"I'll ring up one of these days (я позвоню на днях: «в один из дней»)."
"Swear (поклянись)."
"On my honour (честное слово)."
"Don't be too long (не тяни;
He insisted on coming down stairs with her (он настоял на том, чтобы
спуститься /по лестнице/ вниз с ней) and putting her into a cab (и посадить ее в
такси). She had wanted to go down alone (она хотела спуститься в
одиночестве), so that she could have a look at the cards (чтобы взглянуть на
карточки) attached to the bells on the lintel (прикрепленным к звонкам у
входной двери
"Damn it all (черт побери), I ought at least to know his name (я должна, по
крайней мере, знать его имя)."
absurd [qb'sq:d] tiresome ['taIqsqm] damn [dxm]
She thought rapidly. It was too absurd, of course she had no intention of
seeing him again, it was stupid of her to have let him behave like that, but it
was just as well to temporize. He might be tiresome if she told him that the
incident would have no sequel.
"I'll ring up one of these days."
"Swear."
"On my honour."
"Don't be too long."
304
He insisted on coming down stairs with her and putting her into a cab. She
had wanted to go down alone, so that she could have a look at the cards
attached to the bells on the lintel.
"Damn it all, I ought at least to know his name."
But he gave her no chance (но он не оставил ей шанса). When the taxi drove off
(когда такси отъехало) she sank into one corner of it (она забилась в один из
углов /заднего сиденья/;
"Raped, my dear (изнасилована, моя дорогая). Practically raped (практически
изнасилована). At my time of life (в моем то возрасте). And without so much as
by your leave (и даже не извинился;
со шлюхой;
century comedy (комедия восемнадцатого века), that's what it is (вот что это
такое). I might have been a waiting-maid (я могла бы быть горничной). In a
hoop (в /платье/ с кринолином;
things (с теми смешными пышными штуковинами) — what the devil are they
called (как же, черт возьми, они называются)? — that they wore to emphasize
their hips (те, которые они носили, чтобы подчеркнуть бедра), an apron and a
scarf round me neck (в фартуке и с шарфиком на шее)."
gurgle ['gq:g(q)l] rape [reIp] puffy ['pAfI] emphasize ['emfqsaIz]
But he gave her no chance. When the taxi drove off she sank into one corner
of it and gurgled with laughter.
"Raped, my dear. Practically raped. At my time of life. And without so much
as by your leave. Treated me like a tart. Eighteenth-century comedy, that's
what it is. I might have been a waiting-maid. In a hoop, with those funny puffy
things — what the devil are they called? — that they wore to emphasize their
305
hips, an apron and a scarf round me neck."
Then with vague memories of Farquhar and Goldsmith (затем, смутно
припоминая Фаркера и Голдсмита;
invented the dialogue (она выдумала следующий диалог). "La, sir, 'tis shame to
take advantage of a poor country girl (о, сэр, как не стыдно воспользоваться