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

Neilson watched him make his way across (Нилсон наблюдал, /как/ он идет на ту сторону /речки/; to make one’s way— продвигаться; пробираться;across— через) and when he had disappeared among the coconuts (и когда тот /уже/ исчез за кокосовыми пальмами: «среди кокосов») he looked still (он все еще смотрел). Then he sank heavily in his chair (потом он тяжело опустился в свое кресло). Was that the man who had prevented him from being happy (был /ли/ это тот человек, который помешал ему быть счастливым)? Was that the man whom Sally had loved all these years (был /ли/ это тот человек, которого Салли любила все эти годы) and for whom she had waited so desperately (и которого она ждала так отчаянно)? It was grotesque (это было нелепо; grotesque — гротескный; абсурдный). A sudden fury seized him so (внезапное бешенство охватило его так) that he had an instinct to spring up and smash everything around him (что у него возникло безотчетное желание подскочить и /начать/ крушить все вокруг; instinct — инстинкт). He had been cheated (его надули). They had seen each other at last (они увидели друг друга наконец) and had not known it (и /даже/ не осознали этого). He began to laugh, mirthlessly (он начал невесело смеяться; mirth — веселье), and his laughter grew till it became hysterical (и его смех усиливался до тех пор, пока /не/ стал истеричным). The Gods had played him a cruel trick (боги жестоко подшутили над ним; to play a trick — разыграть; обмануть). And he was old now (а теперь он был стар).

prevent [prI`vent], grotesque [grqu`tesk], hysterical [hIs`terIk(q)l]

Red heaved himself out of his chair, while the Swede called one of the boys who worked on the plantation. He told him where the skipper wanted to go, and the boy stepped along the bridge. Red prepared to follow him.

"Don’t fall in," said Neilson.

"Not on your life."

Neilson watched him make his way across and when he had disappeared among the coconuts he looked still. Then he sank heavily in his chair. Was that the man who had prevented him from being happy? Was that the man whom Sally had loved all these years and for whom she had waited so desperately? It was grotesque. A sudden fury seized him so that he had an instinct to spring up and smash everything around him. He had been cheated. They had seen each other at last and had not known it. He began to laugh, mirthlessly, and his laughter grew till it became hysterical. The Gods had played him a cruel trick. And he was old now.

At last Sally came in to tell him dinner was ready (наконец Салли вошла, /чтобы/ сказать ему, /что/ обед был готов). He sat down in front of her and tried to eat (он сел напротив нее и пытался есть; in front of — перед, впереди). He wondered what she would say (ему было интересно, что бы она сказала) if he told her now (если бы он рассказал ей теперь) that the fat old man sitting in the chair (что тот толстый старик, сидевший в кресле) was the lover (был тем возлюбленным) whom she remembered still with the passionate abandonment of her youth (которого она все еще помнила с пылкой несдержанностью своей юности; abandonment — непринужденность; импульсивность; to abandon — покидать, оставлять). Years ago (/много/ лет тому назад), when he hated her because she made him so unhappy (когда он ненавидел ее, потому что она сделала его таким несчастным), he would have been glad to tell her (он был бы рад рассказать ей). He wanted to hurt her then (он хотел сделать ей больно тогда) as she hurt him (/так же/ как она делала ему больно), because his hatred was only love (потому что его ненависть была просто любовью). But now he did not care (но теперь ему было все равно). He shrugged his shoulders listlessly (он безразлично пожал плечами).

"What did that man want (чего хотел тот мужчина)?" she asked presently (спросила она спустя некоторое время).