Английский язык с Оскаром Уайльдом. Звездный мальчик и другие легенды

The solemn minuet, too, performed by the dancing boys from the church of Nuestra Se~nora Del Pilar, was charming.

The Infanta had never before seen this wonderful ceremony which takes place every year at May-time in front of the high altar of the Virgin, and in her honour; and indeed none of the royal family of Spain had entered the great cathedral of Saragossa since a mad priest, supposed by many to have been in the pay of Elizabeth of England, had tried to administer a poisoned wafer to the Prince of the Asturias.

So she had known only by hearsay (поэтому она только по слухам знала) of `Our Lady's Dance,' as it was called (о «Танце Девы Марии», как он назывался), and it certainly was a beautiful sight (и на самом деле, зрелище было прекрасным; sight — зрение, вид; прекрасное зрелище). The boys wore old-fashioned court dresses (мальчики были одеты в старомодные придворные костюмы; to wear (wore, worn) — быть одетым, носить /одежду/; dress — платье, одежда) of white velvet (из белого бархата), and their curious three-cornered hats (и их чудные треуголки: «треугольные шляпы»; corner — уголок, угол) were fringed with silver (были отделаны серебряной бахромой) and surmounted with huge plumes (и /были/ увенчаны огромным плюмажем; to surmount — преодолевать; увенчивать) of ostrich feathers (из страусовых перьев), the dazzling whiteness of their costumes (ослепительная белизна их костюмов; to dazzle — слепить, ослеплять), as they moved about in the sunlight (когда они двигались под солнечным светом), being still more accentuated (еще более подчеркивалась; to accentuate — делать ударение; подчеркивать, выделять) by their swarthy faces (их смуглыми лицами) and long black hair (и длинными черными волосами).

hearsay ['hIqseI] dance [dQ:ns] old-fashioned ["qVld'fxS(q)nd]

velvet ['velvIt] ostrich ['OstrItS] feather ['feDq] accentuate [qk'sentSVeIt]

swarthy ['swO:DI]

So she had known only by hearsay of `Our Lady's Dance,' as it was called, and it certainly was a beautiful sight. The boys wore old-fashioned court dresses of white velvet, and their curious three-cornered hats were fringed with silver and surmounted with huge plumes of ostrich feathers, the dazzling whiteness of their costumes, as they moved about in the sunlight, being still more accentuated by their swarthy faces and long black hair.