Tender is the night. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Учим английский, читая мировую классику. Елизавета Хундаева
side glances toward the Divers, and crept (вползти) under with satisfied (удовлетворенный) expressions (выражение лица) – all save (все, кроме) Mr. McKisco, who remained derisively (иронически, с насмешкой) without. In his raking (очистка со скребком) Dick had passed near them and now he returned to the umbrellas.
«The two young men are reading the Book of Etiquette together,» he said in a low (тихий) voice.
«Planning to mix wit de quality,» said Abe.
Mary North, the very tanned (очень загорелый) young woman whom Rosemary had encountered (встретить) the first day on the raft (плот, паром, наплавной мост), came in from swimming and said with a smile that was a rakish (щегольской; лихой, ухарский; небрежный) gleam:
«So Mr. and Mrs. Neverquiver have arrived.»
«They’re this man’s friends,» Nicole reminded her, indicating (указывать на) Abe. «Why doesn’t he go and speak to them? Don’t you think they’re attractive (привлекательный)?»
«I think they’re very attractive,» Abe agreed. «I just don’t think they’re attractive, that’s all.»
«Well, I HAVE felt there were too many people on the beach this summer,» Nicole admitted. «OUR beach that Dick made out of a pebble (галька, булыжник, гравий) pile (куча, груда).» She considered (взвешивать, обдумывать), and then lowering (понижать) her voice out of the range of (вне предела досягаемости) the trio of nannies (няня) who sat back (позади) under another umbrella. «Still, they’re preferable (предпочтительнее) to those British last summer who kept shouting about (которые всё время кричали): „Isn’t the sea blue (Разве море не голубое)? Isn’t the sky white (Разве небо не белое)? Isn’t little Nellie’s nose red (Разве нос у маленькой Нелли не розовый)?“»
Rosemary thought she would not like to have Nicole for an enemy (в качестве врага).
«But you didn’t see the fight,» Nicole continued. «The day before you came, the married man, the one with the name that sounds like a substitute (заменитель, субститут) for gasoline (газолин, бензин) or butter – »
«McKisco?»
«Yes – well they were having words and she tossed (бросить) some sand (песок) in his face. So naturally he sat on top of her and rubbed (начищать, втирать) her face in the sand. We were – electrified (наэлектризованный, на грани). I wanted Dick to interfere (Я хотел, чтобы Дик вмешался).»
«I think,» said Dick Diver, staring down abstractedly (рассеянно, отвлеченно) at the straw mat (соломенный матрас), «that I’ll go over and invite them to dinner.»
«No, you won’t,» Nicole told him quickly.
«I think it would be a very good thing. They’re here – let’s adjust
(приспосабливать, регулировать) ourselves.»
«We’re very well adjusted,» she insisted, laughing. «I’m not going to have MY nose rubbed in the sand. I’m a mean (неподдающийся, трудный), hard (жёсткий, негибкий) woman,» she explained to Rosemary, and then raising her voice, «Children, put on your bathing suits!»
Rosemary felt that this swim would become the typical one of her life, the one that would always pop up (неожиданно возникать) in her memory at the mention of swimming. Simultaneously (одновременно) the whole party moved toward the water, super-ready (готовый, предвкушающий ужин) from the long, forced (вынужденный) inaction (бездействие), passing from the heat to the cool with the gourmandize (гурманство) of a tingling (покалывающий, пощипывающий) curry (карри) eaten with chilled (охлажденный) white wine. The Divers’ day was spaced (расписывать, распределять) like the day of the older civilizations to yield (давать плоды, получить) the utmost (всё, что модно) from the materials at hand (под рукой, подручный), and to give all the transitions (переходный период) their full value (цена), and she did not know that there would be another transition presently (в скором времени) from the utter (полный, абсолютный; крайний) absorption (погружённость; поглощённость, сосредоточенность) of the swim (плавание) to the garrulity (словоохотливость, болтливость) of the Provençal lunch hour (обеденный час). But again she had the sense that Dick was taking care of her, and she delighted (радоваться) in responding to (отвечать) the eventual (конечный, возможный) movement as if (как если бы) it had been an order (приказ, распоряжение).
Nicole handed (протянуть, вручить) her husband the curious (любопытный) garment (предмет одежды, одеяние) on which she had been working. He went into the dressing tent and inspired (вызывать) a commotion (суматоха, шум, нервное потрясение) by appearing (появиться) in a moment clad (облаченный) in transparent (прозрачный) black lace (кружевной) drawers (панталоны, рейтузы, кальсоны). Close inspection (тщательный осмотр) revealed (обнаружить, показать) that actually (самом) they were lined (оторочить) with flesh-colored (свежевыкрашенный) cloth (ткань).
«Well, if that isn’t a pansys trick!» exclaimed Mr. McKisco contemptuously (презрительно) – then turning quickly to Mr. Dumphry and Mr. Campion, he added, «Oh, I beg your pardon.»
Rosemary bubbled (журчать, булькать) with delight (восторг) at the trunks (купальные трусы, плавки). Her naïveté responded whole-heartedly to the expensive (дорогой, дорогостоящий) simplicity of the Divers, unaware (не знающий, не ведающий) of its complexity and its lack (отсутствие, недостаток) of innocence (невинность), unaware that it was all a selection (выбор) of quality (качество) rather than (а не) quantity (количество) from the run (функционирование, работа, ход, режим) of the world’s bazaar; and that the simplicity