Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы

Моэм Сомерсет Уильям

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; to look back — оглядываться; обращаться к прошлому/мысленно/,вспоминать). In my small way I too shall have lived in beauty (к тому же, по-своему, я проживу жизнь в красоте; small— маленький, небольшой; скромный). Do you think it is so little to have enjoyed contentment (неужели ты думаешь, что это мало — испытать удовлетворенность)? We know that it will profit a man little (мы знаем, что человеку доставит мало пользы) if he gain the whole world and lose his soul (если он завоюет весь мир и потеряет /при этом/ свою душу; to gain — получать, приобретать; добиться, завоевать). I think I have won mine (мне кажется, что свою /душу/ я обрел; to win— выиграть, победить; снискать, добиться)."

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; to throw — бросать). In ten minutes Bateman knew by his regular breathing, peaceful as a child's (через десять минут по его ровному дыханию, спокойному как у ребенка, Бейтман понял), that Edward was asleep (что Эдвард спит). But for his part he had no rest (но, со своей стороны, он = но сам он не мог заснуть), he was disturbed in mind (мысли его были встревожены), and it was not till the dawn crept into the room (и только когда в комнату проник рассвет; to creep — ползать; красться, подкрадываться), ghostlike and silent, that he fell asleep (призрачный и тихий, он заснул; ghost — привидение, призрак).

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; to hide — прятать; скрывать) except what he thought would wound her (за

исключением того, что, как он думал, причинило бы ей боль; to wound — ранить; причинить боль) or what made himself ridiculous (или что выставляло его самого на посмешище). He did not tell her that he had been forced to sit at dinner with a wreath of flowers round his head (он не сказал ей, что его заставили сидеть за ужином в венке из цветов на голове) and he did not tell her that Edward was prepared to marry her uncle's half-caste daughter (и он не сказал ей, что Эдвард был готов жениться на дочери-полукровке ее дяди) the moment she set him free (в тот самый момент, когда она освободит его /от обязательства жениться/).

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; to close — сближаться, смыкаться). Now and then she looked at him closely (время от времени она внимательно смотрела на него), and if he had been less intent on his narrative (и если бы он был менее поглощен собственным рассказом; intent — сосредоточенный; погруженный/во что-либо/,занятый/чем-либо/) he might have wondered at her expression (он мог бы задуматься о выражении ее лица).

"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; consequence— следствие, последствие; вывод, заключение). I don't think we need give her any more of our attention (думаю, что мы больше не должны уделять ей наше внимание)."

"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.