Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

Франк Илья

not to turn round. She started, for in a moment he passed her again, he had retraced

his steps, and this time he gave her a stare. She shot him a glance and then

modestly lowered her eyes. He fell back and she was conscious that he was

following her. It was all right. She stopped to look into a shop window and he

stopped too. She knew how to behave now. She pretended to be absorbed in the

goods that were displayed, but just before she moved on gave him a quick flash of

her faintly smiling eyes.

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He was rather short (он был довольно невысок), he looked like a clerk or a shop-

walker (/он/ выглядел как конторский служащий или дежурный

администратор магазина; shop (магазин) + -walker (ходок, торговец вразнос),

he wore a grey suit (на нем был серый костюм) and a brown soft hat (и

коричневая мягкая шляпа). He was not the man she would have chosen to be

picked up by (он не был тем мужчиной, /которого/ она бы /сама/ выбрала для

того чтобы /он/ ее подцепил), but there it was (но так оно и было), he was

evidently trying to pick her up (он очевидно пытался подцепить ее). She forgot

that she was beginning to feel tired (она забыла, что /она уже/ начинала

чувствовать усталость: «усталой»). She did not know what would happen next

(она не знала, что случится дальше: «потом»). Of course she wasn't going to let

the thing go too far (конечно, она не собиралась позволить всему этому зайти

очень далеко), but she was curious to see what his next step would be (но ей

было любопытно увидеть, каким будет его следующий шаг). She wondered

what he would say to her (ей было интересно, что он ей скажет). She was

excited and pleased (она была возбуждена и довольна); it was a weight off her

mind (у нее камень с души свалился). She walked on slowly (она продолжала

идти медленно) and she knew he was close behind her (и она знала, что он был

близко позади нее). She stopped at another shop window (она остановилась у

следующей витрины), and this time when he stopped he was close beside her (и в

этот раз, когда он остановился, он был близко рядом с ней). Her heart began to

beat wildly (ее сердце начало колотиться бешено: «дико»). It was really

beginning to look like an adventure (это все действительно начинало выглядеть

как приключение).

shopwalker ['SOp"wO:kq] weight [weIt] excited [Ik'saItId]

He was rather short, he looked like a clerk or a shop-walker, he wore a grey suit

and a brown soft hat. He was not the man she would have chosen to be picked up

by, but there it was, he was evidently trying to pick her up. She forgot that she was

Мультиязыковой

проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

729

beginning to feel tired. She did not know what would happen next. Of course she

wasn't going to let the thing go too far, but she was curious to see what his next

step would be. She wondered what he would say to her. She was excited and

pleased; it was a weight off her mind. She walked on slowly and she knew he was

close behind her. She stopped at another shop window, and this time when he

stopped he was close beside her. Her heart began to beat wildly. It was really

beginning to look like an adventure.

"I wonder if he'll ask me to go to a hotel with him (интересно, пригласит ли он

меня пойти в гостиницу с ним). I don't suppose he could afford that (не думаю,

что он может позволить себе это). A cinema (в кинотеатр). That's it (вот куда).

It would be rather fun (это будет довольно забавно)."

She looked him full in the face now (она взглянула ему прямо в лицо в этот раз;

full — полный, целиком) and very nearly smiled (и почти улыбнулась). He took

off his hat (он снял шляпу).

"Miss Lambert, isn't it (мисс Лэмберт, не так ли)?"

She almost jumped out of her skin (она почти что подскочила от

неожиданности; to jump out of one's skin — быть вне себя, вздрогнуть:

«выпрыгнуть из своей кожи», skin — кожа, шкура). She was indeed so taken

aback (она на самом деле была захвачена врасплох; to take aback — поразить,

ошеломить) that she had not the presence of mind to deny it (что ей не хватило:

«у нее не было» присутствия духа отрицать это).

"I thought I recognized you the moment I saw you (я подумал, что узнал вас в

тот самый момент, когда я увидел вас), that's why I turned back, to make sure,

see (именно поэтому: «вот почему» я повернул назад, чтобы убедиться,

видите), and I said to meself, if that's not Julia Lambert I'm Ramsay Macdonald (и

я сказал себе, если это не Джулия Лэмберт, то я Рамзай Макдональд; meself =