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

He stretched his arm across the counter and wrung Bateman's hand. There was no self-consciousness in his manner and the embarrassment was all on Bateman's side.

"Just wait till I've wrapped this package."

With perfect assurance he ran his scissors across the stuff, folded it, made it into a parcel, and handed it to the dark-skinned customer.

"Pay at the desk, please."

Then, smiling, with bright eyes, he turned to Bateman.

"How did you show up here? Gee, I am delighted to see you. Sit down, old man. Make yourself at home."

"We can't talk here (здесь говорить мы не можем). Come along to my hotel (пойдем ко мне в гостиницу). I suppose you can get away (полагаю, ты сможешь уйти)?"

This he added with some apprehension (это он добавил с некоторым опасением).

"Of course I can get away (конечно, я могу уйти). We're not so businesslike as all that in Tahiti (/здесь/, на Таити, мы не до такой степени деловые = исполнительные, аккуратные /в исполнении обязанностей/)." He called out to a Chinese who was standing behind the opposite counter (он крикнул китайцу, который стоял за прилавком напротив). "Ah-Ling, when the boss comes tell him a friend of mine's just arrived from America (А-Линг, когда придет шеф, скажи ему, что ко мне только что приехал друг из Америки) and I've gone out to have a drain with him (и я ушел пропустить с ним по рюмочке; drain — вытекание, истечение; разг. рюмочка, глоток)."

"All-light (холосо; all-light = all-right)," said the Chinese, with a grin (сказал китаец, широко улыбаясь; grin — оскал зубов; ухмылка).

Edward slipped on a coat and, putting on his hat, accompanied Bateman out of the store (Эдвард накинул пиджак и, надевая шляпу, вышел вместе с Бейтманом из магазина; to accompany — сопровождать, сопутствовать). Bateman attempted to put the matter facetiously (Бейтман попытался шутливо описать ситуацию; to put — излагать, выражать, формулировать/мысли, замечания и т. п./; facetiae — лат. остроты, шутки; фацеции/шуточные короткие рассказы типа анекдота, имевшие распространение в Западной Европе в эпоху Возрождения/).

"I didn't expect to find you selling three and a half yards of rotten cotton to a greasy nigger (я не ожидал увидеть тебя продающим три с половиной ярда истертой тряпки грязному ниггеру; yard — ярд, мера длины/= 3 фута, = 91,44 см/; rotten — гнилой; непрочный, слабый; greasy — сальный, жирный; грязный)," he laughed (рассмеялся он).

apprehension ["xprI'henS(q)n], facetious [fq'si: Sqs], yard [jQ: d]

"We can't talk here. Come along to my hotel. I suppose you can get away?"

This he added with some apprehension.

"Of course I can get away. We're not so businesslike as all that in Tahiti." He called out to a Chinese who was standing behind the opposite counter. "Ah-Ling, when the boss comes tell him a friend of mine's just arrived from America and I've gone out to have a drain with him."

"All-light," said the Chinese, with a grin.

Edward slipped on a coat and, putting on his hat, accompanied Bateman out of the store. Bateman attempted to put the matter facetiously.

"I didn't expect to find you selling three and a half yards of rotten cotton to a greasy nigger," he laughed.