Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы
Шрифт:
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; to run across — /случайно/ встретиться с кем-либо; столкнуться с кем-либо). Each, though never for a moment unconscious of the propinquity, acted as though the other did not exist (каждый, хотя никогда ни на мгновение не забывал о соседстве другого: «ни на мгновение не осознающий соседства», действовал, словно того не существовало). Time did nothing to assuage their animosity (время
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»; to go down with — свалиться от /какой-либо болезни/), and when Mr. Warburton caught sight of him again (и когда мистер Уорбертон увидел его снова; to catch sight of — замечать, видеть кого-либо, что-либо: «поймать вид») he was surprised to see how thin he had grown (он был удивлен увидеть, как тот исхудал: «каким худым он стал»; to grow — расти; становиться). He looked ill and worn (он выглядел больным и изнуренным/измученным; worn — изношенный, потертый, старый; изнуренный). The solitude, so much more unnatural because it was due to no necessity, was getting on his nerves (одиночество, настолько/до такой степени неестественное, поскольку оно было не из-за необходимости = не было вызвано/порождено необходимостью, действовало ему на нервы). It was getting on Mr. Warburton`s too (оно действовало также и на мистера Уорбертона), and often he could not sleep at night (и часто он не мог уснуть по ночам: «ночью»). He lay awake brooding (он лежал, размышляя; to brood — высиживать яйца; размышлять). Cooper was drinking heavily and surely the breaking point was near (Купер сильно пил, и, конечно, точка перелома/предел был близок); but in his dealings with the natives he took care to do nothing that might expose him to his chief`s rebuke (но в своих отношениях с туземцами он заботился, чтобы не сделать ничего /такого/, что могло бы подвергнуть его упреку начальника; to deal with — иметь дело с кем-либо;to expose to — подвергать). They fought a grim and silent battle with one another (они боролись жестоким и тихим сражением = вели жестокую и молчаливую войну друг с другом). It was a test of endurance (это было испытание выносливости; to endure— подвергаться /чему-либо/; выдерживать испытание временем; терпеть, сносить). The months passed, and neither gave sign of weakening (месяцы проходили, и ни один не отступал/сдавался: «не подавал ни знака ослабления»; to weaken— слабеть, ослаблять). They were like men dwelling in regions of eternal night (они походили на людей, живущих в регионах/царстве вечной ночи), and their souls were oppressed with the knowledge that never would the day dawn for them (и их души угнетало сознание того, что для них никогда не наступит рассвет; to dawn— /рас/светать, зачинаться /о рассвете/). It looked as though their lives would continue for ever in this dull and hideous monotony of hatred (казалось, будто их жизни будут продолжаться постоянно в этой глупой и отвратительной монотонности ненависти; for ever — навсегда, навечно; беспрестанно).
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,
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; to set about — начинать, приступать). But he could not attend to it (но он не мог сосредоточиться на ней: «уделить внимание ей»). The blow had calmed his irritation (удар успокоил его раздражение), and he knew that he had gone too far (и он знал, что зашел слишком далеко). He was worried (он был обеспокоен/встревожен). He felt ill (он чувствовал /себя/ больным), miserable and discouraged (несчастным и обескураженным). In the adjoining office sat Mr. Warburton (в соседнем кабинете сидел мистер Уорбертон; office— офис, контора, канцелярия; кабинет;adjoining — граничащий, прилегающий; соседний), and his impulse was to go and tell him what he had done (и его /первым/ порывом было пойти и рассказать ему, что он сделал); he made a movement in his chair (он сделал движение в своем кресле), but he knew with what icy scorn he would listen to the story (но он знал, с каким ледяным/холодным презрением тот будет слушать /его/ историю). He could see his patronising smile (он мог видеть = уже видел его высокомерную улыбку; to patronise — заботиться, опекать, покровительствовать; относиться свысока, снисходительно, высокомерно). For a moment he had an uneasy fear of what Abas might do (на мгновение он имел = у него появилось тревожное опасение из-за того, что Абас может сделать). Warburton had warned him all right (ведь Уорбертон предупреждал его). He sighed (он вздохнул). What a fool he had been (каким глупцом он был)! But he shrugged his shoulders impatiently (но он пожал своими плечами раздраженно; impatient— нетерпеливый, беспокойный, раздраженный). He did not care (ему наплевать: «он не заботился»); a fat lot he had to live for (больно уж есть ему для чего жить: «очень много для чего у него было жить»; fat lot — "очень сильно", "очень много" /т. е. совсем слабо, вовсе ничего/). It was all Warburton`s fault (это все было виной Уорбертона); if he hadn`t put his back up nothing like this would have happened (если бы он не вывел его из себя, ничего такого: «как это» не случилось бы; to put his back up— вывести из себя, раздражать, сердить). Warburton had made life a hell for him from the start (Уорбертон сделал жизнь адом для него с /самого/ начала). The snob. But they were all like that (но они были все такие: «как этот»): it was because he was a Colonial (это потому, что он = Купер был уроженцем колоний). It was a damned shame that he had never got his commission in the war (стыд и срам: «это было проклятым стыдом», что он не получил звания офицера на войне); he was as good as anyone else (он был ничем не хуже других: «настолько же хорош, как кто-либо еще/любой другой»). They were a lot of dirty snobs (они — сборище грязных снобов). He was damned if he was going to knuckle under now (черта с два: «он был бы проклят», если бы он уступил/признал поражение теперь; to knuckle under — подчиняться, уступать). Of course Warburton would hear of what had happened (конечно, Уорбертон услышит = узнает о том, что случилось/произошло); the old devil knew everything (старый дьявол знал = знает все). He wasn`t afraid (ему не было страшно: «он не боялся»). He wasn`t afraid of any Malay in Borneo (он не боялся никакого малайца на Борнео), and Warburton could go to blazes (и Уорбертон мог идти к черту; go to blazes— пропади все пропадом; идти к черту; blaze — яркий огонь, пламя; blazes— адский огонь, ад).
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 = он не ошибся в том, что мистер Уорбертон узнает о случившемся: «о том, что случилось»). His head-boy told him when he went in to tiffin (его старший бой рассказал ему /об этом/, когда он пришел завтракать; tiffin — второй завтрак).
"Where is your nephew now (где твой племянник сейчас)?"
"I do not know, Tuan (я не знаю, туан). He has gone (он ушел)."