The knife occupied a place in the picture, he decided, and would show well, with a sort (некий; что-то вроде) of gleam (отблеск), in the light of the stars. But of all this no hint (никакой намёк) had crept (вкрасться) into his speech. «He tried to bite off (откусить) my nose,» he concluded (заключить).
«Oh,» the girl said, in a faint (слабый), far (далёкий) voice, and he noticed the shock (потрясение; шок) in her sensitive (чувствительный) face. He felt a shock himself, and a blush (румянец; краска стыда) of embarrassment (замешательство, смущение) shone (сиять, сверкать) faintly (бледно; слабо; едва, еле-еле) on his sunburned (загорелый) cheeks, though to him it burned as hotly as when his cheeks had been exposed (выставлять, подвергать действию) to the open furnace-door (заслонка) in the fire-room (котельное отделение). Such sordid (убогий, отвратительный) things as stabbing (колоть, ранить кинжалом, ножом) affrays (драка в общественном месте) were evidently not fit (подходить, соответствовать) subjects (тема) for conversation with a lady. People in the books, in her walk (общественное положение, сфера деятельности) of life, did not talk about such things – perhaps they did not know about them, either (тоже, также).
There was a brief pause in the conversation they were trying to get started. Then she asked tentatively (неуверенно, осторожно, с сомнением) about the scar (шрам) on his cheek. Even as she asked, he realized that she was making an effort (делать усилие) to talk his talk, and he resolved (решить) to get away from (отойти от) it and talk hers.
«It was just an accident (несчастный случай),» he said, putting his hand (прижимать руку) to his cheek (щека).
«One night, in a calm, with a heavy sea running, the main-boom-lift carried away, an’ next the tackle. The lift was wire, an’ it was threshin’ around like a snake. The whole watch (команда, караул) was tryin’ to grab (схватить) it, an’ I rushed in (бросаться вперед) an’ got swatted (меня ударило).»
«Oh,» she said, this time with an accent of comprehension (понимание), though secretly his speech had been so much Greek to her and she was wondering what a LIFT was and what SWATTED meant (означать).
«This man Swineburne,» he began, attempting to put his plan into execution (осуществить свой план) and pronouncing (произнести) the I long (протяжно). «Who?» «Swineburne,» he repeated, with the same mispronunciation (с тем же самым неправильным произношением). «The poet.»
«Swinburne,» she corrected (исправить). «Yes, that’s the chap (парень),» he stammered (заикаться; запинаться), his cheeks hot again (при этом его щеки опять раскраснелись). «How long since he died (Сколько времени прошло с тех пор, как он умер)?»
«Why, I haven’t heard that he was dead.» She looked at him curiously. «Where did you make his acquaintance?»
«I never clapped eyes on him (Я этого парня и в глаза никогда не видела).» – was the reply. «But I read some of his poetry out of that book there on the table just before you come in. How do you like his poetry?»
And there at she began to talk quickly and easily upon the subject he had suggested. He felt better, and settled back slightly from the edge of the chair (слегка поддался назад от краешка стула), holding tightly to its arms with his hands (крепко вцепившись руками за его подлокотники), as if it might get away from him (как будто он мог улизнуть от него) and buck (взбрыкнув, уронить) him to the floor. He had succeeded (удаваться) in making her talk, and while she rattled on (пока она безостановочно болтать), he strove (стараться, пытаться) to follow her, marvelling at (удивляться) all the knowledge that was stowed (укладывать, складывать) away in that pretty head of hers, and drinking in the pale (бледный) beauty of her face. Follow her he did (он на самом деле внимательно следил за тем, что она говорила), though bothered (беспокоить, озадачивать) by unfamiliar (незнакомый) words that fell glibly (бойко) from her lips and by critical phrases and thought-processes (мыслительный процесс) that were foreign (чуждый) to his mind (ум), but that nevertheless (тем не менее) stimulated (стимулировать) his mind and set it tingling (нервировать; возбуждать). Here was intellectual life, he thought, and here was beauty, warm and wonderful as he had never dreamed it could be (о чём он и помыслить не мог в своих мечтах). He forgot himself and stared at (пытливо всматриваться) her with hungry eyes. Here was something to live for (здесь было нечто, ради чего стоило жить), to win to, to fight for – ay, and die for. The books were true (В книгах была правда). There were such women in the world. She was one of them.