Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

extraordinary [Ik'strO:d(q)n(q)rI] policeman [pq'li:smqn] change [tSeIndZ]

"I don't know about that. It's rather flattering. You know, it's a most extraordinary

thing, no one ever follows me in the street. I don't remember a man ever having

tried to pick me up."

"Oh well, you walk along Edgware Road one evening. You'll get picked up all

right."

"I shouldn't know what to do if I was."

"Call a policeman," said Evie grimly.

"I know a girl who was looking in a shop window in Bond Street, a hat shop, and a

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man came up and asked her if she'd like a hat. I'd love one, she said, and they went

in and she chose one and gave her name and address, he paid for it on the nail, and

then she said, thank you so much, and walked out while he was waiting for the

change."

"That's what she told you (это то, что она сказал вам)." Evie's sniff was sceptical

(Эви скептически шмыгнула носом: «шмыганье носом Эви было

скептическим»). She gave Julia a puzzled look (она взглянула на Джулию

озабоченно). "What's the idea (в чем дело-то)?"

"Oh, nothing (о, ни в чем). I was only wondering why in point of fact (я просто

размышляла, почему это, фактически) I never have been accosted by a man (ко

мне никогда не приставал никакой мужчина; to accost — заговаривать с кем-

либо, приставать /особ. к проституткам/). It's not as if I had no sex appeal (не

похоже, чтобы у меня не было сексуальной привлекательности)."

But had she (а была ли: «но имела ли»)? She made up her mind to put the matter

to the test (она твердо решила подвергнуть этот вопрос испытанию).

That afternoon, when she had had her sleep (тем же днем, когда она уже

поспала), she got up, made up a little more than usual (она поднялась,

подкрасилась немного больше, чем обычно), and without calling Evie put on a

dress (и, не позвав Эви, надела платье) that was neither plain nor obviously

expensive (которое не было ни слишком простым, ни явно дорогим) and a red

straw hat with a wide brim (и красную соломенную шляпку с широкими

полями).

"I don't want to look like a tart (я не хочу выглядеть как уличная девка)," she

said as she looked at herself in the glass (сказала она, когда /она/ глядела на себя

в зеркале). "On the other hand (с другой стороны) I don't want to look too

respectable (я не хочу выглядеть слишком приличной: «респектабельной»)."

sceptical ['skeptIk(q)l] accost [q'kOst] obviously ['ObvIqslI]

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"That's what she told you." Evie's sniff was sceptical. She gave Julia a puzzled

look. "What's the idea?"

"Oh, nothing. I was only wondering why in point of fact I never have been

accosted by a man. It's not as if I had no sex appeal."

But had she? She made up her mind to put the matter to the test.

That afternoon, when she had had her sleep, she got up, made up a little more than

usual, and without calling Evie put on a dress that was neither plain nor obviously

expensive and a red straw hat with a wide brim.

"I don't want to look like a tart," she said as she looked at herself in the glass. "On

the other hand I don't want to look too respectable."

She tiptoed down the stairs (она спустилась на цыпочках вниз по ступенькам)

so that no one should hear her (так, чтобы никто не услышал ее) and closed the

door softly behind her (и закрыла дверь мягко за собой). She was a trifle nervous

(она немного нервничала), but pleasantly excited (но /была/ приятно

возбуждена); she felt that she was doing something rather shocking (она

чувствовала, что она делала нечто совершенно скандальное: «шокирующее»).

She walked through Connaught Square into the Edgware Road (она шла через

Коннаут-сквер на Эдвард-роуд). It was about five o'clock (было около пяти

часов). There was a dense line of buses, taxis and lorries (там была плотная

вереница из автобусов, такси и грузовиков); bicyclists dangerously threaded

their way through the traffic (велосипедисты опасно прокладывали себе дорогу

сквозь движение транспорта). The pavements were thronged (тротуары были

заполнены людьми). She sauntered slowly north (она неторопливо медленно

прогуливалась в северном направлении: «на север»). At first she walked with

her eyes straight in front of her (сперва она прогуливалась, смотря: «с ее

глазами» строго перед собой), looking neither to the right nor to the left (не

смотря ни направо, ни налево), but soon realized that this was useless (но вскоре

поняла, что это было бесполезно). She must look at people (она должна

смотреть на людей) if she wanted them to look at her (если она хотела, чтобы

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они смотрели на нее).

bicyclist ['baIsIklIst] throng [TrON] neither ['naIDq]