Английский язык с Мюриэль Спарк (рассказы)

Elizabethlaughed. "If she does talk you'll be sorry you ever asked. She's got a tongue in her head, that one. You should hear hercheekingup to the teachers." Elizabeth 's bones jerked with laughter among her loose clothes. There was a lopsided double bed in the corner, and beside it a table cluttered with mugs, tins, a comb and brush, a number of hair curlers, a framed photograph of the Sacred Heart, and also Raymond noticed what he thought erroneously to be a box of contraceptives. He decided to say nothing to Lou about this; he was quite sure she must have observed other things which he had not; possibly things of a more distressing nature.

Lou's chatter on the way back to the hotel (болтовня Лу по пути назад в гостиницу) had a touch of hysteria (имела оттенок истерии; touch — прикосновение; оттенок). "Raymond, dear (Раймонд, дорогой)," she said in her most chirpy West End voice (своим сверх-жизнерадостным голосом богатой дамы: «очень веселым голосом из Уэст Энда»; West End — западнаяфешенебельнаячасть Лондона), "I simply had (я просто обязана) to give the poor dear (отдать бедняжке; poor — бедный, неимущий) all my next week's housekeeping money (все мои хозяйственные деньги на следующую неделю; to housekeep — вестидомашнеехозяйство). We shall have to starve (нам придется голодать), darling (дорогой), when we get home (когда мы вернемся домой). That's simply what we shall have to do (именно это мы должны будем сделать: «это просто то, что мы должны сделать»)."

"O.K. (хорошо)," said Raymond.

"I ask you (я спрашиваю тебя)," Lou shrieked (кричала Лу), "what else could I do (что еще я могла сделать), what could I do (что я могла сделать)?"

''Nothing at all (ничего больше)," said Raymond, "but what you've done (чем то, что ты уже сделала)."

"My own sister, my dear (моя собственная сестра, дорогой мой)," said Lou; "and did you see the way she had her hair bleached (ты видел, как она обесцветила свои волосы; to bleach — белить, обесцвечивать)? — All streaky (все испорчены; streaky — сполосками, прожилками) and she used to have a lovely head of hair (а ведь у нее была когда-то прекрасная копна /голова/ волос)."

"I wonder if she tries to raise herself (интересно, собирается ли она что-нибудь предпринять; towonder— интересоваться, желать знать, изумляться;toraise— подняться, выбиться в люди)?'' said Raymond. "With all those children (со всеми ее: «теми» детьми) she could surely get better accommodation (она точно могла бы найти лучшее место для проживания; accommodation— приют, пристанище, проживание) if only she (если бы она только) —"

hysteria [hI'stI(q)rIq] chirpy ['Cq: pI] shriek [Sri: k] bleached [bli: Ct]

Lou's chatter on the way back to the hotel had a touch of hysteria. "Raymond, dear," she said in her most chirpy West End voice, "I simply had to give the poor dear all my next week's housekeeping money. We shall have to starve, darling, when we get home. That's simply what we shall have to do."

"O K.," said Raymond.

"I ask you," Lou shrieked, "what else could I do, what could I do?"

''Nothing at all" said Raymond, "but what you've done."

"My own sister, my dear," said Lou; "and did you see the way she had her hair bleached? — All streaky and she used to have a lovely head of hair."