Английский язык с Мюриэль Спарк (рассказы)

Oxford St. John (Оксфорд Сент. — Джон), whose love affair with the red-haired girl (чья любовная интрижка с рыжеволосой девушкой) had come to grief (плохо закончилась; grief — горе, печаль, огорчение), now frequented their flat (теперь часто посещал их квартиру), but he could never quite replace Henry (но он так и не смог: «никогда не мог» полностью заменить Генри) in their affections (в их привязанностях). Oxford was older and less refined than Henry (Оксфорд был старше Генри, и менее утонченный; refined — изысканный, благородный). He would stand (он бывало стоял) in front of the glass in their kitchen (перед зеркалом: «стеклом» на их кухне) and tell himself (и говорил сам себе): "Man, you just a big black bugger (приятель, да ты просто большой черный шельмец: «мерзавец»)." He kept referring to himself as black (он продолжал называть себя черным; to refer to — называть, отсылать, даватьссылку), which of course he was (каковым он, конечно, и был), Lou thought (думала Лу), but it was not the thing to say (но об этом не стоило говорить: «но это не была вещь, о которой говорить»). He stood in the doorway (он стоял в дверях: «дверном проеме») with his arms and smile thrown wide (с широко раскинутыми руками и широкой улыбкой /на лице/: «с его руками и улыбкой раскинутыми широко»): "I am black but comely (я черный, но симпатичный; comely — миловидный, хорошенький). O ye daughters of Jerusalem (о вы, дочери Иерусалимские)". And once, when Raymond was out (и однажды, когда Раймонда не было дома; to be out — отсутствовать, небытьдома, наместе), Oxford brought the conversation round to that question (Оксфорд подвел тему разговора к вопросу о том; to bring — приносить, приводить) of being black all over (/он/ был черен везде: «повсюду»), which made Lou very uncomfortable (что заставило Лу почувствовать себя очень неуютно; (un)comfortable — (не)удобный, (не)комфортабельный) and she kept looking at the clock (и она постоянно смотрела на часы) and dropped stitches in her knitting (и пропускала петли в своем вязании; to drop — капать, ронять).

tubercular [tju:'bq: kjVlq] grief [gri: f] bugger ['bAgq] knitting ['nItIN]

Their prayers for the return of faith to Henry Pierce were so far answered in that he took a tubercular turn, which was followed by a religious one. He was sent off to a sanatorium in Wales with a promise from Lou and Raymond to visit him before Christmas. Meantime, they applied themselves to Our Lady for the restoration of Henry's health.

Oxford St. John, whose love affair with the red-haired girl had come to grief, now frequented their flat, but he could never quite replace Henry in their affections. Oxford was older and less refined than Henry. He would stand in front of the glass in their kitchen and tell himself. "Man, you just a big black bugger." He kept referring to himself as black, which of course he was, Lou thought, but it was not the thing to say. He stood in the doorway with his arms and smile thrown wide: "I am black but comely. O ye daughters of Jerusalem." And once, when Raymond was out, Oxford brought the conversation round to that question of being black all over, which made Lou very uncomfortable and she kept looking at the clock and dropped stitches in her knitting.