Уильям Моэм - Мистер Всезнайка. Рассказы
theorist [`TIqrIst], subsequent [`sAbsIkwqnt], bloody [`blAdI]
Never were three women greater friends. They would have been independent of anyone else if they had not needed a fourth at bridge. They were fierce, enthusiastic players and the moment the day's cure was over they sat down at the bridge table. Arrow, feminine as she was, played the best game of the three, a hard, brilliant game, in which she showed no mercy and never conceded a point or failed to take advantage of a mistake. Beatrice was solid and reliable. Frank was dashing; she was a great theorist, and had all the authorities at the tip of her tongue. They had long arguments over the rival systems. They bombarded one another with Culbertson and Sims. It was obvious that not one of them ever played a card without fifteen good reasons, but it was also obvious from the subsequent conversation that there were fifteen equally good reasons why she should not have played it. Life would have been perfect, even with the prospect of twenty-four hours of that filthy soup when the doctor's rotten (Beatrice) bloody (Frank) lousy (Arrow) scales pretended one hadn't lost an ounce in two days, if only there had not been this constant difficulty of finding someone to play with them who was in their class.
It was for this reason that on the occasion with which this narrative deals (именно по этой причине, из-за которой и случилась эта история: «по случаю, с которым этот рассказ имеет дело»; it is … that/who — усилительнаяконструкция; occasion — случай; причина, основание, повод) Frank invited Lena Finch to come and stay with them at Antibes (Фрэнк пригласила Лину Финч приехать и остаться с ними = приехатькнимпогостить в Антиб). They were spending some weeks there on Frank's suggestion (они проводили там несколько недель по предложению Фрэнк). It seemed absurd to her, with her common sense (это казалось ей нелепым, с ее/-то/ здравым смыслом), that immediately the cure was over (что сразу же /после того, как/ курс лечения закончился) Beatrice who always lost twenty pounds (Беатрис, которая всегда теряла = худелана двадцать фунтов) should by giving way to her ungovernable appetite put it all on again (уступая своему необузданному аппетиту, наберет их все опять; to put it on — повышатьцены; преувеличивать;растолстеть). Beatrice was weak (Беатрис была слаба /на этот счет/). She needed a person of strong will to watch her diet (ей нужен был человек железной воли, чтобы следить /за/ ее диетой; strong — сильный; крепкий). She proposed then that on leaving Carlsbad they should take a house at Antibes (она предложила тогда, что, уехав /из/ Карлсбада, им следует снять: «взять» дом в Антибе), where they could get plenty of exercise (где они могли бы много упражняться: «получить много /физических/ упражнений») — everyone knew that nothing slimmed you like swimming (все знали, что ничто /так не помогало/ худеть, как плавание; you — ты, вы; употребляетсятакжевбезличныхоборотах) — and as far as possible could go on with the cure (и, по мере возможности, /так они/ могли бы продолжить лечение). With a cook of their own (со своим собственным поваром) they could at least avoid things (они могли бы, по крайней мере, избегать /тех/ вещей) that were obviously fattening (которые /уж/ очевидно вели к ожирению; to fatten — откармливатьнаубой; жиреть, толстеть). There was no reason (/не/ было никаких причин) why they should not all lose several pounds more (почему бы они все не скинули еще несколько фунтов; to lose — терять; лишаться;избавляться). It seemed a very good idea (это, казалось, /было/ очень хорошей идеей).
Antibes [г`tJb; г — звук а, произнесенный в нос], appetite [`xpItaIt], diet [`daIqt]
It was for this reason that on the occasion with which this narrative deals Frank invited Lena Finch to come and stay with them at Antibes. They were spending some weeks there on Frank's suggestion. It seemed absurd to her, with her common sense, that immediately the cure was over Beatrice who always lost twenty pounds should by giving way to her ungovernable appetite put it all on again. Beatrice was weak. She needed a person of strong will to watch her diet. She proposed then that on leaving Carlsbad they should take a house at Antibes, where they could get plenty of exercise— everyone knew that nothing slimmed you like swimming — and as far as possible could go on with the cure. With a cook of their own they could at least avoid things that were obviously fattening. There was no reason why they should not all lose several pounds more. It seemed a very good idea.
Beatrice knew what was good for her (Беатрис знала, что было хорошо для нее), and she could resist temptation well enough (и она могла бы довольно успешно: «хорошо» противостоять искушению) if temptation was not put right under her nose (если /бы/ искушение не было подсунуто ей прямо под нос; to put — класть; помещать). Besides, she liked gambling (к тому же ей нравились азартные игры), and a flutter at the Casino two or three times a week would pass the time very pleasantly (и выброс адреналина в казино два-три раза /в/ неделю обеспечил бы очень приятное времяпровождение; flutter — волнение; трепет;риск/вазартныхиграх/; to pass — идти; проходить;пролетать/овремени/). Arrow adored Antibes (Эрроу обожала Антиб), and she would be looking her best after a month at Carlsbad (и она бы выглядела /там/ на все сто после месяца в Карлсбаде; to look one's best — выглядетьнаилучшимобразом). She could just pick and choose among the young Italians (она могла бы просто выбирать: «собирать и выбирать» между молодыми итальянцами), the passionate Spaniards (страстными испанцами), the gallant Frenchmen (галантными французами), and the long-limbed English (и англичанами /с их/ длинными конечностями) who sauntered about all day (которые весь день прогуливались туда-сюда) in bathing trunks and gay-coloured dressing-gowns (в плавках и халатах веселой расцветки; coloured — цветной; раскрашенный). The plan worked very well (план удался на славу: «работал очень хорошо»). They had a grand time (они прекрасно проводили время). Two days a week they ate nothing but hard-boiled eggs and raw tomatoes (два дня /в/ неделю они /не/ ели ничего, кроме яиц вкрутую и свежих помидоров; raw— сырой, свежий; необработанный) and they mounted the scales every morning with light hearts (и они взбирались /на/ весы каждое утро с легким сердцем). Arrow got down to eleven stone (Эрроу дошла: «спустилась» до одиннадцати стоунов /вес около 70 кг/; stone— камень; стоун /британская мера веса, равная 6,35 кг/) and felt just like a girl (и чувствовала /себя/ прямо как девочка); Beatrice and Frank by standing in a certain way just avoided the thirteen (Беатрис и Фрэнк, стоя /на весах/ определенным образом, просто избегали /отметки/ тринадцать /вес около 80 кг/). The machine they had bought registered kilogrammes (весы, которые они купили, показывал килограммы; machine— машина, механизм), and they got extraordinarily clever (и они стали необычайно искусны) at translating these in the twinkling of an eye to pounds and ounces (в переводе этих /килограммов/ в мгновение ока в фунты и унции; twinkling— мерцание, мигание; мгновение, миг).
passionate [`pxSqnIt], limb [lIm], machine [mq`SJn]
Beatrice knew what was good for her, and she could resist temptation well enough if temptation was not put right under her nose. Besides, she liked gambling, and a flutter at the Casino two or three times a week would pass the time very pleasantly. Arrow adored Antibes, and she would be looking her best after a month at Carlsbad. She could just pick and choose among the young Italians, the passionate Spaniards, the gallant Frenchmen, and the long-limbed English who sauntered about all day in bathing trunks and gay-coloured dressing-gowns. The plan worked very well. They had a grand time. Two days a week they ate nothing but hard-boiled eggs and raw tomatoes and they mounted the scales every morning with light hearts. Arrow got down to eleven stone and felt just like a girl; Beatrice and Frank by standing in a certain way just avoided the thirteen. The machine they had bought registered kilogrammes, and they got extraordinarily clever at translating these in the twinkling of an eye to pounds and ounces.
But the fourth at bridge continued to be the difficulty (но четвертый /игрок/ в бридж продолжал быть /для них/ затруднением). This person played like a foot (этот играл крайне плохо; person — человек; личность, особа), the other was so slow that it drove you frantic (другой был настолько медлителен, что это сводило тебя с ума; to drive — везти; ехать;доводить/докакого-либосостояния/; frantic — неистовый, безумный), one was quarrelsome (один был сварливым), another was a bad loser (другой не умел проигрывать: «был плохим проигрывающим»), a third was next door to a crook (третий был на грани мошенничества: «рядом с мошенником»). It was strange how hard it was (было странно, как тяжело это /все-таки/ было) to find exactly the player you wanted (найти в точности такого игрока, /как/ ты хотел).
One morning (однажды утром) when they were sitting in pyjamas on the terrace overlooking the sea (когда они сидели в пижамах на террасе с видом /на/ море; pyjamas— пижама; просторные легкие брюки, обычно из шелка или хлопка, которые носят на Востоке;tooverlook— возвышаться над; обозревать, смотреть сверху на; выходить на, в), drinking their tea (without milk or sugar) and eating a rusk (пили свой чай без молока и сахара и ели сухарь; rusk— сухарь /ломтик сладкого дрожжевого хлеба, снова поджаренный в духовке/; сухое сладковатое печенье) prepared by Dr. Hudebert and guaranteed not to be fattening (подготовленный доктором Хьюдбертом и гарантировавший не быть калорийным: «не быть откармливанием»; tofatten— откармливать на убой; жиреть, толстеть), Frank looked up from her letters (Фрэнк оторвала взгляд от своих писем; tolookup— смотреть вверх, поднимать глаза).
"Lena Finch is coming down to the Riviera," she said (Лина Финч приезжает на Ривьеру, — сказала она; tocomedown— приезжать из центра на окраину, с севера на юг и т. п.).
"Who's she?" asked Arrow (кто это: «она»? спросила Эрроу).
"She married a cousin of mine (она вышла замуж /за/ одного моего кузена). He died a couple of months ago (он умер пару месяцев тому назад) and she's just recovering from a nervous breakdown (и /сейчас/ она как раз оправляется от нервного расстройства). What about asking her to come here for a fortnight (как насчет /того, чтобы/ попросить ее приехать сюда на две недели; fortnight— две недели)?"
pyjamas [pq`GRmqz, pq`Gxmqz], Riviera ["rIvI`eqrq], guarantee ["gxr(q)n`tJ]
But the fourth at bridge continued to be the difficulty. This person played like a foot, the other was so slow that it drove you frantic, one was quarrelsome, another was a bad loser, a third was next door to a crook. It was strange how hard it was to find exactly the player you wanted.
One morning when they were sitting in pyjamas on the terrace overlooking the sea, drinking their tea (without milk or sugar) and eating a rusk prepared by Dr. Hudebert and guaranteed not to be fattening, Frank looked up from her letters.
"Lena Finch is coming down to the Riviera," she said.
"Who's she?" asked Arrow.
"She married a cousin of mine. He died a couple of months ago and she's just recovering from a nervous breakdown. What about asking her to come here for a fortnight?"
"Does she play bridge?" asked Beatrice (/а/ она играет /в/ бридж? спросила Беатрис).
