О. Генри - Лучшие рассказы О. Генри = The Best of O. Henry

protoplasm – in biology, the ground substance of living material responsible for all living process

te deums – hymns or prayers of thanksgiving ( Latin )

misereres – psalms in which mercy is sought

tierra templada = warm land (Spanish)

niños = children (Spanish)

tierra caliente = hot land (Spanish)

caballeros = gentlemen, noblemen (Spanish)

preeminence = superiority, predominance (French)

elysium – in Greek mythology, the paradise to which immortal heroes were sent after death

“GIRL”

Jekyl-and-Hyde pieces of furniture – here: dual-use furniture

Noblesse oblige – privilege entails responsibility (French)

mêlée = hand-to-hand fighting, head-to-head (French)

Maypole – a painted pole decorated with flowers around which people dance on May Day

Buffalo Bill’s show – Buffalo Bill’s circus

By Geronimo! – an exclamation of annoyance; Geronimo (1829–1903) was an Apache leader who led the defense of his native people against the US military might.

dassent – here: have no right to…

David – biblical characters of the 11th–10th centuries BC; David, king of Israel, killed the Philistine giant, Goliath.

Goliath – biblical characters

King Herod (73 BC–4 BC) – the king of Judaea, appointed by the Romans; in the New Testament, a tyrant who ordered to kill all male new-born babies after Jesus had been born.

wiskerando – here: drunkard

no, sirree! – no such matter!

Bedlam – here: confusion, madhouse, chaos; Bedlam = Bethlem Royal Hospital for mentally ill patients in England, founded in 1247.

Prithee – Please (a polite request; archaic )

Circe – in Greek mythology, a sorceress, the daughter of Helios, the sun god

olfactories – here: nose; olfactory means ‘related to the sense of smell’.

lorgnette – a pair of glasses held in front of the eyes by a long handle

balm of Gilead – the myrrhlike resin from Commiphora, mentioned in the Bible; Gilead was an ancient region in Palestine.

Guthrie – a city in central Oklahoma, founded in 1889 and named for Judge John Guthrie

vendetta = blood feud

Belasco – David Belasco (1853–1931), an American playwright and theatrical producer

accordion-plated skirt – black-and-white skirt

M. Santos-Dumont – Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873–1932), a famous Brazilian aviator, very popular in the United States and Europe for his airship flights

Mercury – in Roman mythology, the god of merchandise

John Howard Payne (1791–1852) – an American playwright and actor

Williamsburg – a historical city in southeastern Virginia, founded in 1693 and named for King William III

Browning – Robert Browning (1812–1889), an English Victorian poet

Thanatopsis = view of death ( Greek ) – a poem by William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878), an American poet of nature, published in 1817

Longfellow – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882), the most popular American poet

habituées = frequent visitors (French)

Justice of the Peace – an official appointed to hear minor cases in court, grant licenses, etc.

MSS. = manuscript

MS. = manuscript

Chateaubriand – François-René Chateaubriand (1768–1848), a French Romantic author and diplomat

De Quincey – Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859), an English essayist and critic

Ade – George Ade (1866–1844), an American humorist and playwright

James – Henry James (1843–1916), an American novelist and an outstanding figure in European and American culture

Tom Watson – Thomas Augustus Watson (1854–1934), an American industrialist, one of the founders of the Bell Telephone Company, and later, a shipbuilder

Jeremiah (650 BC–570 BC) – a Hebrew prophet

Mazuma = money, cash ( US )

X. Y. Z. – the letters stand for the name of a company

Bethel – a city in the state of New York, named for the ancient town in Palestine

Catawba – the Catawba River in the southeastern United States, rising in the Blue Ridge, a segment of the Appalachian Mountains

ostracism – persecution, exclusion from society

debris – waste, rubbish, remains

pharmacopoeia – an official book that provides standards for therapeutic drugs

comedietta – one-act comedy

burlesque – 1) a variety show (US) ; 2) an absurd or exaggerated imitation, a parody.

Si la vida de ella a quien tu amas = if the life of the girl you love… (Spanish)

in re = with regard to, in the legal case of (Latin)

détour – a roundabout or alternative route

nolle pros. = nolle prosequi – the dismissal or termination of a legal procedure ( Latin )

vade mecum – a handbook kept at hand for consultation ( Latin )

raspberry phosphate – here: raspberry ice-cream

the Metropolitan – the Metropolitan Opera in New York City

Caruso – Enrico Caruso (1873–1921), the most famous Italian opera singer of the early 20th century

Milwaukee – a city in southeastern Wisconsin

‘Parcifal’ – an opera by Richard Wagner (1813–1883), a German dramatic composer

fol-de-rols – knick-knacks, useless items

S. P. C. C. = Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children