Мистер Всезнайка. Рассказы

"I have a few minutes to spare. I should be glad to." He sat down and lit the cigarette I offered him. He gave me a smiling look of his soft eyes. "Do you know, this is the first time I’ve ever been asked to sit down since I was sentenced." He inhaled a long whiff of his cigarette. "Egyptian. I haven’t smoked an Egyptian cigarette for three years."

The convicts make their own cigarettes out of a coarse, strong tobacco (заключенные делают свои /собственные/ сигареты из грубого, с резким /запахом/, табака; strong — сильный/физически/;острый, резкий, едкий) that is sold in square blue packets (который продается в синих квадратных пакетах; to sell). Since one is not allowed to pay them for the services they may render you (так как не разрешается платить им /заключенным/ за те услуги, которые они могут оказать), but may give them tobacco (но можно давать им табак), I had bought a good many packets of this (я /в свое время/ покупал очень много пакетов этого /табака/).

"How does it taste (вам нравится; to taste — пробовать; иметьвкус)?"

"One gets accustomed to everything (ко всему можно привыкнуть) and, to tell you the truth, my palate is so vitiated (и, сказать вам по правде, вкус у меня настолько испорчен; palate — анат. небо; вкус; to vitiate — портить, искажать; развращать), I prefer the stuff we get here (что я предпочитаю ту дрянь, которую мы здесь получаем; stuff — материал, вещество)."

coarse [kO: s], square [skweq], palate ['pxlIt], vitiated ['vISIetId]

The convicts make their own cigarettes out of a coarse, strong tobacco that is sold in square blue packets. Since one is not allowed to pay them for the services they may render you, but may give them tobacco, I had bought a good many packets of this.

"How does it taste?"

"One gets accustomed to everything and, to tell you the truth, my palate is so vitiated, I prefer the stuff we get here."

"I’ll give you a couple of packets (я дам вам пару пачек)." I went into my room and fetched them (я пошел в свою комнату и принес их). When I returned he was looking at some books that were lying on the table (когда я вернулся, он смотрел на книги, которые лежали на столе).

"Are you fond of reading (вы любите читать)?" I asked.

"Very (очень). I think the want of books is what I most suffer from now (мне кажется, что больше всего сейчас я страдаю как раз из-за отсутствия книг). The few I can get hold of I’m forced to read over and over again (мне приходится перечитывать снова и снова те несколько /книжек/, которые мне удалось заполучить)."

To so great a reader as myself no deprivation seems more insupportable than the lack of books (для меня, как для страстного любителя чтения, никакое лишение не кажется более невыносимым, чем отсутствие книг; great— большой; сильный, интенсивный).

lying ['laIIN], deprivation ["deprI'veIS(q)n], insupportable ["Insq'pO: tqb(q)l]

"I’ll give you a couple of packets." I went into my room and fetched them. When I returned he was looking at some books that were lying on the table.

"Are you fond of reading?" I asked. "Very. I think the want of books is what I most suffer from now. The few I can gel hold of I’m forced to read over and over again."

To so great a reader as myself no deprivation seems more insupportable than the lack of books.