William Somerset Maugham «Mr. Know-All» (10/20)
@english_frankУильям Сомерсет Моэм «Мистер Всезнайка»
The Consular Service is ill-paid (консульская служба плохо оплачивается: ill — нездоровый; плохо; to pay — платить), and she was dressed always very simply (и она была одета всегда очень просто); but she knew how to wear her clothes (но она знала, как носить = умела носить свою одежду). She achieved an effect of quiet distinction (она достигала эффекта элегантности: «спокойной оригинальности»).
The Consular Service is ill-paid, and she was dressed always very simply; but she knew how to wear her clothes. She achieved an effect of quiet distinction.
I should not have paid any particular attention to her (я не обратил бы на нее особого внимания: to pay — платить; оказывать/обращать) but that she possessed a quality that may be common enough in women (но она обладала качеством, которое, может быть, обычно свойственно женщинам; common — частый/обыкновенный), but nowadays is not obvious in their demeanour (но в настоящее время не проявляется: «не есть явно» в их поведении). You could not look at her without being struck by her modesty (вы не могли смотреть на нее, не будучи пораженными ее скромностью; to strike — бить; поражать). It shone in her (она/скромность/ светилась в ней) like a flower on a coat (как цветок на /лацкане/ пальто/пиджака).
I should not have paid any particular attention to her but that she possessed a quality that may be common enough in women, but nowadays is not obvious in their demeanour. You could not look at her without being struck by her modesty. It shone in her like a flower on a coat.
One evening at dinner (однажды вечером за ужином) the conversation by chance drifted to the subject of pearls (разговор случайно коснулся темы жемчуга: «был снесен к предмету жемчуга» to drift — дрейфовать). There had been in the papers a good deal of talk (в газетах было большое количество разговоров/слухов = много писалось) about the culture pearls which the cunning Japanese were making (о /способе/ выращивания жемчуга, который хитроумные японцы создавали/разрабатывали), and the doctor remarked (и доктор заметил) that they must inevitably diminish the value of real ones (что они /искусственные жемчужины/ должны неизбежно уменьшить ценность настоящих). They were very good already (они /жемчужины, жемчуг/ были уже очень хороши); they would soon be perfect (они скоро будут превосходными).
One evening at dinner the conversation by chance drifted to the subject of pearls. There had been in the papers a good deal of talk about the culture pearls which the cunning Japanese were making, and the doctor remarked that they must inevitably diminish the value of real ones. They were very good already; they would soon be perfect.