murmur ['mq:mq], instead [In'sted], retrieve [rI'tri:v]

It was astonishing that when Mrs. Harris had finished reading the letter she did not cry out, or even murmur, or say anything at all. Instead she took up the damaged garment and, folding it carefully, packed it once more into the old plastic suitcase Mme. Colbert had given her and which she retrieved from the closet where she had stowed it the night before. She left the letter and the money lying on the couch, went downstairs and into the street.

When she had closed the outside door (когда она закрыла наружную дверь) she paused only long enough to remove the key to the flat from her chain (она сделала паузу, необходимую лишь для того, чтобы снять ключ от квартиры со своей цепочки), since she would not be needing it any more (поскольку она не будет нуждаться в нем больше), and push it through the slot of the mail drop in the door (и протолкнуть его через щель почтового ящика в двери). Then she walked the five minutes to Sloane Square (затем она шла пешком пять минут до Слоун-Сквер), where she caught a bus for home (где она села на автобус домой).

enough [I'nAf], remove [rI'mu:v], caught [kO:t]

When she had closed the outside door she paused only long enough to remove the key to the flat from her chain, since she would not be needing it any more, and push it through the slot of the mail drop in the door. Then she walked the five minutes to Sloane Square, where she caught a bus for home.

It was damp and chilly in her flat (было влажно и зябко в ее квартире). She put the kettle on for tea (она поставила чайник /на плиту/ для чая = чтобы приготовить чай) and then, guided by habit, she did all of the things she was used to doing (и затем по привычке: «управляемая привычкой» она сделала все, что привыкла делать), even to eating (даже поела), though she hardly knew what food she tasted (хотя она едва ли понимала, какую пищу она пробовала = ела). She washed up the dishes and put everything away (она вымыла тарелки и все убрала). But there the mechanism ended (но на этом ее завод кончился: «механизм закончился»), and she turned to the unpacking of the ruins of the Dior dress (и она принялась за распаковывание остатков платья от Диора; to turn — поворачивать; переходить к другому предмету/приниматься).

guide [gaId], though [Dqu], mechanism ['mekqnIzm]

It was damp and chilly in her flat. She put the kettle on for tea and then, guided by habit, she did all of the things she was used to doing, even to eating, though she hardly knew what food she tasted. She washed up the dishes and put everything away. But there the mechanism ended, and she turned to the unpacking of the ruins of the Dior dress.

She fingered the charred edges of the velvet (она трогала пальцами обугленные края бархата) and the burned and melted jet (и сожженный и расплавленный черный янтарь). She knew night clubs (она знала ночные клубы), for she had cleaned in them (потому что она убиралась в них). She thought she could see it happening (она думала, что могла представить, как это случилось) — the girl, half drunken (девушка, полупьяная), coming down the stairs from without (спускающаяся по лестнице снаружи = с улицы), on the arm of her escort (под руку со своим кавалером; escort — эскорт; сопровождающий), thoughtless (беспечная), heedless of all but that which concerned herself (не думающая ни о чем, кроме того, что касалось ее лично; heed — внимание), pausing before the first mirror (останавливающаяся у первого зеркала) to study herself and apply a comb (чтобы осмотреть себя и поправить прическу: «приложить расческу»).