Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

She felt a trifle snubbed and decided not to look round again. She walked on and

on. She had always heard that the London crowd was the best behaved in the

world, but really its behaviour on this occasion was unconscionable.

"This couldn't happen to one in the streets of Paris, Rome or Berlin," she reflected.

She decided to go as far as the Marylebone Road, and then turn back. It would be

too humiliating to go home without being once accosted. She was walking so

slowly that passers-by sometimes jostled her. This irritated her.

"I ought to have tried Oxford Street," she said. "That fool Evie. The Edgware

Road's obviously a wash-out."

Suddenly her heart gave an exultant leap (внезапно ее сердце торжествующе

подпрыгнуло). She had caught a young man's eye (она уловила взгляд молодого

человека) and she was sure that there was a gleam in it (и она была уверена, что

/там/ был огонек: «слабый свет, свечение» в нем). He passed, and she had all

she could do not to turn round (он прошел мимо, и она сделала все, что она

могла сделать, чтобы не повернуться). She started, for in a moment he passed

her again (она вздрогнула, так как через мгновение он прошел мимо нее

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снова), he had retraced his steps (он вернулся той же дорогой; to retrace —

возвращаться по пройденномупути, step —шаг,походка), and this time he

gave her a stare (и в этот раз он пристально посмотрел на нее). She shot him a

glance (она бросила на него быстрый взгляд; to shoot (shot) — стрелять,

вестиогонь,кидать) and then modestly lowered her eyes (и затем скромно

опустила глаза). He fell back and she was conscious that he was following her (он

отстал, и она была уверена, что он следовал за ней; to fall (fell; fallen) back —

отступать назад, уступать дорогу). It was all right (все было в порядке). She

stopped to look into a shop window and he stopped too (она остановилась, чтобы

посмотреть на витрину магазина и он тоже остановился). She knew how to

behave now (она знала, как вести себя теперь). She pretended to be absorbed in

the goods that were displayed (она притворилась, что /она/ полностью

поглощена товарами, что были выставлены; to absorb — впитывать,

захватывать внимание), but just before she moved on (но как раз перед тем,

как она двинулась дальше) gave him a quick flash of her faintly smiling eyes

(быстро сверкнула на него слегка смеющимися глазами; flash — вспышка,

быстрый взгляд).

exultant [Ig'zAlt(q)nt] absorbed [qb'zO:bd, qb'sO:bd] faintly ['feIntlI]

Suddenly her heart gave an exultant leap. She had caught a young man's eye and

she was sure that there was a gleam in it. He passed, and she had all she could do

not to turn round. She started, for in a moment he passed her again, he had retraced

his steps, and this time he gave her a stare. She shot him a glance and then

modestly lowered her eyes. He fell back and she was conscious that he was

following her. It was all right. She stopped to look into a shop window and he

stopped too. She knew how to behave now. She pretended to be absorbed in the

goods that were displayed, but just before she moved on gave him a quick flash of

her faintly smiling eyes.

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He was rather short (он был довольно невысок), he looked like a clerk or a shop-

walker (/он/ выглядел как конторский служащий или дежурный

администратор магазина; shop (магазин) + -walker (ходок, торговец вразнос),

he wore a grey suit (на нем был серый костюм) and a brown soft hat (и

коричневая мягкая шляпа). He was not the man she would have chosen to be

picked up by (он не был тем мужчиной, /которого/ она бы /сама/ выбрала для

того чтобы /он/ ее подцепил), but there it was (но так оно и было), he was

evidently trying to pick her up (он очевидно пытался подцепить ее). She forgot

that she was beginning to feel tired (она забыла, что /она уже/ начинала

чувствовать усталость: «усталой»). She did not know what would happen next

(она не знала, что случится дальше: «потом»). Of course she wasn't going to let

the thing go too far (конечно, она не собиралась позволить всему этому зайти

очень далеко), but she was curious to see what his next step would be (но ей

было любопытно увидеть, каким будет его следующий шаг). She wondered

what he would say to her (ей было интересно, что он ей скажет). She was

excited and pleased (она была возбуждена и довольна); it was a weight off her

mind (у нее камень с души свалился). She walked on slowly (она продолжала

идти медленно) and she knew he was close behind her (и она знала, что он был

близко позади нее). She stopped at another shop window (она остановилась у