He specialized in men about town, gentlemanly gamblers, guardsmen and

Young scamps with a good side to them.

Managers liked him. He worked hard and was amenable to direction. So long

As he could get work he didn't mind much what sort of part it was. He stuck

Out for the salary he thought he was worth, but if he couldn't get it was

Prepared to take less rather than be idle.

He was making his plans carefully. During the winter that followed the end of

The war there was an epidemic of influenza. His father and mother died. He

Inherited nearly four thousand pounds, and this with his own savings and

Julia's brought up their joint capital to seven thousand.

But the rent of theatres had gone up enormously (но арендная плата за театры

повысилась чрезвычайно), the salaries of actors (зарплаты актеров; salary —

жалованье, заработная плата служащего) and the wages of stagehands had

increased (и зарплаты рабочих по сцене увеличились; wages — заработная

плата рабочих), so that the expense of running a theatre (и, таким образом,

затраты на руководство театром) was very much greater (были гораздо выше)

than it had been before the war (чем они были до войны). A sum that would then

have been amply sufficient to start management on (сумма, которая тогда была

бы более чем достаточна для начала собственного дела) was now inadequate

(была сейчас несоизмеримо /маленькой/; inadequate — несоответствующий,

недостаточный). The only thing was to find some rich man (единственное /что

оставалось сделать/ было найти некоего богатого человека) to go in with them

(/который/ бы вошел с ними /в долю/) so that a failure or two to begin with (так,

чтобы один или два провала для начала) would not drive them from the field (не

вышвырнули бы их из игры: «с поля»). It was said (говорили) that you could

always find a mug in the city (что всегда можно найти простофилю в городе) to

write a fat cheque (/который/ выпишет солидный чек; fat — жирный,

толстый, обильный) for the production of a play (на постановку спектакля), but

when you came down to business (но когда доходило до дела) you discovered

that the main condition was (обнаруживалось, что основным условием было то)

that the leading part should be played by some pretty lady (что главную роль

будет играть какая-то милая дамочка) in whom he was interested (в которой он

был заинтересован).

enormously [I'nO:mqslI] stagehand ['steIdZhxnd] inadequate [In'xdIkwIt]

cheque [tSek]

But the rent of theatres had gone up enormously, the salaries of actors and the

Wages of stagehands had increased, so that the expense of running a theatre

Was very much greater than it had been before the war. A sum that would

Then have been amply sufficient to start management on was now inadequate.

The only thing was to find some rich man to go in with them so that a failure

Or two to begin with would not drive them from the field. It was said that you

Could always find a mug in the city to write a fat cheque for the production of

A play, but when you came down to business you discovered that the main

Condition was that the leading part should be played by some pretty lady in

Whom he was interested.

Years before (годами раньше), Michael and Julia had often joked about the rich

old woman (Майкл и Джулия частенько шутили о богатой пожилой даме) who

would fall in love with him (которая влюбится в него) and set him up in

management (и поможет ему в открытии театра; to set smb. up in business —

помочь кому-либо устроиться, открыть дело). He had long since learnt (с тех

пор он давно усвоил: «выучил») that no rich old woman was to be found (что

никакая богатая пожилая дама не найдется) to set up in management a young

actor (/чтобы/ помочь в открытии театра молодому актеру) whose wife was an

actress (жена у которого была актрисой) to whom he was perfectly faithful (и

которой он был совершенно верен). In the end (в конце концов) the money was

found by a rich woman (деньги были найдены у богатой женщины), and not an

old one either (и не старой даже), but who was interested not in him but in Julia

(но которая была заинтересована не в нем, но в Джулии).

joke [dZqVk] faithful ['feITf(q)l] either ['aIDq]

Years before, Michael and Julia had often joked about the rich old woman

Who would fall in love with him and set him up in management. He had long

Since learnt that no rich old woman was to be found to set up in management

A young actor whose wife was an actress to whom he was perfectly faithful. In