– бонна; воспитательница, наставница). His father was a stern, preoccupied lawyer (его отец был строгим, /вечно/ занятым/погруженным в свои дела адвокатом), who gave him little attention (который уделял ему мало внимания), and expected great things of him (и ожидал от него великих дел). For all his brightness he found life a little grey and dull I think (я думаю, несмотря на свои способности, он считал жизнь немного серой и скучной; for all – несмотря на, хотя). And one day he wandered (и однажды он отправился побродить; to wander – бродить, странствовать, скитаться).
precocious [prɪ'kǝʋʃǝs], people ['pi:pl], initiative [ɪ'nɪʃǝtɪv], authoritative [ɔ:'θɒrɪtǝtɪv]
“If I'm right in that, I was about five years and four months old.”
He was, he said, rather a precocious little boy – he learned to talk at an abnormally early age, and he was so sane and “old-fashioned,” as people say, that he was permitted an amount of initiative that most children scarcely attain by seven or eight. His mother died when he was born, and he was under the less vigilant and authoritative care of a nursery governess. His father was a stern, preoccupied lawyer, who gave him little attention, and expected great things of him. For all his brightness he found life a little grey and dull I think. And one day he wandered.
He could not recall the particular neglect that enabled him to get away (он не мог вспомнить, как ему удалось: «какая халатность позволила» удрать), nor the course he took among the West Kensington roads (ни направление, которое он избрал среди дорог Западного Кенсингтона). All that had faded among the incurable blurs of memory (все это постепенно исчезло среди неизлечимых размытостей = провалов памяти). But the white wall and the green door stood out quite distinctly (но белая стена и зеленая дверь выделялись совершенно отчетливо).
As his memory of that remote childish experience ran (как следовало из его воспоминаний о том далеком = давнем событии в детстве; to run – бежать; гласить, быть выраженным), he did at the very first sight of that door experience a peculiar emotion, an attraction, a desire to get to the door and open it and walk in (он при первом же взгляде на ту дверь испытал необыкновенное чувство, влечение, желание подойти к двери, открыть ее и войти).
among [ǝ'mʌŋ], incurable [ɪn'kjʋǝrǝbl], peculiar [pɪ'kju:lɪǝ]
He could not recall the particular neglect that enabled him to get away, nor the course he took among the West Kensington roads. All that had faded among the incurable blurs of memory. But the white wall and the green door stood out quite distinctly.
As his memory of that remote childish experience ran, he did at the very first sight of that door experience a peculiar emotion, an attraction, a desire to get to the door and open it and walk in.
And at the same time he had the clearest conviction that either it was unwise or it was wrong of him (и в то же время он имел = ощущал очень четкую убежденность, что либо это неблагоразумно, либо неправильно) – he could not tell which (он не мог понять: «сказать» что /из двух/; to tell – отличать, различать; осознавать, понимать, постигать) – to yield to this attraction (если он поддастся: «поддаться» этому влечению). He insisted upon it (он настаивал на этом) as a curious thing that he knew from the very beginning (как на любопытном факте, который он знал с самого начала) – unless memory has played him the queerest trick (если память не сыграла с ним необычнейшую шутку) – that the door was unfastened (/настаивал/ что дверь была открыта), and that he could go in as he chose (и что он сможет войти, когда решится; to choose – предпочитать; решаться на какой-л. выбор).
I seem to see the figure of that little boy (я так и вижу фигуру того маленького мальчика; to seem – казаться), drawn and repelled (притягиваемого и отталкиваемого = которого и влечет к двери, и отталкивает от нее). And it was very clear in his mind, too (и было еще очень ясно = отчетливо осознавалось в его уме; clear – четкий, отчетливый осознаваемый, ясно видимый), though why it should be so was never explained (хотя никогда не прояснилось, почему = хотя так и не ясно, с чего бы это), that his father would be very angry if he went through that door (что его отец очень рассердится, если он войдет через эту дверь).
either ['aɪðǝ], unfastened ['ʌn'fɑ:snd], figure ['fɪɡǝ]
And at the same time he had the clearest conviction that either it was unwise or it was wrong of him – he could not tell which – to yield to this attraction. He insisted upon it as a curious thing that he knew from the very beginning – unless memory has played him the queerest trick – that the door was unfastened, and that he could go in as he chose.
I seem to see the figure of that little boy, drawn and repelled. And it was very clear in his mind, too, though why it should be so was never explained, that his father would
