WHAT HAPPENED next I didn't hear from Paine but from Martins a long time afterwards, reconstructing the chain of events that did indeed—though not quite in the way he had expected—prove me to be a fool. Paine simply saw him to the head porter's desk and explained there, "This gentleman came in on the plane from London. Colonel Сalloway says he's to have a room." Having made that clear, he said, "Good evening, sir," and left. He was probably a bit embarrassed by Martins' bleeding lip.
"Had you already got a reservation, sir?" the porter asked.
"No. No, I don't think so," Martins said in a muffled voice holding his handkerchief to his mouth.
"I thought perhaps you might be Mr. Dexter. We had a room reserved for a week for Mr. Dexter."
Martins said, "Oh, I am Mr. Dexter." He told me later that it occurred to him that Lime might have engaged him a room in that name because perhaps it was Buck Dexter and not Rollo Martins who was to be used for propaganda purposes. A voice said at his elbow, "I'm so sorry you were not met at the plane, Mr. Dexter. My name's Crabbin."
The speaker was a stout middle-aged young man with a natural tonsure and one of the thickest pairs of horn-rimmed glasses that Martins had ever seen.
He went apologetically on, "One of our chaps happened to ring up Frankfurt and heard you were on the plane. H. Q. made one of their usual foolish mistakes and wired you were not coming. Something about Sweden but the cable was badly mutilated. Directly I heard from Frankfurt I tried to meet the plane, but I just missed you. You got my note?"
Martins held his handkerchief to his mouth and said obscurely, "Yes. Yes?"
"May I say at once, Mr. Dexter, how excited I am to meet you?"
"Good of you."
"Ever since I was a boy, I've thought you the greatest novelist of our century."
Martins winced (Мартинс поморщился; to wince — вздрагивать, морщиться /от боли/)! It was painful opening his mouth to protest (было болезненно открыть свой рот, чтобы протестовать). He took an angry look instead (он бросил: «взял» сердитый взгляд вместо этого) at Mr. Crabbin (на мистера Крэббина), but it was impossible to suspect that young man of a practical joke (но было невозможно заподозрить этого молодого человека в розыгрыше; practical joke — /грубая/ шутка /сыгранная с кем-л./, розыгрыш: «практическая шутка»).
"You have a big Austrian public, Mr. Dexter (у вас есть большая австрийская публика, мистер Декстер), both for your originals and your translations (как для ваших оригиналов, так и ваших переводов = это касается как оригинальных изданий, так и переводов /ваших книг/). Especially for The Curved Prow (особенно для ‘Изогнутой ладьи’; prow — нос /судна/; /поэт./ корабль, судно), that's my own favourite (это мое любимое /произведение/)."
Martins was thinking hard (Мартинс напряженно думал; hard — жестко; интенсивно, энергично). "Did you say (вы сказали)—room for a week (номер на неделю)?"
"Yes."
"Very kind of you (очень любезно с вашей стороны)."
"Mr. Schmidt here will give you tickets every day (мистер Шмидт здесь = вот этот мистер Шмидт будет давать вам билеты каждый день), to cover all meals (чтобы покрыть все питание: «все блюда»). But I expect (но я ожидаю = полагаю) you'll need a little pocket money (что вам будет нужно немного карманных денег = денег на мелкие расходы). We'll fix that (мы устроим это). Tomorrow we thought you'd like a quiet day (завтра, мы думали, вы хотели бы тихий день = видимо, захотите отдохнуть)—to look about (чтобы оглядеться вокруг)."
"Yes."
"Of course any of us are at your service (конечно, любой из нас к вашим услугам) if you need a guide (если вам нужен проводник). Then the day after tomorrow (затем послезавтра) in the evening (вечером) there's a little quiet discussion at the Institute (состоится маленькая спокойная дискуссия в Институте)—on the contemporary novel (о современном романе). We thought perhaps you'd say a few words (мы думали, что, возможно, вы скажете несколько слов) just to set the ball rolling (просто чтобы начать: «пустить шар катиться»), and then answer questions (и затем ответите на вопросы)."
Martins at that moment was prepared to agree to anything (Мартинс в тот момент был готов: «приготовлен» согласиться на все; to prepare — готовить, подготавливать, приготавливать), to get rid of Mr. Crabbin (чтобы избавиться от мистера Крэббина; to get rid of — избавиться: «сделаться свободным от») and also to secure a week's free board and lodging (и также чтобы обеспечить недельный бесплатный стол и жилье), and Rollo, of course (и Ролло, конечно), as I was to discover later (как мне пришлось узнать позже), had always been prepared to accept any suggestion (всегда был готов принять любое предложение)—for a drink (касающееся выпивки), for a girl (девушки), for a joke (шутки), for a new excitement (нового возбуждения). He said now (он сказал теперь), "Of course, of course (конечно, конечно)," into his handkerchief (в свой платок).
"Excuse me, Mr. Dexter (извините меня, мистер Декстер), have you got a toothache (у вас зубная боль; ache — боль /особ. продолжительная, тупая/)? I know a very good dentist (я знаю очень хорошего дантиста)."
"No. Somebody hit me (один человек ударил меня; to hit — ударить), that's all (это все = вот и все)."
"Good God (милостивый Боже). Were they trying to rob you (они пытались вас ограбить)?"
"No, it was a soldier (нет, это был солдат). I was trying to punch his bloody colonel in the eye (я пытался дать его проклятому полковнику в глаз; to punch — нанести удар кулаком)." He removed the handkerchief (он убрал платок) and gave Crabbin a view of his cut mouth (и открыл: «дал» Крэббину вид своего разбитого рта; to cut — резать). He told me that Crabbin was at a complete loss for words (он рассказал мне, что Крэббин совершенно лишился слов; complete loss — полная потеря): Martins couldn't understand why (Мартинс не мог понять почему) because he had never read the work of his great contemporary (потому что он никогда не читал произведения: «работу» своего великого современника), Benjamin Dexter (Бенджамина Декстера): he hadn't even heard of him (он даже не слышал о нем). I am a great admirer of Dexter (я большой почитатель Декстера), so that I could understand Crabbin's bewilderment (поэтому я мог понять замешательство Крэббина). Dexter has been ranked as a stylist with Henry James (Декстера оценивали как стилиста /на одном уровне/ с Генри Джеймсом; rank — ряд, линия; звание, чин; ранг; to rank — располагать/ся/ в ряд, в линию; ценить, расценивать, располагать по рангу), but he has a wider feminine streak than his master (но в нем есть более широкая женственная жилка, чем у его учителя; streak — полоска; жилка, прожилка; черта /характера/)—indeed his enemies (на самом деле, его враги) have sometimes described his subtle complex wavering style (иногда описывали его тонкий, сложный, колеблющийся стиль) as old maidish (как стародевичий; old maid — старая дева). For a man still just on the right side of fifty (для человека несколько моложе пятидесяти: «все еще как раз на правильной стороне от пятидесяти») his passionate interest in embroidery (его страстная заинтересованность вышивкой) and his habit of calming a not very tumultuous mind with tatting (и его привычка успокаивать /и без того/ не очень буйный дух плетением кружев; tumult — шум и крики; грохот; tumultuous — шумный, буйный, бурный; to tat — плести кружево)—a trait beloved by his disciples (черта возлюбленная его последователями)—certainly to others seems a little affected (конечно, другим кажется = может показаться несколько жеманной; affected — неестественный, показной, притворный; жеманный).
protest /глагол/ [prq'test], impossible [Im'pOsqbl], suspect /глагол/ [sqs'pekt], practical ['prxktIk(q)l], original [q'rIG(q)n(q)l], translation [trxns'leIS(q)n], especially [Is'peS(q)lI], prow ['prau], favourite ['feIv(q)rIt], discussion [dI'skAS(q)n], prepare [prI'peq], agree [q'gri:], secure [sI'kjuq], discover [dIs'kAvq], accept [qk'sept], suggestion [sq'GestS(q)n], excitement [Ik'saItmqnt], toothache ['tu:TeIk], soldier ['squlGq], contemporary [kqn'temp(q)r(q)rI], admire [qd'maIq], complex ['kOmpleks], passionate ['pxSqnIt], embroidery [Im'brOId(q)rI], tumultuous [tju:'mAltjuqs], tumult ['tju:mAlt]
Martins winced! It was painful opening his mouth to protest. He took an angry look instead at Mr. Crabbin, but it was impossible to suspect that young man of a practical joke.
"You have a big Austrian public, Mr. Dexter, both for your originals and your translations. Especially for The Curved Prow, that's my own favourite."
Martins was thinking hard. "Did you say—room for a week?"
"Yes."
"Very kind of you."
"Mr. Schmidt here will give you tickets every day, to cover all meals. But I expect you'll need a little pocket money. We'll fix that. Tomorrow we thought you'd like a quiet day—to look about."
"Yes."
"Of course any of us are at your service if you need a guide. Then the day after tomorrow in the evening there's a little quiet discussion at the Institute—on the contemporary novel. We thought perhaps you'd say a few words just to set the ball rolling, and then answer questions."
Martins at that moment was prepared to agree to anything, to get rid of Mr. Crabbin and also to secure a week's free board and lodging, and Rollo, of course, as I was to discover later, had always been prepared to accept any suggestion—for a drink, for a girl, for a joke, for a new excitement. He said now, "Of course, of course," into his handkerchief.
"Excuse me, Mr. Dexter, have you got a toothache? I know a very good dentist."
"No. Somebody hit me, that's all."
"Good God. Were they trying to rob you?"
"No, it was a soldier. I was trying to punch his bloody colonel in the eye." He removed the handkerchief and gave Crabbin a view of his cut mouth. He told me that Crabbin was at a complete loss for words: Martins couldn't understand why because he had never read the work of his great contemporary, Benjamin Dexter: he hadn't even heard of him. I am a great admirer of Dexter, so that I could understand Crabbin's bewilderment. Dexter has been ranked as a stylist with Henry James, but he has a wider feminine streak than his master—indeed his enemies have sometimes described his subtle complex wavering style as old maidish. For a man still just on the right side of fifty his passionate interest in embroidery and his habit of calming a not very tumultuous mind with tatting—a trait beloved by his disciples—certainly to others seems a little affected.
"Have you ever read a book (вы когда-нибудь читали книгу) called The Lone Rider to Santa Fé (под названием «Одинокий всадник, направляющийся в Санта-Фе»; rider — всадник; to ride — ехать верхом, скакать)?"
"No, don't think so (нет, не думаю)."
Martins said, "This lone rider had his best friend shot (у этого одинокого всадника застрелил его лучшего друга: «этот одинокий всадник имел = получил своего лучшего друга застреленным»; to shoot — стрелять) by the sheriff of a town called Lost Claim Gulch (шериф: «шерифом» города под названием Ущелье потерянной заявки; to lose — терять; claim — требование, заявка; участок земли, отведенный под разработку недр; заявка на отвод участка; gulch — ущелье). The story is how he hunted that sheriff down (это история о том, как он преследовал того шерифа)—quite legally (совершенно законно)—until his revenge was completed (пока его месть не была завершена)."
"I never imagined you reading Westerns (я никогда не воображал вас читающим вестерны = что вы читаете вестерны), Mr. Dexter," Crabbin said, and it needed all Martins' resolution (и потребовалась вся решимость Мартинса; to need — нуждаться) to stop Rollo saying (чтобы не дать: «остановить» сказать Ролло): "But I write them (но я пишу их)."
