As a youth he had taken his beauty for granted: now he began to pay more

Attention to it and spared no pains to keep what was left of it. It became an

Obsession. He devoted anxious care to his figure. He never ate a fattening

Thing and never forgot his exercises. He consulted hair specialists when he

Thought his hair was thinning, and Julia was convinced that had it been

Possible to get the operation done secretly he would have had his face lifted.

He had got into the way of sitting with his chin slightly thrust out so that the

Wrinkles in his neck should not show and he held himself with an arched back

To keep his belly from sagging. He could not pass a mirror without looking

Into it.

He hankered for compliments (он страстно жаждал /услышать/ комплименты)

and beamed with delight (и сиял от удовольствия) when he had managed to

extract one (когда ему удавалось выудить /хоть/ один; to extract — извлекать,

вытаскивать, получить с трудом). They were food and drink to him (они были

для него пищей и питьем). Julia laughed bitterly (Джулия горько смеялась)

when she remembered that it was she (когда вспоминала, что именно она /была

тем, кто/) who had accustomed him to them (приучила его к ним). For years she

had told him how beautiful he was (долгие годы она говорила ему, насколько

красив он был) and now he could not live without flattery (и теперь он не мог

жить без лести). It was the only chink in his armour (это было его единственное

слабое место; a chink in smb.'s armour — щель, изъян в чьей-либо броне). An

actress out of a job (безработной актрисе; out of a job — без работы, без

места) had only to tell him to his face (надо было только сказать ему прямо в

лицо) that he was too handsome to be true (что он был таким красивым, что

даже не верится: «для того, что бы быть реальным») for him to think (для того,

чтобы он подумал) that she might do for a part he had in mind (что она может

подойти для роли, которую он имел в виду; that will do — этого достаточно,

это подойдет).

extract [Ik'strxkt] chink [tSINk] armour ['Q:mq]

He hankered for compliments and beamed with delight when he had managed

To extract one. They were food and drink to him. Julia laughed bitterly when

She remembered that it was she who had accustomed him to them. For years

She had told him how beautiful he was and now he could not live without

Flattery. It was the only chink in his armour. An actress out of a job had only

To tell him to his face that he was too handsome to be true for him to think

That she might do for a part he had in mind.

For years, so far as Julia knew (долгие годы, насколько Джулии было известно:

«Джулия знала»), Michael had not bothered with women (Майкл не сильно

беспокоился о женщинах), but when he reached the middle forties (но когда ему

исполнилось сорок пять: «он достиг середины сорокалетнего возраста»;

forties — зд. возраст от сорока до сорока девяти лет) he began to have little

flirtations (он начал заводить: «иметь» небольшие романчики). Julia suspected

that nothing much came of them (Джулия подозревала, что из них не выходило

ничего особенного; to come of — выходить, получаться). He was prudent (он

был осторожный), and all he wanted was admiration (и все, что он хотел

/получить/, так это восхищение). She had heard (она знала: «слышала») that

when women became pressing (что когда женщины становились

настойчивыми) he used her as a pretext to get rid of them (он использовал ее как

предлог, чтобы избавиться от них). Either he couldn't risk doing anything to hurt

her (/он говорил, что/ либо он не мог рисковать и сделать что-то такое, что

причинит ей боль), or she was jealous or suspicious (или то, что она была

ревнивой и подозрительной) and it seemed better (и, казалось, что будет

лучше) that the friendship should cease (чтобы их дружба прекратилась).

"God knows what they see in him (одному Богу известно, что они видят в

нем)," Julia exclaimed to the empty room (Джулия воскликнула, /обращаясь/ к

пустой комнате).

bother ['bODq] flirtation [flq:'teIS(q)n] pretext ['pri:tekst]

For years, so far as Julia knew, Michael had not bothered with women, but

When he reached the middle forties he began to have little flirtations. Julia

Suspected that nothing much came of them. He was prudent, and all he

Wanted was admiration. She had heard that when women became pressing he

Used her as a pretext to get rid of them. Either he couldn't risk doing anything

To hurt her, or she was jealous or suspicious and it seemed better that the

Friendship should cease.

"God knows what they see in him," Julia exclaimed to the empty room.

She took up half a dozen of his photographs at random (она подняла полдюжины

его фотографий наугад; at random — без разбора, наобум, наудачу) and looked

at them carefully one by one (и рассмотрела их внимательно одну за одной).

She shrugged her shoulders (она пожала плечами).

"Well, I suppose I can't blame them (ну, /я/ полагаю, я не могу винить их). I fell

in love with him too (я влюбилась в него тоже). Of course he was better-looking

in those days (конечно, он выглядел лучше тогда: «в те дни»)."

It made Julia a little sad to think how much she had loved him (Джулия

загрустила, подумав, как сильно она любила его; to make smb. sad —

опечалиться, нагнать тоску). Because her love had died (из-за того, что ее

любовь умерла) she felt that life had cheated her (она чувствовала, что жизнь

обманула ее; to cheat — мошенничать, обманывать, изменять). She sighed

(она вздохнула).

"And my back's aching (и спина у меня болит)," she said.

shrug [SrAg] cheat [tSi:t] ache [eIk]