Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

that frozen smile disconcerted her. "He may have suspected, he couldn't have been

certain, and afterwards he must have been pretty sure he'd made a mistake. My

God, the rot I talked. It seemed to go down all right, I must say. Lucky I caught on

when I did. In another minute I'd have had me dress off. That wouldn't have been

so damned easy to laugh away."

Julia began to titter (Джулия начала хихикать). The situation was mortifying of

course (сама ситуация была, конечно же, неприятной/обидной/унизительной;

to mortify — подавлять /страсти, чувства и т. п./; умерщвлять /плоть/;

обижать, унижать, оскорблять), he had made a damned fool of her (он

выставил меня чертовой дурой; to make a fool of smb. — одурачить, провести

кого-либо), but if you had any sense of humour (но если у вас было хоть

чуточку чувства юмора) you could hardly help seeing that there was a funny side

to it (то нельзя было не заметить, что в этом была и смешная сторона). She

was sorry that there was nobody to whom she could tell it (ей было жаль, что не

было никого, кому бы она могла рассказать это); even if it was against herself it

would make a good story (даже если это и было не в ее пользу: «против нее»,

из этого бы получилась хорошая история). What she couldn't get over (чего она

не могла вынести; to get over smth. — зд. оправиться, прийти в себя) was that

she had fallen for the comedy (так это было то, что она попалась на эту

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комедию; to fall for smth. — разг. попасться на удочку) of undying passion that

he had played all those years (о той неумирающей страсти, что он разыгрывал

все эти годы); for of course it was just a pose (так как, конечно же, это было

всего лишь притворство: «поза»); he liked to see himself as the constant adorer

(ему нравилось видеть себя постоянным обожателем), and the last thing he

wanted, apparently, was to have his constancy rewarded (и самое последнее, чего

он хотел, по-видимому, так это /было/ то, чтобы его постоянство было

вознаграждено).

titter ['tItq] mortifying ['mO:tIfaIIN] constancy ['kOnstqnsI]

Julia began to titter. The situation was mortifying of course, he had made a damned

fool of her, but if you had any sense of humour you could hardly help seeing that

there was a funny side to it. She was sorry that there was nobody to whom she

could tell it; even if it was against herself it would make a good story. What she

couldn't get over was that she had fallen for the comedy of undying passion that he

had played all those years; for of course it was just a pose; he liked to see himself

as the constant adorer, and the last thing he wanted, apparently, was to have his

constancy rewarded.

"Bluffed me, he did, completely bluffed me (обманул меня, вот ведь: «он сделал

/это/», полностью обманул меня)." But an idea occurred to Julia and she ceased

to smile (но, /тут/ одна мысль пришла Джулии в голову и она перестала

улыбаться). When a woman's amorous advances are declined by a man (когда

любовные заигрывания женщины отвергнуты мужчиной; advances — зд.

попытки завязать дружбу и т.п.) she is apt to draw one of two conclusions

(она склонна прийти к одному или двум заключениям); one is that he is

homosexual (одно — что он гомосексуалист) and the other is that he is impotent

(и второе: «другое» — что он импотент). Julia reflectively lit a cigarette

(Джулия задумчиво зажгла сигарету). She asked herself if Charles had used his

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devotion to her (она спросила у себя, не использовал ли Чарльз свою

привязанность к ней) as a cover to distract attention from his real inclinations

(как прикрытие, чтобы отвлечь внимание от его действительных

наклонностей). But she shook her head (но она покачала головой). If he had

been homosexual she would surely have had some hint of it (если бы он был

гомосексуалистом, она бы непременно заметила хоть какой-то намек на это);

after all, in society since the war they talked of practically nothing else (в конце-то

концов, в обществе, после войны /они/ не говорили, практически, ни о чем

другом).

amorous ['xm(q)rqs] homosexual ["hqVmq| 'sekSVql, "hOmq-]

impotent ['Impqt(q)nt]

"Bluffed me, he did, completely bluffed me." But an idea occurred to Julia and she

ceased to smile. When a woman's amorous advances are declined by a man she is

apt to draw one of two conclusions; one is that he is homosexual and the other is

that he is impotent. Julia reflectively lit a cigarette. She asked herself if Charles