Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

Cheshire ['tSeSq] thrill [TrIl] naпve, naive [ |

It seemed a matter of no interest to her. A few minutes later another couple passed

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them.

"Look, there's Lady Lepard."

"Who's she?"

"Don't you remember, they had a big party at their place in Cheshire a few weeks

ago and the Prince of Wales was there. It was in the Bystander."

Oh, that was how he got all his information. Poor sweet. He read about grand

people in the papers and now and then, at a restaurant or a theatre, saw them in the

flesh. Of course it was a thrill for him. Romance. If he only knew how dull they

were really! This innocent passion for the persons whose photographs appear in the

illustrated papers made him seem incredibly naive, and she looked at him with

tender eyes.

"Have you ever taken an actress out to supper before (ты когда-нибудь

приглашал актрису на ужин в ресторан раньше)?"

He blushed scarlet (он пунцово зарделся).

"Never (никогда)."

She hated to let him pay the bill (ей очень не хотелось, чтобы он оплачивал

счет; to hate — ненавидеть, испытывать отвращение, очень сожалеть), she

had an inkling (она подразумевала) that it was costing pretty well his week's

salary (что /ужин/ стоил совершенно спокойно: «довольно хорошо», его

недельную зарплату), but she knew it would hurt his pride (но она знала, что это

заденет его самолюбие; to hurt — причинять боль) if she offered to pay it

herself (если она предложит оплатить его самой). She asked casually (она

спросила между делом) what the time was (который час: «сколько времени»)

and instinctively he looked at his wrist (и по привычке: «инстинктивно»

посмотрел на свое запястье).

"I forgot to put on my watch (я забыл надеть часы)."

She gave him a searching look (она посмотрела на него проницательно).

"Have you pawned it (ты заложил их)?"

He reddened again (он снова покраснел).

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"No. I dressed in rather a hurry tonight (нет, я одевался в спешке сегодня

вечером)."

blush [blAS] inkling ['INklIN] instinctively [In'stINktIvlI] pawn [pO:n]

"Have you ever taken an actress out to supper before?"

He blushed scarlet.

"Never."

She hated to let him pay the bill, she had an inkling that it was costing pretty well

his week's salary, but she knew it would hurt his pride if she offered to pay it

herself. She asked casually what the time was and instinctively he looked at his

wrist.

"I forgot to put on my watch."

She gave him a searching look.

"Have you pawned it?"

He reddened again.

"No. I dressed in rather a hurry tonight."

She only had to look at his tie (ей достаточно было взглянуть на его галстук) to

know that he had done no such thing (чтобы понять: «знать» что он не делал

ничего подобного). He was lying to her (он лгал ей). She knew that he had

pawned his watch (она знала, что он заложил свои часа) in order to take her out

to supper (для того, чтобы пригласить ее в ресторан поужинать). A lump came

into her throat (комок подступил ей к горлу). She could have taken him in her

arms (она могла бы заключить его в объятья: «взять его в свои руки») then and

there (тут же, на месте) and kissed his blue eyes (и целовать его голубые глаза).

She adored him (она обожала его).

"Let's go (пойдем)," she said.

They drove back to his bed-sitting room in Tavistock Square (и они поехали

назад в его жилую комнату на Тэвисток Сквер; bed-sitting room — спальная и

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гостиная комнаты вместе).

lying ['laIIN] throat [TrqVt] bed-sitting-room ["bed'sItINru(:)m]

She only had to look at his tie to know that he had done no such thing. He was

lying to her. She knew that he had pawned his watch in order to take her out to

supper. A lump came into her throat. She could have taken him in her arms then

and there and kissed his blue eyes. She adored him.

"Let's go," she said.

They drove back to his bed-sitting room in Tavistock Square.

14

NEXT day Julia went to Cartier's (на следующий день Джулия отправилась в

/магазин/ Картье) and bought a watch to send to Tom Fennell (и купила часы,

чтобы отправить их Тому Феннеллу) instead of the one he had pawned (взамен

тех, которые он заложил), and two or three weeks later (и, две или три недели

спустя), discovering that it was his birthday (обнаружив, что у него день

рождения: «это был его день рождения»), she sent him a gold cigarette-case

(она послала ему золотой портсигар; case — ящик, коробка).

"D'you know (ты знаешь), that's the one thing (это именно то: «та самая: «одна»

вещь») I've wanted all my life (что я хотел всю свою жизнь)."

She wondered if there were tears in his eyes (она даже подумала, что его глаза

заблестели от слез: «ей показалось, были ли слезы в его глазах»). He kissed

her passionately (он поцеловал ее страстно).