Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

следующей витрины), and this time when he stopped he was close beside her (и в

этот раз, когда он остановился, он был близко рядом с ней). Her heart began to

beat wildly (ее сердце начало колотиться бешено: «дико»). It was really

beginning to look like an adventure (это все действительно начинало выглядеть

как приключение).

shopwalker ['SOp"wO:kq] weight [weIt] excited [Ik'saItId]

He was rather short, he looked like a clerk or a shop-walker, he wore a grey suit

and a brown soft hat. He was not the man she would have chosen to be picked up

by, but there it was, he was evidently trying to pick her up. She forgot that she was

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франкаwww.franklang.ru

729

beginning to feel tired. She did not know what would happen next. Of course she

wasn't going to let the thing go too far, but she was curious to see what his next

step would be. She wondered what he would say to her. She was excited and

pleased; it was a weight off her mind. She walked on slowly and she knew he was

close behind her. She stopped at another shop window, and this time when he

stopped he was close beside her. Her heart began to beat wildly. It was really

beginning to look like an adventure.

"I wonder if he'll ask me to go to a hotel with him (интересно, пригласит ли он

меня пойти в гостиницу с ним). I don't suppose he could afford that (не думаю,

что он может позволить себе это). A cinema (в кинотеатр). That's it (вот куда).

It would be rather fun (это будет довольно забавно)."

She looked him full in the face now (она взглянула ему прямо в лицо в этот раз;

full — полный, целиком) and very nearly smiled (и почти улыбнулась). He took

off his hat (он снял шляпу).

"Miss Lambert, isn't it (мисс Лэмберт, не так ли)?"

She almost jumped out of her skin (она почти что подскочила от

неожиданности; to jump out of one's skin — быть вне себя, вздрогнуть:

«выпрыгнуть из своей кожи», skin — кожа, шкура). She was indeed so taken

aback (она на самом деле была захвачена врасплох; to take aback — поразить,

ошеломить) that she had not the presence of mind to deny it (что ей не хватило:

«у нее не было» присутствия духа отрицать это).

"I thought I recognized you the moment I saw you (я подумал, что узнал вас в

тот самый момент, когда я увидел вас), that's why I turned back, to make sure,

see (именно поэтому: «вот почему» я повернул назад, чтобы убедиться,

видите), and I said to meself, if that's not Julia Lambert I'm Ramsay Macdonald (и

я сказал себе, если это не Джулия Лэмберт, то я Рамзай Макдональд; meself =

myself). Then you stopped to look in that shop window (затем вы остановились,

чтобы посмотреть на ту витрину) and that give me the chance to 'ave a good

look at you (и это дало мне возможность хорошенько на вас поглядеть; 'ave =

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франкаwww.franklang.ru

730

to have). What made me 'esitate was seeing you in the Edgware Road (что

заставило меня сомневаться, так это увидеть вас на Эдвард-роуд; 'esitate = to

hesitate —колебаться,не решаться). It seems so funny, if you know what I

mean (это показалось таким смешным, если вы понимаете, о чем я: «если вы

знаете, что я имею в виду»)."

cinema ['sInImq] jump [dZAmp] presence ['prez(q)ns]

"I wonder if he'll ask me to go to a hotel with him. I don't suppose he could afford

that. A cinema. That's it. It would be rather fun."

She looked him full in the face now and very nearly smiled. He took off his hat.

"Miss Lambert, isn't it?"

She almost jumped out of her skin. She was indeed so taken aback that she had not

the presence of mind to deny it.

"I thought I recognized you the moment I saw you, that's why I turned back, to

make sure, see, and I said to meself, if that's not Julia Lambert I'm Ramsay

Macdonald. Then you stopped to look in that shop window and that give me the

chance to 'ave a good look at you. What made me 'esitate was seeing you in the

Edgware Road. It seems so funny, if you know what I mean."

It was much funnier than he imagined (это было гораздо смешнее, чем он мог

себе вообразить). Anyhow it didn't matter (в любом случае, это не имело

значения) if he knew who she was (раз: «если» уж он знал, кем она была). She

ought to have guessed (ей надо было догадаться) that she couldn't go far in

London without being recognized (что она не сможет уйти далеко в Лондоне,

без того, чтобы быть узнанной). He had a cockney accent and a pasty face (у

него был акцент кокни и бледное одутловатое лицо), but she gave him a jolly,

friendly smile (но она улыбнулась ему веселой, дружеской улыбкой). He

mustn't think she was putting on airs (он не должен думать, что она важничает;

to put on airs — зазнаваться, задирать нос).