She mounted the imposing and deserted staircase (она поднялась по внушительной и пустынной лестнице), it then being half past eleven in the morning (было тогда одиннадцать тридцать утра). On the first half landing (на первой лестничной площадке) there was but a single silver slipper in a glass showcase (не было ничего, кроме одной серебряной туфельки в стеклянной витрине) let into the wall (вставленной в стену), on the second turn there was a similar showcase (на втором повороте была похожая витрина) housing an outsize bottle of Dior perfume (вмещающая необычайно большой флакон духов от Диора; outsize — необычайно большой, крупный; больше стандартного размера; нестандартный). But otherwise there were no goods of any kind on display (но в остальном там не было товаров какого-либо вида для демонстрации), nor were there crowds of people (как не было там и толп народа) rushing up and down the stairs (стремительно движущихся вверх и вниз по ступеням) as in such emporiums back home as Marks & Spencer's or Selfridge's (как в таком большом магазине дома как «Маркс и Спенсер» или «Селфридж»). Nowhere was there any sign of anything (нигде не было /хоть/ какого-то признака чего-нибудь) that so much as resembled the shops to which she was accustomed (что хотя бы /отдаленно/ напоминало магазины, к которым она привыкла).

imposing [Im'pquzIN], emporium [em'pLrIqm], accustomed [q'kAstqmd]

She mounted the imposing and deserted staircase, it then being half past eleven in the morning. On the first half landing there was but a single silver slipper in a glass showcase let into the wall, on the second turn there was a similar showcase housing an outsize bottle of Dior perfume. But otherwise there were no goods of any kind on display, nor were there crowds of people rushing up and down the stairs as in such emporiums back home as Marks & Spencer's or Selfridge's. Nowhere was there any sign of anything that so much as resembled the shops to which she was accustomed.

On the contrary (наоборот), the elegance and atmosphere of the deserted staircase (элегантность и атмосфера пустынной лестницы) gave her the feeling of a private house (дали = сообщили ей ощущение частного дома), and one on a most grand scale at that (и одного из самых величественных/больших притом; scale — чаша, чашка или платформа весов; градация, шкала; grand — большой, величественный, грандиозный). Was she really in the right place (была ли она действительно в нужном месте)? Her courage threatened to ooze again (ее мужество грозило иссякнуть вновь; to ooze — медленно сочиться, выделяться /о влаге и т. п./; протекать, вытекать), but she told herself that sooner or later (но она сказала себе, что рано или поздно) she must come upon some human being (она должна натолкнуться на кого-нибудь: «на какого-нибудь человека») who would be able to direct her to the dresses (кто сможет направить ее к платьям), or at least put her right if she were in the wrong building (или, по крайней мере, поправит ее, если она была не в том: «в неправильном» здании).

private ['praIvIt], courage ['kArIG], ooze [Hz]

On the contrary, the elegance and atmosphere of the deserted staircase gave her the feeling of a private house, and one on a most grand scale at that. Was she really in the right place? Her courage threatened to ooze again, but she told herself that sooner or later she must come upon some human being who would be able to direct her to the dresses, or at least put her right if she were in the wrong building.

She pressed on (она поспешила дальше; to press on — спешить; активно продолжать /работу и т.