Английский язык с П. Треверс. Мэри Поппинс / P. L. Travers: Mary Poppins

“Eh — what? Oh, get along, girl, get along. I’ve no time for such frills and furbelows.” And he gobbled up all but the last crumbs of his biscuit.

The room was very quiet.

John, drowsing in the sunlight, put the toes of his right foot into his mouth and ran them along the place where his teeth were just beginning to come through.

“Why do you bother to do that?” said Barbara, in her soft, amused voice that seemed always to be full of laughter. “There’s nobody to see you.”

“I know (я знаю),” said John, playing a tune on his toes (играя мелодию на своих пальцах ног). “But I like to keep in practice (но надо тренироваться: «мне нравится продолжать в практике»). It does so amuse the Grown-ups (это действительно так веселит взрослых). Did you notice (ты заметила) that Aunt Flossie nearly went mad with delight (что тетя Флосси чуть с ума ни сошлаот восторга; togomad — сойти с ума; mad — безумный) when I did it yesterday (когда я сделал это вчера)? ‘The Darling (дорогой), the Clever (умница), the Marvel (чудо), the Creature (создание)!’ — didn’t you hear her say all that (слышала ли ты, чтобы она говорила все это)?” And John threw his foot from him (и Джон выбросил ножки вперед: «от себя»; tothrow — бросать) and roared with laughter (и расхохотался; «заревел смехом»; toroar — реветь, орать; рычать) as he thought of Aunt Flossie (как только подумал о тете Флосси).

“She liked my trick, too (ей понравился мой фокус тоже),” said Barbara complacently (сказала Барбара самодовольно). “I took off both my socks (я сняла оба свои носочка) and she said I was so sweet (что я такая сладкая = милая) she would like to eat me (что она хотела бы съесть меня). Isn’t it funny (не смешно ли) — when I say I’d like to eat something (когда я говорю, что хотела бы съесть чего-нибудь) I really mean it (я действительно имею это в виду). Biscuits and Rusks (печенья и сухарики) and the knobs on beds and so on (и крошки на постели, и так далее). But Grown-ups never mean what they say (но взрослые никогда не имеют в виду то, что они говорят), it seems to me (кажется мне). She couldn’t have really wanted to eat me (она не могла действительно хотеть съесть меня), could she (не правда ли)?”

“No (нет). It’s only the idiotic way they have of talking (это только дурацкий способ разговора, который у них есть)” said John. “I don’t believe I’ll ever understand Grown-ups (я не верю, что когда-либо буду понимать взрослых). They all seem so stupid (они все кажутся такими глупыми). And even Jane and Michael are stupid sometimes (и даже Джейн и Майкл глупые иногда).”

“Um (угу),” agreed Barbara (согласилась Барбара), thoughtfully pulling off her socks (задумчивая стягивая свои носки).

complacently [kqm'pleIsntlI] wanted ['wOntId] understand [ֽAndq'stænd]

“I know,” said John, playing a tune on his toes. “But I like to keep in practice. It does so amuse the Grown-ups. Did you notice that Aunt Flossie nearly went mad with delight when I did it yesterday? ‘The Darling, the Clever, the Marvel, the Creature!’ — didn’t you hear her say all that?” And John threw his foot from him and roared with laughter as he thought of Aunt Flossie.

“She liked my trick, too,” said Barbara complacently. “I took off both my socks and she said I was so sweet she would like to eat me. Isn’t it funny — when I say I’d like to eat something I really mean it. Biscuits and Rusks and the knobs of beds and so on. But Grown-ups never mean what they say, it seems to me. She couldn’t have really wanted to eat me, could she?”

“No. It’s only the idiotic way they have of talking,” said John. “I don’t believe I’ll ever understand Grown-ups. They all seem so stupid. And even Jane and Michael are stupid sometimes.”

“Um,” agreed Barbara, thoughtfully pulling off her socks.

“For instance (например),” John went on (Джон продолжал: to go on — продолжать), “they don’t understand a single thing we say (они не понимают ни одной вещи, которую мы говорим; single — один; единственный). But, worse than that (но хуже, чем это), they don’t understand what other things say (то, что они не понимают, что другие вещи говорят). Why (да), only last Monday I heard Jane remark (только в прошлый понедельник я слышала, как Джейн упомянула) that she wished she knew what language the Wind spoke (что она хотела бы знать, на каком языке говорил = говорит ветер).”