Intrude (что как старый друг он не хотел навязываться) on these newer ones (на этих более

новых «одних»)—Lime's death belonged to them (смерть Лайма принадлежала им), let them

have it (позвольте им иметь ее). He was under the sentimental illusion (он питал

сентиментальную иллюзию: «был под сентиментальной иллюзией») that Lime's life (что

Лайма жизнь)—twenty years of it anyway (двадцать лет из нее во всяком случае)—belonged

to him (принадлежала ему). As soon as the affair was over (как только: «так скоро как» дело

было закончено: «было через»)—I am not a religious man (я не религиозный человек) and

always feel a little impatient (и всегда чувствую (себя) немного нетерпеливым) with the fuss

that surrounds death (к суматохе которая окружает смерть)—Martins strode away (Мартинс

зашагал большими шагами прочь) on his long gangly legs (на его длинных неуклюжих

ногах) that always seemed likely to get entangled together (которые всегда стремились

запутаться: «казались вероятными сделаться запутавшимися вместе»), back to his taxi

(назад к его такси): he made no attempt (он (не) сделал никакой попытки) to speak to anyone

(поговорить с кем-либо), and the tears now were really running (и слезы теперь были

действительно бегущими), at any rate (во всяком случае: «по всякой мере») the few meagre

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drops (несколько скудных капель) that any of us can squeeze out at our age (которые любой

из нас может выжать наружу в нашем возрасте).

business [`bıznıs], genuine [`dƷenjuın], affair [ə`fεə]

It was just chance that they found the funeral in time—one patch in the enormous park where the

snow had been shovelled aside and a tiny group were gathered, apparently bent on some very

private business. A priest had finished speaking, his words coming secretively through the thin

patient snow, and a coffin was on the point of being lowered into the ground. Two men in lounge

suits stood at the graveside; one carried a wreath that he obviously had forgotten to drop on to

the coffin, for his companion nudged his elbow so that he came to with a start and dropped the

flowers. A girl stood a little way away with her hands over her face, and I stood twenty yards

away by another grave watching with relief the last of Lime and noticing carefully who was

there—just a man in a mackintosh I was to Martins. He came up to me and said, "Could you tell

me who they are burying?"

"A fellow called Lime," I said, and was astonished to see the tears start to this stranger's eyes: he

didn't look like a man who wept, nor was Lime the kind of man whom I thought likely to have

mourners—genuine mourners with genuine tears. There was the girl of course, but one excepts

women from all such generalisations.

Martins stood there, till the end, close beside me. He said to me later that as an old friend he

didn't want to intrude on these newer ones—Lime's death belonged to them, let them have it. He

was under the sentimental illusion that Lime's life—twenty years of it anyway—belonged to

him. As soon as the affair was over—I am not a religious man and always feel a little impatient

with the fuss that surrounds death—Martins strode away on his long gangly legs that always

seemed likely to get entangled together, back to his taxi: he made no attempt to speak to anyone,

and the tears now were really running, at any rate the few meagre drops that any of us can

squeeze out at our age.

One's file (человека: «одного» дело), you know (вы знаете), is never quite complete (есть

никогда совсем завершенное): a case is never really closed (дело (не) бывает никогда в

действительности закрыто), even after a century when all the participants are dead (даже через

век после того как: «после века когда» все участники мертвы). So I followed Martins (так

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что я последовал за Мартинсом): I knew the other three (я знал других троих; to know –

знать): I wanted to know the stranger (я хотел узнать незнакомца). I caught him up (я догнал

его; to catch up – догнать) by his taxi and said (у его такси и сказал), "I haven't any transport

(я не имею какого-либо транспорта). Would you give me a lift into town (не могли бы вы

подвезти меня: «хотели бы вы дать мне подъем» в город)?"

"Of course (конечно)," he said (он сказал). I knew the driver of my jeep would spot me (я знал

(что) водитель моего джипа заметит: «заметил бы» меня) as we came out (когда мы (бы)

выезжали наружу) and follow us unobtrusively (и последует за нами незаметно). As we

drove away (когда мы уезжали прочь) I noticed he never looked behind (я заметил (что) он

так и не посмотрел: «никогда посмотрел» назад)—it's nearly always (это есть почти всегда)

the fake mourners and the fake lovers (поддельные плакальщики и поддельные влюбленные:

«любовники») who take that last look (которые берут этот последний взгляд), who wait

waving on platforms (которые ждут машущие на платформах), instead of clearing quickly out

(вместо (того чтобы) быстро уйти; to clear – освободить, очистить), not looking back (не

оглядываясь назад). Is it perhaps that they love themselves so much (есть (ли) это, возможно,

что они любят самих себя так сильно: «много») and want to keep themselves in the sight of

others (и хотят держать себя на глазах: «в виду» других), even of the dead (даже мертвых)?