Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. Театр

she could make you hear her every word in the last row of the gallery; they

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46

said it made verse sound like prose. The fact was, she supposed, that she was

much too modern.

Michael had started with Shakespeare. That was before she knew him. He had

played Romeo at Cambridge, and when he came down, after a year at a

dramatic school, Benson had engaged him. He toured the country and played

a great variety of parts. But he realized that Shakespeare would get him

nowhere and that if he wanted to become a leading actor he must gain

experience in modern plays.

A man called James Langton (человек по имени Джеймс Лэнгтон) was running a

repertory theatre at Middlepool (управлял репертуарным театром в Миддлпуле;

repertory theatre —театрспостояннойтруппойисопределенным

репертуаром,частобезсобственногозданиятеатра) that was attracting a

good deal of attention (который привлекал достаточно много внимания); and

after Michael had been with Benson for three years (и после того, как Майкл

провел с Бенсоном три года), when the company was going to Middlepool

(когда /его/ труппа отправилась: «собиралась» в Миддлпул; company —

общество,компания,собеседник,театр.постояннаягруппаактеров,

ансамбль,труппа) on its annual visit (с ежегодным визитом; annual —

годовой,годичный), he wrote to Langton (он написал Лэнгтону) and asked

whether he would see him (и спросил, сможет ли тот принять его; whether —

зд.косвенныйвопрос:неможетли?; to see — видеть,смотреть,

встречаться). Jimmie Langton (Джимми Лэнгтон), a fat (толстый), bald-

headed (лысый; bald (лысый, плешивый)-headed (a head — голова)), rubicund

man of forty-five (румяный мужчина сорока пяти лет), who looked like one of

Rubens' prosperous burghers (который выглядел как один из процветающих

бюргеров /с картин/ Рубенса; prosperous — преуспевающий, богатый), had a

passion for the theatre (обожал театр; to have passion — обожать, обладать

страстью к чему-либо). He was an eccentric (он был эксцентричный), arrogant

(высокомерный), exuberant (жизнерадостный), vain (тщеславный) and

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47

charming fellow (и очаровательный малый; fellow — человек, парень, собрат).

He loved acting (он обожал актерство; acting — театр. игра, притворство),

but his physique (но его телосложение) prevented him from playing (не

позволяло ему играть; to prevent from — предотвращать, мешать, не

допускать) any but a few parts (большинство ролей: «никакие, кроме

нескольких ролей»), which was fortunate (что было /большой/ удачей;

fortunate — счастливый,удачливый), for he was a bad actor (так как он был

плохой актер).

repertory ['repqt(q)rI] annual ['xnjVql] rubicund ['ru:bIkqnd]

exuberant [Ig'zju:b(q)rqnt] physique [fI'zi:k]

A man called James Langton was running a repertory theatre at Middlepool

that was attracting a good deal of attention; and after Michael had been with

Benson for three years, when the company was going to Middlepool on its

annual visit, he wrote to Langton and asked whether he would see him.

Jimmie Langton, a fat, bald-headed, rubicund man of forty-five, who looked

like one of Rubens' prosperous burghers, had a passion for the theatre. He

was an eccentric, arrogant, exuberant, vain and charming fellow. He loved