convenient [kqn'vJnjqnt], nephew ['nevjH], impecunious ["ImpI'kjHnjqs]

Mrs. Harris conveniently invented a nephew in America who was apparently constitutionally impecunious, a kind of half-wit, unable to support himself and to whom, on a blood-is-thicker-than-water basis, she was compelled to send money. The name Mrs. Harris cooked up for him was Albert, and he lived in Chattanooga, a place she had picked out of the daily America column in the Express. She often held long conversations with Mrs. Schreiber about this derelict relative. "A good boy, my poor dead sister's son, but a bit weak in the 'ead, he is."

Mrs. Schreiber (миссис Шрайбер), who was more than a bit muzzy herself with regard to British currency laws (которая сама была более чем сбита с толку в отношении британского валютного законодательства), saw no reason why she should not aid such a goodhearted person as Mrs. Harris (не видела причины, почему бы ей не помочь такому добросердечному человеку, как миссис Харрис), and since she was herself wealthy (и поскольку она сама была обеспеченной) and possessed an almost limitless supply of dollars (и имела почти неограниченные запасы долларов), or could get fresh ones whenever she wanted them (или могла получить дополнительные: «свежие» всякий раз, когда она хотела их; fresh — свежий; новый/дополнительный), Mrs. Harris' slowly accumulating hoard of pounds (медленно накапливаемые запасы фунтов миссис Харрис) got themselves translated into American currency (оказывались переведенными в американскую валюту; to get — получить; становиться). It became an accepted thing week by week (это стало обычным: «принятым» делом каждую неделю), this exchange (этот обмен). Mrs. Schreiber likewise paid her in dollars (кроме того, миссис Шрайбер платила ей долларами; likewise — подобно, так же) and tipped her in dollars (и давала ей чаевые долларами), and nobody was any the wiser (и никто ничего не знал /об этом/: «не замечал»: «и никто не был более мудрым»).

regard [rI'gRd], hoard [hLd], currency ['kArqnsI]

Mrs. Schreiber, who was more than a bit muzzy herself with regard to British currency laws, saw no reason why she should not aid such a goodhearted person as Mrs. Harris, and since she was herself wealthy and possessed an almost limitless supply of dollars, or could get fresh ones whenever she wanted them, Mrs. Harris' slowly accumulating hoard of pounds got themselves translated into American currency. It became an accepted thing week by week, this exchange. Mrs. Schreiber likewise paid her in dollars and tipped her in dollars, and nobody was any the wiser.

Slowly but surely (медленно, но верно) over a period of two years (за период в два года = на протяжении двух лет) the wad of five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills grew in girth and vigor (кипа пяти-, десяти- и двадцатидолларовых купюр росла в объеме и силе) until one fresh morning, early in January (до тех пор, пока одним прохладным утром, в начале января), counting her hoard and thumbing her bankbook (подсчитывая свои накопления и листая свою сберегательную книжку; thumb — большой палец /руки/), Mrs. Harris knew (миссис Харрис поняла: «узнала») that she was not any longer too far away from the realization of her dream (что она очень близка к осуществлению своей мечты : «больше не была слишком далека от осуществления своей мечты»).

grew [grH], girth [gqT], vigor ['vIgq]

Slowly but surely over a period of two years the wad of five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills grew in girth and vigor until one fresh morning, early in January, counting her hoard and thumbing her bankbook, Mrs. Harris knew that she was not any longer too far away from the realization of her dream.