Уильям Моэм - Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы Страница 29

Mr. Warburton displayed them with complacency. For M r. Warburton was a snob. He was not a timid snob, a little ashamed of being impressed by his betters, nor a snob who sought the intimacy of persons who had acquired celebrity in politics or notoriety in the arts, nor the snob who was dazzled by riches; he was the naked, unadulterated common snob who dearly loved a lord. He was touchy and quick-tempered, but he would much rather have been snubbed by a person of quality than flattered by a commoner. His name figured insignificantly in Burke`s Peerage, and it was marvellous to watch the ingenuity he used to mention his distant relationship to the noble family he belonged to; but never a word did he say of the honest Liverpool manufacturer from whom, through his mother, a Miss Gubbins, he had come by his fortune. It was the terror of his fashionable life that at Gowes, maybe, or at Ascot, when he was with a duchess or even with a prince of the blood, one of these relatives would claim acquaintance with him.

His failing was too obvious not soon to become notorious (его слабость была настолько явной, что вскоре стала общеизвестной), but its extravagance saved it from being merely despicable (но ее нелепость спасла ее от простого презрения; «от /того/, чтобы быть просто презренной»). The great whom he adored laughed at him (родовитые/высокопоставленные особы, перед которыми он преклонялся, смеялись над ним), but in their hearts felt his adoration not unnatural (однако в душе: «своих душах» чувствовали, что его преклонение естественно: «не искусственно»). Poor Warburton was a dreadful snob, of course, but after all he was a good fellow (несчастный Уорбертон был ужасным снобом, конечно, но, тем не менее, он был хорошим парнем; after all — не смотря ни на что; тем не менее). He was always ready to back a bill for an impecunious nobleman (он всегда был готов оплатить счет: «гарантировать оплату векселя» за бедствующего дворянина/аристократа; to back a bill — поставить свою подпись на оборотной стороне векселя, гарантировать оплату векселя), and if you were in a tight corner you could safely count on him for a hundred pounds (и если вы оказались на мели: «были в тесном углу», вы могли уверенно рассчитывать на его: «на него в» сотню фунтов; to be in a tight corner — быть на мели). He gave good dinners (он угощал хорошими обедами: «он давал хорошие обеды»). He played whist badly, hut never minded how much he lost if the company was select (он плохо играл в вист, но не обращал внимания на то, сколько проиграл, если компания была элитной: «избранной»). He happened to be a gambler, an unlucky one, hut he was a good loser (так случилось, что он был /страстным/ игроком, неудачливым, но он умел проигрывать; «был хорошим проигрывавшим»), and it was impossible not to admire the coolness with which he lost five hundred pounds at a sitting (и было невозможно не восхищаться хладнокровием, с которым он в один присест терял/лишался пяти сотен фунтов; at a sitting — в один присест).

notorious [nqu`tO: rIqs], extravagance [Ik`strxvqgqns], despicable [dI`spIkqbl], impecunious [ImpI`kju: nIqs]

His failing was too obvious not soon to become notorious, but its extravagance saved it from being merely despicable. The great whom he adored laughed at him, but in their hearts felt his adoration not unnatural. Poor Warburton was a dreadful snob, of course, but after all he was a good fellow. He was always ready to back a bill for an impecunious nobleman, and if you were in a tight corner you could safely count on him for a hundred pounds. He gave good dinners. He played whist badly, but never minded how much he lost if the company was select. He happened to be a gambler, an unlucky one, but he was a good loser, and it was impossible not to admire the coolness with which he lost five hundred pounds at a sitting.

His passion for cards, almost as strong as his passion for titles, was the cause of his undoing (его страсть к картам, почти такая же сильная, как и страсть к титулам, стала: «была» причиной его падения; undoing — развязывание, расстегивание; уничтожение; гибель;to undo— расстегивать /об одежде/; уничтожать результат труда; возвращать к прежнему положению вещей). The life he led was expensive and his gambling losses were formidable (жизнь, которую он вел, была дорогой, а его проигрыши — огромными). He began to plunge more heavily, first on horses, and then on the Stock Exchange (он увлекался: «начал вовлекаться» все сильнее, сначала скачками: «/ставил/ на лошадей», а потом — фондовой биржей; London Stock Exchange — Лондонская фондовая биржа; to plunge — нырять, погружаться). He had a certain simplicity of character, and the unscrupulous found him an ingenuous prey (у него былая некоторая простота характера = он был простодушен, и /люди/ недобросовестные находили в нем легкую добычу; ingenuous — простодушный, наивный). I do not know if he ever realized that his smart friends laughed at him behind his back (я не знаю, осознавал/понимал ли он когда-либо, что его светские друзья смеются над ним за его спиной), but I think he had an obscure instinct that he could not afford to appear other than careless of his money (но я думаю, у него была скрытая интуиция/чутье, что он не может позволить себе производить другое впечатление, чем впечатление безразличия к своим деньгам; to appear — казаться; производить впечатление). He got into the hands of money-lenders (он попал в руки = лапы ростовщиков). At the age of thirty-four he was ruined (в тридцать четыре года он был разорен; to ruin— разрушать, уничтожать; разорять).

formidable [`fO: mIdqbl], unscrupulous [An`skru: pjulqs], ingenuous [In`dZenjuqs]

His passion for cards, almost as strong as his passion for titles, was the cause of his undoing. The life he led was expensive and his gambling losses were formidable. He began to plunge more heavily, first on horses, and then on the Stock Exchange. He had a certain simplicity of character, and the unscrupulous found him an ingenuous prey. I do not know if he ever realized that his smart friends laughed at him behind his back, but I think he had an obscure instinct that he could not afford to appear other than careless of his money. He got into the hands of money-lenders. At the age of thirty-four he was ruined.

He was too much imbued with the spirit of his class to hesitate in the choice of his next step (он слишком проникся духом своего класса/сословия, чтобы колебаться/сомневаться в выборе своего следующего шага). When a man in his set had run through his money, he went out to the colonies (когда человек его круга проматывал свои деньги, он уходил = отправлялся в колонии; set— комплект, набор; круг людей, связанных своим статусом, общими интересами, привычками или занятием;to run through— прокалывать; проткнуть; промотать /состояние/). No one heard Mr. Warburton repine (никто не слышал, чтобы мистер Уорбертон ворчал/жаловался). He made no complaint because a noble friend had advised a disastrous speculation (он не жаловался на то, что: «потому что» какой-то титулованный друг втянул его: «посоветовал ему» в какую-то разорительную спекуляцию; speculation— размышление, предположение; спекуляция /на рынке ценных бумаг и валюты/; афера; disaster — беда, бедствие, несчастье), he pressed nobody to whom he had lent money to repay it (он не давил ни на кого, кому он одалживал деньги, заставляя вернуть долг: «чтобы вернуть их»), he paid his debts (if he had only known it, the despised blood of the Liverpool manufacturer came out in him there) (он уплатил свои долги (если бы он только знал, /что/ это презренная кровь ливерпульского фабриканта заговорила: «показалась/проявилась» в нем)), sought help from no one (ни у кого не искал помощи), and, never having done a stroke of work in his life (и, никогда не сделав и легкой работы = не ударив палец о палец в своей жизни; stroke— удар; единичное действие, проявление, манифестация какого-либо явления), looked for a means of livelihood (искал способы заработка). He remained cheerful, unconcerned and full of humour (он оставался веселым, беззаботным и в хорошем расположении духа: «полный юмора/настроения»). He had no wish to make anyone with whom he happened to be uncomfortable by the recital of his misfortune (он не желал смущать людей, с которыми общался, рассказами о своей беде: «у него не было желания делать кого-то, с кем ему случалось бывать, смущенным от рассказов о своей беде»). Mr. Warburton was a snob, but he was also a gentleman (мистер Уорбертон был снобом, но он к тому же был и джентльменом).

hesitate ['hezIteIt], disastrous [dI`zA: strqs], speculation [spekju`leISn]

He was too much imbued with the spirit of his class to hesitate in the choice of his next step. When a man in his set had run through his money, he went out to the colonies. No one heard Mr. Warburton repine. He made no complaint because a noble friend had advised a disastrous speculation, he pressed nobody to whom he had lent money to repay it, he paid his debts (if he had only known it, the despised blood of the Liverpool manufacturer came out in him there), sought help from no one, and, never having done a stroke of work in his life, looked for a means of livelihood. He remained cheerful, unconcerned and full of humour. He had no wish to make anyone with whom he happened to be uncomfortable by the recital of his misfortune. Mr. Warburton was a snob, but he was also a gentleman.

The only favour he asked of any of the great friends (единственное одолжение, о котором он просил /своих/ титулованных: «великих» друзей) in whose daily company he had lived for years was a recommendation (в каждодневной компании которых он жил годами = провел годы, была рекомендация/были рекомендации). The able man who was at that time Sultan of Sembulu took him into his service (рассудительный человек, который в то время был султаном = тогдашний султан Сембулу, взял его на службу; able — компетентный, знающий). The night before he sailed he dined for the last lime at his club (вечером, перед своим отплытием, он последний раз обедал в своем клубе; to sail— плавать, совершать плавание; отплывать).

"I hear you’re going away, Warburton (я слышу, вы уезжаете; to go away — уходить; уезжать)," the old Duke of Hereford said to him (спросил: «сказал» его старый герцог Херефорд).

"Yes, I’m going to Borneo (да, я еду на Борнео)."

"Good God, what are you going there for (Боже милостивый, зачем вы туда едете)?"

"Oh, I’m broke (ох, я разорен)."

"Are you (в самом деле)? I`m sorry (мне жаль). Well, let us know when you come back (ладно, дайте нам знать/сообщите нам, когда вы вернетесь). I hope you have a good time (я надеюсь, вы хорошо/неплохо проведете время)."

"Oh yes (о, да/конечно). Lots of shooting, you know (много стрельбы, вы знаете = знаете ли)."

favour [`feIvq], recommendation [rekqmen`deISn], sultan [`sAltqn]

The only favour he asked of any of the great friends in whose daily company he had lived for years was a recommendation. The able man who was at that time Sultan of Sembulu took him into his service. The night before he sailed he dined for the last lime at his club.

"I hear you`re going away, Warburton," the old Duke of Hereford said to him.

"Yes, I`m going to Borneo."

"Good God, what are you going there for?"

"Oh, I`m broke."

"Are you? I`m sorry. Well, let us know when you come back. I hope you have a good time."