Английский с Дэвидом Г. Лоуренсом. Тень в розовом саду

 So we stood among the shafts of the open cart-shed, that faced the road. Then she looked down at the ground, a little sideways, and I noticed a small black frown on her brows. She seemed to brood for a moment. Then she looked straight into my eyes, so that I blinked and wanted to turn my face aside. She was searching me for something and her look was too near. The frown was still on her keen, sallow brow.

“Can you speak French?” she asked me abruptly.

“More or less,” I replied.

“I was supposed to learn it at school (считается, что я его учила в школе; to suppose – /пред/полагать, допускать),” she said. “But I don’t know a word (но не знаю ни слова).” She ducked her head and laughed (она наклонила голову и засмеялась), with a slightly ugly grimace and a rolling of her black eyes (со слегка неприятной гримасой и вращением черных глаз; ugly – безобразный, уродливый; неприятный, противный; to roll – катить/ся/; вращать/ся/).

“No good keeping your mind full of scraps,” I answered (незачем держать ум полным обрывков = незачем забивать голову всякой ерундой, – ответил я; good – добро; польза; scrap – клочок, кусочек, обрывок).

But she had turned aside her sallow, long face, and did not hear what I said (но она /уже/ отвернула в сторону свое бледное, вытянутое лицо и не слышала, что я сказал). Suddenly again she looked at me (вдруг она снова посмотрела на меня). She was searching (она всматривалась /в меня/). And at the same time she smiled at me (и в то же время она улыбалась мне), and her eyes looked softly, darkly, with infinite trustful humility into mine (и ее глаза смотрели мягко, загадочно, с бесконечной доверчивой покорностью в мои; darkly – мрачно; загадочно, неясно). I was being cajoled (меня умасливали: «я был умасливаем»).

“Would you mind reading a letter for me, in French (вы не против прочитать для меня письмо на французском)?” she said, her face immediately black and bitter-looking (спросила она, и ее лицо мгновенно потемнело и /приняло/ горькое выражение). She glanced at me, frowning (она бросила на меня взгляд, нахмурившись).

 “I was supposed to learn it at school,” she said. “But I don’t know a word.” She ducked her head and laughed, with a slightly ugly grimace and a rolling of her black eyes.

“No good keeping your mind full of scraps,” I answered.

But she had turned aside her sallow, long face, and did not hear what I said. Suddenly again she looked at me. She was searching. And at the same time she smiled at me, and her eyes looked softly, darkly, with infinite trustful humility into mine. I was being cajoled.

“Would you mind reading a letter for me, in French?” she said, her face immediately black and bitter-looking. She glanced at me, frowning.

“Not at all (вовсе нет),” I said.