Мюриэль Спарк - Английский язык с Мюриэль Спарк (рассказы)

obvious ['ObvIqs] delusion [dI'lu: Z(q)n] confess [kqn'fes]

"Didn't you know that when you married him? I should have thought it would have been obvious."

She looked at me again. "I had not studied psychology at that time," she said.

I thought, neither had I.

We were silent for the third turn about the lake.

Then she said, "Well, I was telling you how I came to study psychology and practise it. My husband had this breakdown after his sister went away. He had delusions. He kept imagining he saw eyes looking at him everywhere. He still sees them from time to time. But eyes, you see. That's significant. Unconsciously he felt he had blinded his sister. Because unconsciously he wanted to do so. He keeps confessing that he did so."

"And attempted to forge the will (и попытался подделать завещание)?" I said (сказала я). She stopped (она остановилась).

"What are you saying (что вы говорите)?"

"Does he admit that he tried to forge his mother's will (он признает, что пытался подделать завещание матери)?"

"I haven't mentioned anything about a will (я не упоминала ничего о завещании; to mention — упоминать, ссылатьсяна )."

"Oh, I thought you had (о, я подумала, что упомянули)."

"But, in fact, that was his sister's accusation (но, на самом деле, в этом и обвиняла его сестра: «это и было обвинение его сестры»). What made you say that (что заставило вас сказать это)? How did you know (откуда вы знаете /об этом/)?"

"I must be psychic (я должно быть медиум; psychic— медиум, экстрасенс, парапсихологические явления )," I said.

forge [fO: G] will [wIl] anything ['enITIN]

"And attempted to forge the will?" I said. She stopped. "What are you saying?" "Does he admit that he tried to forge his mother's will?"

"I haven't mentioned anything about a will."

"Oh, I thought you had."

"But, in fact, that was his sister's accusation. What made you say that? How did you know?"

"I must be psychic," I said.

She took my arm (она взяла меня за руки). I had become a most endearing case history (я стала ее любимой историей болезни; endearing— милый, привлекательный, внушающий любовь, casehistory— история болезни ).

"You must be psychic indeed (вы, должно быть, действительно медиум)," she said (сказала она). "You must tell me more about yourself (вы должны рассказать мне больше о себе). Well, that's the story of my taking up my present profession (вот, это история о том, как я занялась своей нынешней профессией; present— настоящий, нынешний, данный ). When my husband started having these delusions (когда у моего мужа начали появляться эти галлюцинации) and making these confessions (и делать такие признания) I felt I had to understand the workings of the mind (я почувствовала, что я должна понимать рабочие механизмы: «функционирование» мозга). And I began to study them (и я начала изучать их). It has been fruitful (/изучение/ это было полезным: «плодоносным »;fruitful— плодородный, плодотворный, fruit— плод, фрукты ). It has saved my own reason (благодаря этому, я сохранила собственный здравый смысл)."

endearing [In'dI(q)rIN] present ['prez(q)nt] fruitful ['fru: tf(q)l]

She took my arm. I had become a most endearing case history.

"You must be psychic indeed," she said. "You must tell me more about yourself. Well, that's the story of my taking up my present profession. When my husband started having these delusions and making these confessions I felt I had to understand the workings of the mind. And I began to study them. It has been fruitful. It has saved my own reason."

"Did it ever occur to you (вам когда-нибудь приходило в голову; tooccur— случаться, происходить, приходить на ум ) that the sister's story might be true (что история сестры может быть правдой)?" I said. "Especially as he admits it (особенно если он признает это; toadmit— допускать, впускать )."

She took away her arm and said (она убрала свою руку и сказала), "Yes, I considered the possibility (да, я рассматривала эту возможность). I must admit I considered it well (я должна признать, что я рассматривала ее достаточно тщательно: «значительно»)."

She saw me watching her face (она увидела, что я наблюдаю за ее лицом). She looked as if she were pleading some personal excuse (она смотрела так, как будто бы умоляла о неком личном оправдании; toplead— выступать в суде, призывать, просить, умолять;excuse— извинение, оправдание, отговорка ).

"Oh do (о, снимите)," she said, "please take off those glasses (пожалуйста, снимите эти очки)."

"Why don't you believe his own confession (почему вы не верите в его собственное признание)?"

might [maIt] plead [pli: d] excuse [Ik'skju: s]

"Did it ever occur to you that the sister's story might be true?" I said. "Especially as he admits it."

She took away her arm and said, "Yes, I considered the possibility. I must admit I considered it well."

She saw me watching her face. She looked as if she were pleading some personal excuse.

"Oh do," she said, "please take off those glasses."

"Why don't you believe his own confession?"

"I'm a psychiatrist and we seldom believe confessions (я психиатр, а мы редко верим в признания)." She looked at her watch (она посмотрела на свои часы) as if to suggest (как будто бы предполагая, что) I had started the whole conversation (/именно/ я начала весь этот разговор) and was boring her (и теперь надоедала ей).

I said, "He might have stopped seeing eyes (он возможно перестал бы видеть эти глаза) if you'd taken him at his word (если бы вы поверили ему на слово; to take smb. at his word — поверитькому-либонаслово )."

She shouted (она закричала; to shout— кричать, громко говорить, выкрикивать ), "What are you saying (что вы говорите)? What are you thinking of (о чем это вы думаете)? He wanted to give a statement to the police (он хотел сделать заявление для полиции; statement— высказывание, заявление, показание ), do you realize (вы понимаете, что)…"