Is it to her?"

"What chance is there for Miss Simmonds now, with that eye?"

"She’ll get the money. He will get the bare legal minimum only."

'"No, they say he's to get everything. In trust."

"I believe Mrs. Simmonds has left everything to her daughter."

My grandmother said. "She should divide her fortune —

— equally between them," said my aunt. "Fair's fair."

I invented for myself a recurrent scene in which brother and sister

emerged from their mother's room and. on the narrow landing, allowed their

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gaze to meet in unspoken combat over their inheritance. Basil's flat-coloured

eyes did not themselves hold any expression, but by the forward thrust of his

red neck he indicated his meaning; Dorothy made herself plain by means of a

corkscrew twist of the head — round and up — and the glitter of her one

good eye through the green glasses.

I was sent for (меня пригласили: «за мной послали») to try on my new

reading glasses (примерить мои новые очки для чтения; to try on —

примерять, пробовать). I had the hat-pin with me (у меня была с собой

шляпная булавка) I was friendly to Basil (и я была дружелюбна с Бэзилом)

while I tested the new glasses in the front shop (пока я проверяла новые очки в

магазине). He seemed to want to put a hand on my shoulder (он, казалось, хотел

положить руку мне на плечо), hovered (/его рука/ застыла; to hover — реять,

парить; неподвижно зависать в воздухе), but was afraid (но он так и не

решился; afraid — испуганный, сожалеющий, стесняющийся сделать что-

либо). Dorothy came downstairs and appeared before us (Дороти спустилась и

появилась перед нами) just as his hand wavered (тогда как его рука дрогнула;

to waver — колыхаться, дрожать, дрогнуть). He protracted the wavering

gesture into one (его нерешительное движение вылилось в; to protract —

тянуть, затягивать, медлить), which adjusted the stem of my glasses above

my ear (/движение/, расположившее дужку моих очков над ухом; to adjust —

приводить в порядок, приспособлять, регулировать).

"Auntie says to try them properly (тетушка сказала, чтобы я тщательно их

/очки/ проверила; aunt — тетя, auntie — ласк. тетушка)," I said (сказала я),

"while I'm about it (пока я здесь, пока я этим занимаюсь)." This gave me an

opportunity to have a look round the front premises (это дало мне возможность

осмотреть помещение; opportunity — удобный случай, возможность; premise

— исходное условие, premises — помещение, дом (с прилегающими

пристройками и участком)).

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216

friendly ['frendlI] hover ['hOvq] premise ['premIs]

I was sent for to try on my new reading glasses. I had the hat-pin with me I

was friendly to Basil while I tested the new glasses in the front shop. He

seemed to want to put a hand on my shoulder, hovered, but was afraid.

Dorothy came downstairs and appeared before us just as his hand wavered.

He protracted the wavering gesture into one which adjusted the stem of my

glasses above my ear.

"Auntie says to try them properly," I said, "while I'm about it." This gave

me an opportunity to have a look round the front premises.

"You'll only want them for your studies (тебе они понадобятся только для

/твоих/ занятий; to want — хотеть, желать, нуждаться, study — изучение,

занятия, наука)," Basil said.

"Oh, I sometimes need glasses even when I'm not reading (о, мне иногда

требуются очки, даже когда я не читаю)," I said. I was looking through a door

into a small inner office (я смотрела через дверной проем: «дверь» в

маленький внутренний кабинет: «офис»; inner — внутренний), darkened by a

tree outside in the lane (затемненный из-за дерева, /которое росло/ снаружи, в

переулке). The office contained a dumpy green safe (в кабинете находился

массивный: «коренастый» зеленый сейф; to contain — содержать,

вмещать), an old typewriter on a table (старая печатающая машинка на столе),

and a desk in the window with a ledger on it (в витрине стоял рабочий стол, на

нем бухгалтерская книга; in the window — напоказ, в витрине). Other ledgers

were placed (другие книги были расположены) —

"Nonsense (чепуха)," Dorothy was saying (говорила Дороти). "A healthy girl

like you (такая здоровая девушка как ты) — you hardly need glasses at all (тебе

вообще вряд ли нужны очки). For reading, to save your eves, perhaps yes (для

чтения, чтобы беречь /твои/ глаза, возможно и да; to save — спасать,

уберегать, беречь). But when you're not reading (но когда ты не читаешь)...''

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I said (я сказала), "Grandmother said to inquire after your mother (бабушка

просила узнать, как чувствует себя ваша мать; to inquire after smb. —

справляться, осведомляться, узнавать)."

"She's failing (она слабеет; to fail — терпеть неудачу, подводить,

слабеть)," she said.

typewriter ['taIp"raItq] ledger ['leGq] inquire [In'kwaIq]

"You'll only want them for your studies," Basil said.

"Oh. I sometimes need glasses even when I'm not reading," I said. I was

looking through a door into a small inner office, darkened by a tree outside in

the lane. The office contained a dumpy green safe, an old typewriter on a

table, and a desk in the window with a ledger on it. Other ledgers were placed

—

"Nonsense," Dorothy was saying. "A healthy girl like you — you hardly

need glasses at all. For reading, to save your eves, perhaps yes. But when

you're not reading...''