Shortly afterwards the byre-hand emigrated to Canada to start afresh, with the help of Skinny who felt sorry for him.

After seeing George taken away home by Kathleen that Saturday in the Portobello Road, I thought that perhaps I might be seeing more of him in similar circumstances. The next Saturday I looked out for him, and at last there he was, without Kathleen, half-worried, half-hopeful.

 

I dashed his hopes (я вдребезги разбила его надежды). I said, "Hallo, George!" (Я сказала, привет, Джордж!)

He looked in my direction (он посмотрел в моем направлении), rooted (пригвожденный к месту; to root — пускать корни) in the midst (по среди) of the flowing (толпящихся: «текущих») market-mongers (рыночных торговцев; market (рынок) + monger (продавец)) in that convivial street (на этой оживленной: «праздничной» улице). I thought to myself (я подумала про себя). "He looks as if he had a mouthful of hay (он выглядит так, будто у него полон рот соломы)." It was the new bristly maize-coloured beard and moustache surrounding his great mouth suggested the thought (эту идею подкинула мне неухоженная щетина странного желтого цвета: «это новая щетинистая борода и усы кукурузного цвета, окружавшие его большой рот, предложили эту мысль») gay and lyrical as life (идею веселую и лирическую, как сама жизнь).

 

rooted ['ru:tId] monger ['mANgq] convivial [kqn'vIvIql] maize [meIz]

beard [bIqd]

 

I dashed his hopes. I said, "Hallo, George!"

He looked in my direction, rooted in the midst of the flowing market-mongers in that convivial street. I thought to myself. "He looks as if he had a mouthful of hay." It was the new bristly maize-coloured beard and moustache surrounding his great mouth suggested the thought gay and lyrical as life.

 

"Hallo, George!" I said again. (Привет, Джордж! — сказала я снова)

I might have been inspired (на меня, должно быть, снизошло вдохновение) to say more (говорить подольше: «сказать больше») on that agreeable morning (в то приятное утро), but he didn't wait (но он стал дожидаться: «не ждал»). He was away (он убежал; to be away) down a side-street (по какой-то боковой улочке; side (сторона) + street (улица)) and along another street (и вдоль другой улицы) and down one more (и по следующей), zig-zag (бросался из стороны в сторону; to zig-zag — делать зигзаги), as far and as devious as (чтобы как можно дальше окольными путями) he could take himself (он мог умчаться: «смог забрать себя») from the Portobello Road (от Портобелло Роуд).

 

agreeable [q'gri:qb(q)l] zigzag ['zIgzxg] devious ['di:vjqs]

 

"Hallo, George!" I said again.

I might have been inspired to say more on that agreeable morning, but he didn't wait. He was away down a side-street and along another street and down one more, zig-zag, as far and as devious as he could take himself from the Portobello Road.

 

Nevertheless (все же) he was back (он вернулся) again (снова) next week (на следующей неделе). Poor Kathleen (бедная Кэтлин) had brought him in her car (привезла его в своей машине). She left it at the top of the street (она оставила ее в начале улицы; top — вершина), and got out with him (и вышла из нее вместе с ним), holding him tight by the arm (крепко держа его за руку). It grieved me (меня расстроило; to grieve — огорчать, печалить) to see Kathleen (видеть, как Кэтлин) ignoring (не обращает внимание; to ignore — игнорирует) the spread of scintillations on the stalls (блеск роскоши на прилавках; scintillation — сверкание, блеск; spread — распространение, здесь: разложенные товары). I had myself seen (я сама видела) a charming Battersea box (очаровательную коробочку из Баттерси; Battersea — район Лондона, расположенный на южном берегу Темзы) quite to her taste (совсем в ее вкусе), also a pair of enameled silver ear-rings (а также пару серебряных серег с финифтью; enamel — эмаль). But she took no notice of these wares (но она не обращала внимание на все эти безделушки: «кустарные изделия»), clinging close to George (цепляясь крепко: «близко» за Джорджа), and poor Kathleen (и бедняжка Кэтлин) — I hate to say how she looked (мне ужасно неприятно говорить, как она выглядела; to hate — ненавидеть).

 

brought [brO:t] scintillation ["sIntI'leIS(q)n] enameled [I'nxm(q)ld]

 

Nevertheless he was back again next week. Poor Kathleen had brought him in her car. She left it at the top of the street, and got out with him, holding him tight by the arm. It grieved me to see Kathleen ignoring the spread of scintillations on the stalls. I had myself seen a charming Battersea box quite to her taste, also a pair of enameled silver ear-rings. But she took no notice of these wares, clinging close to George, and poor Kathleen — I hate to say how she looked.

 

And George was haggard (и Джордж был изможден). His eyes seemed to have got smaller (его глаза, казалось, уменьшились) as if he had been recently in pain (как будто бы все последнее время он испытывал боль; pain — боль). He advanced up the road (он шел вдоль дороги) with Kathleen on his arm (с Кэтлин под руку), letting himself lurch from side to side (шатаясь из стороны в сторону: «позволяя себе крениться»; to lurch — крениться, пошатываться) with his wife bobbing beside him (с его женой, болтающейся: «пританцовывающей» рядом с ним), as the crowds (в то время как толпы) asserted their rights of way (принимали: «соглашались» их способ передвижения).

"Oh: George!" I said. "You don't look at all well, George (ты ужасно выглядишь: «ты совсем не выглядишь здоровым», Джордж).”

"Look (Смотри)!" said George. "Over there by the hardware barrow (там, возле скобяной лавки). That's Needle (это Игла)."

Kathleen was crying (Кэтлин плакала; to cry — кричать, плакать). "Come back home, dear (давай вернемся домой, дорогой)" she said.

"Oh, you don't look well (о, ты плохо выглядишь: «не выглядишь здоровым»). George!" I said.

 

haggard ['hxgqd] assert [q'sq:t] hardware ['hQ:dwεq] crying ['kraIIN]

 

And George was haggard. His eyes seemed to have got smaller as if he had been recently in pain. He advanced up the road with Kathleen on his arm, letting himself lurch from side to side with his wife bobbing beside him, as the crowds asserted their rights of way.

"Oh, George!" I said. "You don't look at all well, George."

"Look!" said George. "Over there by the hardware barrow. That's Needle."

Kathleen was crying. "Come back home, dear" she said.

"Oh, you don't look well. George!" I said.

 

They took him to a nursing home (они поместили: «забрали» его в частную лечебницу; nurse — медсестра). He was fairly quiet (он был почти спокоен), except on Saturday mornings (кроме как по субботним утрам) when they had a hard time of it (когда они с большим трудом могли: «они имели трудное время из этого») to keep him indoors (удержать его на месте: «в помещении») and away from the Portobello Road (и не пустить его на Портобелло Роуд).

But a couple of months later (но пару месяцев спустя) he did escape (он смог сбежать; to escape — избегать). It was a Monday (это был понедельник).

They searched for him in the Portobello Road (его искали: «они искали его» на Портобелло Роуд), but actually he had gone off to Kent (но на самом деле он отправился в Кент) to the village (в деревню) near the scene (рядом с местом действия) of the Haystack Murder (Убийства в Стоге сена). There he went to the police (там он отправился в полицию) and gave himself up (и выдал себя; to give up — бросить, оставить, сдаться), but they could tell from the way he was talking (но по его разговору было понятно: «но они могли сказать по тому, как он говорил») that there was something wrong with the man (что он был не вполне здоров: «что что-то неправильное было с человеком»).

 

nursing ['nq:sIN] escape [I'skeIp] village ['vIlIG] scene [si:n]

 

They took him to a nursing home. He was fairly quiet, except on Saturday mornings when they had a hard time of it to keep him indoors and away from the Portobello Road.

But a couple of months later he did escape. It was a Monday.

They searched for him in the Portobello Road, but actually he had gone off to Kent to the village near the scene of the Haystack Murder. There he went to the police and gave himself up, but they could tell from the way he was talking that there was something wrong with the man.

 

"I saw Needle in the Portobello Road (я видел Иглу на Портобелло Роуд) three Saturdays running (три субботы подряд; to run — бегать; running — бегание, подряд)," he explained (объяснил он), "and they put me in a private ward (и они поместили меня в частную палату; ward — опека, больничная палата) but I got away (но я смылся; to get away — удрать, улизнуть) while (пока) the nurses (сиделки) were seeing to the new patient (присматривали за новым пациентом). You remember the murder of Needle (вы помните убийство Иглы) — well (вот). I did it (это я сделал). Now you know the truth (теперь вы знаете правду), and that will keep bloody Needle's mouth shut (это заткнет рот этой чертовой Иглы: это «будет держать рот чертовой Иглы закрытым»)." Dozens (десятки) of poor mad fellows (сумасшедших бедолаг: «бедных сумасшедших парней») confess to every murder (сознаются в любом: «каждом» убийстве). The police (полиция) obtained (вызвала: «получила») an ambulance (машину скорой помощи) to take him back (чтобы забрать его обратно) to the nursing home (в лечебницу).

 

private ['praIvIt] ward [wO:d] ambulance ['xmbjVlqns]

 

"I saw Needle in the Portobello Road three Saturdays running," he explained, "and they put me in a private ward but I got away while the nurses were seeing to the new patient. You remember the murder of Needle — well. I did it. Now you know the truth, and that will keep bloody Needle's mouth shut."