Читаем и переводим: Somerset Maugham "The Luncheon". Part 5.

Добрый день, дорогие друзья! Продолжаем читать Сомерсета Моэма (Somerset Mougham) "The Luncheon".

I caught sight of her at the play and in answer to her beckoning I went over during the interval and sat down beside her. It was long since I had last seen her and if someone had not mentioned her name, I hardly think I would have recognised her. She addressed me brightly.

"Well, it's many years since we first met. How time does fly! We're none of us getting any younger. Do you remember the first time I saw you? You asked me to luncheon."

Did I remember?

Part 2. (см. слова ранее)

It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I had a tiny apartment in the Latin Quarter overlooking a cemetery and I was earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it.

Part 3. (см. слова ранее)

I answered, thanking her, and presently I received from her another letter saying she was passing through Paris and would like to have a chat with me; but her time was limited and the only free moment she had was on the following Thursday; she was spending the morning at the Luxembourg and would I give her a little luncheon at Foyot's afterwards?

Part 4. (см. слова ранее)

Foyot's is a restaurant at which the French senators eat and it was so far beyond my means that I had never even thought of going there. But I was flattered and I was too young to say no to a woman. (Few men, I may add, learn this until they are too old to make it of any consequence to a woman what they say.) I had eighty francs (gold francs) to last me the rest of the month and a modest luncheon should not cost more than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks I could manage well enough.

I answered that I would meet my friend - by correspondence - at Foyot's on Thursday at half-past twelve. She was not so young as I expected and in appearance imposing rather than attractive. She was in fact a woman of forty (a charming age, but not one that excites a sudden and devastating passion at first sight), and she gave me the impression of having more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose. She was talkative, but since she seemed inclined to talk about me I was prepared to be an attentive listener.

Part 5.

I was startled when the bill of fare was brought, for, the prices were a great deal higher than I had anticipated. But she reassured me. “I never eat anything for luncheon”, she said.

“Oh, don’t say that!” I answered generously.

“I never eat more than one thing. I think people eat far too much nowadays. A little fish, perhaps. I wonder if they have any salmon.”

1. startle ['stɑːtl] — испуг; страх, испугать, поразить, сильно удивить;

2. bill [bɪl] of fare [fɛə] — меню;

3. price [praɪs] — цена;

4. a great [greɪt] deal [diːl] — большое количество;

5. anticipate [æn'tɪsɪpeɪt] — ожидать, предвидеть, ждать, предвкушать, предчувствовать;

6. reassure [ˌriːə'ʃuə] — заверять, уверять, убеждать, успокаивать; утешать;

7. generously [ˈdʒenərəsli] — обильно, щедро, много;

8. nowadays ['nauədeɪz] — в наши дни, теперь, в наше время;

9. perhaps [pə'hæps] — может быть, возможно, наверно;

10. salmon ['sæmən] — лосось, семга.

Well, it was early in the year for salmon and it was not on the bill of fare, but I asked the waiter if there was, any. Yes, a beautiful salmon had just come in, it was the first they had had. I ordered it for my guest.The waiter asked her if she would have something while it was being cooked. “No”, she answered, “I never eat more than one thing, unless you had a little caviare. I never mind caviare.”

1. waiter ['weɪtə] — официант;

2. order ['ɔːdə] — заказывать;

3. while [waɪl] — пока, в то время как;

4. caviare [ˈkævɪɑː] — икра (употребляемая в пищу)

5. mind [maɪnd] — возражать, иметь что-л. против;

My heart sank a little. I knew I could not afford caviare, but I could not very well tell her that. I told the waiter by all means to bring caviare. For myself I chose the cheapest dish on the menu and that was a mutton chop.

1. sink [sɪŋk] (sank [sæŋk], sunk [sʌŋk]) — опускаться, падать, снижаться;

2. afford [ə'fɔːd] — позволить себе, например, I can't afford it. Это мне не по карману;

3. by all means — во что бы то ни стало;

4. cheap [ʧiːp] — дешёвый, недорогой;

5. dish [dɪʃ] — блюдо, кушанье; a main dish — главное блюдо.

6. mutton ['mʌtn] chop [ʧɔp] — баранья отбивная.

“I think you’re unwise to eat meat,” she said. “I don’t know how you can expect to work after eating heavy things like chops. I don’t believe in overloading my stomach.”

1. unwise ['ʌn'waɪz] — не(благо)разумный;

2. overload ['əuvə'ləud] — перегружать, перегружаться, отягощать, отягощаться;

3. stomach ['stʌmək] — желудок, живот.

Читаем и переводим: Somerset Maugham "The Luncheon". Part 6.

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Читаем и переводим: Somerset Maugham "The Luncheon". Part 5.

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