Английский язык с Мюриэль Спарк (рассказы)

"This is Richard on his pony, Lob. He adored Lob. We all adored Lob. Of course, we were in the country then. This is Richard with Nana. And this is Richard's father at the outbreak of war. What did you do in the war, dear?"

"I was at school," Trudy said, quite truthfully.

"Oh, then you're a teacher, too?"

"No, I'm a secretary, I didn't leave school till after the war."

Mrs. Seeton said, looking at Trudy from two angles, "Good gracious me, how deceiving. I thought you were about Richard's age, like Gwen. Gwen is such a dear. This is Richard as a graduate. Why he went into schoolmastering I don't know. Still, he's a very good master. Gwen always says so, quite definitely. Don't you adore Gwen?"

"Gwen is a good bit older than me (Гвен гораздо старше меня; a good bit — изрядно, много)," Trudy said, being still upset on the subject of age (все еще расстроенная из-за темы возраста; subject — предмет, темаразговора).

"She ought to be here any moment (она уже должна прийти: «быть здесь» с минуты на минуту: «в любой момент»). She usually comes for supper (она обычно приходит к ужину). Now I'll show you the other rooms and Richard's room (теперь я покажу тебе другие комнаты и комнату Ричарда)."

When they came to Richard's room (когда они пришли в комнату Ричарда) his mother stood on the threshold (его мать остановилась у порога; to stand — стоять, находиться) and, with her finger to her lips for no apparent reason (/держа/ палец у губ, совершенно без всякой причины; apparent — видимый, явный, очевидный), swung the door open (распахнула дверь; to swing — качаться, колебаться, поворачиваться). Compared with the rest of the house (по сравнению с остальным домом; to compare — сравнивать) this was a bleak, untidy, almost schoolboy's room (это была унылая, неаккуратная, почти как у школьника, комната; (un)tidy — (не)опрятный, (не)аккуратный). Richard's green pyjama trousers lay on the floor (зеленые пижамные брюки Ричарда лежали на полу) where he had stepped out of them (где он их оставил: «вышел из них»; to step — шагать, ступать, уходить). This was a sight familiar to Trudy (это был знакомый для Труди вид; sight — зрение, вид, взгляд) from her several week-end excursions with Richard (по нескольким поездкам на выходные вместе с Ричардом), of late months (за последние месяцы), to hotels up the Thames valley (в гостиницы в долине Темзы; valley — долинареки).

threshold ['TreS(h)qVld] apparent [q'pxrqnt] untidy [An'taIdI] valley ['vxlI]

"Gwen is a good bit older than me," Trudy said, being still upset on the subject of age.

"She ought to be here any moment. She usually comes for supper. Now I'll show you the other rooms and Richard's room."

When they came to Richard's room his mother stood on the threshold and, with her finger to her lips for no apparent reason, swung the door open. Compared with the rest of the house this was a bleak, untidy, almost schoolboy's room. Richard's greenpyjamatrousers lay on the floor where he had stepped out of them. This was a sight familiar to Trudy from her several week-end excursions with Richard, of late months, to hotels up the Thames valley.