Fan letters. That was how she kept in touch with her public. Having addressed

The envelope she threw the card in the wastepaper basket and was ready to

Slip into her first act dress.

The call-boy came round knocking at the dressing-room doors.

"Beginners, please."

 

 

 

 

 

Those words, though heaven only knew how often she had heard them, still

Gave her a thrill. They braced her like a tonic. Life acquired significance. She

Was about to step from the world of make-believe into the world of reality.

 

 

 

NEXT day Julia had luncheon with Charles Tamerley (на следующий день

Джулия завтракала /в середине дня/ с Чарльзом Тэмерли; lunch — ланч,

второй завтрак в середине дня, с 12 до 14 часов). His father, the Marquess of

Dennorant (его отец, маркиз Деннорант), had married an heiress (женился на

/богатой/ наследнице) and he had inherited a considerable fortune (и он /Чарльз/

унаследовал значительное состояние). Julia often went to the luncheon parties

(Джулия часто ходила на /дневные/ приемы) he was fond of giving at his house

in Hill Street (которые он любил давать в своем доме на Хилл-стрит). At the

bottom of her heart (в самой глубине своего сердца; bottom — нижняя часть,

основа, суть) she had a profound contempt (она испытывала глубочайшее

презрение) for the great ladies and the noble lords (к благородным дамам и

знатным господам) she met there (/которых/ она встречала там), because she

was a working woman and an artist (потому, что она была работающей

женщиной и актрисой/человеком искусства), but she knew the connexion was

useful (но она знала, что эта связь была очень полезна). It enabled them (она

/связь/ позволила им) to have first nights at the Siddons (иметь такие премьеры

в Сиддонс-театре) which the papers described as brilliant (которые газеты

называли: «описывали как» блестящими), and when she was photographed at

week-end parties (и когда она фотографировалась на воскресных приемах)

among a number of aristocratic persons (среди /значительного/ числа

аристократов: «знатных персон») she knew that it was good publicity (она

знала, что это была очень хорошая реклама).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

marquess ['mQ:kwIs] heiress ['eqrIs, 'eqres] profound [prq'faVnd]

connexion [kq'nekS(q)n]

 

NEXT day Julia had luncheon with Charles Tamerley. His father, the

Marquess of Dennorant, had married an heiress and he had inherited a

Considerable fortune. Julia often went to the luncheon parties he was fond of

Giving at his house in Hill Street. At the bottom of her heart she had a

Profound contempt for the great ladies and the noble lords she met there,

Because she was a working woman and an artist, but she knew the connexion

Was useful. It enabled them to have first nights at the Siddons, which the

Papers described as brilliant, and when she was photographed at week-end

Parties among a number of aristocratic persons she knew that it was good

Publicity.

 

There were one or two leading ladies (была еще пара: «одна или две» известных

актрис: «актрис на первые роли»), younger than she (/которые/ были моложе

ее), who did not like her any better (которые ее не любили еще больше) because

she called at least two duchesses (из-за того, что она называла по крайней мере

двух герцогинь) by their first names (по имени: first name — имя, в отличие от

фамилии). This caused her no regret (но это не огорчало ее: «не причиняло

огорчений»; regret — сожаление, раскаяние). Julia was not a brilliant

conversationalist (Джулия не была блестящим собеседником), but her eyes were

so bright (но ее глаза сияли), her manner so intelligent (ее манеры были такими

умными), that once she had learnt the language of society (что, /после того как/

однажды она выучила язык общества) she passed for a very amusing woman (ее

принимали за очень занимательную собеседницу /женщину/; to pass for smb.

— сойти за кого-либо, слыть кем-либо). She had a great gift of mimicry (она

обладала прекрасным даром подражания: «имитирования, мимикрии»), which

ordinarily she kept in check (который она обычно сдерживала; check —

 

 

 

 

 

препятствие, задержка) thinking it was bad for her acting (думая, что это не

идет на пользу: «вредно» для ее актерской игры), but in these circles (но в этих

кругах) she turned it to good account (она извлекала из него пользу; to turn

smth. to (good) account — обратить что-либо в свою пользу, account — зд.

выгода, польза) and by means of it (и с его помощью) acquired the reputation of

a wit (приобрела репутации острослова; wit — ум, острословие).

 

duchesse [dju:'Ses] conversationalist ["kOnvq'seIS(q)nqlIst]

language ['lxNgwIdZ] mimicry ['mImIkrI] ordinarily ['O:d(q)n(q)rIlI]