кругах) she turned it to good account (она извлекала из него пользу; to turn

smth. to (good) account — обратить что-либо в свою пользу, account — зд.

выгода, польза) and by means of it (и с его помощью) acquired the reputation of

a wit (приобрела репутации острослова; wit — ум, острословие).

duchesse [dju:'Ses] conversationalist ["kOnvq'seIS(q)nqlIst]

language ['lxNgwIdZ] mimicry ['mImIkrI] ordinarily ['O:d(q)n(q)rIlI]

There were one or two leading ladies, younger than she, who did not like her

any better because she called at least two duchesses by their first names. This

caused her no regret. Julia was not a brilliant conversationalist, but her eyes

were so bright, her manner so intelligent, that once she had learnt the

language of society she passed for a very amusing woman. She had a great gift

of mimicry, which ordinarily she kept in check thinking it was bad for her

acting, but in these circles she turned it to good account and by means of it

acquired the reputation of a wit.

She was pleased that they liked her (ей было приятно, что она нравилась им),

these smart, idle women (этим элегантным, праздным женщинам), but she

laughed at them up her sleeve (но она смеялась над ними про себя; to laugh up

one's sleeve —смеяться исподтишка, украдкой, sleeve — рукав) because they

were dazzled by her glamour (из-за того, что они были ослеплены ее

романтическим ореолом). She wondered what they would think (хотела бы она

знать, что бы они подумали) if they really knew (если бы они действительно

знали) how unromantic the life of a successful actress was (насколько

неромантичной была жизнь успешной актрисы), the hard work it entailed

(какой тяжелой работы требовала; to entail — влечь за собой, вызывать), the

constant care one had to take of oneself (постоянные заботы /о собственной

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

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внешности/ которым надо постоянно следовать) and the regular, monotonous

habits which were essential (и /о тех/ постоянных, монотонных привычках,

которые были просто необходимы). But she good-naturedly offered them advice

on make-up (но она добродушно предлагала им советы по макияжу) and let

them copy her clothes (и позволяла им копировать /фасон своих/ платьев:

«одежды»). She was always beautifully dressed (она была всегда великолепно

одета).

idle [aIdl] glamour ['glxmq] entail [In'teIl] monotonous [mq'nOt(q)nqs]

essential [I'senS(q)l]

She was pleased that they liked her, these smart, idle women, but she laughed

at them up her sleeve because they were dazzled by her glamour. She

wondered what they would think if they really knew how unromantic the life

of a successful actress was, the hard work it entailed, the constant care one

had to take of oneself and the regular, monotonous habits which were

essential. But she good-naturedly offered them advice on make-up and let

them copy her clothes. She was always beautifully dressed.

Even Michael (даже Майкл), fondly thinking she got her clothes for nothing

(который доверчиво считал, что она покупала свою одежду за бесценок:

«даром, бесплатно») did not know how much she really spent on them (не знал,

насколько много она в действительности тратила на них). Morally she had the