[rɪ ,spɒnsə'bɪləti] – n обязанность
retire [rɪ'taɪə(r)] – v уходить на пенсию
rumour ['ru:mə(r)] – n слух
selfish ['selfɪʃ] – adj эгоистичный
shortly ['ʃɔ:tli] – adv скоро, вскоре
spell [spel] – n заклинание
state [steɪt] – v утверждать
terror ['terə(r)] – n ужас
tragic ['trædʒɪk] – adj трагический
valet ['væleɪ] – n камердинер
view [vju:] – n мнение, взгляд
Chapter IV
One afternoon, a month later, Dorian Gray was lying in a luxurious armchair at Lord Henry's house. The room was charming, with olive oakpanels, cream-coloured decorations, and Persian rugs. Warm light was making its way through the windows. Dorian felt bored as he flipped through an illustrated book, annoyed by the clock's ticking. Finally, he heard footsteps, and the door opened.
Dorian was waiting for Lord Henry, who was always late. According to his principles, punctuality was a thief of time. Instead of Lord Henry, Lady Henry entered. She introduced herself and said that she recognised Dorian from the eighteen photographs of his that Lord Henry kept.
Lady Henry was a curious woman. Her clothes always looked like she had put them on in a rush. She was full of romantic interest for someone else, but her love was never mutual. She looked peculiar, and often untidy.
Dorian and Lady Henry chatted about music. Lady Henry adored loud music like Wagner's, as it allowed her to talk during performances, while Dorian preferred silence during good music. She noticed that Dorian's opinion was the same as her husband's.
Lord Henry finally arrived, apologising for being late. He explained that he had been haggling over a piece of fabric. “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” he complained.
Lady Henry walked away, and Lord Henry advised Dorian not to get married. “Men marry because they are tired. Women – because they are curious. As a result, both are disappointed,” he said. Dorian admitted he would probably not get married in the future, because he was too much in love with Sibyl Vane. She was an actress who wasn't well-known yet, but, according to Dorian, would soon be, as she was a genius.
Despite his scepticism towards women, Lord Henry listened attentively as Dorian shared the story of how he and Sibyl first met. Three weeks ago, Lord Henry sparked Dorian's desire to know everything about the world. So one evening, although the city was dull, grey, and monstrous, Dorian went out and, feeling oddlydelighted, wandered into a little theatre, where he encountered the greatest love of his life. The word 'greatest' made Lord Henry laugh, but Dorian continued. Sibyl's beauty captivated him, and he started going to that theatre every night.
Dorian also spoke about Sibyl's personality. She was shy, gentle, and child-like. When she talked to Dorian, she was always nervous and called him Prince Charming. She lived with her mother, who was also an actress, and knew so little about the real world.
Noticing Lord Henry's reaction, Dorian regretted telling him about Sibyl.
“You can't help it,” Lord Henry noted, “all through your life, you will tell me everything you do.”
“You're right,” Dorian agreed, “you understand me. If I ever committed a crime, I would come and confess it to you.”
Lord Henry was pleased. He realised that the shy boy he had met weeks ago was no longer frightened. He wasn't fighting his desire to be with Sibyl. Dorian invited Lord Henry and Basil to see Sibyl in a play. It was a part of his plan to help Sibyl get out of her theatre contract. Intrigued, Lord Henry agreed.
Soon, he received a telegram: Dorian Gray and Sibyl Vane were engaged.
according to [ə'kɔ:dɪŋ tu] – adv согласно
admit [əd'mɪt] – v признавать
adore [ə'dɔ:(r)] – v обожать
advise [əd'vaɪz] – v советовать
annoyed [ə'nɔɪd] – adj раздраженный
attentively [ə'tɛntɪvli] – adv внимательно
captivate ['kæptɪveɪt] – v пленять, очаровывать
commit [kə'mɪt] – v совершать (что-либо плохое)
contract ['kɒntrækt] – n контракт
crime [kraɪm] – n преступление
curious ['kjʊəriəs] – adj странный, любопытный
delighted [dɪ'laɪtɪd] – adj довольный, радостный
disappointed [,dɪsə'pɔɪntɪd] – adj разочарованный
dull [dʌl] – adj скучный, пасмурный
encounter [ɪn'kaʊntə(r)] – v встретить (неожиданно)
engaged [ɪn'ɡeɪdʒd] – adj обрученный
fabric ['fæbrɪk] – n ткань
footstep ['fʊtstep] – n звук шагов
genius ['dʒi:niəs] – n гений
gentle ['dʒentl] – adj нежный
haggle ['hæɡl] – v
