Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы / W. S. Maugham: Stories

But while he was speaking a very extraordinary thing happened. Though he had been addressing the skipper he had not been talking to him, he had been putting his thoughts into words for himself, and with his eyes fixed on the man in front of him he had not seen him. But now an image presented itself to them, an image not of the man he saw, but of another man. It was as though he were looking into one of those distorting mirrors that make you extraordinarily squat or outrageously elongate, but here exactly the opposite took place, and in the obese, ugly old man he caught the shadowy glimpse of a stripling. He gave him now a quick, searching scrutiny. Why had a haphazard stroll brought him just to this place? A sudden tremor of his heart made him slightly breathless. And absurd suspicion seized him. What had occurred to him was impossible, and yet it might be a fact.

"What is your name?" he asked abruptly.

The skipper’s face puckered (шкипер поморщился: «лицо шкипера сморщилось») and he gave a cunning chuckle (и он издал лукавый смешок). He looked then malicious and horribly vulgar (у него при этом был злорадный и ужасно вульгарный вид; to look — смотреть; выглядеть; malicious — злобный; злонамеренный).

"It’s such a damned long time (так чертовски много времени /прошло/) since I heard it (с тех пор как я слышал его /в последний раз/) that I almost forget it myself (что я почти и сам его забыл). But for thirty years now (но вот уже как тридцать лет) in the islands they’ve always called me Red (на этих островах они всегда звали меня Рыжим)."

His huge form shook as he gave a low, almost silent laugh (его громадное тело затряслось, когда он негромко, почти что беззвучно рассмеялся; form— форма; фигура). It was obscene (это было отвратительно). Neilson shuddered (Нилсон содрогнулся). Red was hugely amused (Рыжего /все это/ сильно забавляло), and from his bloodshot eyes tears ran down his cheeks (и из его налитых кровью глаз по щекам бежали слезы).

Neilson gave a gasp (у Нилсона перехватило дыхание; gasp— затрудненное дыхание), for at that moment a woman came in (потому что в тот момент /в комнату/ вошла женщина). She was a native (она была туземкой), a woman of somewhat commanding presence (женщина довольно внушительного вида; presence— присутствие; осанка, внешний вид), stout without being corpulent (полная, но не тучная), dark (темная = с темной кожей), for the natives grow darker with age (ибо туземцы становятся темнее с возрастом), with very grey hair (с очень седыми волосами). She wore a black Mother Hubbard (она носила = на ней было черное свободное платье; Mother Hubbard— широкое, свободное платье без пояса), and its thinness showed her heavy breasts (и через тонкий материал были видны ее тяжелые груди; thinness— тонкость;to show— показывать). The moment had come (наступил момент /истины/).

malicious [mq`lISqs], obscene [qb`sJn], breast [brest]

The skipper’s face puckered and he gave a cunning chuckle. He looked then malicious and horribly vulgar.

"It’s such a damned long time since I heard it that I almost forget it myself. But for thirty years now in the islands they’ve always called me Red."

His huge form shook as he gave a low, almost silent laugh. It was obscene. Neilson shuddered. Red was hugely amused, and from his bloodshot eyes tears ran down his cheeks.