Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

She felt in tremendous form. They had been playing the play, it was calledThe

Powder Puff, for a good many weeks, but tonight Julia played it as though it

were the first time. Her performance was brilliant. She got laughs that she

had never got before. She always had magnetism, but on this occasion it

seemed to flow over the house in a great radiance. Michael happened to be

watching the last two acts from the corner of a box and at the end he came

into her dressing-room.

"D'you know the prompter says we played nine minutes longer tonight, they

laughed so much."

"Seven curtain calls. I thought the public were going on all night."

"Well, you've only got to blame yourself, darling (ну, тебе нужно винить только

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себя, дорогая). There's no one in the world (больше нет никого в мире) who

could have given the performance (кто мог бы дать такое же представление)

you gave tonight (/какое/ ты дала сегодня вечером)."

"To tell you the truth (сказать по правде) I was enjoying myself (я /и сама/

получала удовольствие). Christ, I'm hungry (Боже, /как/ я голодна). What have

we got for supper (что у нас на ужин)?"

"Tripe and onions (рубец с луком)."

"Oh, how divine (о, как божественно)!" She flung her arms round his neck (она

обняла его за шею: «раскинула свои руки вокруг его шеи»; to fling —

бросать, метать) and kissed him (и поцеловала его). "I adore tripe and onions

(я обожаю рубец с луком). Oh, Michael, Michael, if you love me (о, Майкл,

Майкл, если ты любишь меня), if you've got any spark of tenderness (если у

тебя есть хоть искра нежности) in that hard heart of yours (в твоем жестоком

сердце), let me have a bottle of beer (позволь мне выпить бутылочку пива)."

"Julia."

"Just this once (только сегодня). It's not often (не очень часто) I ask you to do

anything for me (я прошу тебя сделать что-нибудь для меня)."

"Oh well (ну хорошо), after the performance you gave tonight (после такого

представления, которое ты дала сегодня) I suppose I can't say no (/я/ полагаю,

что не могу сказать нет), but by God (но, ей-богу), I'll see (я прослежу за тем)

that Miss Phillips pitches into you tomorrow (чтобы мисс Филлипс задала тебе

хорошенько завтра; to pitch into smb. — разг. набрасываться, нападать на

кого-либо)."

hungry ['hANgrI] divine [dI'vaIn] tenderness ['tendqnIs]

"Well, you've only got to blame yourself, darling. There's no one in the world

who could have given the performance you gave tonight."

"To tell you the truth I was enjoying myself. Christ, I'm hungry. What have

we got for supper?"

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"Tripe and onions."

"Oh, how divine!" She flung her arms round his neck and kissed him. "I

adore tripe and onions. Oh, Michael, Michael, if you love me, if you've got any

spark of tenderness in that hard heart of yours, let me have a bottle of beer."

"Julia."

"Just this once. It's not often I ask you to do anything for me."

"Oh well, after the performance you gave tonight I suppose I can't say no, but

by God, I'll see that Miss Phillips pitches into you tomorrow."

12

WHEN Julia got to bed (когда Джулия легла в постель) and slipped her feet

down (и легко вытянула ноги; to slip down — соскользнуть, поскользнуться)

to the comfort of her hot-water bottle (чтобы почувствовать комфорт своей

грелки; hot — горячий; water — вода; bottle — бутыль), she took a happy look

at her room (она счастливо оглядела свою комнату), rose-pink and Nattier-blue