Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

объяснения /в любви/ так, как будто он смеялся над самим собой), in a manner

that the audience found engaging (в такой манере, что публика находила

привлекательной). He never attempted to play anyone but himself (он никогда

не пытался играть кого-либо еще, кроме себя самого).

high-spirited ["haI'spIrItId] convincingly [kqn'vInsINlI] audience ['O:dIqns]

MICHAEL got himself demobbed the moment the war was finished and

stepped straight into a part. He returned to the stage a much better actor than

he left it. The breeziness he had acquired in the army was effective. He was a

well set-up, normal, high-spirited fellow, with a ready smile and a hearty

laugh. He was well suited to drawing-room comedy. His light voice gave a

peculiar effect to a flippant line, and though he never managed to make love

convincingly he could carry off a chaffing love scene, making a proposal as if

it were rather a joke, or a declaration as though he were laughing at himself,

in a manner that the audience found engaging. He never attempted to play

anyone but himself.

He specialized in men about town (он играл преимущественно:

«специализировался на» богатых повес; a man about town — светский

человек, жуир), gentlemanly gamblers (благородных игроков), guardsmen

(гвардейцев) and young scamps with a good side to them (и

привлекательных/добродушных молодых бездельников: «со своей хорошей

стороной»).

Managers liked him (импресарио любили его). He worked hard (он упорно

работал) and was amenable to direction (и подчинялся /их/ указаниям; amenable

— послушный, сговорчивый). So long as he could get work (пока он мог

получить работу) he didn't mind much (он не очень-то обращал внимание)

what sort of part it was (что это за роль была). He stuck out for the salary he

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194

thought he was worth (он требовал зарплату, которую, как он думал,

заслуживал: «стоил»; to stick out for — настаивать на чем-либо, требовать),

but if he couldn't get it (но если он не мог ее получить) was prepared to take less

(он был готов согласиться на меньшее) rather than be idle (чем остаться без

работы; idle — незанятый, безработный, свободный).

He was making his plans carefully (он прорабатывал свои планы тщательно).

During the winter that followed the end of the war (зимой: «во время зимы»,

которая последовала после окончания войны) there was an epidemic of

influenza (случилась эпидемия гриппа). His father and mother died (его

родители: «отец и мать» умерли). He inherited nearly four thousand pounds (он

унаследовал почти четыре тысячи фунтов), and this with his own savings (и эти

/деньги/, вместе его собственными накоплениями) and Julia's (и

/накоплениями/ Джулии) brought up their joint capital to seven thousand

(увеличили их совместный капитал до семи тысяч; to bring up — зд.

поднимать, доводить до определенного уровня).

gambler ['gxmblq] guardsman ['gQ:dz mqn]| (pl -men [-mqn]) amenable

[q'mi:nqbl] influenza ["InflV'enzq]

He specialized in men about town, gentlemanly gamblers, guardsmen and

young scamps with a good side to them.

Managers liked him. He worked hard and was amenable to direction. So long

as he could get work he didn't mind much what sort of part it was. He stuck

out for the salary he thought he was worth, but if he couldn't get it was

prepared to take less rather than be idle.

He was making his plans carefully. During the winter that followed the end of

the war there was an epidemic of influenza. His father and mother died. He

inherited nearly four thousand pounds, and this with his own savings and

Julia's brought up their joint capital to seven thousand.

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195

But the rent of theatres had gone up enormously (но арендная плата за театры

повысилась чрезвычайно), the salaries of actors (зарплаты актеров; salary —

жалованье, заработная плата служащего) and the wages of stagehands had

increased (и зарплаты рабочих по сцене увеличились; wages — заработная

плата рабочих), so that the expense of running a theatre (и, таким образом,

затраты на руководство театром) was very much greater (были гораздо выше)

than it had been before the war (чем они были до войны). A sum that would then

have been amply sufficient to start management on (сумма, которая тогда была

бы более чем достаточна для начала собственного дела) was now inadequate