coiffure [kwR'fjuq], exquisite ['ekskwIzIt], beneath [bI'nIT]
She pressed on, and indeed on the first-floor landing came upon a dark handsome woman in her early forties who was seated at a desk writing. She was clad in a simple black dress relieved by three rows of pearls at the neck, her coiffure was neat and glossy; her features were refined, her skin exquisite, but closer inspection would have revealed that she looked tired and careworn, and that there were dark hollows beneath her eyes.
Behind her (позади нее) Mrs. Harris noted a fair-sized room (миссис Харрис заметила большого размера комнату) opening into a second one (ведущую в еще одну /комнату/), gray-carpeted like the stairs (покрытую серым ковром, так же, как лестница), with fine silk hangings at the windows (с прекрасными шелковыми портьерами на окнах), and furnished only with several rows of gray and golden chairs around the perimeter (и меблированную только несколькими рядами серых и золотых стульев по периметру). A few floor-to-ceiling pier mirrors completed the décor (несколько зеркал от пола до потолка в простенках завершали дизайн; pier — пирс; простенок), but of anything to sell (но чего-либо для продажи) or even so much as to look at (или хотя бы того, на что посмотреть), there was not a sign (там не было и признака = следа).
furnished ['fWnISt], several ['sevrql], mirror ['mIrq]
Behind her Mrs. Harris noted a fair-sized room opening into a second one, gray-carpeted like the stairs, with fine silk hangings at the windows, and furnished only with several rows of gray and golden chairs around the perimeter. A few floor-to-ceiling pier mirrors completed the décor, but of anything to sell or even so much as to look at, there was not a sign.
Mme. Colbert, the manageress (у мадам Кольбер, управляющей), had had a bad morning (было плохое утро). Ordinarily a kind and gracious lady (обычно добрая и снисходительная дама), she had let herself into a quarrel with M. Fauvel (она позволила себе /вступить/ в ссору с мсье Фовелем), the young and handsome chief of the auditing department (молодым и красивым главой ревизионно-контрольного отдела), of whom otherwise she was rather fond (который вообще-то ей очень нравился; to be fond of — любить /что-л. или кого-л./), and had sent him upstairs again to his domaine (и послала его наверх обратно в его отдел: «на его территорию»; to send) with his ears reddening (с покрасневшими ушами).
manageress ['mxnIGq'res], gracious ['greISqs], quarrel ['kwOrql]
Mme. Colbert, the manageress, had had a bad morning. Ordinarily a kind and gracious lady, she had let herself into a quarrel with M. Fauvel, the young and handsome chief of the auditing department, of whom otherwise she was rather fond, and had sent him upstairs again to his domaine with his ears reddening.
It was merely a matter of his inquiring (дело было просто в его расспросах) about a client (о клиенте) whose bills seemed to run too long without payment (чьи счета, казалось, оставались слишком долго без оплаты; to run — бежать; быть в обращении, накапливаться /о долге/). On any other day (в любой другой день) Mme. Colbert might have favored the auditor (мадам Кольбер поддержала бы/оказала помощь аудитору) with a penetrating and not unhumorous run-down of the clients’ characteristics (проницательным и не без юмора кратким описанием особенностей клиентов), idiosyncrasies and trustworthiness (черт характера и надежности; idiosyncrasy — идиосинкразия /измененная, болезненная чувствительность организма к некоторым веществам или воздействиям; активное неприятие кого-л. или чего-л./) since sooner or later they all bared themselves to her (поскольку рано или поздно все они раскрывались перед ней; to bare — обнажать). Instead of which she railed angrily at him (вместо этого она выругала гневно его; to rail — ругать, бранить; жаловаться, сетовать) that it was her business to sell dresses (что ее делом было продавать платья) and his to collect the money (а его — собирать деньги) and she had not the time to inspect the bank accounts of clients (и что у нее не было времени проверять банковские счета клиентов). That was his affair (это было его делом/занятием).
merely ['mIqlI], inquiring [In'kwaIqrIN], idiosyncrasy ["IdIq'sINkrqsI]
It was merely a matter of his inquiring about a client whose bills seemed to run too long without payment. On any other day Mme. Colbert might have favored the auditor with a penetrating and not unhumorous run-down of the clients' characteristics, idiosyncrasies and trustworthiness since sooner or later they all bared themselves to her. Instead of which she railed angrily at him that it was her business to sell dresses and his to collect the money and she had not the time to inspect the bank accounts of clients. That was his affair.
Besides giving short answers all morning (кроме коротких ответов на протяжении всего утра), she had ticked off several of the sales girls (она дала нагоняй нескольким продавщицам) and even permitted herself to scold Natasha (и даже позволила себе обругать Наташу), the star model of the house (модель-звезду дома), for being late for a fitting (за опоздание на примерку), when, as she knew well (хотя, как она хорошо знала), the Metro and the buses were engaging in a slow-down strike (/что/ метро и автобусы бастовали: «были вовлечены в забастовку» со снижением темпа работы). What made it worse (что ухудшило /дело/) was that the exquisite Natasha had responded to the sharp words (так это то, что красавица Наташа отреагировала на резкие слова) in a most un-prima-donna-like manner (в наиболее несвойственной примадонне манере): she didn't argue or snap back (она не /стала/ спорить или отвечать резко; to snap — щелкать, лязгать, хлопать /чем-л./; схватить, цапнуть, укусить; разговаривать отрывисто, раздраженно; набрасываться /на кого-л. — at/; огрызаться), only two large tears formed at her eyes (только две большие слезы образовались = появились в ее глазах) and rolled down her cheeks (и скатились вниз по щекам).
scold [skquld], worse [wWs], exquisite ['ekskwIzIt]
Besides giving short answers all morning, she had ticked off several of the sales girls and even permitted herself to scold Natasha, the star model of the house, for being late for a fitting, when, as she knew well, the Metro and the buses were engaging in a slow-down strike. What made it worse was that the exquisite Natasha had responded to the sharp words in a most un-prima-donna-like manner: she didn't argue or snap back, only two large tears formed at her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
And then besides (и потом, кроме того), Mme. Colbert was not at all sure (мадам Кольбер совсем не была уверена) that she had not muddled the invitations and seating for the afternoon's review of the collection (что она не перепутала приглашения и размещение для дневного просмотра коллекции). As head of the department (как глава отдела) she was an important and all-powerful person (она была важным и всемогущим человеком). It was she who issued or denied invitations (это была она, кто = именно она давала или отказывала в приглашении) to see the collection (посмотреть коллекцию), sorted out spies and curiosity seekers and barred the undesirables (отделяла = не допускала шпионов и зевак: «искателей любопытного» и препятствовала /появлению/ нежелательных лиц; bar — брусок, блок, кусок; полено; препятствие; to bar — запирать на засов, запираться; преграждать путь). She was in charge of the seating arrangements (она была ответственной за размещения кресел), as complicated as faced any headwaiter of a fashionable restaurant (настолько же непростые /размещения/, как в случае: «с чем приходится сталкиваться» с метрдотелем модного ресторана), as clients must be placed in accordance with importance (потому что клиенты должны были быть размещены в соответствии с влиятельностью: «важностью»), rank (рангом), title and bank roll (титулом и /толщиной/ кошелька: «пачки банкнот»).
review [rI'vjH], curiosity ["kjuqrI'OsItI], undesirable ['AndI'zaIqrqbl]
And then besides, Mme. Colbert was not at all sure that she had not muddled the invitations and seating for the afternoon's review of the collection. As head of the department she was an important and all-powerful person. It was she who issued or denied invitations to see the collection, sorted out spies and curiosity seekers and barred the undesirables. She was in charge of the seating arrangements, as complicated as faced any headwaiter of a fashionable restaurant, as clients must be placed in accordance with importance, rank, title and bank roll.
She was the directress of a fashion parade (она была директрисой парада мод), having something to say as to the order (которой было что сказать относительно порядка) in which the creations appeared (в котором платья: «создания» появлялись), and likewise (и также) she was the commander-in-chief of a battalion of black-garbed sales ladies (она была главнокомандующим батальона одетых в черное продавщиц), deploying them on the staircase (размещая их на лестнице) and taking great care to match them psychologically to their clients (и уделяя большое внимание их психологическому соответствию их клиентам) — a gay and gossipy sales girl (веселая и болтливая продавщица) for a gay and gossipy woman (для веселой и болтливой женщины), a silent and respectful sales person (тихая и почтительная продавщица) for a mature and important customer (для зрелого и важного клиента), an English-speaking girl with a persuasive line for an American (англоговорящая девушка с убеждающим поведением: «линией» для американки), a good bully with a commanding aspect for a German (забияка с командным видом для немки), etc. (и т.д.)
battalion [bq'txljqn], mature [mq'tjuq], persuasive [pq'sweIsIv]
She was the directress of a fashion parade, having something to say as to the order in which the creations appeared, and likewise she was the commander-in-chief of a battalion of black-garbed sales ladies, deploying them on the staircase and taking great care to match them psychologically to their clients — a gay and gossipy sales girl for a gay and gossipy woman, a silent and respectful sales person for a mature and important customer, an English-speaking girl with a persuasive line for an American, a good bully with a commanding aspect for a German, etc.
When such a powerful person was out of sorts or ill-humored (когда такой могущественный человек был не в духе или в дурном настроении), repercussions would ring far and wide (последствия /этого/ отдавались эхом повсеместно: «далеко и широко»; repercussion — отражение, рефлексия; отдача /после удара/; отзвук; эхо; to ring — звенеть; звучать /производить звук/). The crises which Mme. Colbert was suffering (кризисы = перепады настроения, которыми страдала мадам Кольбер) had to do with her husband Jules (были связаны с ее мужем Жюлем) and the love (и любовью), respect and affection for him (уважением и привязанностью к нему) which had grown over the twenty years they had been together (которые выросли за двадцать лет, /которые/ они были вместе). Dear (милый), good (хороший/добрый), decent (порядочный), clever Jules (умный/талантливый Жюль), who had more knowledge in one fingertip (который имел больше знаний в кончике одного пальца) than all the rest of them in the Foreign Office (чем все другие в Министерстве иностранных дел), with their striped trousers (в их полосатых брюках) and morning coats (с визитками /однобортный сюртук с закругленными полами и широкими скругленными фалдами/) and political connections (и политическими связями).
repercussion ["rJpW'kASqn], decent [dJsnt], knowledge ['nOlIG]
When such a powerful person was out of sorts or ill-humored, repercussions would ring far and wide. The crises which Mme. Colbert was suffering had to do with her husband Jules and the love, respect and affection for him which had grown over the twenty years they had been together. Dear, good, decent, clever Jules, who had more knowledge in one fingertip than all the rest of them in the Foreign Office, with their striped trousers and morning coats and political connections.
