Невил Шют - Крысолов - английский и русский параллельные тексты

left the Cinema du Monde and, pushing the pram before them, made their way towards the railway station. The town was full of Germans parading down the streets, Germans driving lorries, Germans lounging at the doors of billets, Germans in the shops. They tried to get chocolate for the children at several shops, but the soldiers had swept the town clean of sweets of every kind. They bought a couple of long rolls of bread and a brown sausage of doubtful origin as provision for their journey. Fruit was unobtainable, but they bought a few lettuces. At the railway station they passed the barrier without difficulty, surrendering their billeting pass to the German officer. They put the pram into the baggage-wagon on the train for Brest, and climbed up into a third-class carriage. It was only when the train was well on the way that Howard discovered that la petite Rose was nursing a very dirty black and white kitten. Nicole was at first inclined to be

Она покачала головой.

sharp with her. 'We do not want a little cat,' she said to Rose. 'No, truly we do not want that cat or any other cat. You must put him out at the next station.'

The corners of the little girl's mouth drooped, and she clutched the kitten tighter. Howard said: 'I

wouldn't do that. He might get lost.' Ronnie

said: 'She might get lost, Mr Howard. Rose says it's a lady cat. How do you know it's a lady cat, Rose?'

Nicole expostulated: 'But Monsieur Howard, the little cat belongs to somebody else. It is not our cat, that one.' He said placidly: 'It's our cat now.'

She opened her mouth to say something impetuous, thought better of it, and said nothing. Howard said: 'It is a very little thing, mademoiselle. It won't add to our difficulties, but it will give them a good deal of pleasure.' Indeed, what he said

was perfectly correct. The children were clustered round intent on the kitten, which was washing its face on Rose's lap. Willem turned to Nicole, beaming, and said something unintelligible to her. Then he turned back, watching the kitten again, entranced.

Nicole said, in a resigned tone: 'As you wish. In England, does one pick up cats and take them away like that?' He smiled, 'No, mademoiselle,' he

said. 'In England only the kind of person who sleeps on straw mattresses in cinemas does that sort of thing. The very lowest type of all.' She laughed.

'Thieves and vagabonds,' she said. 'Yes, that is true.'

She turned to Rose. 'What is her name?' she asked. The little girl said: 'Jo-Jo.' The

children clustered round, calling the kitten by its new name, trying to make it answer. The kitten sat unmoved, washing its face with a tiny paw. Nicole looked at it for a few moments. Then she said:

'It is like the lions, in the Zoo de Vincennes. They