Уильям Моэм - Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы

continue [kqn'tInju: ], definitely ['defInItlI], surprise [sq'praIz]

But the second year passed and every month Isabel continued to receive a letter from Edward, and presently it began to seem a little strange that he did not speak of coming back. He wrote as though he were settled definitely in Tahiti, and what was more, comfortably settled. She was surprised. Then she read his letters again, all of them, several times; and now, reading between the lines indeed, she was puzzled to notice a change which had escaped her.

The later letters were as tender and as delightful as the first (последние письма были такими же нежными и очаровательными, как и первые), but the tone was different (но тон /их/ был другим). She was vaguely suspicious of their humour (она с некоторым недоверием отнеслась к их шутливому тону), she had the instinctive mistrust of her sex for that unaccountable quality (она инстинктивно, по-женски, не доверяла этой странной/необъяснимой черте /характера/; quality — качество, сорт; качество, свойство, характерная особенность ), and she discerned in them now a flippancy which perplexed her (и теперь она разглядела в них легкомыслие, которое привело ее в недоумение). She was not quite certain that the Edward who wrote to her now (она не была вполне уверена, что тот Эдвард, который писал ей сейчас) was the same Edward that she had known (был тем же самым Эдвардом, которого она знала). One afternoon, the day after a mail had arrived from Tahiti (однажды, на следующий день после того, как прибыла почта с Таити), when she was driving with Bateman he said to her (когда они ехали в автомобиле вместе Бейтманом, он спросил ее; to drive — водить, вести; ездить, ехать ):

"Did Edward tell you when he was sailing (Эдвард сообщил тебе, когда он отплывает)?"

"No, he didn't mention it (нет, он не упомянул об этом). I thought he might have said something to you about it (я подумала, что он, возможно, мог бы сказать тебе об этом)."

"Not a word (ни слова)."

delightful [dI'laItf(q)l], vaguely ['veIglI], suspicious [sq'spISqs], unaccountable ["Anq'kauntqb(q)l], discern [dI'sWn], perplexed [pq'plekst]

The later letters were as tender and as delightful as the first, but the tone was different. She was vaguely suspicious of their humour, she had the instinctive mistrust of her sex for that unaccountable quality, and she discerned in them now a flippancy which perplexed her. She was not quite certain that the Edward who wrote to her now was the same Edward that she had known. One afternoon, the day after a mail had arrived from Tahiti, when she was driving with Bateman he said to her:

"Did Edward tell you when he was sailing?"

"No, he didn't mention it. I thought he might have said something to you about it."

"Not a word."

"You know what Edward is (ты же знаешь, какой Эдвард)," she laughed in reply (рассмеялась она в ответ), "he has no sense of time (у него нет чувства времени). If it occurs to you next time you write (если вспомнишь об этом в следующий раз, когда будешь ему писать; to occur— случаться, происходить; приходить на ум, в голову ) you might ask him when he's thinking of coming (ты мог бы спросить его, когда он думает возвращаться)."

Her manner was so unconcerned that only Bateman's acute sensitiveness (ее манера была настолько беззаботной, что только острая восприимчивость Бейтмана) could have discerned in her request a very urgent desire (смогла разглядеть в ее просьбе настойчивое пожелание; urgent— срочный, неотложный; настойчивый, упорный;desire— сильное желание; просьба, пожелание ). He laughed lightly (он беспечно рассмеялся; lightly— слегка, едва; с легким сердцем, беспечно ).

"Yes. I'll ask him (я спрошу его). I can't imagine what he's thinking about (представить не могу, о чем он думает)."

unconcerned ["Ankqn'sWnd], request [rI'kwest], urgent ['WdZ(q)nt], desire [dI'zaIq]

"You know what Edward is," she laughed in reply, "he has no sense of time. If it occurs to you next time you write you might ask him when he's thinking of coming."

Her manner was so unconcerned that only Bateman's acute sensitiveness could have discerned in her request a very urgent desire. He laughed lightly.

"Yes. I'll ask him. I can't imagine what he's thinking about."

A few days later, meeting him again, she noticed that something troubled him (несколько дней спустя, снова встретив его, она обратила внимание, что его что-то беспокоило). They had been much together since Edward left Chicago (они много времени проводили вместе с того момента как Эдвард уехал из Чикаго); they were both devoted to him (оба они были преданы ему) and each in his desire to talk of the absent one found a willing listener (и каждый в своем желании поговорить об отсутствующем /друге/ находил /в другом/ благосклонного слушателя; willing — готовый, склонный, расположенный ); the consequence was that Isabel knew every expression of Bateman's face (следствием этого было то, что Изабелла знала каждое выражение лица Бейтмана), and his denials now were useless against her keen instinct (и теперь его возражения/отрицания были бесполезными перед ее обостренной интуицией; keen — острый, остроотточенный; тонко, островоспринимающий ). Something told her that his harassed look had to do with Edward (что-то подсказало ей, что его обеспокоенный вид как-то связан с Эдвардом) and she did not rest till she had made him confess (и она не успокоилась до тех пор, пока не заставила его признаться).

consequence ['kOnsIkwqns], denial [dI'naI(q)l], harassed ['hxrqst]

A few days later, meeting him again, she noticed that something troubled him. They had been much together since Edward left Chicago; they were both devoted to him and each in his desire to talk of the absent one found a willing listener; the consequence was that Isabel knew every expression of Bateman's face, and his denials now were useless against her keen instinct. Something told her that his harassed look had to do with Edward and she did not rest till she had made him confess.