Илья Франк - Английский язык с миссис Харрис, или платье от Диора
foreign ['fOrIN], bustle [bAsl], forlorn [fq'lLn]
Standing alone now on the pave in a foreign city, assailed by the foreign roar of foreign traffic and the foreign bustle of foreign passers-by, outside the great gray mansion that was like a private house and not a store at all, Mrs. Harris suddenly felt lonely, frightened and forlorn, and in spite of the great roll of silver-green American dollars in her handbag she wished for a moment that she had not come, or that she had asked the young man from the Airways to accompany her, or that the taxi driver had not driven away, leaving her standing there.
And then, as luck would have it (а потом, случайно: «как захотел случай/захотела удача»), a car from the British Embassy drove by (машина из Британского посольства проехала рядом) and the sight of the tiny Union Jack fluttering from the mudguard (и вид крошечного национального флага, трепетавшего у крыла автомобиля) stiffened her spine and brought determination to her mouth and eyes (укрепил ее дух и принес решительность = придал решительности ее устам и глазам; spine — позвоночник; дух/характер; to bring). She reminded herself who and what she was (она напомнила себе, кто и что она была), drew in a deep breath of the balmy Paris air (сделала глубокий вдох благоуханного парижского воздуха; balm — бальзам; благоухание) laced with petrol fumes (перемешанного с парами бензина; lace — шнурок, тесьма; to lace — шнуровать; добавлять спиртные напитки /преим. в кофе/; подмешивать) and resolutely pushed open the door and entered (решительно открыла: «толкнула» дверь и вошла).
mudguard ['mAdgRd], brought [brLt], balmy ['bRmI]
And then, as luck would have it, a car from the British Embassy drove by and the sight of the tiny Union Jack fluttering from the mudguard stiffened her spine and brought determination to her mouth and eyes. She reminded herself who and what she was, drew in a deep breath of the balmy Paris air laced with petrol fumes and resolutely pushed open the door and entered.
She was almost driven back by the powerful odor of elegance (она едва не была вытолкнута = едва не отшатнулась от сильного аромата утонченности/элегантности; powerful — мощный) that assailed her once she was inside (который окутал ее, как только она была внутри = вошла; to assail — нападать, атаковать). It was the same (это был тот же самый /аромат/) that she smelled when Lady Dent opened the doors to her wardrobe (который она почувствовала, когда леди Дент открыла дверцы своего платяного шкафа), the same that clung to the fur coat and clothes of the Countess Wyszcinska (тот же, который источали шуба и одежда графини Вышинской; to cling — цепляться; прилипать; крепко держаться), for whom she cleaned from four to six in the afternoons (для которой она чистила = у которой она делала уборку с четырех до шести после полудня), the same she sometimes sniffed in the streets (такой же, какой она иногда вдыхала на улицах) when as she passed someone opened the door of a luxurious motorcar (если, когда она проходила мимо, кто-то открывал двери роскошного автомобиля). It was compounded of perfume and fur (он состоял из духов и меха) and satins (и атласов), silks and leather (шелков и кожи), jewelry and face powder (драгоценностей и пудры для лица). It seemed to arise from the thick gray carpets and hangings (казалось, он поднимался от толстых серых ковров и портьер), and fill the air of the grand staircase before her (и наполнял воздух парадной лестницы перед ней).
odor ['qudq], elegance ['elIgqns], luxurious [lAg'zjuqrIqs]
She was almost driven back by the powerful odor of elegance that assailed her once she was inside. It was the same that she smelled when Lady Dent opened the doors to her wardrobe, the same that clung to the fur coat and clothes of the Countess Wyszcinska, for whom she cleaned from four to six in the afternoons, the same she sometimes sniffed in the streets when as she passed someone opened the door of a luxurious motorcar. It was compounded of perfume and fur and satins, silks and leather, jewelry and face powder. It seemed to arise from the thick gray carpets and hangings, and fill the air of the grand staircase before her.
It was the odor of the rich (это был аромат богатых), and it made her tremble once more (и он заставил ее задрожать снова) and wonder what she, Ada 'Arris, was doing there (и изумиться, что она, Ада Харрис, делала там) instead of washing up the luncheon dishes for Mrs. Fford Foulks back home (вместо мытья тарелок после ланча у миссис Ффорд Фоулкс дома), or furthering the career of a real theatrical star like Pamela Penrose (или содействия карьере настоящей театральной звезды вроде Памелы Пенроуз) by seeing that her flat was neat and tidy (следя, чтобы ее квартира была опрятной и чистой) when her producer friends came to call (когда ее друзья-продюсеры приходили навестить; to call — звонить; навещать).
instead [In'sted], career [kq'rIq], theatrical [TI'xtrIkql]
It was the odor of the rich, and it made her tremble once more and wonder what she, Ada 'Arris, was doing there instead of washing up the luncheon dishes for Mrs. Fford Foulks back home, or furthering the career of a real theatrical star like Pamela Penrose by seeing that her flat was neat and tidy when her producer friends came to call.
She hesitated (она колебалась), her feet sinking into the pile of the carpet (ее ноги тонули в ворсе ковра) seemingly up to her ankles (по-видимому до самых лодыжек). Then her fingers crept into her handbag (затем ее пальцы прокрались = скользнули в ее сумку; to creep — ползать) and tested the smooth feel of the roll of American bills (и проверили ощущение гладкой поверхности рулона американских купюр). "That's why you're 'ere, Ada 'Arris (вот зачем ты здесь, Ада Харрис). That says you're ruddy well as rich as any of 'em (это говорит о том, что ты, черт возьми, так же богата, как любой из них). Get on with it then, my girl (ну, давай: «продолжай с этим = это», моя девочка)."
hesitate ['hezIteIt], ankle [xNkl], smooth [smHD]
She hesitated, her feet sinking into the pile of the carpet seemingly up to her ankles. Then her fingers crept into her handbag and tested the smooth feel of the roll of American bills. "That's why you're 'ere, Ada 'Arris. That says you're ruddy well as rich as any of 'em. Get on with it then, my girl."
She mounted the imposing and deserted staircase (она поднялась по внушительной и пустынной лестнице), it then being half past eleven in the morning (было тогда одиннадцать тридцать утра). On the first half landing (на первой лестничной площадке) there was but a single silver slipper in a glass showcase (не было ничего, кроме одной серебряной туфельки в стеклянной витрине) let into the wall (вставленной в стену), on the second turn there was a similar showcase (на втором повороте была похожая витрина) housing an outsize bottle of Dior perfume (вмещающая необычайно большой флакон духов от Диора; outsize — необычайно большой, крупный; больше стандартного размера; нестандартный). But otherwise there were no goods of any kind on display (но в остальном там не было товаров какого-либо вида для демонстрации), nor were there crowds of people (как не было там и толп народа) rushing up and down the stairs (стремительно движущихся вверх и вниз по ступеням) as in such emporiums back home as Marks & Spencer's or Selfridge's (как в таком большом магазине дома как «Маркс и Спенсер» или «Селфридж»). Nowhere was there any sign of anything (нигде не было /хоть/ какого-то признака чего-нибудь) that so much as resembled the shops to which she was accustomed (что хотя бы /отдаленно/ напоминало магазины, к которым она привыкла).
imposing [Im'pquzIN], emporium [em'pLrIqm], accustomed [q'kAstqmd]
She mounted the imposing and deserted staircase, it then being half past eleven in the morning. On the first half landing there was but a single silver slipper in a glass showcase let into the wall, on the second turn there was a similar showcase housing an outsize bottle of Dior perfume. But otherwise there were no goods of any kind on display, nor were there crowds of people rushing up and down the stairs as in such emporiums back home as Marks & Spencer's or Selfridge's. Nowhere was there any sign of anything that so much as resembled the shops to which she was accustomed.
On the contrary (наоборот), the elegance and atmosphere of the deserted staircase (элегантность и атмосфера пустынной лестницы) gave her the feeling of a private house (дали = сообщили ей ощущение частного дома), and one on a most grand scale at that (и одного из самых величественных/больших притом; scale — чаша, чашка или платформа весов; градация, шкала; grand — большой, величественный, грандиозный). Was she really in the right place (была ли она действительно в нужном месте)? Her courage threatened to ooze again (ее мужество грозило иссякнуть вновь; to ooze — медленно сочиться, выделяться /о влаге и т. п./; протекать, вытекать), but she told herself that sooner or later (но она сказала себе, что рано или поздно) she must come upon some human being (она должна натолкнуться на кого-нибудь: «на какого-нибудь человека») who would be able to direct her to the dresses (кто сможет направить ее к платьям), or at least put her right if she were in the wrong building (или, по крайней мере, поправит ее, если она была не в том: «в неправильном» здании).
private ['praIvIt], courage ['kArIG], ooze [Hz]
On the contrary, the elegance and atmosphere of the deserted staircase gave her the feeling of a private house, and one on a most grand scale at that. Was she really in the right place? Her courage threatened to ooze again, but she told herself that sooner or later she must come upon some human being who would be able to direct her to the dresses, or at least put her right if she were in the wrong building.
She pressed on (она поспешила дальше; to press on — спешить; активно продолжать /работу и т. п./), and indeed on the first-floor landing (и действительно, на лестничной площадке второго этажа) came upon a dark handsome woman (натолкнулась на темноволосую красивую женщину) in her early forties (в возрасте чуть больше сорока; forties — пятый десяток /числа от 40 до 49/; early — ранний) who was seated at a desk writing (которая была усажена за стол = сидела за столом и писала). She was clad in a simple black dress (она была одета в простое черное платье) relieved by three rows of pearls at the neck (оживленное/контрастирующее с тремя рядами жемчуга на шее: to relieve — освобождать; оживлять/вносить разнообразие), her coiffure was neat and glossy (ее прическа была аккуратной и лоснящейся = волосы блестели); her features were refined (ее черты лица были изящными), her skin exquisite (ее кожа великолепной; exquisite — изысканный, изящный, тонкий), but closer inspection would have revealed (но более внимательное рассмотрение обнаружило бы) that she looked tired and careworn (что она выглядела уставшей и измученной заботами; care — забота; worn — изношенный; to wear — носить /об одежде/), and that there were dark hollows beneath her eyes (и что под ее глазами были темные круги).
coiffure [kwR'fjuq], exquisite ['ekskwIzIt], beneath [bI'nIT]
She pressed on, and indeed on the first-floor landing came upon a dark handsome woman in her early forties who was seated at a desk writing. She was clad in a simple black dress relieved by three rows of pearls at the neck, her coiffure was neat and glossy; her features were refined, her skin exquisite, but closer inspection would have revealed that she looked tired and careworn, and that there were dark hollows beneath her eyes.
Behind her (позади нее) Mrs. Harris noted a fair-sized room (миссис Харрис заметила большого размера комнату) opening into a second one (ведущую в еще одну /комнату/), gray-carpeted like the stairs (покрытую серым ковром, так же, как лестница), with fine silk hangings at the windows (с прекрасными шелковыми портьерами на окнах), and furnished only with several rows of gray and golden chairs around the perimeter (и меблированную только несколькими рядами серых и золотых стульев по периметру). A few floor-to-ceiling pier mirrors completed the décor (несколько зеркал от пола до потолка в простенках завершали дизайн; pier — пирс; простенок), but of anything to sell (но чего-либо для продажи) or even so much as to look at (или хотя бы того, на что посмотреть), there was not a sign (там не было и признака = следа).
