The world in which Mrs. Harris, now approaching her sixties, moved was one of a perpetual mess, slop and untidiness. Not once, but half a dozen times a day she opened the doors of homes or flats with the keys entrusted to her, to face the litter of dirty dishes and greasy pans in the sink, areas of stale, rumpled, unmade beds, articles of clothing scattered about, wet towels on the bathroom floor, mouthwash water left in the glass, dirty laundry to be filed away and, of course, cigarette stubs in the ash trays, dust on tables and mirrors, and all the other litter that human pigs are capable of leaving behind them when they leave their homes in the morning.
Mrs. Harris cleaned up these messes because it was her profession (миссис Харрис вычищала этот беспорядок, потому что это было ее профессией), a way of gaining a livelihood and keeping body and soul together (способом добыть средства к существованию и сохранить тело и дух вместе = и выжить). And yet with some chars there was more to it than just that (и все же для некоторых домработниц это означало большее: «было большим, чем только этим»: char = charwoman), and particularly with Mrs. Harris — a kind of perpetual house-proudness (и особенно для миссис Харрис — что-то вроде бесконечной удовлетворенности домом; proud — гордый; испытывающий удовлетворение). And it was a creative effort as well (и это было творческой деятельностью вдобавок/кроме того), something in which a person might take pride and satisfaction (чем-то, где человек мог бы гордиться и получать удовлетворение). She came to these rooms to find them pigsties (она заходила в эти комнаты, чтобы обнаружить там свинарник: «найти их свинарниками»; pig — свинья; sty — свинарник, хлев), she left them neat (она покидала их опрятными), clean (чистыми), sparkling and sweet-smelling (сверкающими и благоухающими).
livelihood ['laIvlIhud], particularly [pq'tIkjulqlI], proudness ['praudnIs]
Mrs. Harris cleaned up these messes because it was her profession, a way of gaining a livelihood and keeping body and soul together. And yet with some chars there was more to it than just that, and particularly with Mrs. Harris — a kind of perpetual house-proudness. And it was a creative effort as well, something in which a person might take pride and satisfaction. She came to these rooms to find them pigsties, she left them neat, clean, sparkling and sweet-smelling.
The fact that when she returned the next day (тот факт, что когда она возвращалась на следующий день) they would be pigsties all over again did not bother her (они /комнаты/ снова становились: «были» свинарниками, не беспокоил ее). She was paid her three shillings an hour (ей платили ее три шиллинга в час) and she would again leave them immaculate (и она вновь оставит их (комнаты) безупречными = в безупречном виде). This was the life and profession of the little woman (такова была жизнь и профессия маленькой женщины), one of thirty assorted passengers on the huge airplane bound for Paris (одной из тридцати разных: «разносортных» пассажиров огромного аэроплана, направляющегося в Париж).
bother ['bODq], hour ['auq], immaculate [I'mxkjulIt]
The fact that when she returned the next day they would be pigsties all over again did not bother her. She was paid her three shillings an hour and she would again leave them immaculate. This was the life and profession of the little woman, one of thirty assorted passengers on the huge airplane bound for Paris.
The green-and-brown-checkered relief map of British soil slipped beneath the wings of the aircraft (рельеф Британской земли в зелено-коричневую клетку проплыл: «ускользнул» под крыльями самолета) and gave way suddenly to the wind-ruffled blue of the English Channel (и быстро/вдруг уступил место: «дал путь» волнуемой ветром синеве Ла-Манша: «английского канала»). Where previously she had looked down with interest (/там/, куда прежде она смотрела вниз с интересом) at the novelty of the tiny houses and farms below (на новизну = новые для нее крошечные домики и фермы внизу), these were now exchanged for the slender shapes of tankers and freighters (теперь были узкие формы танкеров и грузовых судов; slender — тонкий, узкий) plowing the surface of the sea (бороздящих поверхность моря; to plow — вспахивать, пахать).
beneath [bI'nJT], previously ['prJvjqslI], surface ['sWfIs]
The green-and-brown-checkered relief map of British soil slipped beneath the wings of the aircraft and gave way suddenly to the wind-ruffled blue of the English Channel. Where previously she had looked down with interest at the novelty of the tiny houses and farms below, these were now exchanged for the slender shapes of tankers and freighters plowing the surface of the sea.
For the first time Mrs. Harris realized (впервые миссис Харрис поняла) that she was leaving England behind her (что она оставляла Англию позади) and was about to enter into a foreign country (и намеревалась въехать в иностранное государство/страну), to be amongst foreign people who spoke a foreign language (чтобы оказаться среди иностранцев, которые говорят на иностранном языке) and who, from all she had ever heard about them, were immoral (и кто, /судя/ по всему тому, что она слышала о них, были аморальны/безнравственны), grasping (скупы; to grasp — схватывать, хватать, зажимать /в руке/), ate snails and frogs (ели улиток и лягушек; to eat), and were particularly inclined to crimes of passion and dismembered bodies in trunks (и были очень склонны к преступлениям страсти и расчлененным телами в багажниках; trunk — ствол; чемодан; багажник (автомобиля)). She was still not afraid (она все равно не боялась), for fear has no place in the vocabulary of the British char (потому что /слову/ ‘страх’ нет места в словаре британской поденщицы), but she was now all the more determined to be on her guard (но она теперь была тем более решительна быть/оставаться начеку) and not stand for any nonsense (и не терпеть ерунды). It was a tremendous errand that was taking her to Paris (дело/поручение, которое вело ее в Париж, было потрясающей важности; to take — брать; to take to — вести /куда-л./; tremendous — жуткий, страшный, ужасный; разг. огромный, гигантский, громадный; потрясающий), but she hoped in the accomplishing of it to have as little to do with the French people as possible (но она надеялась, совершая его, иметь с французами как можно меньше дел: «так мало действовать с французами как возможно»).
behind [bI'haInd], language ['lxNgwIG], particularly [pq'tIkjulqlI]
For the first time Mrs. Harris realized that she was leaving England behind her and was about to enter into a foreign country, to be amongst foreign people who spoke a foreign language and who, from all she had ever heard about them, were immoral, grasping, ate snails and frogs, and were particularly inclined to crimes of passion and dismembered bodies in trunks. She was still not afraid, for fear has no place in the vocabulary of the British char, but she was now all the more determined to be on her guard and not stand for any nonsense. It was a tremendous errand that was taking her to Paris, but she hoped in the accomplishing of it to have as little to do with the French people as possible.
The airplane flew on (самолет продолжал полет; to fly — лететь) and a wholesome British steward served her a wholesome British breakfast (и надежный английский стюард принес ей здоровый английский завтрак: wholesome — полезный; благотворный; здравый, здравомыслящий; здоровый; нравственный) and then would take no money for it (и потом не захотел брать за него денег), saying that it came with the compliments of the airline, a little bit of all right (сказав, что это — любезность/подарок авиакомпании, /что было/ вполне удовлетворительно).
Mrs. Harris kept her face pressed to the window and her purse to her side (миссис Харрис продолжала прижимать лицо к окошку, а сумку — к себе: «к своему боку»; to keep — хранить, оберегать; сохранять). The steward came through, saying (стюард прошел со словами; through — через, насквозь): "You will see the Eiffel Tower in the distance on your right (вы увидите Эйфелеву башню вдалеке справа; distance — расстояние)".
wholesome ['hqulsqm], purse [pWs], through [TrH]
The airplane flew on and a wholesome British steward served her a wholesome British breakfast and then would take no money for it, saying that it came with the compliments of the airline, a little bit of all right.
Mrs. Harris kept her face pressed to the window and her purse to her side. The steward came through, saying: "You will see the Eiffel Tower in the distance on your right."
"Lumme (Бог мой)," said Mrs. Harris to herself (сказала себе миссис Харрис) when a moment later (когда через мгновенье: «мгновением позже») she discovered its pin point upthrust from what seem to be an old patchwork quilt of gray roofs and chimney pots (она обнаружила = увидела ее (башни) острие, вздымавшееся над /тем/, что казалось старым лоскутным одеялом из серых крыш и колпаков дымовых труб), with a single snakelike blue thread of a river running through it (с одной змеевидной синей нитью реки, бегущей по нему; snake — змея). "It don't look as big as in the pictures (она не выглядит такой большой, как на фотографиях; it don’t look = it doesn’t look — неграмотное выражение, подчеркивающее ее низкий уровень образования)."
A minute or so later the machine set down without so much as a bump on the concrete of the French airport (через минуту-другую машина села без особого удара = толчка на бетон французского аэропорта).
upthrust [Ap'TrAst], machine [mq'SJn], concrete ['kLnkrJt]
"Lumme," said Mrs. Harris to herself when a moment later she discovered its pin point upthrust from what seem to be an old patchwork quilt of gray roofs and chimney pots, with a single snakelike blue thread of a river running through it. "It don't look as big as in the pictures."
A minute or so later the machine set down without so much as a bump on the concrete of the French airport.
Mrs. Harris' spirits rose still further (настроение миссис Харрис улучшилось еще больше: to rise — подниматься). None of her friend Mrs. Butterfield's gloomy prognostications (ни одно из мрачных предчувствий ее подруги миссис Баттерфилд) that the thing would either blow up in the sky (что эта штука либо взорвется в небе) or plunge with her to the bottom of the sea (либо погрузится с ней на дно моря) had been born out (не подтвердилось: to bear out — подтверждать; to bear — нести). Paris perhaps might not prove so formidable after all (в конце концов, Париж может и не оказаться таким страшным). Nevertheless (тем не менее), from now on she was inclined to be suspicious and careful (с этого времени/в дальнейшем она решила: «была склонна» быть подозрительной и осторожной), a precaution not lessened by the long bus ride from Le Bourget (осторожность не уменьшилась долгой поездкой на автобусе из Ле Бурже /аэропорта/) through strange streets (по незнакомым улицам) lined with strange houses and shops (/вдоль которых/ располагались в ряд незнакомые дома и магазины: to line — чертить; располагать/ся/ в ряд) offering strange wares in a strange and unintelligible language (предлагавшие незнакомые изделия на незнакомом и невразумительном языке).
prove [prHv], formidable ['fLmIdqbl], nevertheless ["nevqDq'les]
Mrs. Harris' spirits rose still further. None of her friend Mrs. Butterfield's gloomy prognostications that the thing would either blow up in the sky or plunge with her to the bottom of the sea had been born out. Paris perhaps might not prove so formidable after all. Nevertheless, from now on she was inclined to be suspicious and careful, a precaution not lessened by the long bus ride from Le Bourget through strange streets lined with strange houses and shops offering strange wares in a strange and unintelligible language.
