Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

(и прислушивалась к ее интонациям). She smiled grimly (она мрачно

улыбалась). It was exactly what she had expected (это было именно то, что она

ожидала). Avice was one of those actresses (Эвис была одной из тех актрис)

who were quite sure of themselves from the first rehearsal (которые были

совершенно уверены в себе с самой первой репетиции). She didn't know what

was coming to her (она не знала, что ее ожидает). Tom meant nothing to Julia

any more (Том больше ничего не значил для Джулии), but she had a score to

settle with Avice (но ей осталось еще свести счеты с Эвис; to settle a score —

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расплачиваться, платить долг, оплатить за обиду) and she wasn't going to

forget it (и она не собиралась забыть об этом). The slut (потаскушка)!

urbanity [q:'bxnItI] cordiality ["kO:dI'xlItI] intonation ["Intq'neIS(q)n]

At eleven o'clock she stepped on to the stage. The cast stood about idly. She kissed

and shook hands with the artists she knew and Michael with urbanity introduced to

her those she did not. She greeted Avice Crichton with cordiality. She told her how

pretty she was and how much she liked her hat; she told her about the lovely frocks

she had chosen for her in Paris.

"Have you seen Tom lately?" she asked.

"No, I haven't. He's away on his holiday."

"Oh, yes. He's a nice little thing, isn't he?"

"Sweet."

The two women smiled into one another's eyes. Julia watched her when she read

her part and listened to her intonations. She smiled grimly. It was exactly what she

had expected. Avice was one of those actresses who were quite sure of themselves

from the first rehearsal. She didn't know what was coming to her. Tom meant

nothing to Julia any more, but she had a score to settle with Avice and she wasn't

going to forget it. The slut!

The play was a modern version of The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (спектакль был

современной версией «Вторая миссис Тенкерей»), but with the change of

manners of this generation (но, со сменой нравов нынешнего: «этого»

поколения) it had been treated from the standpoint of comedy (он трактовался с

точки зрения комедии; to treat — обращаться, рассматривать). Some of the

old characters were introduced (некоторые из старых героев были введены), and

Aubrey Tanqueray, now a very old man, appeared in the second act (и Обри

Тенкерей, теперь уже очень старый мужчина, появлялся во втором акте).

After Paula's death he had married for the third time (после смерти Полы он

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женился в третий раз). Mrs. Cortelyon had undertaken to compensate him for his

unfortunate experience with his second wife (миссис Кортельон принялась

вознаграждать его за его несчастливый опыт с его второй женой; to undertake

— предпринимать, брать на себя), and she was now a cantankerous and insolent

old lady (и она сама была теперь сварливой и высокомерной пожилой дамой).

generation ["dZenq'reIS(q)n] cantankerous [kxn'txNk(q)rqs]

insolent ['Insqlqnt]

The play was a modern version of The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, but with the

change of manners of this generation it had been treated from the standpoint of

comedy. Some of the old characters were introduced, and Aubrey Tanqueray, now

a very old man, appeared in the second act. After Paula's death he had married for

the third time. Mrs. Cortelyon had undertaken to compensate him for his

unfortunate experience with his second wife, and she was now a cantankerous and

insolent old lady.

Ellean, his daughter (Эллин, его дочь), and Hugh Ardale had agreed to let

bygones be bygones (и Хью Ардейл решили забыть о прошлом; let bygones be

bygones — что прошло, то быльем поросло, bygone — пережитое, прошлые

обиды), for Paula's tragic death (так как трагическая смерть Полы) had seemed

to wipe out the recollection (казалось, стерла воспоминания) of his lapse into

extra-conjugal relations (о его «соскальзывании» во внебрачные отношения;

lapse — упущение, отклонение от правильного пути); and they had married (и

они поженились). He was now a retired brigadier-general (он был теперь

вышедшим в отставку бригадным генералом) who played golf and deplored the

decline of the British Empire (который играл в гольф и оплакивал: «сожалел о»

падение Британской империи) — "Gad (Бог мой), sir (сэр), I'd stand those

damned socialists against a wall (я бы поставил тех чертовых социалистов к

стенке: «напротив стенки») and shoot 'em if I had my way (и перестрелял бы

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их, если бы я мог поступить по-своему)", whereas Ellean, by this time an elderly

woman (в то время как Эллин, к этому времени стареющая женщина), after a