I started screaming when I got home, and was given a sedative. By evening everyone knew that Miss Simmonds had put the wrong drops in her eyes.

 

"Will she go blind in that eye, too (она ослепнет и на этот глаз тоже)?" people said (спрашивали люди).

"The doctor says there's hope (врач говорит, что есть надежда)."

"There will be an inquiry (будет расследование)."

"She was going blind in that eye in any case (она все равно слепла и на этот глаз; in any case — в любом случае, при любых обстоятельствах)," they said (говорили /люди/).

"Ah, but the pain (о, но боль)..."

"Whose mistake, hers or his (чья ошибка, ее или его)?"

"Joan was there at the time (Джоан была там, в то самое время). Joan heard the screams (Джоан слышала крики). We had to give her a sedative to calm (мы даже дали ей: «мы вынуждены были дать ей» седативное, чтобы успокоить; to calm — успокаивать, утихомиривать) —

— calm her down (успокоить ее)."

"But who made the mistake (но кто же совершил ошибку)?"

"She usually makes up the eye-drops herself (она обычно сама делает глазные капли). She's got a dispenser's (у нее есть свидетельство —

— dispenser's certificate (свидетельство фармацевта), you know (ну вы знаете)."
"Her name was on the bottle (ее имя было на бутылочке). Joan says (Джоан /так/ говорит),"

 

hope [hqVp] mistake [mI'steIk] dispenser [dIs'pensq]

 

"Will she go blind in that eye, too?" people said.

"The doctor says there's hope."

"There will be an inquiry."

"She was going blind in that eye in any case," they said.

"Ah, but the pain..."

"Whose mistake, hers or his?"

"Joan was there at the time. Joan heard the screams. We had to give her a sedative to calm —

— calm her down."

"But who made the mistake?" "She usually makes up the eye-drops herself She's got a dispenser's —

— dispenser's certificate, you know."

"Her name was on the bottle. Joan says."

 

"Who wrote the name on the bottle (кто написал имя на бутылочке)? That's the question (в этом то и вопрос). They'll find out from the handwriting (они определят: «обнаружат» по почерку). If it was Mr. Simmonds he'll be disqualified (если это был /почерк/ господина Симмондса, его дисквалифицируют; to disqualify — лишать права).''

"She always wrote the names on the bottles (она всегда писала имена на бутылочках). She'll be put off the dispensers' roll (ее вычеркнут из списка фармацевтов /т.е. лишат практики/; to put off — отделять, откладывать, отбрасывать), poor thing (бедняжка)."

"They'll lose their licence (их лишат: «они потеряют» патент на врачебную практику)."

"I got eye-drops from them myself only three weeks ago (я получила глазные капли у них сама всего: «только» три недели назад). If I'd have known what I know now (если бы тогда я знала то, что я знала сейчас), I'd never have (я бы никогда не) —"

"The doctor says they can't find the bottle (доктор говорит, что они не могут найти бутылочку), it's got lost (она потерялась)."

 

disqualify [dIs'kwOlIfaI] licence ['laIs(q)ns] find [faInd]

 

"Who wrote the name on the bottle? That's the question. They'll find out from the handwriting. If it was Mr. Simmonds he'll be disqualified.''

"She always wrote the names on the bottles. She'll be put off the dispensers' roll, poor thing."

"They'll lose their licence."

"I got eye-drops from them myself only three weeks ago. If I'd have known what I know now, I'd never have —"

"The doctor says they can't find the bottle, it's got lost."

 

"No, the sergeant says definitely (нет, сержант полиции определенно говорит) they've got the bottle (что они нашли бутылочку: «что у них есть бутылочка»). The handwriting is hers (почерк ее). She must have made up the drops herself (она могла сделать капли сама), poor thing (бедняжка)."

"Deadly nightshade (красавка: «смертельная ночная тень»), same thing (то же самое)."

"Stuff called atropine (штука под названием атропин). Belladonna (белладонна). Deadly nightshade (красавка)."

"It should have been stuff called eserine (а должна была быть штука под названием эзерин /физостигмин/). That's what she usually had (это то, что она обычно использовала), the doctor says (так доктор говорит)."

"Dr. Gray says?"

"Yes, Dr. Gray."

"Dr. Gray says if you switch from eserine to atropine (доктор Грей говорит, что если переходишь с эзерина на атропин; to switch — ударять, менять) —

It was put down to an accident (случай сочли: «приписали к» несчастным; accident — несчастный случай, авария, случайность). There was a strong hope that Miss Simmonds' one eye would survive (оставалась сильная надежда на то, что единственный глаз мисс Симмондс удастся сохранить; to survive — пережить, остаться в живых, сохраняться). It was she who had made up the prescription (именно она приготовила лекарство согласно рецепту; to make up a prescription — изготовить лекарство по рецепту, prescription — предписание, рецепт). She refused to discuss it (она отказывалась обсуждать это).

 

stuff [stAf] accident ['xksId(q)nt] survive [sq'vaIv]

 

"No, the sergeant says definitely they've got the bottle. The handwriting is hers. She must have made up the drops herself, poor thing."

"Deadly nightshade, same thing."

"Stuff called atropine. Belladonna. Deadly nightshade."

"It should have been stuff called eserine. That's what she usually had, the doctor says."

"Dr. Gray says?"

"Yes. Dr. Gray."

"Dr. Gray says if you switch from eserine to atropine -

It was put down to an accident. There was a strong hope that Miss Simmonds' one eye would sur­vive. It was she who had made up the prescription. She refused to discuss it.

 

I said, "The bottle may have been tampered with (кто-то мог подделать /надпись/ на бутылочке; to tamper — тайно изменять, подделывать, искажать), have you thought of that (вы думали об этом)?"

"Joan's been reading books (Джоан начиталась книжек)."

The last week of my holidays (во время последней недели моих каникул) old Mrs. Simmonds died above the shop (старая миссис Симмондс умерла /в комнатке/ над магазином; to die — умирать, пропадать, исчезать) and left all her fortune to her daughter (и оставила все свое состояние дочери). At the same time (в тоже самое время) I got tonsillitis (я заболела тонзиллитом) and could not return to school (и не смогла вернуться в школу).

I was attended by our woman doctor (меня лечила врач-женщина; to attend — посещать; уделять внимание, заботиться), the widow of the town's former doctor (вдова предыдущего городского доктора) who had quite recently died (который совсем недавно умер). This was the first time I had seen Dr. Gray (это был первый раз, когда я увидела доктора Грей), although I had known the other Dr. Gray (хотя, я, конечно, знала другого доктора Грей), her husband (ее мужа), whom I missed (по которому я скучала). The new Dr. Gray was a sharp-faced athletic woman (новая доктор Грей была мускулистая женщина с заостренным лицом). She was said to be young (говорили, что она молодая). She came to visit me every day for a week (она приходила и наблюдала меня каждый день целую неделю). After consideration (после размышлений) I decided she was normal (я решила, что она была нормальной) and in the right (и, в общем, правильная), though dull (хотя и скучная).

 

tamper ['txmpq] fortune ['fO:C(q)n] athletic [xT'letIk]

 

I said, "The bottle may have been tampered with, have you thought of that?"

"Joan's been reading books."

The last week of my holidays old Mrs. Simmonds died above the shop and left all her fortune to her daughter. At the same time I got tonsillitis and could not return to school.

I was attended by our woman doctor, the widow of the town's former doctor who had quite recently died. This was the first time I had seen Dr. Gray, although I had known the other Dr. Gray, her husband, whom I missed. The new Dr. Gray was a sharp-faced athletic woman. She was said to be young. She came to visit me every day for a week. After consideration I decided she was normal and in the right, though dull.

 

Through the feverish part of my illness (когда у меня было лихорадочное состояние во время болезни; fever — лихорадка, жар) I saw Basil at the desk through the window (я видела Бэзила у рабочего стола, через окно) and I heard Dorothy scream (и слышала, как Дороти кричит). While I was convalescent (когда я выздоравливала) I went for walks (я ходила на прогулки), and always returned by the lane beside the Simmonds' house (и всегда возвращалась по переулку, ведущему мимо дома Симмондса). There had been no bickering over the mother's will (не было никаких пререканий о завещании /его/ матери). Everyone said the eye-drop affair was a terrible accident (все говорили, что та история с глазными каплями была ужасным несчастным случаем). Miss Simmonds had retired (мисс Симмондс отошла от дел) and was said to be going rather dotty (и говорили, что она тронулась умом; to go dotty — быть не в своем уме, рехнуться, тронуться).

I saw Dr. Gray leaving the Simmonds' at six o'clock one evening (я видела, как доктор Грей выходит от Симмондсов в шесть часов вечера). She must have been calling on poor Miss Simmonds (она, должно быть, посещала бедную мисс Симмондс). She noticed me at once as I emerged from the lane (она тут же заметила меня, когда я вышла с переулка).

"Don't loiter about, Joan (не слоняйся без дела, Джоан). It's getting chilly (становится прохладно; chilly — холодный, зябкий, промозглый)."

 

convalescent ["kOnvq'les(q)nt] bicker ['bIkq] loiter ['lOItq] chilly ['CIlI]

 

Through the feverish part of my illness I saw Basil at the desk through the window and I heard Dorothy scream. While I was convalescent I went for walks, and always returned by the lane beside the Simmonds' house. There had been no bickering over the mother's will. Everyone said the eye-drop affair was a terrible accident. Miss Simmonds had retired and was said to be going rather dotty.