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

For in his secret, innermost heart, Andrew longed to be a common dog. He never passed his pedigree (which hung on the wall in Miss Lark’s drawing room) without a shudder of shame. And many a time he wished he’d never had a father, nor a grandfather, nor a great-grandfather, if Miss Lark was going to make such a fuss of it.

It was this desire of his to be a common dog that made Andrew choose common dogs for his friends. And whenever he got the chance, he would run down to the front gate and sit there watching for them, so that he could exchange a few common remarks. But Miss Lark, when she discovered him, would be sure to call out:

“Andrew, Andrew, come in, my darling! Come away from those dreadful street arabs!”

And of course Andrew would have to come in, or Miss Lark would shame him by coming out and bringing him in. And Andrew would blush and hurry up the steps so that his friends should not hear her calling him her Precious, her Joy, her Little Lump of Sugar.

Andrew’s most special friend was more than common (самый особенный друг Эндрю был более чем обычным), he was a Byword (он был притчей во языцех; byword — поговорка; любимое, часто повторяемое словечко; притча во языцех; олицетворение; символ). He was half an Airedale and half a Retriever (он был наполовину Эрдельтерьер и наполовину охотничья/ретривер; to retrieve — находить и приносить охотнику дичь /о собаке/) and the worst half of both (и худшими половинами их обоих). Whenever there was a fight in the road (когда бы ни была драка на дороге) he would be sure to be in the thick of it (он был наверняка в гуще ее); he was always getting into trouble with the Postman or the Policeman (он всегда попадал: «был попадающий» в неприятности с почтальоном и полицейским), and there was nothing he loved better (и не было ничего, что он любил больше: «лучше») than sniffing about in drains or garbage tins (чем рысканье: «обнюхивание вокруг» в канализациях и мусорных баках) He was, in fact, the talk of the whole street (он был, на деле, разговором всей улицы = о нем постоянно говорили), and more than one person had been heard to say thankfully (и более чем один человек был слышен говорящим благодарственно) that they were glad (что они рады) he was not their dog (что он был не их собакой).

But Andrew loved him (но Эндрю любил его) and was continually on the watch for him (и все время подкарауливал его; to be on the watch for — подкарауливать, поджидать /кого-либо/). Sometimes they had only time to exchange a sniff in the Park (иногда они имели только время обменяться обнюхиванием в парке), but on luckier occasions (но в более удачных случаях) — though these were very rare (хотя эти были очень редки) — they would have long talks at the gate (они имели долгие разговоры у ворот). From his friend (от своего друга), Andrew heard all the town gossip (Эндрю слышал все городские сплетни), and you could see by the rude way (и вы могли видеть/понять по грубой манере) in which the other dog laughed as he told it (с которой другая собака смеялась, когда он рассказывал их), that it wasn’t very complimentary (что они не были очень похвальными/лестными).

Then suddenly (затем внезапно), Miss Lark’s voice would be heard calling from a window (голос мисс Ларк был слышен = слышался из окна), and the other dog would get up (и другая собака поднималась), loll out his tongue at Miss Lark (высовывала свой язык на мисс Ларк), wink at Andrew and wander off (подмигивала Эндрю и уходила прочь), waving his hindquarters (махая/виляя своей задней частью) as he went just to show (когда он шел = идя, чтобы просто показать) that he didn’t care (что емувсе равно: «он не заботится»).

Airedale ['εqdeIl] occasions [q'keIZ(q)n] hindquarters ['haIndkwO:tqz]

Andrew’s most special friend was more than common, he was a Byword. He was half an Airedale and half a Retriever and the worst half of both. Whenever there was a fight in the road he would be sure to be in the thick of it; he was always getting into trouble with the Postman or the Policeman, and there was nothing he loved better than sniffing about in drains or garbage tins. He was, in fact, the talk of the whole street, and more than one person had been heard to say thankfully that they were glad he was not their dog.

But Andrew loved him and was continually on the watch for him. Sometimes they had only time to exchange a sniff in the Park, but on luckier occasions — though these were very rare — they would have long talks at the gate. From his friend, Andrew heard all the town gossip, and you could see by the rude way in which the other dog laughed as he told it, that it wasn’t very complimentary.