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

"Our bedroom was fairly large and there was plenty of room to swing them between the bed and the dressing-table where Marie-Louise was sitting. I did my usual exercises. Marie-Louise had started a little while having her hair cut differently, quite short, and I thought it repulsive. From the back she looked like a boy, and the stubble of cropped hair on her neck made me feel rather sick. She put down her brushes and began to powder her face. She gave a nasty little laugh.

" ‘What are you laughing at (над чем ты смеешься)?’ I asked.

" ‘Madame Renard (/над/ мадам Ренар). That was the same dress she wore at our wedding (на ней было то же самое платье, в котором она была на нашей свадьбе), she’d had it dyed and done over (она его перекрасила и перешила: «переделала»); but it didn’t deceive me (но меня это не обмануло). I’d have known it anywhere (я узнала бы его где угодно).’

"It was such a stupid remark (это было такое глупое замечание), it infuriated me (оно привело меня в бешенство). I was seized with rage (я был охвачен яростью), and with all my might I hit her over the head with my Indian club (и со всей силы я ударил ее по голове булавой). I broke her skull, apparently (вероятно, я проломил ей череп; to break — ломать), and she died two days later in hospital without recovering consciousness (и она умерла два дня спустя в больнице, не приходя в сознание; to recover — получатьобратно; выздоравливать, поправляться)."

He paused for a moment (на мгновение он замолк; topause— делать паузу, останавливаться). I handed him a cigarette and lit another myself (я дал ему сигарету и зажег себе другую; to hand — передавать, вручать).

"I was glad she did (я рад, что она /умерла/). We could never have lived together again (мы бы больше никогда не смогли жить вместе), and it would have been very hard to explain my action (и /мне/ было бы очень сложно объяснить свой поступок; hard — сильно, интенсивно; тяжело, струдом).

"Very (очень)."

dye [daI], deceive [dI'si: v], infuriate [In'fju(q)rIeIt], apparently [q'pxrqntlI]

" ‘What are you laughing at?’ I asked.

" ‘Madame Renard. That was the same dress she wore at our wedding, she’d had it dyed and done over; but it didn’t deceive me. I’d have known it anywhere.’

"It was such a stupid remark, it infuriated me. I was seized with rage, and with all my might I hit her over the head with my Indian club. I broke her skull, apparently, and she died two days later in hospital without recovering consciousness."

He paused for a moment. I handed him a cigarette and lit another myself.

"I was glad she did. We could never have lived together again, and it would have been very hard to explain my action.

"Very."