Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

ничего особенного; to come of — выходить, получаться). He was prudent (он

был осторожный), and all he wanted was admiration (и все, что он хотел

/получить/, так это восхищение). She had heard (она знала: «слышала») that

when women became pressing (что когда женщины становились

настойчивыми) he used her as a pretext to get rid of them (он использовал ее как

предлог, чтобы избавиться от них). Either he couldn't risk doing anything to hurt

her (/он говорил, что/ либо он не мог рисковать и сделать что-то такое, что

причинит ей боль), or she was jealous or suspicious (или то, что она была

ревнивой и подозрительной) and it seemed better (и, казалось, что будет

лучше) that the friendship should cease (чтобы их дружба прекратилась).

"God knows what they see in him (одному Богу известно, что они видят в

нем)," Julia exclaimed to the empty room (Джулия воскликнула, /обращаясь/ к

пустой комнате).

bother ['bODq] flirtation [flq:'teIS(q)n] pretext ['pri:tekst]

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For years, so far as Julia knew, Michael had not bothered with women, but

when he reached the middle forties he began to have little flirtations. Julia

suspected that nothing much came of them. He was prudent, and all he

wanted was admiration. She had heard that when women became pressing he

used her as a pretext to get rid of them. Either he couldn't risk doing anything

to hurt her, or she was jealous or suspicious and it seemed better that the

friendship should cease.

"God knows what they see in him," Julia exclaimed to the empty room.

She took up half a dozen of his photographs at random (она подняла полдюжины

его фотографий наугад; at random — без разбора, наобум, наудачу) and looked

at them carefully one by one (и рассмотрела их внимательно одну за одной).

She shrugged her shoulders (она пожала плечами).

"Well, I suppose I can't blame them (ну, /я/ полагаю, я не могу винить их). I fell

in love with him too (я влюбилась в него тоже). Of course he was better-looking

in those days (конечно, он выглядел лучше тогда: «в те дни»)."

It made Julia a little sad to think how much she had loved him (Джулия

загрустила, подумав, как сильно она любила его; to make smb. sad —

опечалиться,нагнатьтоску). Because her love had died (из-за того, что ее

любовь умерла) she felt that life had cheated her (она чувствовала, что жизнь

обманула ее; to cheat — мошенничать, обманывать, изменять). She sighed

(она вздохнула).

"And my back's aching (и спина у меня болит)," she said.

shrug [SrAg] cheat [tSi:t] ache [eIk]

She took up half a dozen of his photographs at random and looked at them

carefully one by one. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I suppose I can't blame them. I fell in love with him too. Of course he

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241

was better-looking in those days."

It made Julia a little sad to think how much she had loved him. Because her

love had died she felt that life had cheated her. She sighed.

"And my back's aching," she said.

10

THERE was a knock at the door (раздался стук в дверь).

"Come in (войдите)," said Julia (сказала Джулия).

Evie entered (вошла Эви).

"Aren't you going to bed today (разве вы не собираетесь поспать: «в постель»

сегодня), Miss Lambert (мисс Лэмберт)?" She saw Julia sitting on the floor (она

увидела, что Джулия сидит на полу) surrounded by masses of photographs

(окруженная кучей фотографий; mass — масса, скопление, множество).

"Whatever are you doing (что это вы делаете; whatever — эмоц.-усилит., разг.

выражает удивление и недоумение — что?)?"

"Dreaming (мечтаю)." She took up two of the photographs (она подняла пару:

«две» фотографий). "Look here upon this picture (посмотри сюда, на эту

фотографию), and on this (и на эту)."