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

“What’s all this I hear?” cried the curious high little voice, coming nearer. And presently, round the corner of the glass case, the owner of it appeared. She was as small as her voice and as crackly, and to the children she seemed to be older than anything in the world, with her wispy hair and her stick-like legs and her wizened, wrinkled little face. But in spite of this she ran towards them as lightly and as gaily as though she were still a young girl.

“Now, now, now — well, I do declare! Bless me if it isn’t Mary Poppins, with John and Barbara Banks. What — Jane and Michael, too? Well, isn’t this a nice surprise for me? I assure you I haven’t been so surprised since Christopher Columbus discovered America — truly I haven’t!”

She smiled delightedly as she came to greet them, and her feet made little dancing movements inside the tiny elastic-sided boots. She ran to the perambulator and rocked it gently, crooking her thin, twisted, old fingers at John and Barbara until they stopped crying and began to laugh.

“That’s better (так-то лучше)!” she said, cackling gaily (хихикая радостно; to cackle — кудахтать; гоготать; хихикать, хмыкать). Then she did a very odd thing (затем она сделала очень странную вещь). She broke off two of her fingers and gave one each to John and Barbara (она отломила два своих пальца и дала по одному Джону и Барбаре; to break — ломать). And the oddest part of it was (а самым странной частью этого было то) that in the space left by the broken-off fingers two new ones grew at once (что на месте, оставленном двумя сломанными пальцами, два новых выросли сразу; to grow). Jane and Michael clearly saw it happen (Джейн и Майкл ясно видели, как случилось).

“Only Barley-sugar (только ячменный сахар) — can’t possibly hurt ’em (не может никак: «возможно» навредить им),” the old lady said to Mary Poppins (пожилая леди сказала Мэри Поппинс).

“Anything you give them, Mrs Corry (все, что вы дадите им, миссис Корри), could only do them good (может только пойти им на пользу),” said Mary Poppins with most surprising courtesy (сказала Мэри Поппинс с крайне удивительной любезностью).

“What a pity (какая жалость),” Michael couldn’t help saying (Майкл не мог не сказать = не удержался), “they weren’t Peppermint Bars (они не были мятными плиточками).”

“Well, they are, sometimes (ну, они являются ими время от времени),” said Mrs Corry gleefully (сказала миссис Корри весело; glee — веселье; ликование /часто с оттенком злорадства/), “and very good they taste, too (и очень хороший они имеют вкус, к тому же). I often nibble ’em myself (я часто грызу их сама), if I can’t sleep at night (если я не могу заснуть ночью). Splendid for the digestion (превосходно для пищеварения).”

“What will they be next time (чем они будут в следующий раз)?” asked Jane (спросила Джейн), looking at Mrs Corry’s fingers with interest (смотря на пальцы миссис Корри с интересом).

“Aha (ага)!” said Mrs Corry. “That’s just the question (это-то и есть вопрос). I never know from day to day (я никогда не знаю изо дня в день) what they will be (чем они станут). I take the chance, my dear (я попытаю удачу: «возьму шанс/удачу», моя дорогая), as I heard William the Conqueror say to his Mother (как, я слышала, Вильям Завоеватель говорил своей матери) when she advised him not to go conquering England (когда она советовала ему не ходить покорять Англию).”

sugar ['∫ugq] digestion [daI'Gqst∫(q)n] Conqueror ['kOŋkqrq]

“That’s better!” she said, cackling gaily.Then she did a very odd thing. She broke off two of her fingers and gave one each to John and Barbara. And the oddest part of it was that in the space left by the broken-off fingers two new ones grew at once. Jane and Michael clearly saw it happen.

“Only Barley-sugar — can’t possibly hurt ’em,” the old lady said to Mary Poppins.

“Anything you give them, Mrs Corry, could only do them good,” said Mary Poppins with most surprising courtesy.

“What a pity,” Michael couldn’t help saying, “they weren’t Peppermint Bars.”

“Well, they are, sometimes,” said Mrs Corry gleefully, “and very good they taste, too. I often nibble ’em myself, if I can’t sleep at night. Splendid for the digestion.”

“What will they be next time?” asked Jane, looking at Mrs Corry’s fingers with interest.

“Aha!” said Mrs Corry. “That’s just the question. I never know from day to day what they will be. I take the chance, my dear, as I heard William the Conqueror say to his Mother when she advised him not to go conquering England.”

“You must be very old (вы, должно быть, очень старая: «должны быть очень старой»)!” said Jane, sighing enviously (вздыхая завистливо; envy — зависть), and wondering (размышляя) if she would ever be able to remember (способна ли она будет помнить) what Mrs Corry remembered (что миссис Корри помнит).