Tender is the night. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Учим английский, читая мировую классику. Елизавета Хундаева
несмотря на; тем не менее) – it’s usually the way (так бывает обычно).»
Her mother was her best friend and had put every last possibility into the guiding of her (вести её по жизни), not so rare a thing (не такая уж редкость) in the theatrical profession, but rather special (весьма своеобразный) in that Mrs. Elsie Speers was not recompensing herself for a defeat (фиаско, неудача) of her own. She had no personal bitterness (горечь) or resentments (обида, негодование, возмущение) about life – twice satisfactorily (нормально, удовлетворительно) married and twice widowed (овдоветь), her cheerful (энергичный, неунывающий) stoicism (стоицизм) had each time deepened (углубляться). One of her husbands had been a cavalry officer and one an army doctor, and they both left something to her that she tried to present intact (целый, незатронутый) to Rosemary. By not sparing (щадить) Rosemary she had made her hard (твёрдый; негибкий, негнущийся) – by not sparing (щадить) her own labor and devotion (любовь, преданность) she had cultivated (взвращивать) an idealism in Rosemary, which at present (в настоящее время) was directed toward herself and saw the world through her eyes (её глазами). So that while (в тот момент, в то время) Rosemary was a «simple» child she was protected (защищать) by a double sheath (футляр, защитная оболочка) of her mother’s armor (броня) and her own – she had a mature (зрелый) distrust (недоверие) of the trivial (тривиальный, обычный), the facile (поверхностный) and the vulgar. However, with Rosemary’s sudden success in pictures Mrs. Speers felt that it was time she were (настала пора, чтобы она была) spiritually (духовно, интеллектуально, умственно) weaned (отнимать от груди, отлучать от матери); it would please (радовать, нравиться) rather than (а не) pain (ранить, обидеть) her if this somewhat (некий) bouncing (оживлённый, крепкий, нескладный), breathless (запыхавшийся) and exigent (требовательный) idealism would focus on something except herself (кроме неё самой).
«Then you like it here?» she asked.
«It might be fun (хорошо, приятно) if we knew those people. There were some other people, but they weren’t nice (приятный). They recognized (узнавать) me – no matter where (куда бы ни) we go everybody’s seen „Daddy’s Girl.“»
Mrs. Speers waited for the glow () of egotism () to subside (); then she said in a matter-of-fact (сухой, прозаичный) way: «That reminds me (кстати), when are you going to see Earl (граф) Brady?»
«I thought we might go this afternoon – if you’re rested.»
«You go – I’m not going.»
«We’ll wait till to-morrow then.»
«I want you to go alone (Я хочу, чтобы ты пошла одна). It’s only a short way – it isn’t as if you didn’t speak French.»
«Mother – aren’t there some things I don’t have to (должен) do?»
«Oh, well then go later – but some day before we leave (до того, как мы уедем).»
«All right, Mother.»
After lunch they were both overwhelmed (переполнять, охватывать) by the sudden flatness (монотонность, однообразие, скука) that comes over American travellers in quiet (тихий, спокойный) foreign (заграничный) places. No stimuli (никакие стимулы) worked upon them, no voices called them from without, no fragments of their own thoughts came suddenly from the minds of others, and missing (скучать) the clamor (шум) of Empire they felt that life was not continuing here.
«Let’s only stay three days, Mother,» Rosemary said when they were back in their rooms. Outside a light wind blew the heat around, straining (просачиваться) it through the trees and sending little hot gusts (порыв ветра) through the shutters (ставни).
«How about the man you fell in love with on the beach?»
«I don’t love anybody but you, Mother, darling.»
Rosemary stopped in the lobby (вестибюль, холл) and spoke to Gausse père about trains. The concierge, lounging (сидеть развалившись, расслабившись) in light-brown khaki by the desk, stared (уставиться) at her rigidly (строго, сурово), then suddenly remembered the manners of his métier (профессия, занятие, ремесло). She took the bus and rode with a pair of obsequious (исполнительный, послушный) waiters to the station, embarrassed (сбивать с толку, приводить в замешательство) by their silence, wanting to urge them: «Go on, talk, enjoy yourselves. It doesn’t bother (мешать, беспокоить) me.»
The first-class compartment was stifling (душный); the vivid (яркий) advertising cards of the railroad companies – The Pont du Gard at Arles, the Amphitheatre at Orange, winter sports at Chamonix – were fresher than the long motionless (неподвижное) sea outside. Unlike American trains that were absorbed in an intense destiny of their own, and scornful (презирающий) of people on another world less swift (подвижный) and breathless (запыхавшийся), this train was part of the country through which it passed. Its breath (дыхание) stirred (шевелить, сдувать) the dust from the palm leaves, the cinders (зола) mingled (смешиваться) with the dry dung (навоз) in the gardens. Rosemary was sure she could lean (наклониться, высунуться из) from the window and pull (выдёргивать) flowers with her hand.
A dozen cabbies (таксист) slept in their hacks (такси) outside (снаружи) the Cannes station. Over on the promenade (прогулка, променад) the Casino, the smart shops, and the great hotels turned blank (пустой) iron masks to the summer sea. It was unbelievable (Не верилось) that there could ever have been a «season,» and Rosemary, half in the grip (в тисках) of fashion, became a little self-conscious (застенчивый, легко смущающийся), as though she were displaying (проявлять) an unhealthy (нездоровый) taste (вкус) for the moribund (устаревающий, выходящий из употребления); as though (как будто) people were wondering (удивляться) why she was here in the lull (затишье) between the gaiety (веселье) of last winter and next winter, while (в то время, как) up north the