Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Мистер Всезнайка. Рассказы / W. S. Maugham. Mr. Know-All. Stories

He had lived on the island for so long and had always settled his accounts so punctually that it was easy for him to get credit; never having borrowed money before, he found a number of people who were willing to lend him small sums when now he asked for them. He had paid his rent regularly for so many years that his landlord, whose wife Assunta still acted as his servant, was content to let things slide for several months.

Everyone believed him when he said that a relative had died (все поверили ему, когда он сказал, что /у него/ умер один родственник) and that he was temporarily embarrassed (и что он испытывает временные денежные затруднения; to embarrass — беспокоить, смущать; вызыватьденежныезатруднения) because owing to legal formalities (потому как из-за юридических формальностей; owing to — благодаря, вследствие, попричине) he could not for some time get the money that was due to him (он не мог некоторое время получить деньги, которые ему причитались; due — должный, надлежащий; заслуженный, полагающийся, причитающийся). He managed to hang on after this fashion for something over a year (ему удалось продержаться таким вот образом где-то больше года; tomanage— руководить, управлять; справиться, ухитриться;tohang— вешать, подвешивать; колебаться, находиться в промежуточном положении). Then he could get no more credit from the local tradesmen (затем он не мог больше получить кредит у местных торговцев), and there was no one to lend him any more money (и больше не было никого, кто бы ссудил ему денег). His landlord gave him notice to leave the house (его домовладелец предупредил его, чтобы тот съехал из дома; notice— извещение, уведомление; предупреждение о расторжении контракта) unless he paid up the arrears of rent before a certain date (если он не заплатит задолженность /по арендной плате за дом/ до определенной даты; topayup— платить; выплачивать сполна /недоимку, задолженность и т. п./).

relative ['relqtIv], temporarily ['temp(q)rqrIlI], embarrass [Im'bxrqs], legal ['li: g(q)l], formality [fO:'mxlItI]

Everyone believed him when he said that a relative had died and that he was temporarily embarrassed because owing to legal formalities he could not for some time get the money that was due to him. He managed to hang on after this fashion for something over a year. Then he could get no more credit from the local tradesmen, and there was no one to lend him any more money. His landlord gave him notice to leave the house unless he paid up the arrears of rent before a certain date.