Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы

If you had asked them (если бы вы спросили их) I have no doubt (я не сомневаюсь) that they would have thought it impossible to suppose (что они бы подумали, /что/ это невозможно /даже/ предположить) their love could ever cease (/что/ их любовь могла бы когда-нибудь закончиться; to cease— прекращаться). Do we not know that the essential element of love (разве мы не знаем, что неотъемлемая часть любви; essential — существенный; необходимый) is a belief in its own eternity (это вера в ее собственное бессмертие; eternity — вечность)? And yet perhaps in Red there was already a very little seed (и все же, может быть, в Рыжем уже зародилось: «было» очень маленькое зернышко), unknown to himself and unsuspected by the girl (неизвестное ему самому и незаподозренное девушкой), which would in time have grown to weariness (которое бы со временем переросло в скуку). For one day one of the natives from the cove told them (ибо однажды один из туземцев из той бухты рассказал им) that some way down the coast at the anchorage was a British whaling-ship (что где-то недалеко от берега на якоре стояло английское китобойное судно; down — вниз; ниже по, вдоль по; anchorage — якорная стоянка).

"‘Gee,’ he said (вот здорово, — сказал он), ‘I wonder if I could make a trade of some nuts and plantains (интересно, смог бы я совершить сделку = обменять немного орехов и диких бананов) for a pound or two of tobacco (на один-два фунта табака).’

lengthen [`leNT(q)n], touch [tAC], weariness [`wIqrInIs]

"The weeks lengthened into months, and a year passed. They seemed to love one another as — I hesitate to say passionately, for passion has in it always a shade of sadness, a touch of bitterness or anguish, but as whole-heartedly, as simply and naturally as on that first day on which, meeting, they had recognised that a god was in them.

If you had asked them I have no doubt that they would have thought it impossible to suppose their love could ever cease. Do we not know that the essential element of love is a belief in its own eternity? And yet perhaps in Red there was already a very little seed, unknown to himself and unsuspected by the girl, which would in time have grown to weariness. For one day one of the natives from the cove told them that some way down the coast at the anchorage was a British whaling-ship.

"‘Gee,’ he said, ‘I wonder if I could make a trade of some nuts and plantains for a pound or two of tobacco.’