Francis Fitzgerald - Загадочная история Бенджамина Баттона / The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Hildegarde gave him two more dances, and they discovered that they agreed upon all the questions of the day. She was to go driving with him on the following Sunday, and then they would discuss all these questions further.

Going home in the carriage, Benjamin knew vaguely that his father was discussing wholesale hardware.

“… And what do you think should pay attention to after hammers and nails?” the elder Button was saying.

“Love,” replied Benjamin absent- mindedly.

“Lugs?” exclaimed Roger Button, “Why, I’ve just covered the question of lugs.”

Benjamin regarded him with dazed eyes. When, six months later, the engagement of Miss Hildegarde Moncrief to Mr. Benjamin Button was made known (I say “made known,” because General Moncrief declared he would rather die than announce it), the excitement in Baltimore society reached a feverish pitch. The almost forgotten story of Benjamin’s birth was remembered and became a scandal. It was said that Benjamin was really Roger Button’s father, that he was his brother who had been in prison for forty years, and, finally, that he had two small horns on his head.

The New York papers published fascinating sketches, which showed the head of Benjamin Button attached to a fish or a snake. He was called the Mystery Man of Maryland. But the true story, as is usually the case, was hardly known.

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He hoped it would be a boy—Он надеялся, это будет мальчик

What’s the matter? Triplets?—В чем дело? Тройня?

trembling from head to foot—дрожа от головы до ног

his sparse hair was almost white—его редкие волосы были почти белыми

he might cut off that long and awful beard—он мог бы отрезать ту длинную и ужасную бороду

with a guilty expression on his face—с виноватым выражением лица

He would steal down the back stairs and return to the nursery with a volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica—Он прокрадывался вниз по чёрной лестнице в детскую комнату с томиком энциклопедии «Британника»

Benjamin was to continue to dye his hair.—Бенджамин должен был продолжать красить свои волосы.

flushing slightly—слегка краснея

Now surely, Mr. Button, you don’t expect me to believe that.—Мистер Баттон, Вы, конечно, не ожидаете, что я поверю в это.

the girl was slender and frail—девочка была стройная и хрупкая