Английский язык с Дж. Уэбстер. Длинноногий Папочка

He was waving his arm towards an automobile waiting in the curved drive. As it sprang into motion and approached, head on for an instant, the glaring headlights threw his shadow sharply against the wall inside. The shadow pictured grotesquely elongated legs and arms that ran along the floor and up the wall of the corridor. It looked, for all the world, like a huge, wavering daddy-long-legs. Jerusha's anxious frown gave place to quick laughter. She was by nature a sunny soul, and had always snatched the tiniest excuse to be amused. If one could derive any sort of entertainment out of the oppressive fact of a Trustee, it was something unexpected to the good.

She advanced to the office quite cheered by the tiny episode (она подошла к кабинету вполне ободренная этим крошечным происшествием; to cheer — аплодировать; ободрять, воодушевлять), and presented a smiling face to Mrs. Lippett (и предстала с улыбающимся лицом перед миссис Липпетт; to present — преподносить, дарить). To her surprise the matron was also, if not exactly smiling (к ее удивлению, директриса также была, если и не, строго говоря, улыбающейся; exactly — точно; /с отрицанием/ совсем, полностью), at least appreciably affable (то уж, во всяком случае, явно приветливой); she wore an expression almost as pleasant as the one she donned for visitors (у нее было почти такое же любезное выражение лица, которое она принимала для посетителей; to wear (wore, worn) — быть одетым /во что-либо/; иметь вид; to don — надевать).

'Sit down, Jerusha, I have something to say to you (садись, Джеруша, мне нужно кое-что тебе сказать).'

Jerusha dropped into the nearest chair (Джеруша опустилась на ближайший стул) and waited with a touch of breathlessness (и ожидала, немного затаив дыхание; breathlessness — остановка дыхания, одышка).

cheer [tSIq], episode ['epIsqVd], affable ['xfqb(q)l], breathlessness ['breTlIsnIs]

She advanced to the office quite cheered by the tiny episode, and presented a smiling face to Mrs. Lippett. To her surprise the matron was also, if not exactly smiling, at least appreciably affable; she wore an expression almost as pleasant as the one she donned for visitors.

'Sit down, Jerusha, I have something to say to you.'

Jerusha dropped into the nearest chair and waited with a touch of breathlessness.

An automobile flashed past the window (автомобиль промчался мимо окна; to flash — вспыхивать; промелькнуть, пронестись); Mrs. Lippett glanced after it (миссис Липпетт бросила взгляд ему вслед).

'Did you notice the gentleman who has just gone (ты обратила внимание на джентльмена, который только что ушел)?'

'I saw his back (я видела его спину).'

'He is one of our most affluential Trustees (это один из наших наиболее богатых попечителей; affluent — изобильный, богатый; influential — влиятельный /здесь — малограмотное смешение слов/), and has given large sums of money towards the asylum's support (и он /уже/ выделил огромные суммы денег на содержание приюта; support — поддержка, помощь; финансовое обеспечение, содержание). I am not at liberty to mention his name (я не имею права упоминать его имя; liberty — свобода); he expressly stipulated that he was to remain unknown (он категорически потребовал, что он должен оставаться неизвестным; to stipulate — обуславливать, ставить условием).'

Jerusha's eyes widened slightly (глаза Джеруши слегка расширились); she was not accustomed to being summoned to the office (она не привыкла к тому, что ее вызывают в кабинет) to discuss the eccentricities of Trustees with the matron (чтобы обсуждать чудачества попечителей с директрисой).

liberty ['lIbqtI], stipulate ['stIpjVleIt], eccentricity ["eksen'trIsItI]

An automobile flashed past the window; Mrs. Lippett glanced after it.

'Did you notice the gentleman who has just gone?'

'I saw his back.'

'He is one of our most affluential Trustees, and has given large sums of money towards the asylum's support. I am not at liberty to mention his name; he expressly stipulated that he was to remain unknown.'

Jerusha's eyes widened slightly; she was not accustomed to being summoned to the office to discuss the eccentricities of Trustees with the matron.