course [kLs], explosion [Iks'plquZqn], taffeta ['txfItq]

It had all begun that day several years back when, during the course of her duties at the apartment of Lady Dant, Mrs. Harris had opened a wardrobe which she was wont to tidy and had come upon the two dresses hanging there. One was a bit of heaven in cream, ivory, lace and chiffon, the other an explosion in crimson satin and taffeta, adorned with great red bows and a huge red flower. She stood there as though struck dumb, for never in all her life had she seen anything quite as thrilling and beautiful.

Drab and colorless (серое и бесцветное; drab — тускло-коричневый; желтовато-серый; мрачный, неинтересный, однообразный, серый, скучный) as her existence would seem to have been (каким, как могло показаться, было ее существование = каким бы серым и бесцветным …), Mrs. Harris had always felt a craving for beauty and color (миссис Харрис всегда испытывала страстное стремление к красоте и цвету) and which up to this moment had manifested itself in a love for flowers (и которое до настоящего момента проявлялось в любви к цветам). She had the proverbial green thumb (она обладала вошедшим в поговорку «зеленым пальцем» = легкой рукой/садоводческим искусством; proverb — поговорка), coupled with no little skill (в сочетании с немалым мастерством), and plants flourished for her where they would not, quite possibly, for any other (и растения расцветали для нее /там/, где они /не расцвели бы/, вполне возможно, для кого-то другого).

existence [Ig'zIstqns], proverbial [prq'vWbjql], thumb [TAm]

Drab and colorless as her existence would seem to have been, Mrs. Harris had always felt a craving for beauty and color and which up to this moment had manifested itself in a love for flowers. She had the proverbial green thumb, coupled with no little skill, and plants flourished for her where they would not, quite possibly, for any other.

Outside the windows of her basement flat (за окном ее квартиры в цокольном этаже) were two window boxes of geraniums, her favorite flower (было два наружных ящика герани, ее любимых цветов), and inside (а внутри), wherever there was room (где только было место; room — комната; место), there was a little pot containing a geranium struggling desperately to conquer its environment (был небольшой горшок, вмещающий герань, отчаянно борющуюся, чтобы отвоевать пространство для жизни: «завоевать свою окружающую среду»), or a single hyacinth or tulip (или одинокий гиацинт или тюльпан), bought from a barrow for a hard-earned shilling (купленный с лотка за с трудом заработанный шиллинг).

geranium [GI'reInjqm], desperately ['despqrqtlI], conquer ['kONkq]

Outside the windows of her basement flat were two window boxes of geraniums, her favorite flower, and inside, wherever there was room, there was a little pot containing a geranium struggling desperately to conquer its environment, or a single hyacinth or tulip, bought from a barrow for a hard-earned shilling.