Francis Scott Fitzgerald «The diamond as big as the Ritz» — Ch. IX (5/11)
english-frank.ruФрэнсис Скотт Фицджеральд «Алмаз величиной в отель "Риц"» — Глава IX
In return he asked only a simple thing (взамен он просит очень простую вещь), a thing that for God would be absurdly easy (то, для Бога будет до смешного легко /сделать/) — only that matters should be as they were yesterday at this hour (лишь, чтобы все: «дела/ситуация…» стало /таким/, как было вчера в тот же час) and that they should so remain (и чтобы так оставалось /всегда/). So very simple! Let but the heavens open (пусть только откроются = разверзнутся небеса), swallowing these men and their aeroplanes (поглотив этих людей и их аэропланы) — and then close again (а потом опять закроются = сомкнутся). Let him have his slaves once more (пусть у него снова будут рабы), restored to life and well (возвращенные к жизни и здоровые; to restore — возвращать в прежнее состояние, восстанавливать).
There was no one else with whom he had ever needed to treat or bargain (не было никого другого, с кем бы ему когда-либо приходилось вести переговоры или торговаться; to bargain — торговаться; заключить сделку).
He doubted only whether he had made his bribe big enough (он только сомневался, достаточно ли большую предложил взятку: «достаточно ли большой он сделал свою взятку»). God had His price (у Бога была своя цена), of course. God was made in man's image (был создан по образу человека), so it had been said (так сказано): He must have His price (у Него должна быть своя цена/Он должен получить свою цену). And the price would be rare (и цена /которую заплатит Брэддок/ будет редкостной) — no cathedral whose building consumed many years (ни один собор, строительство которого потребовало много лет; to consume — расходовать, тратить; поглощать), no pyramid constructed by ten thousand workmen (ни одна пирамида, воздвигавшаяся десятью тысячами работников), would be like this cathedral, this pyramid (не сравнится с этим собором, с этой пирамидой).
In return he asked only a simple thing, a thing that for God would be absurdly easy — only that matters should be as they were yesterday at this hour and that they should so remain. So very simple! Let but the heavens open, swallowing these men and their aeroplanes — and then close again. Let him have his slaves once more, restored to life and well.
There was no one else with whom he had ever needed to treat or bargain.
He doubted only whether he had made his bribe big enough. God had His price, of course. God was made in man's image, so it had been said: He must have His price. And the price would be rare—no cathedral whose building consumed many years, no pyramid constructed by ten thousand workmen, would be like this cathedral, this pyramid.
He paused here (тут он сделал паузу). That was his proposition (таково было его предложение). Everything would be up to specifications (все будет соответствовать описанию; specification — спецификация, подробное описание; деталь, подробность) and there was nothing vulgar in his assertion (и не было ничего вульгарного = бесцеремонного в его утверждении) that it would be cheap at the price (что он просит за это очень мало: «что за /такую/ цену это дешево»). He implied (имел в виду; to imply — выражать неявно, иметь в виду, намекать) that Providence could take it or leave it (что провидение вольно принять или отказаться).
As he approached the end (по мере того как он приближался к концу /своей речи/) his sentences became broken (его фразы становились оборванными: «поломанными»), became short and uncertain (короткими и неопределенными), and his body seemed tense (его тело, казалось, напряглось: «напряженным»), seemed strained to catch the slightest pressure (казалось, стремилось уловить малейшее движение; to strain — натягивать; напрягаться; стремиться /к чему-л./; pressure — давление; сжатие, стискивание; нажим) or whisper of life in the spaces around him (или шепот жизни в пространствах вокруг него). His hair had turned gradually white as he talked (его волосы постепенно белели, пока он говорил), and now he lifted his head high to the heavens like a prophet of old (и теперь он высоко поднял голову к небесам, как пророк древности) — magnificently mad (величественный в своем безумии: «величественно безумный»).
He paused here. That was his proposition. Everything would be up to specifications and there was nothing vulgar in his assertion that it would be cheap at the price. He implied that Providence could take it or leave it.
As he approached the end his sentences became broken, became short and uncertain, and his body seemed tense, seemed strained to catch the slightest pressure or whisper of life in the spaces around him. His hair had turned gradually white as he talked, and now he lifted his head high to the heavens like a prophet of old — magnificently mad.