Мистер Всезнайка. Рассказы

recognition [rekqg'nISn], curl [kWl], conspicuous [kqn'spIkjuqs], artifice ['RtIfIs], magnificent [mxg'nIfIsnt]

I looked. Oddly enough the woman who sat there had by her fantastic appearance attracted my attention the moment I was ushered into the crowded drawing-room. I thought I noticed a gleam of recognition in her eye, but to the best of my belief I had never seen her before. She was not a young woman, for her hair was iron-grey; it was cut very short and clustered thickly round her well-shaped head in tight curls. She made no attempt at youth, for she was conspicuous in that gathering by using neither lipstick, rouge nor powder. Her face, not a particularly handsome one, was red and weather-beaten; but because it owed nothing to artifice had a naturalness that was very pleasing. It contrasted oddly with the whiteness of her shoulders. They were really magnificent. A woman of thirty might have been proud of them.

But her dress was extraordinary (но ее платье было невероятным/исключительным). I had not seen often anything more audacious (не часто я видел что-нибудь более смелое/дерзкое; audacious— смелый, дерзкий). It was cut very low (с глубоким вырезом: «вырезано очень низко»), with short skirts, which were then the fashion (с короткими оборками, которые были тогда в моде), in black and yellow (черно-желтое); it had almost the effect of fancy-dress (оно казалось каким-то /театральным/ костюмом: «имело эффект маскарадного костюма») and yet so became her (и все же так было ей к лицу; tobecome— становиться, делаться; быть к лицу) that though on anyone else it would have been outrageous (что хотя оно на ком-то другом выглядело бы возмутительно/шокирующе), on her it had the inevitable simplicity of nature (на ней платье казалось чем-то само собой разумеющимся: «имело неизбежную простоту природы»). And to complete the impression of an eccentricity (и чтобы дополнить впечатление эксцентричности; toimpress— впечатлять) in which there was no pose (в которой не было никакой манерности/позирования) and of an extravagance (и экстравагантности) in which there was no ostentation (в которой не было рисовки; ostentation — уст. показ, демонстрация; показное проявление /чего-либо/; хвастовство; выставление напоказ, рисовка) she wore (на ней висел: «она носила»), attached by a broad black ribbon (прикрепленный широкой черной лентой = на широкой черной ленте), a single eyeglass (монокль).

"You’re not going to tell me that is your sister-in-law (вы же не хотие мне сказать, что это ваша золовка)," I gasped (ахнул я).

"That is Jane Napier (это Джейн Напир)," said Mrs. Tower icily (холодно).

audacious [L'deISqs], outrageous [aut'reIGqs], eccentricity [eksen'trIsqtI], extravagance [Iks'trxvqgqns]

But her dress was extraordinary. I had not seen often anything more audacious. It was cut very low, with short skirts, which were then the fashion, in black and yellow; it had almost the effect of fancy-dress and yet so became her that though on anyone else it would have been outrageous, on her it had the inevitable simplicity of nature. And to complete the impression of an eccentricity in which there was no pose and of an extravagance in which there was no ostentation she wore, attached by a broad black ribbon, a single eyeglass.

"You’re not going to tell me that is your sister-in-law," I gasped.

"That is Jane Napier," said Mrs. Tower icily.

At that moment she was speaking (в тот момент она говорила). Her host was turned towards her with an anticipatory smile (хозяин сидел, повернувшись к ней с предупреждающей улыбкой; to anticipate — ожидать; предвидеть;предвосхищать, предугадывать, предупреждать: to anticipate smb.'s wishes — предупреждатьчьи-либожелания). A baldish white-haired man (начинающий лысеть седой мужчина; bald — лысый), with a sharp (с проницательным: «острым»), intelligent face (умным лицом), who sat on her left (который сидел слева от нее), was leaning forward eagerly (энергично /внимательнослушая/ склонился вперед; to lean — наклоняться, склоняться; eager — страстножелающий, жаждущий; интенсивный, напряженный; энергичный, активный/ожелании, взгляде, жестеит.п./), and the couple who sat opposite (а пара, которая сидела напротив), ceasing to talk with one another (перестав разговаривать друг с другом; to cease — переставать, прекращать), listened intently (внимательно слушала; intent — внимательный). She said her say (она что-то сказала: «сказала свое слово»; to say — говорить; say — мнение, слово) and they all (и все они), with a sudden movement (с внезапным оживлением; to move — двигать, приводитьвдвижение), threw themselves back in their chairs and burst into vociferous laughter (откинулись на спинки стульев и громко рассмеялись: «разразились громогласным смехом»; to throw — бросать; to throw oneself back — откинутьсяназад; vociferous — громкоголосый; горластый;громкий, шумный). From the other side of the table a man addressed Mrs. Tower (с другой стороны стола к миссис Тауэр обратился мужчина): I recognised a famous statesman (я узнал /в нем/ известного государственного деятеля; state — государство).

"Your sister-in-law has made another joke (ваша золовка снова пошутила: «сделала другую шутку»), Mrs. Tower," he said.

Mrs. Tower smiled.

"She’s priceless (она бесподобна; price — цена, ценность), isn’t she (не правда ли)?"

"Let me have a long drink of champagne (дайте-ка я /сначала/ выпью шампанского; a long drink — напиток, подаваемыйввысокомстакане) and then for heaven’s sake tell me all about it (а потом, ради всего святого, расскажите мне все об этом; for heaven’s sake — радиБога, радивсегосвятого: «радинеба»)," I said.

anticipatory [xn'tIsIpeItqrI], vociferous [vqu'sIfqrqs], priceless ['praIslIs]

At that moment she was speaking. Her host was turned towards her with an anticipatory smile. A baldish white-haired man, with a sharp, intelligent face, who sat on her left, was leaning forward eagerly, and the couple who sat opposite, ceasing to talk with one another, listened intently. She said her say and they all, with a sudden movement, threw themselves back in their chairs and burst into vociferous laughter. From the other side of the table a man addressed Mrs. Tower: I recognised a famous statesman.

"Your sister-in-law has made another joke, Mrs. Tower," he said.

Mrs. Tower smiled.

"She’s priceless, isn’t she?"

"Let me have a long drink of champagne and then for heaven’s sake tell me all about it," I said.

Well, this is how I gathered it had all happened (вот, насколько я понял, как все произошло; togather— собирать; рвать /цветы/; снимать /урожай/; собирать /ягоды/; делать вывод). At the beginning of their honeymoon Gilbert took Jane to various dressmakers in Paris (в начале своего медового месяца Гилберт водил Джейн к различным портным Парижа; totake— брать, взять; сопровождать) and he made no objection to her choosing a number of gowns after her own heart (и не возражал, когда она выбрала несколько приглянувшихся ей платьев: «платьев по ее желанию»; objection— возражение, протест;afterone’sownheart— по собственному желанию); but he persuaded her to have a ‘frock’ or two made according to his own design (но он убедил ее сделать одно или два платья по его собственному эскизу/дизайну; frock— женское или детское платье). It appeared that he had a knack for that kind of work (оказалось, что у него талант к такой работе: «он ловко делает такой вид работы»; knack— умение, сноровка). He engaged a smart French maid (он нанял сообразительную/умную горничную-француженку: «французскую горничную»). Jane had never had such a thing before (у Джейн никогда прежде не было ничего подобного; nosuchathing— ничего подобного). She did her own mending (она вносила свои исправления/усовершенствования) and when she wanted ‘doing up’ was in the habit of ringing for the housemaid (а когда хотела примерить/принарядиться: «одеться», обычно вызывала горничную; todoup— приводить в порядок; одеваться). The dresses Gilbert had devised (платья, которые придумывал Гилберт) were very different from anything she had worn before (очень отличались от всего, что она носила раньше; towear); but he had been careful not to go too far too quickly (но он был осторожен/внимателен и не спешил: «был осторожен зайти слишком далеко слишком быстро»), and because it pleased him (и так как это радовало его) she persuaded herself (она убеждала/уговаривала себя), though not without misgivings (хотя и не без опасений), to wear them in preference to those she had chosen herself (носить их в предпочтение = предпочитая их тем, которые /ранее/ выбрала сама; toprefer— предпочитать). Of course she could not wear them with the voluminous petticoats (конечно, она не могла носить их с объемными нижними юбками; volume— объем) she had been in the habit of using (которыми она привыкла пользоваться), and these (и /от/ них /объемных юбок/), though it cost her an anxious moment (хотя и с некоторым волнением: «хотя это стоило ей тревожного момента»), she discarded (она отказалась).

various ['veqrIqs], objection [qb'GekSn], engage [In'geIG], preference ['prefqrqns], discard [dIs'kRd]

Well, this is how I gathered it had all happened. At the beginning of their honeymoon Gilbert took Jane to various dressmakers in Paris and he made no objection to her choosing a number of gowns after her own heart; but he persuaded her to have a ‘frock’ or two made according to his own design. It appeared that he had a knack for that kind of work. He engaged a smart French maid. Jane had never had such a thing before. She did her own mending and when she wanted ‘doing up’ was in the habit of ringing for the housemaid. The dresses Gilbert had devised were very different from anything she had worn before; but he had been careful not to go too far too quickly, and because it pleased him she persuaded herself, though not without misgivings, to wear them in preference to those she had chosen herself. Of course she could not wear them with the voluminous petticoats she had been in the habit of using, and these, though it cost her an anxious moment, she discarded.

"Now, if you please (/и/ теперь, извольте)," said Mrs. Tower, with something very like a sniff of disapproval (сказала миссис Тауэр, издав нечто, очень похожее на неодобрительное фырканье; disapproval — неодобрение; to disapprove — неодобрять)," she wears nothing but thin silk tights (она носит только тонкие шелковые колготки; tights — трико; колготки). It’s a wonder to me she doesn’t catch her death of cold at her age (я удивляюсь: «это чудо», как только она еще не умерла от простуды в ее-то возрасте)."

Gilbert and the French maid taught her how to wear her clothes (Гилберт и горничная-француженка учили ее, как носить одежду), and, unexpectedly enough (и довольно неожиданно), she was very quick at learning (она очень быстро научилась: «была быстра в учении»). The French maid was in raptures over Madame’s arms and shoulders (горничная-француженка восхищалась руками и плечами мадам; rapture— восторг). It was a scandal not to show anything so fine (/мол,/ было бы грехом скрывать такую красоту: «не показывать что-нибудь столь прекрасное»; scandal— скандал, позорный поступок; грех, проступок).

"Wait a little, Alphonsine (погодите немного, Альфонсина)," said Gilbert (говорил Гилберт). "The next lot of clothes I design for Madame we’ll make the most of her (/в/ следующей партии одежды, которую я создам для мадам, она будет просто великолепна: «мы сделаем из нее самое лучшее»)."

disapproval [dIsq'prHvql], unexpectedly [AnIks'pektIdlI], rapture ['rxpCq]

"Now, if you please," said Mrs. Tower, with something very like a sniff of disapproval, "she wears nothing but thin silk tights. It’s a wonder to me she doesn’t catch her death of cold at her age."