"Did Edward tell you when he was sailing (Эдвард сообщил тебе, когда он отплывает)?"
"No, he didn't mention it (нет, он не упомянул об этом). I thought he might have said something to you about it (я подумала, что он, возможно, мог бы сказать тебе об этом)."
"Not a word (ни слова)."
delightful [dI'laItf(q)l], vaguely ['veIglI], suspicious [sq'spISqs], unaccountable ["Anq'kauntqb(q)l], discern [dI'sWn], perplexed [pq'plekst]
The later letters were as tender and as delightful as the first, but the tone was different. She was vaguely suspicious of their humour, she had the instinctive mistrust of her sex for that unaccountable quality, and she discerned in them now a flippancy which perplexed her. She was not quite certain that the Edward who wrote to her now was the same Edward that she had known. One afternoon, the day after a mail had arrived from Tahiti, when she was driving with Bateman he said to her:
"Did Edward tell you when he was sailing?"
"No, he didn't mention it. I thought he might have said something to you about it."
"Not a word."
"You know what Edward is (ты же знаешь, какой Эдвард)," she laughed in reply (рассмеялась она в ответ), "he has no sense of time (у него нет чувства времени). If it occurs to you next time you write (если вспомнишь об этом в следующий раз, когда будешь ему писать; to occur— случаться, происходить; приходить на ум, в голову) you might ask him when he's thinking of coming (ты мог бы спросить его, когда он думает возвращаться)."
Her manner was so unconcerned that only Bateman's acute sensitiveness (ее манера была настолько беззаботной, что только острая восприимчивость Бейтмана) could have discerned in her request a very urgent desire (смогла разглядеть в ее просьбе настойчивое пожелание; urgent— срочный, неотложный; настойчивый, упорный;desire— сильное желание; просьба, пожелание). He laughed lightly (он беспечно рассмеялся; lightly— слегка, едва; с легким сердцем, беспечно).
"Yes. I'll ask him (я спрошу его). I can't imagine what he's thinking about (представить не могу, о чем он думает)."
unconcerned ["Ankqn'sWnd], request [rI'kwest], urgent ['WdZ(q)nt], desire [dI'zaIq]
"You know what Edward is," she laughed in reply, "he has no sense of time. If it occurs to you next time you write you might ask him when he's thinking of coming."
Her manner was so unconcerned that only Bateman's acute sensitiveness could have discerned in her request a very urgent desire. He laughed lightly.
"Yes. I'll ask him. I can't imagine what he's thinking about."
A few days later, meeting him again, she noticed that something troubled him (несколько дней спустя, снова встретив его, она обратила внимание, что его что-то беспокоило). They had been much together since Edward left Chicago (они много времени проводили вместе с того момента как Эдвард уехал из Чикаго); they were both devoted to him (оба они были преданы ему) and each in his desire to talk of the absent one found a willing listener (и каждый в своем желании поговорить об отсутствующем /друге/ находил /в другом/ благосклонного слушателя; willing — готовый, склонный, расположенный); the consequence was that Isabel knew every expression of Bateman's face (следствием этого было то, что Изабелла знала каждое выражение лица Бейтмана), and his denials now were useless against her keen instinct (и теперь его возражения/отрицания были бесполезными перед ее обостренной интуицией; keen — острый, остроотточенный; тонко, островоспринимающий). Something told her that his harassed look had to do with Edward (что-то подсказало ей, что его обеспокоенный вид как-то связан с Эдвардом) and she did not rest till she had made him confess (и она не успокоилась до тех пор, пока не заставила его признаться).
consequence ['kOnsIkwqns], denial [dI'naI(q)l], harassed ['hxrqst]
A few days later, meeting him again, she noticed that something troubled him. They had been much together since Edward left Chicago; they were both devoted to him and each in his desire to talk of the absent one found a willing listener; the consequence was that Isabel knew every expression of Bateman's face, and his denials now were useless against her keen instinct. Something told her that his harassed look had to do with Edward and she did not rest till she had made him confess.
"The fact is (дело в том)," he said at last (сказал он наконец), "I heard in a round-about way that Edward was no longer working for Braunschmidt and Co. (что окольным путем я узнал, что Эдвард больше не работает на /фирму/ Брауншмидт и Ко; roundabout— вокруг, кругом; кружным путем, в обход), and yesterday I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Braunschmidt himself (а вчера я воспользовался случаем спросить у самого мистера Брауншмидта)."
"Well (ну и)?"
"Edward left his employment with them nearly a year ago (Эдвард оставил службу у них около года назад; to leave— уходить, уезжать; оставлять)."
"How strange he should have said nothing about it (как странно, что он ничего не сказал об этом)."
Bateman hesitated, but he had gone so far now (Бейтман колебался, но сейчас он уже зашел настолько далеко) that he was obliged to tell the rest (что он был вынужден рассказать все остальное). It made him feel dreadfully embarrassed (от этого он чувствовал себя ужасно неловко).
"He was fired (он был уволен; to fire— зажигать; амер. разг. увольнять, выгонять с работы)."
"In heaven's name what for (ради всего святого, за что; heaven— небеса, небо)?"
"It appears they warned him once or twice (похоже, что они предупреждали его раз или два; to appear— появляться, показываться; казаться, производить впечатление), and at last they told him to get out (и, наконец, они велели ему убираться). They say he was lazy and incompetent (говорят, он был ленив и некомпетентен)."
"Edward?"
They were silent for a while (некоторое время они молчали), and then he saw that Isabel was crying (а затем он увидел, что Изабелла плачет). Instinctively he seized her hand (инстинктивно он схватил = сжал ее руку).
opportunity ["Opq'tju: nItI], employment [Im'plOImqnt], dreadfully ['dredfulI], lazy ['leIzI], incompetent [In'kOmpIt(q)nt]
"The fact is," he said at last, "I heard in a round-about way that Edward was no longer working for Braunschmidt and Co., and yesterday I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Braunschmidt himself."
"Well?"
"Edward left his employment with them nearly a year ago."
"How strange he should have said nothing about it."
Bateman hesitated, but he had gone so far now that he was obliged to tell the rest. It made him feel dreadfully embarrassed.
"He was fired."
"In heaven's name what for?"
"It appears they warned him once or twice, and at last they told him to get out. They say he was lazy and incompetent."
"Edward?"
They were silent for a while, and then he saw that Isabel was crying. Instinctively he seized her hand.
"Oh, my dear, don't, don't (о, дорогая моя, не надо, не надо)," he said. "I can't bear to see it (мне тяжело это видеть; to bear— терпеть, выносить, мириться /с чем-либо/)."
She was so unstrung that she let her hand rest in his (она была настолько расстроена, что ее рука осталась лежать в его /руке/; unstrung— расшатанный /о нервах/; нервный /о человеке/;tores— отдыхать, лежать; класть /на что-либо/, прислонить /к чему-либо/). He tried to console her (он попытался утешить ее).
"It's incomprehensible, isn't it (это непостижимо, так ведь)? It's so unlike Edward (это так не похоже на Эдварда), I can't help feeling there must be some mistake (я не могу отделаться от чувства, что это, должно быть, какая-то ошибка)."
She did not say anything for a while (некоторое время она молчала: «ничего не говорила»), and when she spoke it was hesitatingly (а когда заговорила, то /заговорила/ запинаясь).
"Has it struck you that there was anything queer in his letters lately (тебе не показалось, что в последних письмах было что-то странное)? " she asked, looking away, her eyes all bright with tears (спросила она, смотря в сторону, ее глаза блестели от слез; bright— яркий).
He did not quite know how to answer (он не совсем знал, как ответить).
"I have noticed a change in them (я заметил в них некую перемену)," he admitted (согласился он: «признал он»). "He seems to have lost that high seriousness (кажется, он утратил ту благородную серьезность; to lose;high— высокий; возвышенный, благородный) which I admired so much in him (которой я так в нем восхищался). One would almost think that the things that matter — well, don't matter (можно даже подумать, что вещи, имеющие значение — ну /как бы сказать/, не важны /для него/)."
Isabel did not reply (Изабелла не ответила). She was vaguely uneasy (ей было слегка не по себе; uneasy— неудобный; смущенный, неловкий).
incomprehensible [In" comprehensibly(q)l], hesitatingly ['hezIteItINlI], queer [kwIq], vaguely ['veIglI]
"Oh, my dear, don't, don't," he said. "I can't bear to see it."
She was so unstrung that she let her hand rest in his. He tried to console her.
"It's incomprehensible, isn't it? It's so unlike Edward, I can't help feeling there must be some mistake."
She did not say anything for a while, and when she spoke it was hesitatingly.
"Has it struck you that there was anything queer in his letters lately?» she asked, looking away, her eyes all bright with tears.
He did not quite know how to answer.
"I have noticed a change in them," he admitted. "He seems to have lost that high seriousness which I admired so much in him. One would almost think that the things that matter — well, don't matter."
Isabel did not reply. She was vaguely uneasy.
"Perhaps in his answer to your letter he'll say when he's coming home (может быть, в ответ на твое письмо он скажет, когда собирается домой). All we can do is to wait for that (все, что мы можем сделать — подождать /этого/)."
Another letter came from Edward for each of them (от Эдварда пришли следующие письма каждому из них), and still he made no mention of his return (и опять он не упомянул о своем возвращении); but when he wrote he could not have received Bateman's inquiry (но /в тот момент/, когда он писал, он не мог еще получить письма с вопросом от Бейтмана; inquiry — наведение справок; вопрос, запрос). The next mail would bring them an answer to that (на это письмо ответ должен был прибыть со следующей почтой). The next mail came, and Bateman brought Isabel the letter he had just received (доставили следующую почту, и Бейтман принес Изабелле письмо, которое он только что получил); but the first glance of his face was enough to tell her that he was disconcerted (но единственного: «первого» взгляда на его лицо было достаточно, чтобы сказать ей, что он был обескуражен; to disconcert— приводить в замешательство, смущать). She read it through carefully (она внимательно прочла его до конца; carefully— осторожно; тщательно, внимательно) and then, with slightly tightened lips, read it again (а потом, слегка поджав губы, перечитала его снова; to tighten— сжимать).
