We began to cross the second field. I had been hoping to have the house to myself for a couple more hours and I was rather petulant.

" See, " he said suddenly, " that haystack."

" Yes, " I said absently.

" Let's sit there and talk (давай посидим там и поговорим). I'd like to see you up on a haystack again (я хочу снова увидеть тебя на стоге сена). I still keep that photo (я все еще храню: «держу» то фото). Remember that time when — (помнишь, в тот раз: «в то время», когда)"

" I found the needle (я нашла иголку), " I said very quickly (сказала я очень быстро), to get it over (чтобы покончить с этим; to get over — закончить, разделаться).

But I was glad to rest (но я была рада чуть отдохнуть). The stack had been broken up (стог был разбросан; to brake up — ломать), but we managed to find (но нам удалось найти; to manage — управлять, справляться) a nest in it (удобное местечко: «гнездо в нем»). I buried (я закопала; to bury — хоронить, зарывать) my bottle of milk (свою бутыль молока) in the hay for coolness (в соломе для охлаждения; cool — прохладный). George placed his carefully (Джордж аккуратно положил свою) at the foot of the stack (у подножия, у основания: «ноги» стога; foot — feet = нога).

nest [nest] coolness ['ku: lnIs] bury ['berI] buried ['berId]

" Let's sit there and talk. I'd like to see you up on a haystack again. I still keep that photo. Remember that time when —"

" I found the needle, " I said very quickly, to get it over.

But I was glad to rest. The stack had been broken up, but we managed to find a nest in it. I buried my bottle of milk in the hay for coolness. George placed his carefully at the foot of the stack.

" My old cousin is terribly vague (моя старая кузина ужасно рассеянная; vague — неясный, неопределенный), poor soul (бедняжка: «бедная душа»). A bit hazy in her head (немного не от мира сего: «немножко туманна в своей голове»). She hasn't the least sense of time (у нее нет ни малейшего чувства времени). If I tell her (если я скажу ей) I've only been gone ten minutes (что меня не было только десять минут) she'll believe it (она поверит в это; to believe — верить)."

I giggled (я хихикнула), and looked at him (и взглянула на него). His face had grown much larger (его лицо стало гораздо больше: «выросло»; to grow — расти), his lips full (его губы полные), wide (широкие), and with a ripe colour (насыщенного: «зрелого» цвета) that is strange in a man (что довольно странно для мужчины). His brown eyes (его карие глаза) were abounding (были наполнены; to abound — иметься в большом количестве) as before (как и раньше) with some inarticulate plea (какой-то бессловесной мольбой; (in)articulate — (не)членораздельный; plea — просьба, заявление).

vague [veIg] hazy ['heIzI] inarticulate [" InQ: 'tIkjVlIt] plea [pli: ]

" My old cousin is terribly vague, poor soul. A bit hazy in her head. She hasn't the least sense of time. If I tell her I've only been gone ten minutes she'll believe it."

I giggled, and looked at him. His face had grown much larger, his lips full, wide, and with a ripe colour that is strange in a man. His brown eyes were abounding as before with some inarticulate plea.

" So you're going to marry Skinny (так ты собираешься замуж за Скинни) after all these years (после всех этих лет)? "

" I really don't know (я правда не знаю), George."

" You played him up properly (ты всячески использовала его; to play up — поддерживать; использовать; properly — должным образом, как следует)."

" It isn't for you to judge (не тебе судить; to judge — судить). I have my own reasons for what I do (у меня есть собственные мотивы для моих поступков; reason — причина)."

" Don't get sharp (не заводись: «не становись резкой»; sharp — острый, крутой), " he said, " I was only funning (я всего лишь шутил: to fun — дурачиться; fun — веселье)." To prove it (чтобы доказать это; to prove), he lifted a tuft of hay (он поднял пучок сена; to lift — поднимать) and brushed my face with it (и прошелся им: «пригладил» по моему лицу; to brush — причесывать щеткой).

" D'you know (ты знаешь), " he said next (затем сказал он), " I didn't think (не думаю) you and Skinny (что ты и Скинни) treated me very decently (обращались со мной очень хорошо; to treat smb decently) in Rhodesia (в Родезии)."

properly ['prOpqlI] judge [GAG] tuft [tAft] decently ['di: sntlI]

" So you're going to marry Skinny after all these years? "

" I really don't know, George."

" You played him up properly."

" It isn't for you to judge. I have my own reasons for what I do."

" Don't get sharp, " he said, " I was only funning." To prove it, he lifted a tuft of hay and brushed my face with it.

" D'you know, " he said next, " I didn't think you and Skinny treated me very decently in Rhodesia."

" Well, we were busy, George (ну, мы были заняты, Джордж; busy — занятый). And we were younger then (и мы тогда были моложе), we had a lot to do and see (нам надо многое было сделать и увидеть). After all (в конце концов), we could see you any other time, George (мы можем видеться в любое другое время, Джордж)."

" A touch of selfishness (немножко эгоистично; a touch — прикосновение; чуточка, налет, оттенок), " he said.

" I'll have to be getting along, George (я должна идти, Джордж)." I made to get down from the stack (я попыталась соскользнуть вниз со стога).

He pulled me back (он втянул меня обратно; to pull — тянуть). " Wait, I've got something to tell you (подожди, я должен тебе что-то сказать), "

" О. К., George, tell me (хорошо, Джордж, говори мне)."

" First promise not to tell Kathleen (сначала обещай не говорить Кэтлин). She wants it kept a secret (она хочет сохранить это в секрете; to keep a secret — хранить в секрете) so that she can tell you herself (чтобы иметь возможность ей самой сказать тебе)."

" All right. Promise (Хорошо. Обещаю)."

selfishness ['selfISnIs] herself [(h)q'self]

" Well, we were busy, George. And we were younger then, we had a lot to do and see. After all, we could see you any other time, George."

" A touch of selfishness, " he said.

" I'll have to be getting along, George." I made to get down from the stack.

He pulled me back. " Wait, I've got something to tell you, "

" О. К., George, tell me."

" First promise not to tell Kathleen. She wants it kept a secret so that she can tell you herself."

" All right. Promise."

" I'm going to marry Kathleen (я собираюсь жениться на Кэтлин)."

" But you're already married (но ты уже женат)."

Sometimes I heard news of Matilda (иногда до меня доходили: «я слышала» известия о Матильде) from the one Rhodesian family (от одной из семей из Родезии) with whom I still kept up (с которыми я до сих пор поддерживала связь). They referred to her as (они говорили о ней как о; to refer — направлять, адресовать) " George's Dark Lady (Смуглая Леди Джорджа; dark — темный, черный)" and of course they did not know he was married to her (и, конечно, они не знали, что он был женат на ней). She had apparently (она очевидно) made a good thing out of George (извлекла из Джорджа много денег: «сделала хорошую вещь из Джорджа»; to make a good thing of smth/smb), they said (говорили они), for she minced around (так как она ходила: «семенила вокруг») all tarted up (вся разодетая; tart — фруктовое пирожное; уличная девка), never did a stroke of work (никогда пальцем о палец не ударила; not to do a stoke of work — ничего не делать: a stroke — удар), and was always unsettling (и всегда унижала: «расстраивала») the respectable coloured girls (приличных цветных девушек) in their neighbourhood (в округе; neighbourhood — соседство). According to accounts (по общему мнению: «согласно расчетам»; accounts — счета, расчеты) she was a living example of the folly (она была живым примером глупости; folly — безумие, безрассудство) of behaving as George did (Джорджа, что он жил с ней: «поведения Джорджа как он сделал»).

already [O: l'redI] refer [rI'fq: ] apparently [q'pxrqntlI] neighbourhood ['neIbqhVd]

" I'm going to marry Kathleen."

" But you're already married."

Sometimes I heard news of Matilda from the one Rhodesian family with whom I still kept up. They referred to her as " George's Dark Lady" and of course they did not know he was married to her. She had apparently made a good thing out of George, they said, for she minced around all tarted up, never did a stroke of work, and was always unsettling the respectable coloured girls in their neighbourhood. According to accounts, she was a living example of the folly of behaving as George did.

" I married Matilda in the Congo (я женился на Матильде в Конго), " George was saying (говорил Джордж).

" It would still be bigamy, " I said (это все равно остается двоеженством, — сказала я).

He was furious (он пришел в бешенство; furious — разъяренный, взбешенный) when I used that word bigamy (когда я произнесла: «использовала» то слово — двоеженство). He lifted a handful of hay (он поднял горсть сена) as if he would throw it in my face (как будто он собирался бросить его мне в лицо; to throw — бросать), but controlling himself (но сдержался: «контролируя себя»; to control — управлять, контролировать) meanwhile (тем временем) he fanned it at me (он замахал им /сеном/, как веером, мне в лицо; to fan — обмахивать веером, раздувать) playfully (шутливо; to play — играть).

" I'm not sure (я не уверен) that the Congo marriage (что брак в Конго) was valid (имеет юридическую силу: «был действительным»), " he continued (продолжил он). " Anyway (во всяком случае), as far as I'm concerned (насколько это касается меня; to concern — касаться, затрагивать), it isn't (он не действителен)."

" You can't do a thing like that (ты не можешь так поступить: «сделать вещь, как эта»), " I said.

" I need Kathleen (мне нужна Кэтлин). She's been decent to me (она была порядочна по отношению ко мне). I think (я думаю) we were always meant for each other (мы всегда были предназначены друг для друга; to mean — иметь в виду, означать), me and Kathleen (я и Кэтлин)."

" I'll have to be going (я должна идти), " I said.

bigamy ['bIgqmI] furious ['fjV(q)rIqs] meanwhile ['mi: nwaIl] fan [fxn]

" I married Matilda in the Congo, " George was saying.

" It would still be bigamy, " I said.