75 лучших рассказов / 75 Best Short Stories

damask – a silk, fine, patterned fabric, originally produced in Damascus, Syria

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catechism – a religious instruction in the form of questions and answers

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portière – heavy curtains hung in a doorway

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Marseilles – a city and port in southern France on the Mediterranean Sea, founded 2,500 years ago

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Desdemona – a fictional character in Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Othello’ (1603)

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Belgravia – an area in the borough of Westminster in London, east of Chelsea and south of Hyde Park

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Popish priest = Catholic priest

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Buckingham Palace – royal residence in London; the famous architect John Nash converted the house built in 1705 for the Duke of Buckingham into a royal residence for king George IV.

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the Exchequer – the government department responsible for receiving and distributing the public revenue, founded in the 12th century; later the Exchequer was joined with the Treasury.

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Gladstone – William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898), four-time prime minister of Great Britain

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Gladstone – William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898), four-time prime minister of Great Britain

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synod – in the Christian church, a local assembly of church officials

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Burmah – Burma (now Myanmar), a country in Southeast Asia

100

St. Peter – the Apostle, one of Christ’s disciples; when asked thrice, after Jesus Christ’s arrest, if he knew Him, St. Peter said ‘No’.

101

rococo – a style in painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts, originated in Paris in the early 19th century

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archangel – in the hierarchy of angels, one of the chief angels

103

omnibus – a large vehicle designed to carry passengers on a fixed route, a bus

104

the Pantheon – the 18th century building in Paris, an example of Neoclassical architecture with columns and a high dome

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La Petite – baby ( French )

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Seigneur – Lord, God ( French )

107

Tan’tante – from tante = aunt ( French )

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palmetto – a sort of small palm trees

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Il ne faut pas faire mal à Pauline.  – Don’t do harm to Pauline. ( French )

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la guerre = war ( French )

111

Sumter – a county in South Caroline, US

112

Louisiana – the US state (123,366 sq. km) admitted to the union in 1812 as the 18th member; it borders Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

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Adieu!  – Goodbye!

114

Venus – the second planet from the Sun; when it is visible, it is the brightest in the sky.

115

pied à terre – a place of refuge where a person lives from time to time ( French )

116

Texans – residents of Texas, the US state in the south

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corbeille – a basket; here: a set of clothes (French)

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muslin – a thin cotton fabric, first made in Mosul, Iraq

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cochon de lait – a sucking pig; here: a small baby (French)

120

Mais si! = Oh, yes, yes! (French)

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peignoir – a loose dressing gown

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bayou – a river armlet with slow movement

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layette – a dowry of a new-born baby (French)

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espousal – marriage, engagement ( archaic )

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Liverpool – a city and port on the Irish Sea in northeastern England

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the Palais Royal – an area and a famous theatre in Paris

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Frascati’s – a casino in Paris

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sou – a French coin of low value (no longer in use)

129

Rouge et Noir – ‘Red and Black’ (French) , a French card game played in casinos of France, Italy and Monte Carlo

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the Theory of Chances – a theory used in gambling to predict the outcome of a game, the result of which may be determined by chance, or accident, or miscalculation

131

napoleon – an old French gold coin equal to 20 francs

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Sacre mille bombes!  – an exclamation of anxiety (French)

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Mille tonnerres!  – an exclamation of encouragement (French)

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croupier – a person who gathers money and pays out winnings in a gambling house

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Sacre petit polisson de Napoleon!  – Oh, little prankster of Napoleon! (French)

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Austerlitz – the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, one of the greatest victories of Napoleon over joined Russian-Austrian forces

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Nom d’une pipe!  – an exclamation ‘listen’, ‘oh’, ‘there’ (French)

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Vive le vine! = Long live the wine! (French)

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grenadier – a soldier trained to hurl grenades, small explosive bombs

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cabriolet – a two-wheeled, one-horse open carriage, first used in France in the 18th century

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Le Maistre – Antoine Le Maistre (1608–1658), a French religious figure and theologian

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‘Voyage autour de ma Chambre’ – ‘A Trip Around My Room’ (French)

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Guido Fawkes – Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), an active participant of the famous Gunpowder Plot against James I of England in 1605

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