Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр - [9]

might want some."

"Of course bread is only a habit," said Michael. "It's wonderful how soon you

can break yourself of it if you set your mind to it."

"The poor lamb's as thin as a rail, Michael."

"I don't not eat bread because I'm afraid of getting fat. I don't eat it because I

see no point in it. After all, with the exercise I take I can eat anything I like."

He still had at fifty-two a very good figure. As a young man, with a great mass

ofcurling chestnut hair, with a wonderful skin and large deep blue eyes, a

straight nose and small ears, he had been the best-looking actor on the English

stage.

The only thing that slightly spoiled him (единственное: «единственная вещь,

которая» что слегка портило его; to spoil — портить) was the thinness of his

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mouth (так это /был/ тонкий рот: «тонкость его рта»). He was just six foot tall

(он был всего шести футов ростом; foot —зд.фут —мерадлины,равная

30,48см) and he had a gallant bearing (и у него была великолепная осанка;

bearing —поведение,манерадержаться,осанка,выправка). It was his

obvious beauty (именно его очевидная красота) that had engaged him to go on

the stage (побудила его пойти в актеры: «пойти на сцену»; to engage —зд.

разг. побеждать, убеждать, склонять) rather than to become a soldier (вместо

того, что бы стать военным: «солдатом») like his father (как его отец). Now his

chestnut hair was very grey (сейчас его каштановые волосы были совершенно:

«очень» седыми; grey — серый, седой, землистого цвета), and he wore it much

shorter (и он носил их гораздо короче); his face had broadened (его лицо

расширилось = расплылось) and was a good deal lined (и было достаточно

сильно покрыто морщинами); his skin no longer had the soft bloom of a peach

(его кожа больше не напоминала мягкий плод персика; bloom —цветение,

цветок, пушок на плодах; здоровый румянец) and his colour was high (и лицо

его было красным; high color —яркийрумянец,краснота). But with his

splendid eyes (но, с его великолепными глазами) and his fine figure (и его

прекрасной фигурой) he was still a very handsome man (он все еще оставался

очень красивым мужчиной). Since his five years at the war (со времени /его/

пяти лет /проведенных/ на войне) he had adopted a military bearing (он

приобрел военную выправку; to adopt —усыновлять,удочерять;

перенимать,усваивать), so that if you had not known who he was (так, что

если вы не знали, кем: «кто» он был) (which was scarcely possible (что /было/

вряд ли возможно), for in one way and another (так как по тому или иному

поводу: «одним путем или другим») his photograph was always appearing in the

illustrated papers (его фотография всегда появлялась в иллюстрированных

изданиях: «газетах»; to appear — появляться, показываться)) you might have

taken him (вы могли бы принять его; to take smb. for smb — принимать кого-

либо за кого-либо) for an officer of high rank (за офицера высокого чина). He

boasted (он хвастался /тем/) that his weight (что его вес) had not changed since

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he was twenty (не изменился с того момента, когда ему было двадцать /лет/),

and for years (и многие годы), wet or fine (/неважно/, в мокрую или ясную

/погоду/), he had got up every morning at eight (он вставал каждое утро в

восемь часов) to put on shorts and a sweater (чтобы надеть шорты и свитер) and

have a run round Regent's Park (и пробежаться вокруг Риджент Парка).

gallant ['gxlqnt] obvious ['ObvIqs] scarcely ['skεqslI] weight [weIt]

sweater ['swetq]

The only thing that slightly spoiled him was the thinness of his mouth. He was

just six foot tall and he had a gallant bearing. It was his obvious beauty that

had engaged him to go on the stage rather than to become a soldier like his

father. Now his chestnut hair was very grey, and he wore it much shorter; his

face had broadened and was a good deal lined; his skin no longer had the soft

bloom of a peach and his colour was high. But with his splendid eyes and his

fine figure he was still a very handsome man. Since his five years at the war he

had adopted a military bearing, so that if you had not known who he was

(which was scarcely possible, for in one way and another his photograph was

always appearing in the illustrated papers) you might have taken him for an

officer of high rank. He boasted that his weight had not changed since he was

twenty, and for years, wet or fine, he had got up every morning at eight to put

on shorts and a sweater and have a run round Regent's Park.

"The secretary told me (/ваш/ секретарь сказала мне) you were rehearsing this

morning, Miss Lambert (что вы репетировали сегодня утром, Мисс Лэмберт; to

rehearse —репетировать,повторять)," the young man remarked (заметил

молодой человек). "Does that mean (это значит, /что/) you're putting on a new

play (вы ставите новую пьесу)?"

"Not a bit of it (ничего подобного)," answered Michael (ответил Майкл). "We're

playing to capacity (мы играем при переполненных залах; capacity — емкость,

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