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

"I knew the daughter of a wholesale hardware man once," remarked Kismine. "I don't think you'd have been contented with her. She was a friend of my sister's. She visited here."

"Oh, then you've had other guests?" exclaimed John in surprise.

Kismine seemed to regret her words.

"Oh, yes," she said hurriedly, "we've had a few."

"But aren't you — wasn't your father afraid they'd talk outside?"

"Oh, to some extent, to some extent," she answered. "Let's talk about something pleasanter."

But John's curiosity was aroused.

"Something pleasanter!" he demanded. "What's unpleasant about that? Weren't they nice girls?"

To his great surprise Kismine began to weep (к его огромному удивлению, Кисмин зарыдала).

"Yes — th — that's the — the whole t-trouble (нет, в том-то и д-дело; yes в ответах на вопросы с отрицанием соответствует русскому "нет"; trouble — беспокойство; неприятность). I grew qu-quite attached to some of them (я так привязы-ы-ывалась к не-некоторым из них; to grow — расти; делаться, становиться; attached — прикрепленный; привязанный; преданный кому-л.). So did Jasmine, but she kept inv-viting them anyway (и Жасмин тоже, но она все равно продолжала их приглаша-а-ать). I couldn't understand it (я /никак/ не могла этого понять)."

A dark suspicion was born in John's heart (темное = страшное подозрение зародилось в сердце = в душе у Джона).

"Do you mean that they told, and your father had them — removed (ты имеешь в виду, что они проговорились и твой отец их… убрал)?"

"Worse than that," she muttered brokenly (хуже чем так, — судорожно пролепетала она; brokenly — толчками, рывками, судорожно) "Father took no chances (отец не рисковал) — and Jasmine kept writing them to come (а Жасмин продолжала им писать, чтобы они приезжали), and they had such a good time (и они так хорошо проводили время)!"

She was overcome by a paroxysm of grief (она была вне себя от горя: «она была охвачена приступом/припадком скорби»).

Stunned with the horror of this revelation (потрясенный этим ужасным признанием: «ужасом этого открытия/откровения»), John sat there open-mouthed (сидел, разинув рот), feeling the nerves of his body twitter like so many sparrows perched upon his spinal column (чувствуя, что все нервы его тела трепещут, как будто множество воробьев уселись на его позвоночник; игра слов: to twitter — чирикать, щебетать; дрожать, трястись /от нервного возбуждения и т. п./).

trouble ['trAbl], suspicion [sq'spISqn], column ['kOlqm]

To his great surprise Kismine began to weep.

"Yes — th — that's the — the whole t-trouble. I grew qu-quite attached to some of them. So did Jasmine, but she kept inv-viting them anyway. I couldn't understand it."

A dark suspicion was born in John's heart.

"Do you mean that they told, and your father had them — removed?"

"Worse than that," she muttered brokenly. "Father took no chances — and Jasmine kept writing them to come, and they had such a good time!"

She was overcome by a paroxysm of grief.

Stunned with the horror of this revelation, John sat there open-mouthed, feeling the nerves of his body twitter like so many sparrows perched upon his spinal column.

"Now, I've told you, and I shouldn't have (ну вот, я рассказала тебе, /хотя/ не должна была)," she said, calming suddenly and drying her dark blue eyes (вдруг успокоившись и вытирая свои синие глаза).

"Do you mean to say that your father had them murdered before they left (ты хочешь сказать, что твой отец убивал их до того, как они уезжали)?"

She nodded (кивнула).

"In August usually — or early in September (обычно в августе — или в начале сентября). It's only natural for us to get all the pleasure out of them that we can first (естественно, нам /нужно/ получить сперва как можно больше удовольствия от них = их присутствия)."

"How abominable (как гнусно/мерзко)! How — why, I must be going crazy (как… — нет, я, наверное, схожу с ума)! Did you really admit that (ты действительно призналась = сказала, что…) —"