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Colbert, the manageress, had had a bad morning. Ordinarily a kind and gracious lady, she had let herself into a quarrel with M. Fauvel, the young and handsome chief of the auditing department, of whom otherwise she was rather fond, and had sent him upstairs again to his domaine with his ears reddening.
It was merely a matter of his inquiring (дело было просто в его расспросах) about a client (о клиенте) whose bills seemed to run too long without payment (чьи счета, казалось, оставались слишком долго без оплаты; to run — бежать; быть в обращении, накапливаться /о долге/). On any other day (в любой другой день) Mme. Colbert might have favored the auditor (мадам Кольбер поддержала бы/оказала помощь аудитору) with a penetrating and not unhumorous run-down of the clients’ characteristics (проницательным и не без юмора кратким описанием особенностей клиентов), idiosyncrasies and trustworthiness (черт характера и надежности; idiosyncrasy — идиосинкразия /измененная, болезненная чувствительность организма к некоторым веществам или воздействиям; активное неприятие кого-л. или чего-л./) since sooner or later they all bared themselves to her (поскольку рано или поздно все они раскрывались перед ней; to bare — обнажать). Instead of which she railed angrily at him (вместо этого она выругала гневно его; to rail — ругать, бранить; жаловаться, сетовать) that it was her business to sell dresses (что ее делом было продавать платья) and his to collect the money (а его — собирать деньги) and she had not the time to inspect the bank accounts of clients (и что у нее не было времени проверять банковские счета клиентов). That was his affair (это было его делом/занятием).
merely ['mIqlI], inquiring [In'kwaIqrIN], idiosyncrasy ["IdIq'sINkrqsI]
It was merely a matter of his inquiring about a client whose bills seemed to run too long without payment. On any other day Mme. Colbert might have favored the auditor with a penetrating and not unhumorous run-down of the clients' characteristics, idiosyncrasies and trustworthiness since sooner or later they all bared themselves to her. Instead of which she railed angrily at him that it was her business to sell dresses and his to collect the money and she had not the time to inspect the bank accounts of clients. That was his affair.
Besides giving short answers all morning (кроме коротких ответов на протяжении всего утра), she had ticked off several of the sales girls (она дала нагоняй нескольким продавщицам) and even permitted herself to scold Natasha (и даже позволила себе обругать Наташу), the star model of the house (модель-звезду дома), for being late for a fitting (за опоздание на примерку), when, as she knew well (хотя, как она хорошо знала), the Metro and the buses were engaging in a slow-down strike (/что/ метро и автобусы бастовали: «были вовлечены в забастовку» со снижением темпа работы). What made it worse (что ухудшило /дело/) was that the exquisite Natasha had responded to the sharp words (так это то, что красавица Наташа отреагировала на резкие слова) in a most un-prima-donna-like manner (в наиболее несвойственной примадонне манере): she didn't argue or snap back (она не /стала/ спорить или отвечать резко; to snap — щелкать, лязгать, хлопать /чем-л./; схватить, цапнуть, укусить; разговаривать отрывисто, раздраженно; набрасываться /на кого-л. — at/; огрызаться), only two large tears formed at her eyes (только две большие слезы образовались = появились в ее глазах) and rolled down her cheeks (и скатились вниз по щекам).
scold [skquld], worse [wWs], exquisite ['ekskwIzIt]
Besides giving short answers all morning, she had ticked off several of the sales girls and even permitted herself to scold Natasha, the star model of the house, for being late for a fitting, when, as she knew well, the Metro and the buses were engaging in a slow-down strike. |
