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

This was more than two years ago.

He had written to her by every mail since then (с тех пор он писал ей с каждой почтой), twenty-four letters in all, for the mail went but once a month (всего /он написал/ двадцать четыре письма, так как почта отправлялась только раз в месяц), and his letters had been all that a lover's letters should be (и его письма были совершенно такими, какими должны быть письма влюбленного). They were intimate and charming, humorous sometimes, especially of late, and tender (они были сокровенными и чарующими, иногда забавными, особенно в последнее время, и нежными). At first they suggested that he was homesick (сперва они явно показывали, что он тоскует по дому; to suggest — предлагать, советовать; вызывать/ассоциацию/,наводить/на мысль/), they were full of his desire to get back to Chicago and Isabel (они были полны его сильного желания вернуться в Чикаго и к Изабелле); and, a little anxiously, she wrote begging him to persevere (и, немного обеспокоенная, она писала ему, умоляя его упорно продолжать /работу/). She was afraid that he might throw up his opportunity and come racing back (она боялась, что он может бросить эту возможность и стремительно вернуться назад). She did not want her lover to lack endurance (ей не хотелось, чтобы ее возлюбленному недоставало стойкости) and she quoted to him the lines (и она процитировала ему следующие строчки; line — строка; стих, строчка стиха):

"I could not love thee,dear,so much(я не могла бы любить тебя, дорогой, так сильно),

Loved I not honour more (если б я не любила честь больше)."

humorous ['hju: m(q)rqs], desire [dI'zaIq], anxiously ['xNklqslI], persevere [pWsI'vIq], endurance [In'dju(q)rqns], quote [kwqut]

He had written to her by every mail since then, twenty-four letters in all, for the mail went but once a month, and his letters had been all that a lover's letters should be. They were intimate and charming, humorous sometimes, especially of late, and tender. At first they suggested that he was homesick, they were full of his desire to get back to Chicago and Isabel; and, a little anxiously, she wrote begging him to persevere. She was afraid that he might throw up his opportunity and come racing back. She did not want her lover to lack endurance and she quoted to him the lines:

"I could not love thee, dear, so much,

Loved I not honour more."

But presently he seemed to settle down (но постепенно он, казалось, успокоился; to settle down — поселяться; успокаиваться) and it made Isabel very happy to observe his growing enthusiasm (и Изабелла была очень счастлива, наблюдая его растущее воодушевленное желание) to introduce American methods into that forgotten corner of the world (ввести американские методы /работы/ в этом забытом уголке мира). But she knew him (но она его знала), and at the end of the year, which was the shortest time he could possibly stay in Tahiti (и к концу года, а это был самый короткий период времени, что он мог провести на Таити), she expected to have to use all her influence to dissuade him from coming home (она ожидала, что ей придется воспользоваться всем своим влиянием, чтобы отговорить его от возвращения домой). It was much better that he should learn the business thoroughly (было бы гораздо лучше, если бы он как следует изучил бизнес), and if they had been able to wait a year (и /к тому же/ если они смогли выдержать год) there seemed no reason why they should not wait another (казалось, не было никаких причин, почему бы им не подождать еще один).

enthusiasm [In'Tju: zIxz(q)m], method ['meTqd], forgotten [fq'gOtn], influence ['Influqns], thoroughly ['TArqlI]

But presently he seemed to settle down and it made Isabel very happy to observe his growing enthusiasm to introduce American methods into that forgotten corner of the world. But she knew him, and at the end of the year, which was the shortest time he could possibly stay in Tahiti, she expected to have to use all her influence to dissuade him from coming home. It was much better that he should learn the business thoroughly, and if they had been able to wait a year there seemed no reason why they should not wait another.

She talked it over with Bateman Hunter, always the most generous of friends (она обговорила это с Бейтманом Хантером, самым великодушным из друзей при любых обстоятельствах: «всегда») (during those first few days after Edward went she did not know what she would have done without him (во время тех первых дней, когда Эдвард уехал, она не знала, чтобы она без него делала)), and they decided that Edward's future must stand before everything (и они решили, что будущее Эдварда превыше всего: «должно стоять впереди всего»). It was with relief that she found as the time passed (когда прошло время, она с облегчением обнаружила) that he made no suggestion of returning (что он не собирался возвращаться: «не делал предложения о возвращении»).

"He's splendid, isn't he (он великолепен, не так ли)?" she exclaimed to Bateman (восклицала она /в разговоре/ с Бейтманом).

"He's white, through and through (он чрезвычайно порядочный; white— белый; честный, порядочный, благородный; through and through — совершенно, до конца)."

generous ['dZen(q)rqs], relief [rI'li: f], suggestion [sq'dZestS(q)n]

She talked it over with Bateman Hunter, always the most generous of friends (during those first few days after Edward went she did not know what she would have done without him), and they decided that Edward's future must stand before everything. It was with relief that she found as the time passed that he made no suggestion of returning.

"He's splendid, isn't he?" she exclaimed to Bateman.

"He's white, through and through."

"Reading between the lines of his letter I know he hates it over there (читая между строк его писем, я знаю, что ему там очень не нравится; to hate — ненавидеть;не выносить, испытывать отвращение), but he's sticking it out because (но он терпит, потому)…"

She blushed a little (она слегка покраснела) and Bateman, with the grave smile which was so attractive in him (и Бейтман, с мрачной улыбкой, которая была настолько привлекательной в нем), finished the sentence for her (закончил за нее фразу; sentence — грам. предложение).

"Because he loves you (потому что он тебя любит)."

"It makes me feel so humble (от этого я себя чувствую столь смиренной/робкой)," she said.

"You're wonderful, Isabel, you're perfectly wonderful (ты удивительна, Изабелла, ты просто чудо)."

attractive [q'trxktIv], sentence ['sentqns], humble ['hAmb(q)l]

" Reading between the lines of his letter I know he hates it over there, but he's sticking it out because…"

She blushed a little and Bateman, with the grave smile which was so attractive in him, finished the sentence for her.

"Because he loves you."

"It makes me feel so humble," she said.

"You're wonderful, Isabel, you're perfectly wonderful."

But the second year passed and every month Isabel continued to receive a letter from Edward (но вот прошел второй год, и каждый месяц Изабелла продолжала получить письма от Эдварда), and presently it began to seem a little strange that he did not speak of coming back (и теперь уже начинало казаться немного странным то, что он не говорил о возвращении). He wrote as though he were settled definitely in Tahiti (он писал так, словно он определенно = окончательно поселился на Таити), and what was more, comfortably settled (и, более того, поселился с комфортом). She was surprised (она была удивлена). Then she read his letters again, all of them, several times (затем она перечитала его письма, все письма, несколько раз); and now, reading between the lines indeed (и теперь, действительно читая между строк), she was puzzled to notice a change which had escaped her (она озадаченно обнаружила перемену, которая прежде ускользала от нее; to escape — бежать/из заключения/;ускользать/о смысле и т. п./).

continue [kqn'tInju: ], definitely ['defInItlI], surprise [sq'praIz]

But the second year passed and every month Isabel continued to receive a letter from Edward, and presently it began to seem a little strange that he did not speak of coming back. He wrote as though he were settled definitely in Tahiti, and what was more, comfortably settled. She was surprised. Then she read his letters again, all of them, several times; and now, reading between the lines indeed, she was puzzled to notice a change which had escaped her.

The later letters were as tender and as delightful as the first (последние письма были такими же нежными и очаровательными, как и первые), but the tone was different (но тон /их/ был другим). She was vaguely suspicious of their humour (она с некоторым недоверием отнеслась к их шутливому тону), she had the instinctive mistrust of her sex for that unaccountable quality (она инстинктивно, по-женски, не доверяла этой странной/необъяснимой черте /характера/; quality — качество, сорт; качество, свойство, характерная особенность), and she discerned in them now a flippancy which perplexed her (и теперь она разглядела в них легкомыслие, которое привело ее в недоумение). She was not quite certain that the Edward who wrote to her now (она не была вполне уверена, что тот Эдвард, который писал ей сейчас) was the same Edward that she had known (был тем же самым Эдвардом, которого она знала). One afternoon, the day after a mail had arrived from Tahiti (однажды, на следующий день после того, как прибыла почта с Таити), when she was driving with Bateman he said to her (когда они ехали в автомобиле вместе Бейтманом, он спросил ее; to drive — водить, вести; ездить, ехать):