Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

сконфужен). He avoided her glance (он избегал ее взгляда) and his face once

more bore a sulky look (и снова на его лице было надутое угрюмое выражение;

to bear (bore, born) —переносить,иметь,выдерживать; to bear look —

выглядеть). The moment was decisive (момент был решающим; decisive —

окончательный,решительный,бесспорный). For a while they were silent

(какое-то мгновение, они молчали). Julia's heart beat painfully (сердце Джулии

болезненно колотилось; to beat — бить, ударять, избивать), but at last she

forced herself to speak (но, наконец, она заставила себя заговорить).

"Tell me (скажи мне)," she said, smiling (сказала она, улыбаясь), "have you

been to bed with Avice Crichton (ты спал: «был в постели» с Эвис Крайтон)?"

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"Of course not (конечно же, нет)," he cried (вскричал он).

"Why not (почему же нет)? She's pretty (она миленькая)."

"She's not that sort of girl (она не такая девушка). I respect her (я уважаю ее)."

muss [mAs] pour [pO:] abashed [q'bxSt] decisive [dI'saIsIv]

"Don't do that," he said. "I do hate having my hair mussed about."

It was like a knife in her heart. He had never spoken to her in that tone before. But

she laughed lightly and getting up took the whisky he had poured out for her and

sat down in a chair opposite him. The movement he had made, the words he had

spoken, were instinctive and he was a trifle abashed. He avoided her glance and his

face once more bore a sulky look. The moment was decisive. For a while they were

silent. Julia's heart beat painfully, but at last she forced herself to speak.

"Tell me," she said, smiling, "have you been to bed with Avice Crichton?"

"Of course not," he cried.

"Why not? She's pretty."

"She's not that sort of girl. I respect her."

Julia let none of her feelings appear on her face (Джулия не позволила ни

одному из /ее/ чувств отразится: «появиться» на /ее/ лице). Her manner was

wonderfully casual (ее манера осталась: «была» удивительно небрежной); she

might have been talking of the fall of empires or the death of kings (/так/ она

могла бы говорить о падении империй или гибели: «смерти» королей).

"D'you know what I should have said (знаешь ли ты, что я бы сказала)? I should

have said you were madly in love with her (я бы сказала, что ты безумно

влюблен в нее)." He still avoided her eyes (он все еще избегал ее глаз). "Are

you engaged to her by any chance (ты случайно не помолвлен ли с ней; by any

chance — случайно)?"

"No."

He looked at her now (теперь он смотрел на нее), but the eyes that met Julia's

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were hostile (но глаза, которые смотрели в глаза Джулии: «встретили глаза

Джулии», были враждебны).

"Have you asked her to marry you (ты просил ее выйти за тебя замуж)?"

"How could I (как я могу)? A damned rotter like me (такой чертов подлец, как

я)."

He spoke so passionately that Julia was astonished (он говорил с такой страстью,

что Джулия была поражена; to astonish — удивлять, изумлять).

"What are you talking about (о чем это ты говоришь)?"

"Oh what's the good of beating about the bush (о, что проку в том, что ходить

вокруг да около; to beat about the bush — вилять, подходить к делу издалека,

bush — куст, кустарник)? How could I ask a decent girl to marry me (как я могу

просить у порядочной девушки выйти за меня замуж)? I'm nothing but a kept

boy (я не кто иной, как юнец на содержании) and, God knows (и, видит Бог),

you have good reason to know it (у тебя все основания знать это)."

casual ['kxZVql] empire ['empaIq] hostile ['hOstaIl]

Julia let none of her feelings appear on her face. Her manner was wonderfully

casual; she might have been talking of the fall of empires or the death of kings.

"D'you know what I should have said? I should have said you were madly in love

with her." He still avoided her eyes.

"Are you engaged to her by any chance?"

"No."

He looked at her now, but the eyes that met Julia's were hostile.

"Have you asked her to marry you?"

"How could I? A damned rotter like me."

He spoke so passionately that Julia was astonished.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh what's the good of beating about the bush? How could I ask a decent girl to

marry me? I'm nothing but a kept boy and, God knows, you have good reason to

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know it."

"Don't be so silly (не глупи: «не будь таким глупым»). What a fuss to make

(поднимать такую суету) over a few little presents I've given you (из-за

нескольких маленьких подарков, что я сделала: «подарила» тебе)."

"I oughtn't to have taken them (мне не следовало принимать: «брать» их). I