But George got over the stile with me.

"Look here," he said, "i'd like to talk to you, Needle."

 

"We'll talk tonight, George (мы поговорим сегодня вечером, Джордж). Better not keep your cousin (лучше не заставлять: «держать» твою кузину) waiting for the milk (ждать молоко)." I found myself speaking to him almost as if he were a child (я обнаружила, что разговариваю с ним, почти как с ребенком: «если бы он был ребенком»).

"No, I want to talk to you alone (нет, я хочу поговорить с тобой наедине). This is a good opportunity (это хорошая возможность = удобный случай)."

We began to cross the second field (мы уже шли: «начали пересекать» по второму полю). I had been hoping (я надеялась) to have the house to myself (что побуду в доме одна: «иметь дом для себя») for a couple more hours (еще пару часов) and I was rather petulant (и была довольно раздражена).

"See (смотри)," he said suddenly (сказал он неожиданно), "that haystack (тот стог сена)."

"Yes," I said absently (да, — сказала я рассеянно; absent — отсутствующий, рассеянный).

 

field [fi:ld] petulant ['petjVlqnt] absently ['xbs(q)ntlI]

 

"We'll talk tonight, George. Better not keep your cousin waiting for the milk." I found myself speaking to him almost as if he were a child.

"No, I want to talk to you alone. This is a good opportunity."

We began to cross the second field. I had been hoping to have the house to myself for a couple more hours and I was rather petulant.

"See," he said suddenly, "that haystack."

"Yes," I said absently.

 

"Let's sit there and talk (давай посидим там и поговорим). I'd like to see you up on a haystack again (я хочу снова увидеть тебя на стоге сена). I still keep that photo (я все еще храню: «держу» то фото). Remember that time when — (помнишь, в тот раз: «в то время», когда)"

"I found the needle (я нашла иголку)," I said very quickly (сказала я очень быстро), to get it over (чтобы покончить с этим; to get over — закончить, разделаться).

But I was glad to rest (но я была рада чуть отдохнуть). The stack had been broken up (стог был разбросан; to brake up — ломать), but we managed to find (но нам удалось найти; to manage — управлять, справляться) a nest in it (удобное местечко: «гнездо в нем»). I buried (я закопала; to bury — хоронить, зарывать) my bottle of milk (свою бутыль молока) in the hay for coolness (в соломе для охлаждения; cool — прохладный). George placed his carefully (Джордж аккуратно положил свою) at the foot of the stack (у подножия, у основания: «ноги» стога; foot — feet = нога).

 

nest [nest] coolness ['ku:lnIs] bury ['berI] buried ['berId]

 

"Let's sit there and talk. I'd like to see you up on a haystack again. I still keep that photo. Remember that time when —"

"I found the needle," I said very quickly, to get it over.

But I was glad to rest. The stack had been broken up, but we managed to find a nest in it. I buried my bottle of milk in the hay for coolness. George placed his carefully at the foot of the stack.

 

"My old cousin is terribly vague (моя старая кузина ужасно рассеянная; vague — неясный, неопределенный), poor soul (бедняжка: «бедная душа»). A bit hazy in her head (немного не от мира сего: «немножко туманна в своей голове»). She hasn't the least sense of time (у нее нет ни малейшего чувства времени). If I tell her (если я скажу ей) I've only been gone ten minutes (что меня не было только десять минут) she'll believe it (она поверит в это; to believe — верить)."

I giggled (я хихикнула), and looked at him (и взглянула на него). His face had grown much larger (его лицо стало гораздо больше: «выросло»; to grow — расти), his lips full (его губы полные), wide (широкие), and with a ripe colour (насыщенного: «зрелого» цвета) that is strange in a man (что довольно странно для мужчины). His brown eyes (его карие глаза) were abounding (были наполнены; to abound — иметься в большом количестве) as before (как и раньше) with some inarticulate plea (какой-то бессловесной мольбой; (in)articulate — (не)членораздельный; plea — просьба, заявление).

 

vague [veIg] hazy ['heIzI] inarticulate ["InQ:'tIkjVlIt] plea [pli:]

 

"My old cousin is terribly vague, poor soul. A bit hazy in her head. She hasn't the least sense of time. If I tell her I've only been gone ten minutes she'll believe it."

I giggled, and looked at him. His face had grown much larger, his lips full, wide, and with a ripe colour that is strange in a man. His brown eyes were abounding as before with some inarticulate plea.

 

"So you're going to marry Skinny (так ты собираешься замуж за Скинни) after all these years (после всех этих лет)?"

"I really don't know (я правда не знаю), George."

"You played him up properly (ты всячески использовала его; to play up — поддерживать; использовать; properly — должным образом, как следует)."

"It isn't for you to judge (не тебе судить; to judge — судить). I have my own reasons for what I do (у меня есть собственные мотивы для моих поступков; reason — причина)."

"Don't get sharp (не заводись: «не становись резкой»; sharp — острый, крутой)," he said, "I was only funning (я всего лишь шутил: to fun — дурачиться; fun — веселье)." To prove it (чтобы доказать это; to prove), he lifted a tuft of hay (он поднял пучок сена; to lift — поднимать) and brushed my face with it (и прошелся им: «пригладил» по моему лицу; to brush — причесывать щеткой).

"D'you know (ты знаешь)," he said next (затем сказал он), "I didn't think (не думаю) you and Skinny (что ты и Скинни) treated me very decently (обращались со мной очень хорошо; to treat smb decently) in Rhodesia (в Родезии)."

 

properly ['prOpqlI] judge [GAG] tuft [tAft] decently ['di:sntlI]

 

"So you're going to marry Skinny after all these years?"

"I really don't know, George."

"You played him up properly."

"It isn't for you to judge. I have my own reasons for what I do."

"Don't get sharp," he said, "I was only funning." To prove it, he lifted a tuft of hay and brushed my face with it.

"D'you know," he said next, "I didn't think you and Skinny treated me very decently in Rhodesia."

 

"Well, we were busy, George (ну, мы были заняты, Джордж; busy — занятый). And we were younger then (и мы тогда были моложе), we had a lot to do and see (нам надо многое было сделать и увидеть). After all (в конце концов), we could see you any other time, George (мы можем видеться в любое другое время, Джордж)."

"A touch of selfishness (немножко эгоистично; a touch — прикосновение; чуточка, налет, оттенок)," he said.

"I'll have to be getting along, George (я должна идти, Джордж)." I made to get down from the stack (я попыталась соскользнуть вниз со стога).

He pulled me back (он втянул меня обратно; to pull — тянуть). "Wait, I've got something to tell you (подожди, я должен тебе что-то сказать),"

"О. К., George, tell me (хорошо, Джордж, говори мне)."

"First promise not to tell Kathleen (сначала обещай не говорить Кэтлин). She wants it kept a secret (она хочет сохранить это в секрете; to keep a secret — хранить в секрете) so that she can tell you herself (чтобы иметь возможность ей самой сказать тебе)."

"All right. Promise (Хорошо. Обещаю)."

 

selfishness ['selfISnIs] herself [(h)q'self]

 

"Well, we were busy, George. And we were younger then, we had a lot to do and see. After all, we could see you any other time, George."

"A touch of selfishness," he said.

"I'll have to be getting along, George." I made to get down from the stack.

He pulled me back. "Wait, I've got something to tell you,"

"О. К., George, tell me."

"First promise not to tell Kathleen. She wants it kept a secret so that she can tell you herself."

"All right. Promise."

 

"I'm going to marry Kathleen (я собираюсь жениться на Кэтлин)."

"But you're already married (но ты уже женат)."

Sometimes I heard news of Matilda (иногда до меня доходили: «я слышала» известия о Матильде) from the one Rhodesian family (от одной из семей из Родезии) with whom I still kept up (с которыми я до сих пор поддерживала связь). They referred to her as (они говорили о ней как о; to refer — направлять, адресовать) "George's Dark Lady (Смуглая Леди Джорджа; dark — темный, черный)" and of course they did not know he was married to her (и, конечно, они не знали, что он был женат на ней). She had apparently (она очевидно) made a good thing out of George (извлекла из Джорджа много денег: «сделала хорошую вещь из Джорджа»; to make a good thing of smth/smb), they said (говорили они), for she minced around (так как она ходила: «семенила вокруг») all tarted up (вся разодетая; tart — фруктовое пирожное; уличная девка), never did a stroke of work (никогда пальцем о палец не ударила; not to do a stoke of work — ничего не делать: a stroke — удар), and was always unsettling (и всегда унижала: «расстраивала») the respectable coloured girls (приличных цветных девушек) in their neighbourhood (в округе; neighbourhood — соседство). According to accounts (по общему мнению: «согласно расчетам»; accounts — счета, расчеты) she was a living example of the folly (она была живым примером глупости; folly — безумие, безрассудство) of behaving as George did (Джорджа, что он жил с ней: «поведения Джорджа как он сделал»).

 

already [O:l'redI] refer [rI'fq:] apparently [q'pxrqntlI] neighbourhood ['neIbqhVd]

 

"I'm going to marry Kathleen."

"But you're already married."

Sometimes I heard news of Matilda from the one Rhodesian family with whom I still kept up. They referred to her as "George's Dark Lady" and of course they did not know he was married to her. She had apparently made a good thing out of George, they said, for she minced around all tarted up, never did a stroke of work, and was always unsettling the respectable coloured girls in their neighbourhood. According to accounts, she was a living example of the folly of behaving as George did.

 

"I married Matilda in the Congo (я женился на Матильде в Конго)," George was saying (говорил Джордж).

"It would still be bigamy," I said (это все равно остается двоеженством, — сказала я).

He was furious (он пришел в бешенство; furious — разъяренный, взбешенный) when I used that word bigamy (когда я произнесла: «использовала» то слово — двоеженство). He lifted a handful of hay (он поднял горсть сена) as if he would throw it in my face (как будто он собирался бросить его мне в лицо; to throw — бросать), but controlling himself (но сдержался: «контролируя себя»; to control — управлять, контролировать) meanwhile (тем временем) he fanned it at me (он замахал им /сеном/, как веером, мне в лицо; to fan — обмахивать веером, раздувать) playfully (шутливо; to play — играть).

"I'm not sure (я не уверен) that the Congo marriage (что брак в Конго) was valid (имеет юридическую силу: «был действительным»)," he continued (продолжил он). "Anyway (во всяком случае), as far as I'm concerned (насколько это касается меня; to concern — касаться, затрагивать), it isn't (он не действителен)."

"You can't do a thing like that (ты не можешь так поступить: «сделать вещь, как эта»)," I said.

"I need Kathleen (мне нужна Кэтлин). She's been decent to me (она была порядочна по отношению ко мне). I think (я думаю) we were always meant for each other (мы всегда были предназначены друг для друга; to mean — иметь в виду, означать), me and Kathleen (я и Кэтлин)."

"I'll have to be going (я должна идти)," I said.

 

bigamy ['bIgqmI] furious ['fjV(q)rIqs] meanwhile ['mi:nwaIl] fan [fxn]

 

"I married Matilda in the Congo," George was saying.

"It would still be bigamy," I said.