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Her steak arrived (подали бифштекс). It was cooked exactly as she liked it (он

был приготовлен именно так, как она любила), and the onions were crisp and

brown (и лук был хрустящим и румяным; brown — зд. поджаренный,

подрумяненный). She ate the fried potatoes delicately (она изящно ела

жаренный картофель), with her fingers (/держа/ его пальцами), savouring each

one (смакуя каждый кусочек) as though it were the passing moment that she

would bid delay (как если бы это было уходящим: «мимолетным» моментом,

который она бы попросила задержаться; to bid (bade, bidden) — предлагать

цену, приказывать).

"What is love beside steak and onions (что есть любовь по сравнению с

бифштексом с луком)?" she asked (спросила она). It was enchanting to be alone

(это было очаровательно — быть одной) and allow her mind to wander (и

позволить своим мыслям блуждать). She thought once more of Tom (она еще

раз подумала о Томе) and spiritually shrugged a humorous shoulder (и в душе

пожала смешливо плечами). "It was an amusing experience (это был забавный

опыт)."

onion ['Anjqn] delicately ['delIkItlI] savour ['seIvq]

Her steak arrived. It was cooked exactly as she liked it, and the onions were crisp

and brown. She ate the fried potatoes delicately, with her fingers, savouring each

one as though it were the passing moment that she would bid delay.

"What is love beside steak and onions?" she asked. It was enchanting to be alone

and allow her mind to wander. She thought once more of Tom and spiritually

shrugged a humorous shoulder. "It was an amusing experience."

It would certainly be useful to her one of these days (он обязательно будет ей

полезен, в ближайшем будущем: «на днях»). The sight of the dancers seen

through the archway (вид танцоров, которых было видно через сводчатые

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проходы) was so much like a scene in a play (был так похож на сцену из

спектакля) that she was reminded of a notion that she had first had in St. Malo

(что ей напомнило о той идее, которая пришла ей в голову впервые в Сен-

Мало). The agony that she had suffered when Tom deserted her (те муки,

которые она испытывала, когда Том бросил ее) recalled to her memory Racine's

Phиdre (вызвал в ее памяти «Федру» Расина) which she had studied as a girl

with old Jane Taitbout (которую она изучила, когда была девочкой, со старой

Жанной Тэбу). She read the play again (она перечитала пьесу снова). The

torments that afflicted Theseus' queen were the torments that afflicted her (те

самые муки, что приводили в отчаяние жену: «королеву» Тезея, были теми

же самыми муками, что привели ее в отчаяние), and she could not but think (и

она не могла не думать) that there was a striking similarity in their situations (что

была некая поразительная схожесть в их ситуациях). That was a part she could

act (это была роль, которую она могла сыграть); she knew what it felt like to be

turned down by a young man one had a fancy for (она знала, как это

/почувствовать/, что ты отвергнута молодым человеком, в которого

влюблена).

remind [rI'maInd] torment ['tO:ment] afflict [q'flIkt] similarity ["sImI'lxrItI]

It would certainly be useful to her one of these days. The sight of the dancers seen

through the archway was so much like a scene in a play that she was reminded of a

notion that she had first had in St. Malo. The agony that she had suffered when

Tom deserted her recalled to her memory Racine's Phиdre which she had studied

as a girl with old Jane Taitbout. She read the play again. The torments that afflicted

Theseus' queen were the torments that afflicted her, and she could not but think

that there was a striking similarity in their situations. That was a part she could act;

she knew what it felt like to be turned down by a young man one had a fancy for.

Gosh (ей-богу), what a performance she could give (какую игру может она

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показать)! She knew why in the spring she had acted so badly (она знала отчего

весной она играла настолько плохо) that Michael had preferred to close down

(что Майкл предпочел закрыть /спектакль/); it was because she was feeling the

emotions she portrayed (это было из-за того, что она чувствовала все те

эмоции, что она изображала). That was no good (а это ни куда не годится).

You had to have had the emotions (ты должен испытать эти эмоции), but you

could only play them when you had got over them (но ты сможешь сыграть их

только тогда, когда ты преодолел их). She remembered that Charles had once

said to her (она вспомнила, что однажды Чарльз сказал ей) that the origin of

poetry was emotion recollected in tranquillity (что источник поэзии — в

эмоциях, о которых вспоминаешь в спокойствии). She didn't know anything

about poetry (она ничего не знала о поэзии), but it was certainly true about

acting (но это было определенно правдой в отношении актерской игры).

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