Lying so (лёжа так), she first heard their voices and felt their feet skirt (окружать, окаймлять, обрамлять) her body and their shapes pass between the sun and herself. The breath of an inquisitive (любопытный) dog blew (дышать) warm and nervous on her neck; she could feel her skin broiling (жариться на солнце) a little in the heat and hear the small exhausted (изнуренный; обессиленный) wa-waa of the expiring (находящийся при последнем издыхании, умирающий) waves. Presently (вскоре) her ear distinguished (различать) individual (отдельный) voices and she became aware (узнать) that some one referred to (названный) scornfully (презрительно) as «that North guy (тот парень с Севера) had kidnapped (похитить) a waiter (официант) from a café in Cannes last night in order to (для того, чтобы) saw (распилить) him in two (пополам). The sponsor (автор, инициатор) of the story was a white-haired (с белыми волосами) woman in full evening dress, obviously (явно, очевидно) a relic of the previous evening, for a tiara (тиара) still clung to her head and a discouraged (лишённый запаха) orchid (орхидея) expired (выдыхаться) from her shoulder. Rosemary, forming a vague antipathy to her and her companions, turned away (отвернуться).
Nearest her, on the other side, a young woman lay under a roof of umbrellas making out a list of things from a book open on the sand. Her bathing suit was pulled off (стянуть, сползать) her shoulders and her back, a ruddy (здоровый, пышущий здоровьем, цветущий), orange (оранжевый) brown (коричневый), set off (оттенять) by a string (нитка) of creamy (кремового цвета) pearls (жемчуг), shone (блестеть, сверкать) in the sun. Her face was hard (жёсткий) and lovely (привлекательный) and pitiful (печальный). Her eyes met Rosemarys but did not see her. Beyond her was a fine man in a jockey (жокей) cap and red-striped (с красными полосками) tights (трико); then the woman Rosemary had seen on the raft (паром, плот), and who looked back at her, seeing her; then a man with a long face and a golden, leonine (львиный) head, with blue tights and no hat, talking very seriously to an unmistakably (безошибочно) Latin (латинец) young man in black tights, both of them picking at (ковыряться) little pieces of seaweed (морская водоросль) in the sand. She thought they were mostly Americans, but something made them unlike (непохожий на) the Americans she had known of late (последнее время).
After a while (через некоторое время) she realized (осознать) that the man in the jockey cap was giving a quiet (спокойный) little performance (представление) for this group; he moved gravely (серьёзно) about with a rake (лопаточка крупье, грабли), ostensibly (якобы; по видимости) removing (убирать) gravel (гравий; галька) and meanwhile (тем временем) developing (развивать, разрабатывать, разыгрывать) some (некий) esoteric (эзотерический) burlesque (бурлеск, пародия; карикатура) held in suspension (состояние неопределённости) by his grave (серьёзный) face. Its faintest (слабый, вялый) ramification (разветвление; ветвление) had become hilarious (весёлый, шумный, оживлённый), until (до тех пор, пока) whatever (что бы ни) he said released (вызывать) a burst (взрыв) of laughter. Even those who, like herself, were too far away to hear (слышать), sent out antennаe of attention until the only person on the beach (пляж) not caught up in it (не пойманная в это) was the young woman with the string (нитка) of pearls. Perhaps from modesty (скромность) of possession (собственность; имущество) she responded to (отвечать на) each salvo (залп, салют) of amusement (развлечение, забава) by bending (наклоняться) closer (ближе) over her list (список).
The man of the monocle and bottle spoke suddenly out of the sky above Rosemary.
«You are a ripping (отличный) swimmer.»
She demurred (возражать, протестовать).
«Jolly good. My name is Campion. Here is a lady who says she saw you in Sorrento last week and knows who you are and would so like to meet you.»
Glancing around with concealed (скрытый) annoyance (досада) Rosemary saw the untanned (незагоревший) people were waiting. Reluctantly (нехотя) she got up and went over to them.
«Mrs. Abrams Mrs. McKisco Mr. McKisco Mr. Dumphry
«We know who you are,» spoke up the woman in evening dress. «Youre Rosemary Hoyt and I recognized (узнать) you in Sorrento and asked the hotel clerk and we all think youre perfectly marvelous (удивительный, замечательный) and we want to know why youre not back in America making another marvellous (изумительный) moving (движущийся) picture.»
They made a superfluous (излишний; ненужный) gesture of moving over for her. The woman who had recognized (узнать) her was not a Jewess (еврейка, иудейка), despite (несмотря на) her name. She was one of those elderly (пожилой,) «good sports» preserved by an imperviousness (стойкость) to experience (опыт) and a good digestion (усвоение; понимание) into another generation.
«We wanted to warn you about getting burned (обгореть, загореть) the first day,» she continued cheerily (весело), «because YOUR skin is important, but there seems to be so darn (чертовски) much formality on this beach that we didnt know whether youd mind (возражать).»
II
«We thought maybe you were in the plot (заговор),» said Mrs. McKisco. She was a shabby-eyed (с бесчестными глазами), pretty young woman with a disheartening (приводящий в уныние) intensity (сила, энергия). «We dont know whos in the plot (заговор) and who isnt. One man my husband had been particularly nice to turn out (оказаться) to be a chief (главный) character (герой) practically the assistant (помощник) hero.»
«The plot?» inquired Rosemary, half understanding. «Is there a plot?»
«My dear, we dont KNOW,» said Mrs. Abrams, with a convulsive (конвульсивный), stout (тучной, полный) womans chuckle (тихий смех; смех про себя). «Were not in it. Were the gallery (публика на галёрке).»
Mr. Dumphry, a tow-headed (белокурый) effeminate (женоподобный) young man, remarked (заметить): «Mama Abrams is a plot in herself,» and Campion shook his monocle at him, saying: «Now, Royal, dont be too ghastly (отвратительный) for words.» Rosemary looked at them all uncomfortably, wishing her mother had come down here with her. She did not like these people, especially in her immediate (непосредственный) comparison of them with those who had interested her at the other end of the beach. Her mothers modest but compact social gift (способность, дарование; дар, талант) got them out of unwelcome (неудобный) situations swiftly (быстро) and firmly (твердо). But Rosemary had been a celebrity (знаменитость; звезда) for only six months, and sometimes the French manners of her early adolescence (юность, подростковый возраст) and the democratic manners of America, these latter superimposed (накладывать), made a certain confusion (беспорядок; неразбериха, путаница) and let her in (впутывать во) for just such things.
Mr. McKisco, a scrawny (костлявый, сухопарый), freckle (веснушка) and-red man of thirty, did not find the topic of the «plot» amusing (забавный, занимательный, занятный). He had been staring (уставиться) at the sea now after a swift (быстрый) glance (взгляд) at his wife he turned to Rosemary and demanded (требовать) aggressively:
«Been here long?»
«Only a day.»
«Oh.»
Evidently feeling that the subject had been thoroughly changed, he looked in turn (по очереди) at the others.
«Going to stay all summer?» asked Mrs. McKisco, innocently (невинно). «If you do (если останешься) you can watch the plot unfold (раскрывать).»
«For Gods sake (ради бога), Violet, drop (бросать, отказываться от) the subject!» exploded her husband. «Get a new joke (шутка), for Gods sake!»
Mrs. McKisco swayed (качнуться) toward Mrs. Abrams and breathed (выдохнуть) audibly (громко, вслух):
«Hes nervous.»
«Im not nervous,» disagreed McKisco. «It just happens Im not nervous at all.»
He was burning (гореть) visibly (вслух) a grayish flush (румянец) had spread over his face, dissolving (растворять) all his expressions into a vast (огромный) ineffectuality (отсутствие эффективности, действенности). Suddenly remotely (отдаленно) conscious (осознавать) of his condition he got up (подняться) to go in the water, followed by his wife (а жена следовала за ним), and seizing the opportunity (воспользоваться возможностью) Rosemary followed (последовать за ними).
Mr. McKisco drew a long breath, flung himself into the shallows and began a stiff-armed batting of the Mediterranean, obviously intended to suggest a crawl his breath exhausted he arose and looked around with an expression of surprise that he was still in sight of shore.
«I havent learned to breathe (дышать) yet. I never quite understood how they breathed.» He looked at Rosemary inquiringly (вопросительно).
«I think you breathe out (выдыхать) under water,» she explained. «And every fourth beat (такт, удар) you roll (крутить, вертеть) your head over (над водой) for air.»
«The breathings the hardest part for me. Shall we go to the raft (плот, наплавной мост, паром)?»
The man with the leonine (львиный) head lay stretched out upon the raft, which tipped (перевешивать) back and forth (вперед) with the motion (движение) of the water. As Mrs. McKisco reached for (потянуться) it a sudden (неожиданный) tilt (наклон) struck (ударить) her arm up roughly (сильно), whereupon (при этом) the man started up (поднялся на ноги) and pulled (вытянуть) her on board.
«I was afraid it hit you (что он ударит вас).» His voice was slow (тихий) and shy (застенчивый); he had one of the saddest (печальный) faces Rosemary had ever seen (когда-либо видела), the high (высокий) cheekbones (скула) of an Indian, a long upper lip, and enormous (огромный) deep-set (глубоко посаженный) dark golden eyes. He had spoken out of the side (уголок) of his mouth, as if he hoped his words would reach Mrs. McKisco by a circuitous (кружный, окольный, обходной) and unobtrusive (ненавязчивый; малозаметный) route (способ; путь, маршрут); in a minute he had shoved (отталкиваться) off into the water and his long body lay motionless (неподвижно) toward shore.
Rosemary and Mrs. McKisco watched him. When he had exhausted (истощать) his momentum (импульс, количество движения) he abruptly (резко) bent double (согнуться вдвое), his thin thighs (бедро) rose above the surface, and he disappeared totally (полностью), leaving scarcely (едва ли) a fleck (капелька) of foam (пена) behind.
«Hes a good swimmer,» Rosemary said.
Mrs. McKiscos answer came with surprising violence (ярость).
«Well, hes a rotten (неудачный) musician.» She turned to her husband, who after two unsuccessful attempts had managed to climb (вскарабкаться) on the raft, and having attained (достичь) his balance (равновесие) was trying to make some kind of compensatory (компенсирующий) flourish (росчерк), achieving (добиваться) only an extra (еще один, лишний) stagger (пошатывание, неустойчивое положение). «I was just saying that Abe North may be a good swimmer but hes a rotten musician.»
«Yes,» agreed McKisco, grudgingly (нехотя, без желания). Obviously (явно, очевидно) he had created his wifes world, and allowed her few (мало, немного) liberties (вольность) in it.
«Antheils my man.» Mrs. McKisco turned challengingly (вызывающе) to Rosemary, «Anthiel and Joyce. I dont suppose you ever hear much about those sort (такого рода) of people in Hollywood, but my husband wrote the first criticism of Ulysses (Одиссей) that ever appeared in America.»
«I wish I had a cigarette (Жаль, что у меня нет сигареты),» said McKisco calmly (спокойно). «Thats more important to me just now.»
«Hes got insides (под водой) dont you think so, Albert?»
Her voice faded off (ослабевать) suddenly. The woman of the pearls had joined her two children in the water, and now Abe North came up under one of them like a volcanic island, raising him on his shoulders. The child yelled (кричать; вопить) with fear (страх) and delight (восторг) and the woman watched with a lovely (восхитительный) peace (спокойствие), without a smile.
«Is that his wife?» Rosemary asked.
«No, thats Mrs. Diver. Theyre not at the hotel.» Her eyes, photographic, did not move from the womans face. After a moment she turned vehemently (неистово; страстно) to Rosemary.
«Have you been abroad before?»
«Yes I went to school in Paris.»
«Oh! Well then you probably know that if you want to enjoy yourself here the thing is to get to know some real French families. What do these people get out of it?» She pointed her left shoulder toward shore. «They just stick around with each other in little cliques (клика, группировка). Of course, we had letters of introduction (рекомендательное письмо) and met all the best French artists and writers in Paris. That made it very nice.»
«I should think so.»
«My husband is finishing his first novel, you see.»
Rosemary said: «Oh, he is?» She was not thinking anything special (особый), except (кроме) wondering (удивляться) whether her mother had got to sleep in this heat (жара).
«Its on the idea of Ulysses (Одиссей),» continued Mrs. McKisco. «Only instead of taking twenty-four hours my husband takes a hundred years. He takes a decayed (дряблый) old French aristocrat and puts him in contrast with the mechanical age »