyes. That is the love that draws the beasts to one another, and the Gods. That is the love that makes the world a miracle. That is the love which gives life its pregnant meaning. You have never heard of the wise, cynical French duke who said that with two lovers there is always one who loves and one who lets himself be loved; it is bitter truth to which most of us have to resign ourselves; but now and then there are two who love and two who let themselves be loved. Then one might fancy that the sun stands still as it stood when Joshua prayed to the God of Israel.
"And even now after all these years (и даже сейчас после стольких: «всех этих» лет), when I think of these two (когда я думаю об этих двоих), so young (таких молодых), so fair (таких прекрасных), so simple (таких простых), and of their love (и об их любви), I feel a pang (я чувствую острую боль). It tears my heart (она разрывает мое сердца) just as my heart is torn (также как мое сердце разрывается) when on certain nights I watch the full moon (когда иногда по ночам я смотрю на полную луну;
"They were children (они были /еще/ детьми). She was good and sweet and kind (она была хорошей, милой и доброй). I know nothing of him (я ничего /не/ знаю о нем), and I like to think (и мне хотелось бы думать) that then at all events he was ingenuous and frank (что, во всяком случае, в ту пору он был простым и искренним). I like to think that his soul was as comely as his body (мне хотелось бы думать, что его душа была также красива, как его тело). But I daresay he had no more soul than the creatures of the woods and forests (но полагаю, /что/ у него было не больше души, чем у тех лесных созданий;
ingenuous [In`Genjuqs], bathe [beID], possession [pq`zeS(q)n]
"And even now after all these years, when I think of these two, so young, so fair, so simple, and of their love, I feel a pang. It tears my heart just as my heart is torn when on certain nights I watch the full moon shining on the lagoon from an unclouded sky. There is always pain in the contemplation of perfect beauty.
"They were children. She was good and sweet and kind. I know nothing of him, and I like to think that then at all events he was ingenuous and frank. I like to think that his soul was as comely as his body. But I daresay he had no more soul than the creatures of the woods and forests who made pipes from reeds and bathed in the mountain streams when the world was young, and you might catch sight of little fauns galloping through the glade on the back of a bearded centaur. A soul is a troublesome possession and when man developed it he lost the Garden of Eden.
"Well, when Red came to the island (ну, когда Рыжий прибыл на этот остров) it had recently been visited by one of those epidemics (тот незадолго до этого пострадал от одной из тех эпидемий;
cousin [kAzn], wrinkle [rINkl], business [`bIznIs]
"Well, when Red came to the island it had recently been visited by one of those epidemics which the white man brought to the South Seas, and one third of the inhabitants had died. It seems that the girl had lost all her near kin and she lived now in the house of distant cousins. The household consisted of two ancient crones, bowed and wrinkled, two younger women, and a man and a boy. For a few days he stayed there. But perhaps he felt himself too near the shore, with the possibility that he might fall in with white men who would reveal his hiding-place; perhaps the lovers could not bear that the company of others should rob them for an instant of the delight of being together. One morning they set out, the pair of them, with the few things that belonged to the girl, and walked along a grassy path under the coconuts, till they came to the creek you see. They had to cross the bridge you crossed, and the girl laughed gleefully because he was afraid. She held his hand till they came to the end of the first tree, and then his courage failed him and he had to go back. He was obliged to take off all his clothes before he could risk it, and she carried them over for him on her head. They settled down in the empty hut that stood there. Whether she had any rights over it (land tenure is a complicated business in the islands), or whether the owner had died during the epidemic, I do not know, but anyhow no one questioned them, and they took possession. Their furniture consisted of a couple of grass-mats on which they slept, a fragment of looking-glass, and a bowl or two. In this pleasant land that is enough to start housekeeping on.
"They say that happy people have no history (говорят, что у счастливых людей нет истории), and certainly a happy love has none (и, конечно, нет ее у счастливой любви;
lethargic [le`TRGIk], delicious [dI`lISqs], breadfruit [`bredfrHt]
"They say that happy people have no history, and certainly a happy love has none. They did nothing all day long and yet the days seemed all too short. The girl had a native name, but Red called her Sally. He picked up the easy language very quickly, and he used to lie on the mat for hours while she chattered gaily to him. He was a silent fellow, and perhaps his mind was lethargic. He smoked incessantly the cigarettes which she made him out of the native tobacco and pandanus leaf, and he watched her while with deft fingers she made grass mats. Often natives would come in and tell long stories of the old days when the island was disturbed by tribal wars. Sometimes he would go fishing on the reef, and bring home a basket full of coloured fish. Sometimes at night he would go out with a lantern to catch lobster. There were plantains round the hut and Sally would roast them for their frugal meal. She knew how to make delicious messes from coconuts, and the breadfruit tree by the side of the creek gave them its fruit. On feast-days they killed a little pig and cooked it on hot stones.
"They bathed together in the creek (они вместе купались в речке); and in the evening they went down to the lagoon (а вечером они спускались к лагуне) and paddled about in a dugout, with its great outrigger (и катались туда-сюда в челноке с его огромным стабилизатором;
aquamarine ["xkwqmq`rJn], liquid [`lIkwId], butterfly [`bAtqflaI]
"They bathed together in the creek; and in the evening they went down to the lagoon and paddled about in a dug-out, with its great outrigger. The sea was deep blue, wine-coloured at sundown, like the sea of Homeric Greece; but in the lagoon the colour had an infinite variety, aquamarine and amethyst and emerald; and the setting sun turned it for a short moment to liquid gold. Then there was the colour of the coral, brown, white, pink, red, purple; and the shapes it took were marvellous. It was like a magic garden, and the hurrying fish were like butterflies. It strangely lacked reality. Among the coral were pools with a floor of white sand and here, where the water was dazzling clear, it was very good to bathe. Then, cool and happy, they wandered back in the gloaming over the soft grass road to the creek, walking hand in hand, and now the mynah birds filled the coconut trees with their clamour. And then the night, with that great sky shining with gold, that seemed to stretch more widely than the skies of Europe, and the soft airs that blew gently through the open hut, the long night again was all too short. She was sixteen and he was barely twenty. The dawn crept in among the wooden pillars of the hut and looked at those lovely children sleeping in one another’s arms. The sun hid behind the great tattered leaves of the plantains so that it might not disturb them, and then, with playful malice, shot a golden ray, like the outstretched paw of a Persian cat, on their faces. They opened their sleepy eyes and they smiled to welcome another day.
"The weeks lengthened into months (недели постепенно перешли в месяцы), and a year passed (и /вот/ прошел год). They seemed to love one another as (они, казалось, любили друг друга также;
If you had asked them (если бы вы спросили их) I have no doubt (я не сомневаюсь) that they would have thought it impossible to suppose (что они бы подумали, /что/ это невозможно /даже/ предположить) their love could ever cease (/что/ их любовь могла бы когда-нибудь закончиться;
"‘Gee,’ he said (вот здорово, — сказал он), ‘I wonder if I could make a trade of some nuts and plantains (интересно, смог бы я совершить сделку =
lengthen [`leNT(q)n], touch [tAC], weariness [`wIqrInIs]
"The weeks lengthened into months, and a year passed. They seemed to love one another as — I hesitate to say passionately, for passion has in it always a shade of sadness, a touch of bitterness or anguish, but as whole-heartedly, as simply and naturally as on that first day on which, meeting, they had recognised that a god was in them.
If you had asked them I have no doubt that they would have thought it impossible to suppose their love could ever cease. Do we not know that the essential element of love is a belief in its own eternity? And yet perhaps in Red there was already a very little seed, unknown to himself and unsuspected by the girl, which would in time have grown to weariness. For one day one of the natives from the cove told them that some way down the coast at the anchorage was a British whaling-ship.
"‘Gee,’ he said, ‘I wonder if I could make a trade of some nuts and plantains for a pound or two of tobacco.’
"The pandanus cigarettes that Sally made him with untiring hands (пандановые сигареты, которые Салли неустанно: «неутомимыми руками» делала ему) were strong and pleasant enough to smoke (были достаточно крепкими и приятными, «чтобы курить»), but they left him unsatisfied (но они не удовлетворяли его /до конца/: «оставляли его неудовлетворенным»); and he yearned on a sudden for real tobacco (и он затосковал вдруг по настоящему табаку), hard, rank, and pungent (крепкому, вонючему и едкому). He had not smoked a pipe for many months (он не курил трубку /уже/ много месяцев). His mouth watered at the thought of it (у него текли слюнки: «его рот увлажнялся» при мысли об этом). One would have thought (можно было подумать) some premonition of harm would have made Sally seek to dissuade him (/что/ некое предчувствие недоброго заставит Салли попытаться отговорить его), but love possessed her so completely (но любовь захватила ее настолько всецело;
"It was the last time she ever saw him (это был последний раз, /когда/ она вообще видела его).
"Next day the boy came back alone (на следующий день мальчик вернулся: «пришел назад» один). He was all in tears (он был весь в слезах). This is the story he told (вот история, /которую/ он рассказал).
yearn [jWn], dissuade [dI`sweId], occur [q`kW]
"The pandanus cigarettes that Sally made him with untiring hands were strong and pleasant enough to smoke, but they left him unsatisfied; and he yearned on a sudden for real tobacco, hard, rank, and pungent. He had not smoked a pipe for many months. His mouth watered at the thought of it. One would have thought some premonition of harm would have made Sally seek to dissuade him, but love possessed her so completely that it never occurred to her any power on earth could take him from her. They went up into the hills together and gathered a great basket of wild oranges, green, but sweet and juicy; and they picked plantains from around the hut, and coconuts from their trees, and breadfruit and mangoes; and they carried them down to the cove. They loaded the unstable canoe with them, and Red and the native boy who had brought them the news of the ship paddled along outside the reef.
"It was the last time she ever saw him.
"Next day the boy came back alone. He was all in tears. This is the story he told.
"When after their long paddle they reached the ship (когда после своего долгого плавания они добрались до корабля;
rough [rAf], seize [sJz], canoe [kq`nH]
"When after their long paddle they reached the ship and Red hailed it, a white man looked over the side and told them to come on board. They took the fruit they had brought with them and Red piled it up on the deck. The white man and he began to talk, and they seemed to come to some agreement. One of them went below and brought up tobacco. Red took some at once and lit a pipe. The boy imitated the zest with which he blew a great cloud of smoke from his mouth. Then they said something to him and he went into the cabin. Through the open door the boy, watching curiously, saw a bottle brought out and glasses. Red drank and smoked. They seemed to ask him something, for he shook his head and laughed. The man, the first man who had spoken to them, laughed too, and he filled Red’s glass once more. They went on talking and drinking, and presently, growing tired of watching a sight that meant nothing to him, the boy curled himself up on the deck and slept. He was awakened by a kick; and jumping to his feet, he saw that the ship was slowly sailing out of the lagoon. He caught sight of Red seated at the table, with his head resting heavily on his arms, fast asleep. He made a movement towards him, intending to wake him, but a rough hand seized his arm, and a man, with a scowl and words which he did not understand, pointed to the side. He shouted to Red, but in a moment he was seized and flung overboard. Helpless, he swam round to his canoe, which was drifting a little way off, and pushed it on to the reef. He climbed in and, sobbing all the way, paddled back to shore.
"What had happened was obvious enough (/то/, что произошло, было довольно очевидным). The whaler, by desertion or sickness (китобойному судну из-за дезертирства или болезней), was short of hands (не хватало матросов;
"Sally was beside herself with grief (Салли была вне себя от горя). For three days she screamed and cried (в течение трех дней она кричала и плакала;
aboard [q`bLd], exhaust [Ig`zLst], through [TrH]
"What had happened was obvious enough. The whaler, by desertion or sickness, was short of hands, and the captain when Red came aboard had asked him to sign on; on his refusal he had made him drunk and kidnapped him.
"Sally was beside herself with grief. For three days she screamed and cried. The natives did what they could to comfort her, but she would not be comforted. She would not eat. And then, exhausted, she sank into a sullen apathy. She spent long days at the cove, watching the lagoon, in the vain hope that Red somehow or other would manage to escape. She sat on the white sand, hour after hour, with the tears running down her cheeks, and at night dragged herself wearily back across the creek to the little hut where she had been happy. The people with whom she had lived before Red came to the island wished her to return to them, but she would not; she was convinced that Red would come back, and she wanted him to find her where he had left her. Four months later she was delivered of a still-born child, and the old woman who had come to help her through her confinement remained with her in the hut. All joy was taken from her life. If her anguish with time became less intolerable it was replaced by a settled melancholy.
"You would not have thought that among these people (вы бы /даже/ не подумали, что среди этих людей), whose emotions, though so violent, are very transient (чьи чувства, хоть /и/ столь страстные, /все же/ очень недолговечны;
Neilson stopped talking and gave a faint sigh (Нилсон прекратил свой рассказ: «прекратил говорить» и слегка вздохнул: «издал слабый вздох»).
"And what happened to her in the end (и что /же/ случилось с ней потом: «в конце»)?" asked the skipper.
Neilson smiled bitterly (Нилсон улыбнулся с горечью: «горько»).
"Oh, three years afterwards she took up with another white man (о, тремя годами позже она сблизилась с другим белым мужчиной)."
The skipper gave a fat, cynical chuckle (шкипер издал сальный, циничный смешок).
"That’s generally what happens to them (это обычно и случается с ними)," he said.
The Swede shot him a look of hatred (швед бросил на него взгляд, /полный/ ненависти;
gross [grqus], obese [qu`bJs], ambitious [xm`bISqs]
"You would not have thought that among these people, whose emotions, though so violent, are very transient, a woman could be found capable of so enduring a passion. She never lost the profound conviction that sooner or later Red would come back. She watched for him, and every time someone crossed this slender little bridge of coconut trees she looked. It might at last be he."
Neilson stopped talking and gave a faint sigh.
"And what happened to her in the end?" asked the skipper.
Neilson smiled bitterly.
"Oh, three years afterwards she took up with another white man."
The skipper gave a fat, cynical chuckle.
"That’s generally what happens to them," he said.
The Swede shot him a look of hatred. He did not know why that gross, obese man excited in him so violent a repulsion. But his thoughts wandered and he found his mind filled with memories of the past. He went back five and twenty years. It was when he first came to the island, weary of Apia, with its heavy drinking, its gambling and coarse sensuality, a sick man, trying to resign himself to the loss of the career which had fired his imagination with ambitious thought. He set behind him resolutely all his hopes of making a great name for himself and strove to content himself with the few poor months of careful life which was all that he could count on.
He was boarding with a half-caste trader (он проживал у торговца-метиса;
"Do you think he’ll ever come back (/как/ вы думаете, он когда-нибудь вернется)?" asked Neilson.
"No fear (конечно нет). Why, it’ll be a couple of years before the ship is paid off (да пройдет пара лет, прежде чем команда: «корабль» получит расчет), and by then he’ll have forgotten all about her (и к тому времени он /уже/ совсем: «всё» забудет о ней). I bet he was pretty mad (держу пари, он был довольно взбешен) when he woke up and found he’d been shanghaied (когда он проснулся и обнаружил, /что/ с ним так поступили;
half-caste [`hRfkRst], magnificent [mxg`nIfIsnt], shanghai [SxN`haI]
He was boarding with a half-caste trader who had a store a couple of miles along the coast at the edge of a native village; and one day, wandering aimlessly along the grassy paths of the coconut groves, he had come upon the hut in which Sally lived. The beauty of the spot had filled him with a rapture so great that it was almost painful, and then he had seen Sally. She was the loveliest creature he had ever seen, and the sadness in those dark, magnificent eyes of hers affected him strangely. The Kanakas were a handsome race, and beauty was not rare among them, but it was the beauty of shapely animals. It was empty. But those tragic eyes were dark with mystery, and you felt in them the bitter complexity of the groping, human soul. The trader told him the story and it moved him.
"Do you think he’ll ever come back?" asked Neilson.
"No fear. Why, it’ll be a couple of years before the ship is paid off, and by then he’ll have forgotten all about her. I bet he was pretty mad when he woke up and found he’d been shanghaied, and I shouldn’t wonder but he wanted to fight somebody. But he’d got to grin and bear it, and I guess in a month he was thinking it the best thing that had ever happened to him that he got away from the island."
But Neilson could not get the story out of his head (но Нилсон /никак/ не мог выбросить этот рассказ из головы). Perhaps because he was sick and weakly (может быть, потому, что он /сам/ был больным и хилым), the radiant health of Red appealed to his imagination (сияющее здоровье Рыжего =
It was not till he had seen her two or three times (не раньше чем =
insignificant ["InsIg`nIfIkqnt], appearance [q`pIqr(q)ns], Psyche [`saIki(:)]
But Neilson could not get the story out of his head. Perhaps because he was sick and weakly, the radiant health of Red appealed to his imagination. Himself an ugly man, insignificant of appearance, he prized very highly comeliness in others. He had never been passionately in love, and certainly he had never been passionately loved. The mutual attraction of those two young things gave him a singular delight. It had the ineffable beauty of the Absolute. He went again to the little hut by the creek. He had a gift for languages and an energetic mind, accustomed to work, and he had already given much time to the study of the local tongue. Old habit was strong in him and he was gathering together material for a paper on the Samoan speech. The old crone who shared the hut with Sally invited him to come in and sit down. She gave him
It was not till he had seen her two or three times that he induced her to speak. Then it was only to ask him if he had seen in Apia a man called Red. Two years had passed since his disappearance, but it was plain that she still thought of him incessantly.
It did not take Neilson long to discover (это не заняло /у/ Нилсона много времени: «долго», чтобы понять: «обнаружить») that he was in love with her (что он был влюблен в нее). It was only by an effort of will now (теперь только усилием воли) that he prevented himself from going every day to the creek (он не давал себе каждый день ходить к речке;
cough [kOf], disease [dI`zJz], exhilarate [Ig`zIlqreIt]
It did not take Neilson long to discover that he was in love with her. It was only by an effort of will now that he prevented himself from going every day to the creek, and when he was not with Sally his thoughts were. At first, looking upon himself as a dying man, he asked only to look at her, and occasionally hear her speak, and his love gave him a wonderful happiness. He exulted in its purity. He wanted nothing from her but the opportunity to weave around her graceful person a web of beautiful fancies. But the open air, the equable temperature, the rest, the simple fare, began to have an unexpected effect on his health. His temperature did not soar at night to such alarming heights, he coughed less and began to put on weight; six months passed without his having a haemorrhage; and on a sudden he saw the possibility that he might live. He had studied his disease carefully, and the hope dawned upon him that with great care he might arrest its course. It exhilarated him to look forward once more to the future. He made plans. It was evident that any active life was out of the question, but he could live on the islands, and the small income he had, insufficient elsewhere, would be ample to keep him. He could grow coconuts; that would give him an occupation; and he would send for his books and a piano; but his quick mind saw that in all this he was merely trying to conceal from himself the desire which obsessed him.
He wanted Sally (ему нужна была Салли;
He asked her to live with him (он попросил =
miraculous [mI`rxkjulqs], irresistible ["IrI`zIstqbl], neighbour [`neIbq]
He wanted Sally. He loved not only her beauty, but that dim soul which he divined behind her suffering eyes. He would intoxicate her with his passion. In the end he would make her forget. And in an ecstasy of surrender he fancied himself giving her too the happiness which he had thought never to know again, but had now so miraculously achieved.
He asked her to live with him. She refused. He had expected that and did not let it depress him, for he was sure that sooner or later she would yield. His love was irresistible. He told the old woman of his wishes, and found somewhat to his surprise that she and the neighbours, long aware of them, were strongly urging Sally to accept his offer. After all, every native was glad to keep house for a white man, and Neilson according to the standards of the island was a rich one. The trader with whom he boarded went to her and told her not to be a fool; such an opportunity would not come again, and after so long she could not still believe that Red would ever return. The girl’s resistance only increased Neilson’s desire, and what had been a very pure love now became an agonising passion. He was determined that nothing should stand in his way. He gave Sally no peace. At last, worn out by his persistence and the persuasions, by turns pleading and angry, of everyone around her, she consented.
But the day after (но на следующий день), when exultant he went to see her (когда, ликующий, он пошел навестить ее) he found that in the night she had burnt down the hut (он обнаружил, что ночью она сожгла дотла ту хижину) in which she and Red had lived together (в которой она и Рыжий жили вместе). The old crone ran towards him full of angry abuse of Sally (старая карга бежала к нему, сердито ругая Салли: «полная сердитой ругани в адрес Салли»), but he waved her aside (но он отмахнулся от нее); it did not matter (это не имело значения); they would build a bungalow on the place where the hut had stood (они построят бунгало на том месте, где стояла хижина). A European house would really be more convenient (европейский дом был бы, в самом деле, удобнее) if he wanted to bring out a piano and a vast number of books (если он хотел вывезти =
And so the little wooden house was built (так и был построен маленький деревянный дом) in which he had now lived for many years (в котором он уже прожил много лет), and Sally became his wife (а Салли стала его женой). But after the first few weeks of rapture (но после первых нескольких недель восторга), during which he was satisfied with what she gave him (в течение которых он был доволен: «удовлетворен» тем, что она давала ему), he had known little happiness (он познал мало счастья). She had yielded to him, through weariness (она уступила ему, устав /сопротивляться/: «от усталости»), but she had only yielded what she set no store on (но она уступила только /то/, чему /не/ придавала никакого значения). The soul which he had dimly glimpsed escaped him (та душа, которую он неясно увидел мельком, ускользнула от него). He knew that she cared nothing for him (он знал, что она совсем не любит его;
escape [Is`keIp], notwithstanding ["nOtwIT`stxndIN], generosity ["Genq`rOsItI]
But the day after, when exultant he went to see her he found that in the night she had burnt down the hut in which she and Red had lived together. The old crone ran towards him full of angry abuse of Sally, but he waved her aside; it did not matter; they would build a bungalow on the place where the hut had stood. A European house would really be more convenient if he wanted to bring out a piano and a vast number of books.
And so the little wooden house was built in which he had now lived for many years, and Sally became his wife. But after the first few weeks of rapture, during which he was satisfied with what she gave him, he had known little happiness. She had yielded to him, through weariness, but she had only yielded what she set no store on. The soul which he had dimly glimpsed escaped him. He knew that she cared nothing for him. She still loved Red, and all the time she was waiting for his return. At a sign from him, Neilson knew that, notwithstanding his love, his tenderness, his sympathy, his generosity, she would leave him without a moment’s hesitation. She would never give a thought to his distress.
Anguish seized him (ему стало больно: «боль охватила его») and he battered at that impenetrable self of hers (и он /старался/ пробить брешь в этом ее неприступном «я»;
feign [feIn], sanctuary [`sxNkCuqrI], numb [nAm]
Anguish seized him and he battered at that impenetrable self of hers which sullenly resisted him. His love became bitter. He tried to melt her heart with kindness, but it remained as hard as before; he feigned indifference, but she did not notice it. Sometimes he lost his temper and abused her, and then she wept silently. Sometimes he thought she was nothing but a fraud, and that soul simply an invention of his own, and that he could not get into the sanctuary of her heart because there was no sanctuary there. His love became a prison from which he longed to escape, but he had not the strength merely to open the door — that was all it needed — and walk out into the open air. It was torture and at last he became numb and hopeless. In the end the fire burnt itself out and, when he saw her eyes rest for an instant on the slender bridge, it was no longer rage that filled his heart but impatience. For many years now they had lived together bound by the ties of habit and convenience, and it was with a smile that he looked back on his old passion. She was an old woman, for the women on the islands age quickly, and if he had no love for her any more he had tolerance. She left him alone. He was contented with his piano and his books.
His thoughts led him to a desire for words (его мысли привели его к =
"When I look back now (когда я сейчас оглядываюсь назад) and reflect on that brief passionate love of Red and Sally (и размышляю над той недолгой страстной любовью Рыжего и Салли), I think that perhaps they should thank the ruthless fate (я думаю, что, может быть, им следует поблагодарить безжалостную судьбу) that separated them (что разлучила их) when their love seemed still to be at its height (когда их любовь, казалось, все еще была на своем пике;
"I don’t know exactly as I get you (я не знаю даже, понимаю ли я вас;
"The tragedy of love is not death or separation (трагедия любви — не смерть или разлука). How long do you think it would have been (как долго, вы думаете, это бы продлилось: «было») before one or other of them ceased to care (прежде чем кто-нибудь: «один или другой» из них перестал любить;
tragedy [`trxGIdI], separation ["sepq`reIS(q)n], dreadful [`dredful]
His thoughts led him to a desire for words.
"When I look back now and reflect on that brief passionate love of Red and Sally, I think that perhaps they should thank the ruthless fate that separated them when their love seemed still to be at its height. They suffered, but they suffered in beauty. They were spared the real tragedy of love."
"I don’t know exactly as I get you," said the skipper.
"The tragedy of love is not death or separation. How long do you think it would have been before one or other of them ceased to care? Oh, it is dreadfully bitter to look at a woman whom you have loved with all your heart and soul, so that you felt you could not bear to let her out of your sight, and realise that you would not mind if you never saw her again. The tragedy of love is indifference."
But while he was speaking a very extraordinary thing happened (но пока он говорил, случилось нечто очень странное;
"What is your name (как ваше имя)?" he asked abruptly (спросил он резко).
outrageous [aut`reIGqs], haphazard [`hxp`hxzqd], abruptly [q`brAptlI]
But while he was speaking a very extraordinary thing happened. Though he had been addressing the skipper he had not been talking to him, he had been putting his thoughts into words for himself, and with his eyes fixed on the man in front of him he had not seen him. But now an image presented itself to them, an image not of the man he saw, but of another man. It was as though he were looking into one of those distorting mirrors that make you extraordinarily squat or outrageously elongate, but here exactly the opposite took place, and in the obese, ugly old man he caught the shadowy glimpse of a stripling. He gave him now a quick, searching scrutiny. Why had a haphazard stroll brought him just to this place? A sudden tremor of his heart made him slightly breathless. And absurd suspicion seized him. What had occurred to him was impossible, and yet it might be a fact.
"What is your name?" he asked abruptly.
The skipper’s face puckered (шкипер поморщился: «лицо шкипера сморщилось») and he gave a cunning chuckle (и он издал лукавый смешок). He looked then malicious and horribly vulgar (у него при этом был злорадный и ужасно вульгарный вид;
"It’s such a damned long time (так чертовски много времени /прошло/) since I heard it (с тех пор как я слышал его /в последний раз/) that I almost forget it myself (что я почти и сам его забыл). But for thirty years now (но вот уже как тридцать лет) in the islands they’ve always called me Red (на этих островах они всегда звали меня Рыжим)."
His huge form shook as he gave a low, almost silent laugh (его громадное тело затряслось, когда он негромко, почти что беззвучно рассмеялся;
Neilson gave a gasp (у Нилсона перехватило дыхание;
malicious [mq`lISqs], obscene [qb`sJn], breast [brest]
The skipper’s face puckered and he gave a cunning chuckle. He looked then malicious and horribly vulgar.
"It’s such a damned long time since I heard it that I almost forget it myself. But for thirty years now in the islands they’ve always called me Red."
His huge form shook as he gave a low, almost silent laugh. It was obscene. Neilson shuddered. Red was hugely amused, and from his bloodshot eyes tears ran down his cheeks.
Neilson gave a gasp, for at that moment a woman came in. She was a native, a woman of somewhat commanding presence, stout without being corpulent, dark, for the natives grow darker with age, with very grey hair. She wore a black Mother Hubbard, and its thinness showed her heavy breasts. The moment had come.
She made an observation to Neilson about some household matter (она что-то сказала Нилсону насчет каких-то домашних дел;
Neilson for a moment could not speak (Нилсон на минуту потерял дар речи: «не мог говорить»). He was strangely shaken (он был /как-то/ странно потрясен). Then he said (затем он сказал):
"I’d be very glad if you’d stay (я был бы очень рад, если бы вы остались) and have a bit of dinner with me (и немного перекусили: «отобедали» со мной). Pot luck (чем Бог послал;
"I don’t think I will (не думаю, что останусь)," said Red. "I must go after this fellow Gray (я должен разыскать этого парня, Грэя). I’ll give him his stuff (я отдам ему его барахло) and then I’ll get away (а потом я уплыву;
"I’ll send a boy along with you to show you the way (я пошлю мальчика вместе с вами, /чтобы он/ показал вам дорогу)."
"That’ll be fine (вот и отлично)."
observation ["Obzq(:)`veIS(q)n], wonder [`wAndq], strange [streInG]
She made an observation to Neilson about some household matter and he answered. He wondered if his voice sounded as unnatural to her as it did to himself. She gave the man who was sitting in the chair by the window an indifferent glance, and went out of the room. The moment had come and gone.
Neilson for a moment could not speak. He was strangely shaken. Then he said:
"I’d be very glad if you’d stay and have a bit of dinner with me. Pot luck."
"I don’t think I will," said Red. "I must go after this fellow Gray. I’ll give him his stuff and then I’ll get away. I want to be back in Apia tomorrow."
"I’ll send a boy along with you to show you the way."
"That’ll be fine."
Red heaved himself out of his chair (Рыжий /тяжело/ поднялся из своего кресла;
"Don’t fall in (не упадите в /воду/)," said Neilson.
"Not on your life (ни за что)."
Neilson watched him make his way across (Нилсон наблюдал, /как/ он идет на ту сторону /речки/;
prevent [prI`vent], grotesque [grqu`tesk], hysterical [hIs`terIk(q)l]
Red heaved himself out of his chair, while the Swede called one of the boys who worked on the plantation. He told him where the skipper wanted to go, and the boy stepped along the bridge. Red prepared to follow him.
"Don’t fall in," said Neilson.
"Not on your life."
Neilson watched him make his way across and when he had disappeared among the coconuts he looked still. Then he sank heavily in his chair. Was that the man who had prevented him from being happy? Was that the man whom Sally had loved all these years and for whom she had waited so desperately? It was grotesque. A sudden fury seized him so that he had an instinct to spring up and smash everything around him. He had been cheated. They had seen each other at last and had not known it. He began to laugh, mirthlessly, and his laughter grew till it became hysterical. The Gods had played him a cruel trick. And he was old now.
At last Sally came in to tell him dinner was ready (наконец Салли вошла, /чтобы/ сказать ему, /что/ обед был готов). He sat down in front of her and tried to eat (он сел напротив нее и пытался есть;
"What did that man want (чего хотел тот мужчина)?" she asked presently (спросила она спустя некоторое время).
He did not answer at once (он ответил не сразу). She was too old (она была очень/слишком старой), a fat old native woman (толстая старая туземка). He wondered why he had ever loved her so madly (он удивлялся, почему же когда-то он любил ее так безумно). He had laid at her feet all the treasures of his soul (он положил к ее ногам все сокровища своей души;
"He’s the captain of a schooner (он капитан одной шхуны). He’s come from Apia (он прибыл из Апии)."
"Yes (да)."
"He brought me news from home (он привез мне новость из дома). My eldest brother is very ill (мой старший брат очень болен;
"Will you be gone long (ты долго будешь в отъезде: «уехавшим»)?"
He shrugged his shoulders (он пожал плечами).
front [frAnt], hatred [`heItrId], treasure [`treZq]
At last Sally came in to tell him dinner was ready. He sat down in front of her and tried to eat. He wondered what she would say if he told her now that the fat old man sitting in the chair was the lover whom she remembered still with the passionate abandonment of her youth. Years ago, when he hated her because she made him so unhappy, he would have been glad to tell her. He wanted to hurt her then as she hurt him, because his hatred was only love. But now he did not care. He shrugged his shoulders listlessly.
"What did that man want?" she asked presently.
He did not answer at once. She was too old, a fat old native woman. He wondered why he had ever loved her so madly. He had laid at her feet all the treasures of his soul, and she had cared nothing for them. Waste, what waste! And now, when he looked at her, he felt only contempt. His patience was at last exhausted. He answered her question.
"He’s the captain of a schooner. He’s come from Apia."
"Yes."
"He brought me news from home. My eldest brother is very ill and I must go back."
"Will you be gone long?"
He shrugged his shoulders.