Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы

formidable [`fO: mIdqbl], unscrupulous [An`skru: pjulqs], ingenuous [In`dZenjuqs]

His passion for cards, almost as strong as his passion for titles, was the cause of his undoing. The life he led was expensive and his gambling losses were formidable. He began to plunge more heavily, first on horses, and then on the Stock Exchange. He had a certain simplicity of character, and the unscrupulous found him an ingenuous prey. I do not know if he ever realized that his smart friends laughed at him behind his back, but I think he had an obscure instinct that he could not afford to appear other than careless of his money. He got into the hands of money-lenders. At the age of thirty-four he was ruined.

He was too much imbued with the spirit of his class to hesitate in the choice of his next step (он слишком проникся духом своего класса/сословия, чтобы колебаться/сомневаться в выборе своего следующего шага). When a man in his set had run through his money, he went out to the colonies (когда человек его круга проматывал свои деньги, он уходил = отправлялся в колонии; set— комплект, набор; круг людей, связанных своим статусом, общими интересами, привычками или занятием;to run through— прокалывать; проткнуть; промотать /состояние/). No one heard Mr. Warburton repine (никто не слышал, чтобы мистер Уорбертон ворчал/жаловался). He made no complaint because a noble friend had advised a disastrous speculation (он не жаловался на то, что: «потому что» какой-то титулованный друг втянул его: «посоветовал ему» в какую-то разорительную спекуляцию; speculation— размышление, предположение; спекуляция /на рынке ценных бумаг и валюты/; афера; disaster — беда, бедствие, несчастье), he pressed nobody to whom he had lent money to repay it (он не давил ни на кого, кому он одалживал деньги, заставляя вернуть долг: «чтобы вернуть их»), he paid his debts (if he had only known it, the despised blood of the Liverpool manufacturer came out in him there) (он уплатил свои долги (если бы он только знал, /что/ это презренная кровь ливерпульского фабриканта заговорила: «показалась/проявилась» в нем)), sought help from no one (ни у кого не искал помощи), and, never having done a stroke of work in his life (и, никогда не сделав и легкой работы = не ударив палец о палец в своей жизни; stroke— удар; единичное действие, проявление, манифестация какого-либо явления), looked for a means of livelihood (искал способы заработка). He remained cheerful, unconcerned and full of humour (он оставался веселым, беззаботным и в хорошем расположении духа: «полный юмора/настроения»). He had no wish to make anyone with whom he happened to be uncomfortable by the recital of his misfortune (он не желал смущать людей, с которыми общался, рассказами о своей беде: «у него не было желания делать кого-то, с кем ему случалось бывать, смущенным от рассказов о своей беде»). Mr. Warburton was a snob, but he was also a gentleman (мистер Уорбертон был снобом, но он к тому же был и джентльменом).

hesitate ['hezIteIt], disastrous [dI`zA: strqs], speculation [spekju`leISn]

He was too much imbued with the spirit of his class to hesitate in the choice of his next step. When a man in his set had run through his money, he went out to the colonies. No one heard Mr. Warburton repine. He made no complaint because a noble friend had advised a disastrous speculation, he pressed nobody to whom he had lent money to repay it, he paid his debts (if he had only known it, the despised blood of the Liverpool manufacturer came out in him there), sought help from no one, and, never having done a stroke of work in his life, looked for a means of livelihood. He remained cheerful, unconcerned and full of humour. He had no wish to make anyone with whom he happened to be uncomfortable by the recital of his misfortune. Mr. Warburton was a snob, but he was also a gentleman.

The only favour he asked of any of the great friends (единственное одолжение, о котором он просил /своих/ титулованных: «великих» друзей) in whose daily company he had lived for years was a recommendation (в каждодневной компании которых он жил годами = провел годы, была рекомендация/были рекомендации). The able man who was at that time Sultan of Sembulu took him into his service (рассудительный человек, который в то время был султаном = тогдашний султан Сембулу, взял его на службу; able — компетентный, знающий). The night before he sailed he dined for the last lime at his club (вечером, перед своим отплытием, он последний раз обедал в своем клубе; to sail— плавать, совершать плавание; отплывать).

"I hear you’re going away, Warburton (я слышу, вы уезжаете; to go away — уходить; уезжать)," the old Duke of Hereford said to him (спросил: «сказал» его старый герцог Херефорд).

"Yes, I’m going to Borneo (да, я еду на Борнео)."

"Good God, what are you going there for (Боже милостивый, зачем вы туда едете)?"

"Oh, I’m broke (ох, я разорен)."

"Are you (в самом деле)? I`m sorry (мне жаль). Well, let us know when you come back (ладно, дайте нам знать/сообщите нам, когда вы вернетесь). I hope you have a good time (я надеюсь, вы хорошо/неплохо проведете время)."

"Oh yes (о, да/конечно). Lots of shooting, you know (много стрельбы, вы знаете = знаете ли)."

favour [`feIvq], recommendation [rekqmen`deISn], sultan [`sAltqn]

The only favour he asked of any of the great friends in whose daily company he had lived for years was a recommendation. The able man who was at that time Sultan of Sembulu took him into his service. The night before he sailed he dined for the last lime at his club.

"I hear you`re going away, Warburton," the old Duke of Hereford said to him.

"Yes, I`m going to Borneo."

"Good God, what are you going there for?"

"Oh, I`m broke."

"Are you? I`m sorry. Well, let us know when you come back. I hope you have a good time."

"Oh yes. Lots of shooting, you know."

The Duke nodded and passed on (герцог кивнул и прошел мимо: «дальше»). A few hours later Mr. Warburton watched the coast of England recede into the mist (несколькими часами позже мистер Уорбертон созерцал побережье Англии, /которое/ удалялось = тонуло в тумане; to recede — отступать, пятиться, удаляться), and he left behind everything which to him made life worth living (и он оставил позади все то, ради чего он жил: «и он оставил позади все, что для него делало жизнь стоящей жить).

Twenty years had passed since then (двадцать лет прошло с тех пор). He kept up a busy correspondence with various great ladies (он поддерживал = вел оживленную переписку с разными знатными дамами; to keep up — поддерживать;busy — деятельный; занятый;оживленный) and his letters were amusing and chatty (и его письма были веселыми и непринужденными). He never lost his love for titled persons (он никогда не терял своей страсти/приязни к титулованным особам) and paid careful attention to the announcement in The Times (which reached him six weeks after publication) of their comings and goings (и обращал особое внимание на сообщение = сообщения в «Таймс» (которая доходила до него через шесть недель после публикации) о всех перипетиях их /знатных дам/ жизни; to pay attention to — обращать внимание на). He perused the column which records births, deaths, and marriages, (он внимательно читал = изучал колонку, которая записывала/фиксировала рождения, смерти и свадьбы) and he was always ready with his letter of congratulation or condolence (и всегда был готов отправить письмо поздравления или соболезнования). The illustrated papers told him how people looked (из иллюстрированных газет он знал: «иллюстрированные газеты говорили ему», кто как выглядел: «как выглядели люди») and on his periodical visits to England (и в свои периодические посещения Англии), able to take up the threads as though they had never been broken (умея возобновить связи: «подхватить ниточки» так, словно они никогда не нарушались: «рвались»; to take up — обсуждать, поднимать; подтягивать;закреплять), he knew all about any new person who might have appeared on the social surface (он знал все о любом новом человеке, который появлялся в светских кругах: «на светской поверхности»). His interest in the world of fashion was as vivid as when himself had been a figure in it (его интерес/заинтересованность высшим светом была такой же живой, как и в то время: «тогда», когда он сам был его частью: «фигурой в нем»; fashion— форма, очертания; покрой /об одежде/; мода, стиль). It still seemed to him the only thing that mattered (это по-прежнему казалось ему единственным, что имело значение).

recede [rI`si: d], announcement [q`naunsmqnt], marriage [`mxrIdZ], condolence [kqn`dqulqns], illustrate [`IlqstreIt]

The Duke nodded and passed on. A few hours later Mr. Warburton watched the coast of England recede into the mist, and he left behind everything which to him made life worth living.

Twenty years had passed since then. He kept up a busy correspondence with various great ladies and his letters were amusing and chatty. He never lost his love for titled persons and paid careful attention to the announcement in The Times (which reached him six weeks after publication) of their comings and goings. He perused the column which records births, deaths, and marriages, and he was always ready with his letter of congratulation or condolence. The illustrated papers told him how people looked and on his periodical visits to England, able to take up the threads as though they had never been broken, he knew all about any new person who might have appeared on the social surface. His interest in the world of fashion was as vivid as when himself had been a figure in it. It still seemed to him the only thing that mattered.

But insensibly another interest had entered into his life (но незаметно/постепенно другой интерес вошел в его жизнь). The position he found himself in flattered his vanity (должность, которую он занимал: «в которой он обнаружил себя» тешила его самолюбие; flatter — льстить;vanity — суета; тщеславие;самолюбие); he was no longer the sycophant craving the smiles of the great (он больше не был льстецом, жаждущим улыбок вельмож/знати; to crave — страстно желать, жаждать), he was the master whose word was law (он был господином/хозяином, чье слово было законом). He was gratified by the guard of Dyak soldiers who presented arms as he passed (он был доволен охраной, /состоящей из/ солдат-даяков, которые брали на караул, когда он проходил мимо /них/; to gratify — удовлетворять; доставлять удовольствие; радовать /глаз/). He liked to sit in judgement on his fellow men (ему нравилось вершить суд над своими ближними;to sit in judgement — быть судьей на процессе; fellow — приятель, коллега, товарищ). It pleased him to compose quarrels between rival chiefs (ему приносило удовольствие улаживать ссоры/раздоры между вождями враждующих племен: «соперничающими правителями»; to compose — сочинять, набирать; улаживать, успокаивать). When the head-hunters were troublesome in the old days (когда в давние времена: «дни» охотники за головами доставляли много хлопот: «причиняли беспокойство») he set out to chastise them with a thrill of pride in his own behaviour (он отправлялся их наказывать с волнующей гордостью за свое поведение; to set out — выставлять; излагать;отправляться). He was too vain not to be of dauntless courage (он был слишком тщеславным, чтобы не быть отважным: «бесстрашно отважным»), and a pretty story was told of his coolness in adventuring single-handed into a stockaded village (и прелестную историю рассказывали о его хладнокровии, когда он в одиночку отважился /пойти/ в укрепленную деревню; to adventure — приключение; рисковать; отваживаться; осмелиться;рискнуть сделать; stockade — частокол, забор, ограждение) and demanding the surrender of a blood-thirsty pirate (и потребовал выдачи какого-то кровожадного пирата). He became a skillful administrator (он стал умелым руководителем/управляющим). He was strict, just and honest (он был строг, справедлив и честен).

sycophant [`sIkqfqnt], gratify [`grxtIfaI], judgement [`dZAdZmqnt], chastise [tSx`staIz], behaviour [bI`heIvjq]

But insensibly another interest had entered into his life. The position he found himself in flattered his vanity; he was no longer the sycophant craving the smiles of the great, he was the master whose word was law. He was gratified by the guard of Dyak soldiers who presented arms as he passed. He liked to sit in judgement on his fellow men. It pleased him to compose quarrels between rival chiefs. When the head-hunters were troublesome in the old days he set out to chastise them with a thrill of pride in his own behaviour. He was too vain not to be of dauntless courage, and a pretty story was told of his coolness in adventuring single-handed into a stockaded village and demanding the surrender of a blood-thirsty pirate. He became a skillful administrator. He was strict, just and honest.