Английский язык с Ф. Скоттом Фитцджеральдом. Алмаз величиной в отель «Риц» / Francis Scott Fitzgerald. The Diamond As Big As The Ritz

The observation of this pointless and preposterous phenomenon had become a sort of cult among the men of Fish. To observe, that was all; there remained in them none of the vital quality of illusion which would make them wonder or speculate, else a religion might have grown up around these mysterious visitations. But the men of Fish were beyond all religion — the barest and most savage tenets of even Christianity could gain no foothold on the barren rock — so there was no altar, no priest, no sacrifice; only each night at seven the silent concourse by the shanty depot, a congregation who lifted up a prayer of dim, anaemic wonder.

On this June night (в этот июньский вечер), the Great Brakeman (Великий Тормозильщик/Кондуктор), whom, had they deified any one (которого, если бы они /вообще/ кого-нибудь обожествляли), they might well have chosen as their celestial protagonist (вполне могли бы избрать своим небесным покровителем; to choose), had ordained that the seven o'clock train should leave its human (or inhuman) deposit at Fish (распорядился, чтобы семичасовой поезд оставил свой человеческий (или бесчеловечный/нечеловеческий) груз в Фиш). At two minutes after seven (в две минуты восьмого: «после семи») Percy Washington and John T. Unger disembarked (сошли /с поезда/), hurried past the spellbound, the agape, the fearsome eyes of the twelve men of Fish (поспешили /пройти/ мимо завороженных, широко раскрытых испуганных глаз двенадцати жителей Фиш), mounted into a buggy (сели в экипаж) which had obviously appeared from nowhere (который появился очевидно из ниоткуда), and drove away (и уехали прочь; to drive).

deify ['dJIfaI], ordain [L'deIn], disembark ["dIsIm'bRk]

On this June night, the Great Brakeman, whom, had they deified any one, they might well have chosen as their celestial protagonist, had ordained that the seven o'clock train should leave its human (or inhuman) deposit at Fish. At two minutes after seven Percy Washington and John T. Unger disembarked, hurried past the spellbound, the agape, the fearsome eyes of the twelve men of Fish, mounted into a buggy which had obviously appeared from nowhere, and drove away.

After half an hour (через полчаса), when the twilight had coagulated into dark (когда сумерки сгустились во мрак), the silent negro who was driving the buggy (молчаливый негр, который правил лошадью: «экипажем») hailed an opaque body somewhere ahead of them in the gloom (окликнул какой-то темный предмет где-то впереди них во мраке; body — тело; предмет; масса). In response to his cry (в ответ на его крик), it turned upon them a luminous disk (он обратил/повернул к ним светящийся диск) which regarded them like a malignant eye out the unfathomable night (который уставился на них, как злобный глаз из бездонной ночи/тьмы; fathom — фатом, фадом, морская сажень / = 6 футам, или 183 см/); to fathom — определять, измерять глубину). As they came closer (когда они подъехали ближе), John saw that it was the tail-light of an immense automobile (увидел, что это был задний фонарь громадного автомобиля), larger and more magnificent than any he had ever seen (/который был/ больше и великолепнее, чем любой из когда-либо им виденных: «/который/ он когда-либо видел»). Its body was of gleaming metal richer than nickel and lighter than silver (его корпус/кузов был из блестящего металла темнее никеля и светлее серебра; rich — богатый; густой, интенсивный, яркий /о цвете/), and the hubs of the wheels were studded with iridescent geometric figures of green and yellow (втулки/ступицы колес были усажены радужными/переливающимися желто-зелеными геометрическими фигурами; stud — гвоздь с большой шляпкой; to stud — усеивать, усыпать) — John did not dare to guess whether they were glass or jewel (не осмеливался задуматься — стекло это или драгоценные камни; to guess — гадать, догадываться; пытаться отгадать; ломать голову).

coagulate [kqV'xgjVleIt], opaque [qV'peIk], unfathomable [An'fxDqmqbl]

After half an hour, when the twilight had coagulated into dark, the silent negro who was driving the buggy hailed an opaque body somewhere ahead of them in the gloom. In response to his cry, it turned upon them a luminous disk which regarded them like a malignant eye out of the unfathomable night. As they came closer, John saw that it was the tail-light of an immense automobile, larger and more magnificent than any he had ever seen. Its body was of gleaming metal richer than nickel and lighter than silver, and the hubs of the wheels were studded with iridescent geometric figures of green and yellow — John did not dare to guess whether they were glass or jewel.