But his gravest fault as a juvenile lead was that he could not make love. He

Was easy enough in ordinary dialogue and could say his lines with point, but

When it came to making protestations of passion something seemed to hold

Him back. He felt embarrassed and looked it.

"Damn you, don't hold that girl as if she was a sack of potatoes," Jimmie

Langton shouted at him. "You kiss her as if you were afraid you were

Standing in a draught. You're in love with that girl. You must feel that you're

In love with her. Feel as if your bones were melting inside you and if an

Earthquake were going to swallow you up next minute, to hell with the

earthquake."

But it was no good (но все было бесполезно; no good — никудышный,

бесполезно, ни к чему не ведет, без толку). Notwithstanding his beauty

(несмотря на его красоту), his grace (его грацию) and his ease of manner (и его

приятную манеру /держаться/), Michael remained a cold lover (Майкл

оставался холодным /героем/-любовником). This did not prevent Julia from

(это не помешало Джулии) falling madly in love with him (без ума влюбиться в

него; to fall in love — влюбиться, to fall — падать, упасть). For it was when he

joined Langton's repertory company (так как /это было именно тогда/, когда он

присоединился к репертуарной труппе Лэнгтона) that they met (/что/ они

встретились).

Her own career (ее собственная карьера) had been singularly lacking in hardship

(была необыкновенно лишена трудностей; lacking — недостающий,

отсутствующий,

лишенный

чего-либо; hardship

— трудности,

неприятности, тяготы). She was born in Jersey (она родилась на /острове/

Джерси), where her father, a native of that island (где ее отец, урожденный

этого острова), practised as a veterinary surgeon (имел практику: «практиковал

как» ветеринара-хирурга). Her mother's sister (сестра ее матери) was married to

a Frenchman (была замужем за французом), a coal merchant (торговцем

углем), who lived at St. Malo (который жил в Сен-Мало; Сен-Мало —

портовый город в Бретани в северной Франции у пролива Ла-Манш), and

Julia had been sent to live with her (и Джулию отправили: «послали» жить с

ней) while she attended classes at the local lycee (пока она посещала занятия:

«классы» в местном лицее). She learnt to speak French like a Frenchwoman (она

научилась говорить по-французски, как француженка).

notwithstanding ["nOtwIT'stxndIN] singularly ['sINgjVlqlI]

veterinary ['vet(q)rIn(q)rI] merchant ['mq:tS(q)nt]

But it was no good. Notwithstanding his beauty, his grace and his ease of

Manner, Michael remained a cold lover. This did not prevent Julia from

Falling madly in love with him. For it was when he joined Langton's repertory

Company that they met.

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,