Мистер Всезнайка. Рассказы

decisive [dI`saIsIv], stalk [stLk], mourning [`mLnIN]

"Does she play bridge?" asked Beatrice.

"You bet your life she does," boomed Frank in her deep voice. "And a damned good game too. We should be absolutely independent of outsiders."

"How old is she?" asked Arrow.

"Same age as I am."

"That sounds all right."

It was settled. Frank, with her usual decisiveness, stalked out as soon as she had finished her breakfast to send a wire, and three days later Lena Finch arrived. Frank met her at the station. She was in deep but not obtrusive mourning for the recent death of her husband. Frank had not seen her for two years. She kissed her warmly and took a good look at her.

"You're very thin, darling," she said.

Lena smiled bravely.

"I've been through a good deal lately. I've lost a lot of weight."

Frank sighed, but whether from sympathy with her cousin's loss, or from envy, was not obvious.

Lena was not, however, unduly depressed (Лина не была, однако, чрезмерно подавлена), and after a quick bath (и после /того, как она/ быстро освежилась; bath — купание/вванне/;ванна; ванная/комната, вмещающаявсебяваннуилидушиобычноумывальникиунитаз) was quite ready to accompany Frank to Eden Roc (/она/ была вполне готова сопровождать Фрэнк к /скале/ Иден Рок). Frank introduced the stranger to her two friends (Фрэнк представила гостью своим двум подругам; stranger — незнакомец; посторонний) and they sat down in what was known as the Monkey House (и они уселись в /местечке/, которое было известно как «Обезьяний Дом»). It was an enclosure covered with glass overlooking the sea (это было огороженное место, крытое стеклом, с видом /на/ море; to overlook — возвышатьсянад; обозревать, смотретьсверхуна; выходитьна, в), with a bar at the back (с баром в задней части), and it was crowded with chattering people in bathing costumes, pyjamas or dressing-gowns (и оно было битком набито болтающими людьми в купальных костюмах, широких, легких штанах или халатах; pyjamas — пижама; просторныелегкиебрюки, обычноизшелкаилихлопка, которыеносятнаВостоке), who were seated at the tables having drinks (которые сидели за столиками, попивая: «имея» напитки). Beatrice's soft heart went out to the lorn widow (доброе сердце Беатрис почувствовало симпатию к этой покинутой вдове; to go out — выходить; чувствоватьвлечение, симпатию/осердце, душе/), and Arrow, seeing that she was pale (и Эрроу, видя, что она была бледной), quite ordinary to look at and probably forty-eight (довольно заурядной внешности и, вероятно, /лет/ сорока восьми; to look at — смотретьна; внешне, повиду), was prepared to like her very much (была готова очень ее полюбить; to like — нравиться, любить). A waiter approached them (/к/ ним подошел официант).

"What will you have, Lena dear?" Frank asked (что ты будешь пить, дорогая Лина? спросила Фрэнк).

"Oh, I don't know, what you all have, a dry Martini or a White Lady (о, я не знаю, что вы все пьете, сухой мартини или «Белую Леди» /коктейль из джина, апельсинового ликера, лимонного сока и яичного белка/)."

Arrow and Beatrice gave her a quick look (Эрроу и Беатрис дали ей = бросили на нее быстрый взгляд). Everyone knows how fattening cocktails are (все знают, как калорийны коктейли; tofatten— откармливать на убой; жиреть, толстеть).

accompany [q`kAmp(q)nI], monkey [`mANkI], enclosure [en`klquZq, In`klquZq]

Lena was not, however, unduly depressed, and after a quick bath was quite ready to accompany Frank to Eden Roc. Frank introduced the stranger to her two friends and they sat down in what was known as the Monkey House. It was an enclosure covered with glass overlooking the sea, with a bar at the back, and it was crowded with chattering people in bathing costumes, pyjamas or dressing-gowns, who were seated at the tables having drinks. Beatrice's soft heart went out to the lorn widow, and Arrow, seeing that she was pale, quite ordinary to look at and probably forty-eight, was prepared to like her very much. A waiter approached them.

"What will you have, Lena dear?" Frank asked.

"Oh, I don't know, what you all have, a dry Martini or a White Lady."

Arrow and Beatrice gave her a quick look. Everyone knows how fattening cocktails are.

"I daresay you're tired after your journey (я полагаю, ты устала после этой: «своей» поездки)," said Frank kindly (сказала Фрэнк любезно).

She ordered a dry Martini for Lena (она заказала сухой мартини для Лины) and a mixed lemon and orange juice for herself and her two friends (и смешанный лимонно-апельсиновый сок для себя и своих двух подруг).

"We find alcohol isn't very good in all this heat (мы находим, /что/ не очень хорошо /пить/ алкоголь в такую жару: «во всю эту жару»)," she explained (объяснила она).

"Oh, it never affects me at all (о, это вообще никогда /на/ меня /не/ действует)," Lena answered airily (ответила Лина беспечно). "I like cocktails (мне нравятся коктейли)."

Arrow went very slightly pale under her rouge (Эрроу слегка побледнела: «стала очень незначительно бледной» под своими румянами; togo— идти; делаться, становиться /глагол-связка в составном именном сказуемом/) (neither she nor Beatrice ever wet their faces when they bathed (ни она, ни Беатрис никогда /не/ мочили свои лица, когда они купались; neither…nor— ни… ни…;ever— когда-либо; всегда) and they thought it absurd of Frank (и они полагали, /что/ это /было/ нелепо со стороны Фрэнк), a woman of her size (женщины таких: «ее» размеров), to pretend she liked diving (притворяться, /будто/ ей нравится: «нравилось» нырять)) but she said nothing (но она ничего не сказала). The conversation was gay and easy (беседа протекала весело и непринужденно: «была веселой и легкой»), they all said the obvious things with gusto (все они с воодушевлением говорили очевидные вещи; gusto— вкус /к чему-либо/; удовольствие /с которым что-либо делается/), and presently they strolled back to the villa for luncheon (а некоторое время спустя они /медленно/ пошли назад к вилле на обед; tostroll— прогуливаться, бродить, гулять /обычно медленно, праздно/;luncheon— второй завтрак, обед /обычно в 12–14 часов/).

journey [`GWnI], gusto [`gAstqu], luncheon [lAnC(q)n]

"I daresay you're tired after your journey," said Frank kindly.

She ordered a dry Martini for Lena and a mixed lemon and orange juice for herself and her two friends.

"We find alcohol isn't very good in all this heat," she explained.

"Oh, it never affects me at all," Lena answered airily. "I like cocktails."

Arrow went very slightly pale under her rouge (neither she nor Beatrice ever wet their faces when they bathed and they thought it absurd of Frank, a woman of her size, to pretend she liked diving) but she said nothing. The conversation was gay and easy, they all said the obvious things with gusto, and presently they strolled back to the villa for luncheon.

In each napkin were two little antifat rusks (в каждой салфетке были два небольших сухарика для похудания: «против ожирения»). Lena gave a bright smile (Лина широко улыбнулась: «подарила яркую улыбку») as she put them by the side of her plate (и положила их рядом со своей тарелкой: «у края своей тарелки»; as— как; когда; пока; в то время как).

"May I have some bread?" she asked (можно мне немного хлеба? спросила она).

The grossest indecency (самая наигрубейшая непристойность) would not have fallen on the ears of those three women with such a shock (и то бы так не шокировала этих трех женщин: «не упала бы на уши тех трех женщин таким потрясением»). Not one of them had eaten bread, for ten years (ни одна из них /не/ ела хлеба /уже/ в течение десяти лет). Even Beatrice, greedy as she was, drew the line there (даже Беатрис, какой /бы/ прожорливой она /ни/ была, проводила здесь: «там» черту). Frank, the good hostess, recovered herself first (Фрэнк, /как/ хорошая хозяйка, пришла /в/ себя первой).

"Of course, darling (конечно, дорогая)," she said and turning to the butler asked him to bring some (сказала она и, поворачиваясь к дворецкому, попросила его принести немного /хлеба/).

"And some butter (и немного масла)," said Lena in that pleasant easy way of hers (сказала Лина в своей милой, непринужденной манере).

There was a moment's embarrassed silence (/на/ мгновение наступила: «была» неловкая тишина; moment— миг, минута, момент;toembarrass— смущать; приводить в замешательство).

"I don't know if there's any in the house," said Frank (я не знаю, если ли в доме /масло/, — сказала Фрэнк; any— какой-нибудь; сколько-нибудь, какое-либо количество), "but I'll inquire (но я спрошу; toinquire— осведомляться, спрашивать, узнавать). There may be some in the kitchen (возможно, есть немного на кухне)."

indecency [In`dJsnsI], embarrass [em`bxrqs, Im`bxrqs], inquire [In`kwaIq]

In each napkin were two little antifat rusks. Lena gave a bright smile as she put them by the side of her plate.

"May I have some bread?" she asked.

The grossest indecency would not have fallen on the ears of those three women with such a shock. Not one of them had eaten bread, for ten years. Even Beatrice, greedy as she was, drew the line there. Frank, the good hostess, recovered herself first.

"Of course, darling," she said and turning to the butler asked him to bring some.

"And some butter," said Lena in that pleasant easy way of hers.