mind all day long, when she was talking to others with all the appearance of

attention, or in whatever business she was engaged. It often seemed to her that she

was two persons, the actress, the popular favourite, the best-dressed woman in

London, and that was a shadow; and the woman she was playing at night, and that

was the substance.

"Damned if I know what genius is," she said to herself. "But I know this, I'd give

all I have to be eighteen."

But she knew that wasn't true (но она знала, что это было неправдой). If she

were given the chance to go back again (если бы ей представился шанс

вернуться снова назад) would she take it (воспользовалась бы она им)? No. Not

really (нет, нет, право слово). It was not the popularity the celebrity if you like,

that she cared for (не популярностью, если хотите, славой, дорожила она:

«волновалась она») nor the hold she had over audiences (не той властью,

которую она имела над публикой), the real love they bore her (не той

настоящей любовью, которую они /зрители/ питали к ней; to bear (bore, born)

— переносить, зд. питать, таить чувства), it was certainly not the money this

had brought her (и конечно же не деньги, которые ей принесла /ее

профессия/); it was the power she felt in herself (это была сила, которую она

чувствовала в себе), her mastery over the medium (ее господство над

материалом /используемым в искусстве/), that thrilled her (это заставляло ее

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

408

трепетать). She could step into a part (она могла взяться за роль; to step —

шагать, ступать), not a very good one perhaps (не очень хорошую роль,

может быть), with silly words to say (с глупыми словами /которые нужно/

говорить), and by her personality (и с помощью /силы/ ее личности), by the

dexterity which she had at her finger-tips (с помощью способностей:

«ловкости», которыми она владела в совершенстве: «имела на своих

кончиках пальцев»; finger-tip — кончик пальца), infuse it with life (наполнить

ее жизнью; to infuse — вливать, вселять). There was no one (не было никого)

who could do what she could with a part (способного сыграть роль так, как она:

«кто мог бы сделать то, что она могла, с ролью»). Sometimes she felt like God

(иногда она /даже/ чувствовала себя Богом).

"And besides (и, кроме всего)," she chuckled (усмехнулась она), "Tom wouldn't

be born (Том еще тогда не родился бы)."

popularity ["pOpjV'lxrItI] celebrity [sI'lebrItI] medium ['mi:dIqm]

But she knew that wasn't true. If she were given the chance to go back again would

she take it? No. Not really. It was not the popularity the celebrity if you like, that

she cared for, nor the hold she had over audiences, the real love they bore her, it

was certainly not the money this had brought her; it was the power she felt in

herself, her mastery over the medium, that thrilled her. She could step into a part,

not a very good one perhaps, with silly words to say, and by her personality, by the

dexterity which she had at her finger-tips, infuse it with life. There was no one who

could do what she could with a part. Sometimes she felt like God.

"And besides," she chuckled, "Tom wouldn't be born."

After all it was very natural (в конце концов, это было совершенно

естественно) that he should like to play about with Roger (что он хочет

развлекаться вместе с Роджером). They belonged to the same generation (они

принадлежали к одному и тому же поколению). It was the first day of his

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru