10 shorts stories by O. Henry. Книга для чтения на английском языке

There was nothing to do but fall on the bed and cry |”But” в этом случае значит “кроме как”|. So Della did it.

While the lady of the home is slowly growing quieter |медленно успокаивалась|, we can look at the home. Furnished rooms at a cost of $8 a week. There is little more to say about it.

In the hall below was a letter-box too small to hold a letter. There was an electric bell, but it could not make a sound. Also there was a name beside the door: “Mr. James Dillingham Young.”

When the name was placed there, Mr. James Dillingham Young was being paid $30 a week |ему платили. Пассив: над ним совершали действие, to be и третья форма глагола. “Being”, чтобы подчеркнуть периодичность выплат|. Now, when he was being paid only $20 a week, the name seemed too long and important. It should perhaps have been “Mr. James D. Young.”|наверно, имя должно было бы звучать| But when Mr. James Dillingham Young entered the furnished rooms, his name became very short indeed. Mrs. James Dillingham Young put her arms warmly about him and called him “Jim.” You have already met her |вы с ней уже встречались|. She is Della.

Della finished her crying and cleaned the marks of it from her face. She stood by the window and looked out with no interest. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a gift. She had put aside as much as she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week is not much. Everything had cost more than she had expected |had и третья форма глагола. О. Генри очень любит рассказывать о событиях, предшествующих повествованию|. It always happened like that |таким образом|.

Only $ 1.87 to buy a gift for Jim. Her Jim. She had had many happy hours planning something nice for him |had had – это не опечатка. Это опять же had и третья форма глагола have, которые значат, что на тот момент у нее было много счастья с Джимом|. Something nearly good enough. Something almost worth the honor of belonging to Jim |стоящее той чести|.

There was a looking-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen the kind of looking-glass that is placed in $8 furnished rooms. It was very narrow. A person could see only a little of himself at a time |за раз|. However, if he was very thin and moved very quickly, he might be able to get a good view of himself. Della, being |будучи| quite thin, had mastered this art.

Suddenly she turned from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brightly, but her face had lost its color. Quickly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its complete length.

The James Dillingham Youngs |обычный для английского языка способ назвать семью по имени мужчины. Главное здесь – это поставить впереди артикль the, и фамилию во множественном числе| were very proud of two things which they owned. One thing was Jim’s gold watch. It had once belonged to his father. And, long ago, it had belonged to his father’s father. The other thing was Della’s hair.

If a queen had lived in the rooms near theirs, Della would have washed and dried her hair where the queen could see it |если б сама королева жила.., Делла бы мыла и сушила.., но это вряд ли осуществимо. Самый сложный вид условного предложения: если бы раньше было так, то теперь бы все было так. После if должно быть had и третья форма глагола, во второй части предложения: would или модальный глагол, потом have и третья форма глагола|. Della knew her hair was more beautiful than any queen’s jewels and gifts.

If a king had lived in the same house, with all his riches |со всеми его богатствами|, Jim would have looked at his watch every time they met. Jim knew that no king had anything so valuable.