Her own career had been singularly lacking in hardship. She was born in

Jersey, where her father, a native of that island, practised as a veterinary

surgeon. Her mother's sister was married to a Frenchman, a coal merchant,

Who lived at St. Malo, and Julia had been sent to live with her while she

Attended classes at the local lycee. She learnt to speak French like a

Frenchwoman.

She was a born actress (она была прирожденная актриса) and it was an

understood thing (и это было делом решенным: «понятной вещью») for as long

as she could remember (сколько она /себя могла/ помнить) that she was to go on

the stage (что она должна пойти в актрисы: «на сцену»). Her aunt, Madame

Falloux (ее тетя, мадам Фаллу), was "en relations" (была «в хороших

отношениях» /фр./) with an old actress (со старой актрисой) who had been a

societaire of the Comedie Franзaise (которая была социетарием = «членом,

пайщиком» театра Комедии Франсез) and who had retired to St. Malo (и

которая удалилась: «отошла от дел» в Сен-Мало; to retire — удаляться;

выходить на пенсию) to live on the small pension (чтобы жить на маленькую

пенсию) that one of her lovers had settled on her (которую назначил для нее

один из любовников; to settle — решать, договариваться, устраивать) when

after many years of faithful concubinage (когда после многих лет верной

любовной связи: «внебрачного сожительства») they had parted (они

расстались). When Julia was a child of twelve (когда Джулия была девочкой:

«ребенком» двенадцати лет) this actress was a boisterous (эта актриса была

громогласной), fat old woman (толстой старой женщиной), of more than sixty

(старше шестидесяти лет), but of great vitality (но с огромной жизненной

энергией), who loved food (которая любила еду) more than anything else in the

world (больше, чем что-либо еще в этом мире). She had a great, ringing laugh (у

нее был громкий, звенящий смех), like a man's (как у мужчины), and she talked

in a deep, loud voice (и она говорила глубоким, громким голосом). It was she

who (именно она: «это была она, кто») gave Julia her first lessons (дала

Джулии ее первые уроки).

pension ['penS(q)n] concubinage [kOn'kju:bInIdZ] boisterous ['bOIst(q)rqs]

vitality [vaI'txlItI]

She was a born actress and it was an understood thing for as long as she could

Remember that she was to go on the stage. Her aunt, Madame Falloux, was

"en relations" with an old actress who had been a societaire of the Comedie

Franзaise and who had retired to St. Malo to live on the small pension that

One of her lovers had settled on her when after many years of faithful

Concubinage they had parted. When Julia was a child of twelve this actress