For a while, she watched her own footsteps, as we walked round the lake. Then she continued her story.

"...an optician. His sister was blind-going when I first attended her. Only the one eye was affected. Then there was an accident, one of those psychological accidents. She was a trained dispenser, but she mixed herself the wrong eye-drops. Now it's very difficult to make a mistake like that, normally. But subconsciously she wanted to, she wanted to. But she wasn't normal, she was not normal."

" I'm not saying she was (я и не говорю, что она была), " I said.

" What did you say (что вы сказали)? "

" I'm sure she wasn't a normal person (я уверена, что она не была психически нормальным человеком), " I said, " if you say so (если вы говорите так)."

" It can all be explained psychologically (все может быть объяснено психологически), as we've tried to show to my husband (как мы пытались показать моему мужу). We've told him and told him (мы говорили и говорили ему), and given him every sort of treatment (и лечили его всеми возможными способами; treatment — обращение, лечение, уход) — shock, insulin, everything (шоком, инсулином, всем). And after all (и, в конце-то концов: «после всего»), the stuff didn't have any effect on his sister immediately (то средство /которое она использовала по ошибке/ не повлияло на нее немедленно), and when she did go blind (и когда она действительно ослепла) it was caused by acute glaucoma (то это /случилось/ из-за острой глаукомы; to cause — быть причиной). She would probably have lost her sight in any case (она, возможно, потеряла бы зрение в любом случае). Well, she went off her head completely (она совершенно потеряла голову) and accused her brother of having put the wrong drug in the bottle deliberately (и обвиняла своего брата в том, что он положил неверное лекарство в пузырек намеренно; to accuse — обвинять, винить, осуждать; a drug — лекарство, наркотик). This is the interesting part from the psychological point of view (это очень интересный момент с психологической точки зрения) — she said she had seen something that he didn't want her to see (она говорила, что она видела нечто такое, что он не хотел, чтобы она видела), something disreputable (нечто постыдное; (dis)reputable — (не)достойный). She said he wanted to blind the eye that saw it (она говорила, что он хочет ослепить глаз, который видел это). She said..."

We were walking round the lake for the second time (мы шли вокруг озера во второй раз). When we came to the spot where I had seen her face reflected (когда мы подошли к тому самому месту, где я впервые увидела ее лицо, отраженным /в озере/) I stopped and looked over the water (я остановилась и посмотрела на воду).

" I'm boring you (я вам надоела)."

" No, no."

" I wish you would take off those glasses (мне бы очень хотелось, что бы вы сняли эти: «те» очки)."

explain [Ik'spleIn] effect [I'fekt] glaucoma [glO: 'kqVmq] drug [drAg]

deliberately [dI'lIb(q)rItlI] disreputable [dIs'repjVtqbl]

" I'm not saying she was, " I said.

" What did you say? "

" I'm sure she wasn't a normal person, " I said, " if you say so."

" It can all be explained psychologically, as we've tried to show to my husband. We've told him and told him, and given him every sort of treatment -shock, insulin, everything. And after all, the stuff didn't have any effect on his sister immediately, and when she did go blind it was caused by acute glaucoma. She would probably have lost her sight in any case. Well, she went off her head completely and accused her brother of having put the wrong drug in the bottle deliberately. This is the interesting part from the psychological point of view — she said she had seen something that he didn't want her to see, something disreputable. She said he wanted to blind the eye that saw it. She said..."

We were walking round the lake for the second time. When we came to the spot where I had seen her face reflected I stopped and looked over the water. " I'm boring you."

" No, no."

" I wish you would take off those glasses."

I took them off for a moment (я сняла их на мгновение). I rather liked her for her innocence in not recognising me (мне она даже понравилась за ее простодушие, что она не узнала меня), though she looked hard (она не сводила с меня глаз) and said, " There's a subconscious reason why you wear them (есть какая-то подсознательная причина, почему вы носите их)."

" Dark glasses hide dark thoughts (темные очки скрывают темные мысли; to hide — прятать, скрывать, не показывать), " I said.

" Is that a saying (это афоризм: «пословица»)? "

" Not that I've heard (я такого не слышала). But it is one now (но теперь, должно быть, афоризм, но теперь это стало афоризмом)."

innocence ['Inqs(q)ns] saying ['seIIN]

I took them off for a moment. I rather liked her for her innocence in not recognising me, though she looked hard and said, " There's a subconscious reason why you wear them."

" Dark glasses hide dark thoughts, " I said.

" Is that a saying? "

" Not that I've heard. But it is one now."

She looked at me anew (она взглянула на меня заново). But she didn't recognise me (но она не узнала меня). These fishers of the mind (эти ловцы разума; fisher — рыбак, рыболов; fish — рыба) have no eye for outward things (никогда не видят окружающий мир; outward — внешний, наружный). Instead, she was " recognising" my mind (вместо этого, она ‘узнавала, разведовала’ мой разум): I daresay I came under some category of hers (я даже думаю, что я подпала под одну из ее категорий).

I had my glasses on again (я вновь надела очки), and was walking on (и продолжила прогулку).

" How did your husband react to his sister's accusations (как ваш муж реагировал на обвинения его сестры; to react — реагировать, отзываться, воздействовать)? " I said.

" He was remarkably kind (он был удивительно добр)."

" Kind? "

" Oh, yes, in the circumstances (о, да, при таких обстоятельствах). Because she started up a lot of gossip in the neighbourhood (потому что она начала сильно сплетничать в соседней округе; gossip — болтовня, разговоры, сплетни, слухи). It was only a small town (это был всего лишь маленький город). It was a long time before (прошло много времени прежде чем) I could persuade him to send her to a home for the blind (я смогла уговорить его отправить ее в дом для слепых; to persuade — убеждать, склонять, уговаривать) where she could be looked after (где за ней бы могли ухаживать; to look after — присматривать, ухаживать, заботиться). There was a terrible bond between them (была какая-то ужасная связь между ними; a bond — узы, связь, обязательство). Unconscious incest (неосознанный инцест: «кровосмешение»)."

accusation [" xkjV'zeIS(q)n] circumstance ['sq: kqmstxns, 'sq: kqmstqns]

neighbourhood ['neIbqhVd] unconscious [An'kOnSqs]

She looked at me anew. But she didn't recognise me. These fishers of the mind have no eye for outward things. Instead, she was " recognising" my mind: I daresay I came under some category of hers.