satisfactory ["sxtIs'fxkt(q)rI] imprison [Im'prIz(q)n] impotence ['Impqt(q)ns]
venom ['venqm] spurt [spq: t] indiscriminately ["IndI'skrImInItlI]
"How?" I said. Sometimes I got tired of beingcalled lucky by everybody. There were times when, privately practicing my writings about life, I knew the bitter side of my fortune. When I failed again and again to reproduce life in some satisfactory and perfect form, I was the more imprisoned, for all my carefree living, within my craving for this satisfaction. Sometimes, in my impotence and need I secreted a venom which infected all my life for days on end, and which spurted out indiscriminately on Skinny or on anyone who crossed my path.
"You aren't bound by anyone (ты никем не связана)," George said. "You come and go as you please (ты приходишь и уходишь, как тебе нравится; to come — приходить, to go — идти, to please — желать, хотеть). Something always turns up for you (тебе всегда везет: «что-то всегда подворачивается для тебя»; to turn up — случаться; заворачиваться вверх). You're free (ты свободна), and you don't know your luck (и ты не знаешь своего счастья)."
"You're a damn sight more free than I am (да ты в тысячу раз свободнее, чем я; damn — чертовски, проклятье; sight — зрение, вид; разг. уйма, масса)" I said sharply (сказала я резко; sharp — острый). ''You've got your rich uncle (у тебя есть твой богатый дядя; rich — богатый)."
"He's losing interest in me (он теряет интерес ко мне)," George said. "He's had enough (с него хватит: «он имел достаточно»)."
"Oh well, you're young yet (ну хорошо, ты еще молодой). What was it you wanted to tell me (что: «что было то, что» ты хотел сказать мне)?"
bound [baVnd] sight [saIt] enough [I'nAf]
"You aren't bound by anyone," George said. "Youcome and go as you please. Something always turns up for you. You're free, and you don't know your luck."
"You're a damn sight more free than I am," I saidsharply. ''You've got your rich uncle."
"He's losing interest in me," George said. "He'shad enough."
"Oh well, you're young yet. What was it youwanted to tell me?"
"A secret (секрет)," George said. "Remember we used to have those secrets (помнишь, как мы имели привычку хранить секреты)."
"Oh, yes we did!" (Да, помню)
"Did you ever tell any of mine?" (Ты когда-нибудь рассказала /кому-нибудь/ один: «любой» из моих /секретов/)?
"Oh no, George!" (О, нет, Джордж!) In reality (на самом деле; reality — действительность), I couldn't remember any particular secret (я не могла вспомнить ни одного конкретного секрета) out of the dozens we must have exchanged from our schooldays onwards (из тех десятков: «дюжин» /секретов/, которыми мы, должно быть, обменялись с момента наших школьных дней /и вперед = и позже/; dozen — дюжина; to exchange — менять, обменивать).
"Well, this is a secret, mind (ну, это секрет, пойми; to mind — возражать, обращать внимание). Promise not to tell (обещай /никому/ не говорить)."
"Promise (обещаю)."
particular [pq'tIkjVlq] dozen ['dAz(q)n] onwards ['Onwqdz]
"A secret," George said. "Remember we used tohave those secrets."
"Oh, yes we did!"
"Did you ever tell any of mine?"
"Oh no, George!" In reality, I couldn't remember any particular secret out of the dozens we must have exchanged from our schooldays onwards.
"Well, this is a secret, mind. Promise not to tell."
"Promise."
"I'm married (я женат; to be married to smb. — быть женатым/замужем, marriage — брак)."
"Married, George! (Женат, Джордж!) Oh who to?" (На ком?; who — кто)
"Matilda (На Матильде)."
"How dreadful!" (Какой ужас; dreadful — ужасный) I spoke before I could think (сказала я, не успев подумать: «до того, как я смогла подумать») but he agreed with me (но он согласился со мной; to agree — соглашаться).
"Yes, it's awful (да, это ужасно), but what could I do (но что я мог поделать)?"
"You might have asked my advice (ты мог бы спросить моего совета; advice — совет)," I said pompously (сказала я напыщенно; pompously — помпезный).
dreadful ['dredf(q)l] awful ['O: f(q)l] pompously ['pOmpqslI]
"I'm married."
"Married, George! Oh who to?"
"Matilda."
"How dreadful!" I spoke before I could think, buthe agreed with me.
"Yes, it's awful, but what could I do?"
"You might have asked my advice," I saidpompously.
"I'm two years older than you are (я на два года старше, чем ты). I don't ask advice from you (я не спрашиваю у тебя совета), Needle, little beast (Игла, ты, маленькая упрямица, малышка; beast — зверь, животное)."
"Don't ask for sympathy then (тогда не проси: «не спрашивай» сострадания; sympathy — симпатия, сочувствие)."
"A nice friend you are (ну и хороший же ты друг)," he said, "I must say after all these years (должен сказать после всех этих лет)."
"Poor George!" I said (бедный Джордж, — сказала я).
"There are three white men to one white woman in this country (здесь три белых мужчины приходятся на одну белую женщину в этой стране)," said George. "An isolated planter (далеко живущий плантатор; isolated — изолированный) doesn’t see a white woman (не видит белую женщину) and if he sees one (а если и видит) she doesn’t see him (она не замечает: «не видит» его). What could I do (что я мог поделать)? I needed the woman (мне нужна была женщина)."
advice [qd'vaIs] sympathy ['sImpqTI] isolated ['aIsqleItId]
"I'm two years older than you are. I don't askadvice from you, Needle, little beast."
"Don't ask for sympathy then."
"A nice friend you are," he said, "I must say afterall these years."
"Poor George!" I said,
"There are three white men to one white womanin this country," said George. "An isolated planter doesn't see a white woman and if he sees one she doesn't see him. What could I do? I needed the woman."
I was nearly sick (мне было очень противно: «меня почти тошнило»; sick — больной, чувствующий тошноту). One, because of my Scottish upbringing (во-первых, из-за моего шотландского воспитания; Scottish — шотландский; to bring up = upbringing = воспитание). Two, because of my horror (во-вторых, из-за моего ужаса) of corny-phrases like (от банальных фраз типа; corny — хлебный; старомодный, избитый) "I needed the woman (мне нужна женщина)." which George repeated twice again (которую Джордж повторил еще раза два; twice — дважды).
"And Matilda got tough (И Матильда заупрямилась; tough — жесткий, крепкий)," said George, "after you and Skinny came to visit us (после того, как ты и Скинни приезжали в гости: «посетить нас»). She had some friends at the Mission (у нее были друзья в Миссии), and she packed up (она уложила свои вещи) and went to them (и ушла к ним; to go-went-gone)."
"You should have let her go (ты должен был позволить ей уйти; let — позволять, разрешать)," I said.
"I went after her (я отправился за ней)," George said. "She insisted on being married (она настаивала на женитьбе; to insist — настаивать), so I married her (и я женился на ней)."
corny ['kO: nI] twice [twaIs] tough [tAf]
I was nearly sick. One, because of my Scottish upbringing. Two, because of my horror of corny-phrases like "I needed the woman." which George repeated twice again.
"And Matilda got tough," said George, "after you and Skinny came to visit us. She had some friends at the Mission, and she packed up and went to them."
"You should have let her go," I said.
"I went after her," George said. "She insisted onbeing married, so I married her."
"That's not a proper secret, then («это не правильный»=это вообще не секрет, тогда; proper — правильный, настоящий)," I said. "The news of a mixed marriage soon gets about (новость о смешанном браке быстро становится известной: «распространяется»; news /ед. число/ — новость; marriage — брак; to mix — смешивать)."
"I took care of that (я позаботился об этом; to take care)," George said. "Crazy as I was (хотя я и был сумасшедшим; crazy — безумный), I took her to the Congo (я отвез ее в Конго) and married her there (и женился на ней там). She promised to keep quiet about it (она обещала молчать об этом; to promise — обещать; to keep — держать; quiet — тихий, спокойный)."
"Well, you can't clear off (ну, ты не можешь уехать; to clear — чистить) and leave her now (и оставить ее сейчас; to leave — оставлять, покидать; now — сейчас), surely (конечно)," I said.
proper ['prPpq] mixed [mIkst] crazy ['kreIzI]
"That's not a proper secret, then," I said. "Thenews of a mixed marriage soon gets about."
"I took care of that," George said. "Crazy as Iwas, I took her to the Congo and married her there. She promised to keep quiet about it."
"Well, you can't clear off and leave her now, surely," I said.
"I'm going to get out of this place (я собираюсь убраться отсюда: «из этого места»; to be going to do smth). I can't stand the woman (я не могу выносить эту женщину) and I can't stand the country (и я не могу выносить эту страну). I didn't realize (я не понимал; to realize — понимать, осознавать) what it would be like (во что это выльется: «на что это будет похоже»). Two years of the country (два года в стране: «страны») and three months of my wife (и три месяца с моей женой: «моей жены») has been enough (оказалось достаточно)."
"Will you get a divorce (ты разведешься: «ты получишь развод»; divorce — развод, to get a divorce = to divorce)?"
"No, Matilda's Catholic (нет, Матильда католичка). She won't divorce (она не даст мне развод)."
George was fairly getting through the highballs (Джордж уже почти набрался: «покончил с коктейлями»; to get through — доходить, доставлять), and I wasn't far behind him (и я тоже: «я была не далеко за ним»).
divorce [dI'vO: s] Catholic ['kxT(q)lIk] through [Tru:]
"I'm going to get out of this place. I can't standthe woman and I can't stand the country. I didn'trealize what it would be like. Two years of the country and three months of my wife has been enough."
"Will you get a divorce?"
"No, Matilda's Catholic. She won't divorce."
George was fairly getting through the highballs, and I wasn't far behind him.
His brown eyes (его карие глаза) floated shiny and liquid (сверкнули слезами: «наполнились блестящими и жидкими»; to float — плавать на поверхности, затоплять; to shine — блестеть; liquid — жидкий) as he told me (когда он сказал мне) how he had written (как написал; to write-wrote-written) to tell his uncle of his plight (чтобы сообщить: «сказать» своему: «его» дяде о своем незавидном положении), "Except, of course (за исключением, конечно), I didn't say we were married (я не сказал, что мы поженились), that would have been too much for him (это было бы слишком для него). He's a prejudiced hardened old Colonial (он непоколебимый старый: «пристрастный закоренелый» колонист с предрассудками; prejudice — предрассудок, предубеждение; hard — твердый, стойкий; to harden — затвердевать). I only said (я только сказал) I'd had a child by a coloured woman (что у меня будет ребенок от цветной женщины) and was expecting another (и скоро она опять родит: «и ожидается другой»), and he perfectly understood (и он все понял; perfectly — совершенно, полностью; to understand — понимать).
