extraordinary [Iks'trO:dnrI], eternally [i:'tq:nlI], haltingly ['hO:ltINlI]

Mrs. Harris was not aware that there was anything extraordinary as to the choice she had made. For she was and eternally would be a woman. She had been young once and in love. She had had a husband to whom her young heart had gone out and to whom she had wished to give and be everything. Life in that sense had not passed her by. He had been shy, embarrassed, tongue-tied, yet she had heard the love words forced haltingly from his lips whispered into her ear. Incongruously at that moment she thought of the photograph upon her dresser with herself in the tiered muslin dress that had seemed so grand then, only now she saw herself clad in "Temptation" in the picture instead.

The bridal model showed herself perfunctorily (/после того, как/ манекенщица-невеста мельком показала себя; perfunctory — небрежный, невнимательный, поверхностный, формальный); the gathering (собравшиеся), buzzing as if emerged from the two salons (шумно разговаривая, как будто выходя /не из одного, а/ из двух салонов), were sucked towards the exit (подтягивались к выходу; to suck — всасывать) leading to the grand staircase (ведущему к парадной лестнице), where, lined up like ravens, the vendeuses (где, выстроенные в линию, как вороны, продавщицы /фр./), the black-clad saleswomen (одетые в черное продавщицы) with their little sales books under their arms (со своими маленькими книжками учета продаж под мышками; arm — рука), waited to pounce upon their customers (ожидали, чтобы наброситься на своих клиентов).

Mrs. Harris, her small blue eyes glittering like aquamarines (ее маленькие голубые глазки, блестящие как аквамарины), found Mme. Colbert (нашла мадам Кольбер). "Number eighty-nine (номер 89), 'Tempty-tion (искушение),' " she cried (воскликнула она), and then added (и затем добавила), "oh Lor' (Господи; Lor' = Lord), I 'ope it don't cost more'n what I've got (я надеюсь, оно не стоит больше, чем у меня есть: 'ope = hope; more'n = more than; to get)."

perfunctorily [pq'fANktqrIlI], saleswomen ['seIlz"wImIn], pounce [pauns]

The bridal model showed herself perfunctorily; the gathering, buzzing as if emerged from the two salons, were sucked towards the exit leading to the grand staircase, where, lined up like ravens, the vendeuses, the black-clad saleswomen with their little sales books under their arms, waited to pounce upon their customers.

Mrs. Harris, her small blue eyes glittering like aquamarines, found Mme. Colbert. "Number eighty-nine, 'Tempty-tion,' " she cried, and then added, "oh Lor,' I 'ope it don't cost more'n what I've got."

Mme. Colbert smiled a thin, sad smile (улыбнулась тонкой, печальной улыбкой). She might almost have guessed it (она могла бы почти угадать это). "Temptation" was a poem («Искушение» было поэмой) created in materials by a poet of women (созданной из тканей поэтом женщин), for a young girl in celebration of her freshness and beauty (для молодой девушки в честь ее свежести и красоты; celebration — празднование; восхваление, прославление) and awakening to the mysterious power of her sex (и /в честь/ пробуждения к мистической силе ее пола). It was invariably demanded by the faded (оно неизменно пользовалось спросом увядших), the middle-aged women (средних лет женщин). "Come (пойдемте)," she said, "we will go in back and I will have it brought to you (мы зайдем обратно, и я скажу, чтобы вам его принесли)". She led her through gray doors (она провела ее через серые двери) into another part of the building (в другую часть здания), through endless meadows of the soft gray carpeting (через бесконечные «луга» мягкого серого коврового покрытия) until at last Mrs.