Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы / W. S. Maugham: Stories

"I understand that you are again having trouble with your servants (я понимаю = узнал, что вы снова имеете неприятности со своими слугами). Abas, my head-boy`s nephew, complains that you have held back his wages for three months (Абас, племянник моего старшего боя, жалуется, что вы задержали его жалование за три месяца). I consider it a most arbitrary proceeding (я считаю это весьма/крайне произвольным/деспотическим поступком). The lad wishes to leave you, and I certainly do not blame him (парень хочет оставить = уйти от вас, и я, конечно, не осуждаю/упрекаю его). I must insist on your paying what is due to him (я должен = вынужден настаивать на вашем платеже того, что ему причитается)."

mosquitoe [mOs'ki: tqu], nephew ['nevju: ], arbitrary [`Q: bItrqrI], proceeding [prq'si: dIN]

In ten minutes Cooper stood before him. They had not spoken to one another since the day when Mr. Warburton had nearly struck him. He did not now ask him to sit down.

"Did you wish to see me?" asked Cooper.

He was untidy and none too clean. His face and hands were covered with little red blotches where mosquitoes had bitten him and he had scratched himself till the blood came. His long, thin face bore a sullen look.

"I understand that you are again having trouble with your servants. Abas, my head-boy`s nephew, complains that you have held back his wages for three months. I consider it a most arbitrary proceeding. The lad wishes to leave you, and I certainly do not blame him. I must insist on your paying what is due to him."

"I don`t choose that he should leave me (я предпочитаю, чтобы он остался: «не предпочитаю, чтобы он покидал меня»; to choose— выбирать; отдавать предпочтение чему-либо; предпочитать). I am holding back his wages as a pledge of his good behaviour (я удерживаю его жалование как залог его хорошего поведения)."

"You do not know the Malay character (вы не знаете малайского характера/нрава). The Malays are very sensitive to injury and ridicule (малайцы очень чувствительны к оскорблению и насмешке; injury — повреждение; рана; оскорбление; обида). They are passionate and revengeful (они пылки и мстительны; revenge — месть). It is my duty to warn you that if you drive this boy beyond a certain point you run a great risk (это мой долг — предупредить вас о том, что если вы доведете этого парня до предела: «выше определенной отметки», вы подвергаетесь большому риску; to drive — гнать; доводить до какого-либо состояния; point — точка, пятнышко, крапинка; пункт, отметка;to run a risk — рисковать)."

Cooper gave a contemptuous chuckle (Купер презрительно хмыкнул: «издал презрительное хмыканье»).

"What do you think he`ll do (что, вы думаете = по-вашему, он сделает)?"

"I think he`ll kill you (я полагаю, он убьет вас)."

"Why should you mind (а вам какое дело: «почему вы беспокоитесь/тревожитесь»)?"

behaviour [bI'heIvjq], сontemptuous [kqn'temptjuqs], chuckle [tSAkl], injury ['InGqrI]

"I don`t choose that he should leave me. I am holding back his wages as a pledge of his good behaviour."

"You do not know the Malay character. The Malays are very sensitive to injury and ridicule. They are passionate and revengeful. It is my duty to warn you that if you drive this boy beyond a certain point you run a great risk."

Cooper gave a contemptuous chuckle.

"What do you think he`ll do?"

"I think he`ll kill you."

"Why should you mind?"