Postscript (эпилог)

“If you are looking for autobiographical facts (если вы ищете автобиографические факты),” P. L. Travers once wrote (Памела Треверс однажды написала), “Mary Poppins is the story of my life («Мэри Поппинс — история моей жизни»).” This seems rather unlikely (это кажется довольно невероятным / неправдоподобным), when you consider (если вы учитываете) that Mary Poppins goes inside a chalk pavement picture (что Мэри Поппинс входит в меловую картину на тротуаре), slides up banisters (скользит вверх по перилам), arranges tea-parties on the ceiling (устраивает чаепития на потолке) and has a carpet bag (и имеет ковровую сумку) which is both empty and — at the same time — contains many strange but useful objects (которая одновременно пустая и в то же время содержит много странных, но полезных вещей). And yet memories of people and events from her life did find their way into the Mary Poppins stories (и однако воспоминания о людях и событиях из ее жизни нашли свой путь в рассказах Мэри Поппинс) — not that most people were aware of that (правда, большинство людей не знали об этом). Even those of us (даже те из нас) who were her friends knew little about her private life (кто были ее друзьями, знали немного о ее личной жизни).

One thing we did know was that (одно, что мы знали — это то), as a child growing up in Australia (что как ребенок, выросший в Австралии), she had fallen in love with the fairy-tales, myths and legends (она влюбилась в сказки, мифы и легенды) from which she later borrowed some of the ideas and images found in her own books (из которых она позднее заимствовала некоторые из идей и образов, найденных в ее собственных книгах). Her passion for reading naturally led her to become a storyteller (ее страсть к чтению естественно привела ее к тому, что она стала рассказчицей), beginning her writing career as a journalist and poet some years before she wrote her first full-length novel (начав свою писательскую карьеру в качестве журналиста и поэтессы за несколько лет до того, как она написала свой первый солидный роман; full-lenth — «полной протяженности»). It was in one of her earliest stories (это было в одном из ее ранних рассказов) — written before she left Australia for Britain in 1924 (написанном перед тем, как она покинула Австралию ради Британии = переезжаю в Британию в 1924) — that a character appeared named Mary Poppins (появился персонаж, которого звали Мэри Поппинс). She was neither magical nor particularly memorable (она была ни магической, ни особенно запоминающейся), but the author had found a name (но автор обнаружил имя) that she would one day give to somebody else (которое она однажды даст кому-то еще)…

autobiographical ['O:tquֽbaIqu'græfIk(q)l] Australia [Os'treIljq] character ['kærIktq]

“If you are looking for autobiographical facts,” P. L. Travers once wrote, “Mary Poppins is the story of my life.” This seems rather unlikely, when you consider that Mary Poppins goes inside a chalk pavement picture, slides up banisters, arranges tea-parties on the ceiling and has a carpet bag which is both empty and — at the same time — contains many strange but useful objects. And yet memories of people and events from her life did find their way into the Mary Poppins stories — not that most people were aware of that. Even those of us who were her friends knew little about her private life.

One thing we did know was that, as a child growing up in Australia, she had fallen in love with the fairy-tales, myths and legends from which she later borrowed some of the ideas and images found in her own books. Her passion for reading naturally led her to become a storyteller, beginning her writing career as a journalist and poet some years before she wrote her first full-length novel. It was in one of her earliest stories — written before she left Australia for Britain in 1924 — that a character appeared named Mary Poppins. She was neither magical nor particularly memorable, but the author had found a name that she would one day give to somebody else…

That “somebody” blew into Pamela Travers’ imagination (этот «другой» ворвался в воображение Памелы Треверс) rather as Mary Poppins herself blew into Cherry Tree Lane (довольно /похоже на то/, как сама Мэри Поппинс ворвалась на Вишневую улицу). The author was staying in an old thatched manor in Sussex (автор жила в старом, крытом соломой особняке в Сассексе) and was ill in bed (и лежала в постели по болезни). As she once described it to me (как она однажды описала это мне): “The idea of this unusual person came to me (идея/представление об этой необычной личности/необычном человеке пришла ко мне) and, in that halfway state between being well and ill, I began to write about her (и, на полпути между здоровьем и болезнью я начала писать о ней).”

So (так что), some parts of Mary Poppins came to Pamela from out of the blue (некоторые части рассказа о Мэри Поппинс пришли к Памеле из синевы = из неба = совершенно неожиданно; out of the blue — совершенно неожиданно, как гром среди ясного неба); others were memories of her earlier life (другие были воспоминаниями о ее ранней жизни) when she was growing up on an Australian sugar plantation (когда она подрастала на Австралийской сахарной плантации). Bertha (or maybe she was called Bella — Pamela could never quite remember!) (Берта (или может быть ее звали Бэла — Памела не могла точно вспомнить)), one of the family’s Irish servants (одна из ирландских слуг семьи), was a marvellous character (была удивительным персонажем) whose pride and joy was a parrot-headed umbrella (чьей гордостью и радостью был зонтик с головой попугая). “Whenever Bertha was going out (когда бы Берта ни выходила из дома),” Pamela told me (Памела рассказвала мне), “the umbrella would be carefully taken out of tissue paper (зонтик должен был заботливо вынут из оберточной бумаги) and off she would go (и она уходила), looking terribly stylish (выглядя ужасно стильно). But, as soon as she came back (но, как только она возвращалась), the umbrella would be wrapped up in tissue paper once more (зонтик должен был упаковываться в оберточную бумагу еще раз = снова).”

Bertha ['bq:Tq] tissue ['tI∫u:] servants ['sq:v(q)nts]

That “somebody” blew into Pamela Travers’ imagination rather as Mary Poppins herself blew into Cherry Tree Lane. The author was staying in an old thatched manor in Sussex and was ill in bed. As she once described it to me: “The idea of this unusual person came to me and, in that halfway state between being well and ill, I began to write about her.”

So, some parts of Mary Poppins came to Pamela from out of the blue; others were memories of her earlier life when she was growing up on an Australian sugar plantation. Bertha (or maybe she was called Bella — Pamela could never quite remember!), one of the family’s Irish servants, was a marvellous character whose pride and joy was a parrot-headed umbrella. “Whenever Bertha was going out,” Pamela told me, “the umbrella would be carefully taken out of tissue paper and off she would go, looking terribly stylish. But, as soon as she came back, the umbrella would be wrapped up in tissue paper once more.”

Like Mary Poppins (подобно Мэри Поппинс), Bertha also had a number of fascinating relatives (Бэрта имела много очаровательных родственников) whom she would visit (которых она навещала). Pamela recalled (Памела вспоминала): “She would come back and tell us wonderful stories (она возвращалась и рассказывала удивительные истории)… But no (но нет) — she wouldn’t quite tell (она не совсем рассказывала). She’d just hint (она только намекала): ‘If you could know what happened to me cousin’s brother-in-law (если бы вы только знали, что случилось со моей кузины зятем)…’ And when you’d opened your ears and your eyes (и когда вы открывали свои уши и свои глаза) — and your mouth (и ваш рот) — waiting for more (ожидая большего), she would say (она говорила): ‘Ah, well, then, it’s not for the ears of children (а, ну, это не для детских ушей)…’ And I would wonder (а я гадала) what were those things that were not for the ears of children (что же было тем, что не для детских ушей).”

Some children’s writers (некоторые детские писатели) — maybe because they worry about what is suitable for the ears of children (возможно, поскольку они беспокоятся о том, что подходит для детских ушей) — talk down to their readers (говорят свысока с читателями). Not P. L. Travers (но не П. Треверс). “Nobody writes for children really (никто не пишет для детей по-настоящему),” she’d say (она говорила). “You’re writing to make yourself laugh (вы пишите, чтобы себя рассмешить), or yourself cry (или заставить себя плакать); if you write for children, you’ve lost them (если вы будете писать для детей, вы их потеряли).” Her readers proved her right (ее читатели доказали ее правоту), and wrote to the author in their thousands (и писали автору тысячами), often asking the same questions (часто задавая одинаковые вопросы): Where did Mary Poppins come from (откуда пришла Мэри Поппинс)? Why did she go (почему она ушла)? and Where did she go (и куда она ушла)?

From every point of the compass (из любой точки компаса) — and Mary Poppins knew all about compasses (а Мэри Поппинс знала все о компасах)! — children would send their letters (дети посылали свои письма), carefully written in large, round writing (аккуратно написанные большим, круглым почерком), punctuating their demands for answers with words of praise and, occasionally, complaint (перемежая свои требования ответов со словами похвалы, а иногда, жалобы). When, at the end of Mary Poppins Opens the Door (когда, в конце «Мэри Поппинс открывает дверь»), the heroine flew away for the third time (персонаж улетает в третий раз), a boy (who wasn’t the world’s best speller) wrote mournfully (мальчик (который не был лучшим в мире знатоком орфографии) написал угрюмо): “You should not have done that, Madum (вам не следовало делать этого, мадам), you have made the children cry (вы заставили детей плакать).” Pamela treasured that letter (Памела высоко оценила это письмо), and replied (и ответила): “I am not surprised (я не удивлена). I cried myself, when I wrote it down (я сама плакала, когда писала его).”

fascinating ['fæsIneItIŋ] thousands ['Tauz(q)nds] punctuating ['pAŋktu'eItIŋ]

Like Mary Poppins, Bertha also had a number of fascinating relatives whom she would visit. Pamela recalled: “She would come back and tell us wonderful stories… But no — she wouldn’t quite tell. She’d just hint: ‘If you could know what happened to me cousin’s brother-in-law…’ And when you’d opened your ears and your eyes — and your mouth — waiting for more, she would say: ‘Ah, well, then, it’s not for the ears of children…’ And I would wonder what were those things that were not for the ears of children.”

Some children’s writers — maybe because they worry about what is suitable for the ears of children — talk down to their readers. Not P. L.Travers. “Nobody writes for children really,” she’d say. “You’re writing to make yourself laugh, or yourself cry; if you write for children, you’ve lost them.” Her readers proved her right, and wrote to the author in their thousands, often asking the same questions: Where did Mary Poppins come from? Why did she go? and Where did she go?

From every point of the compass — and Mary Poppins knew all about compasses! — children would send their letters, carefully written in large, round writing, punctuating their demands for answers with words of praise and, occasionally, complaint. When, at the end of Mary Poppins Opens the Door, the heroine flew away for the third time, a boy (who wasn’t the world’s best speller) wrote mournfully: “You should not have done that, Madum, you have made the children cry.” Pamela treasured that letter, and replied: “I am not surprised. I cried myself, when I wrote it down.”

The only rule Pamela had about writing was that there were no set rules (единственное правило, которое было у Памелы насчет писательства — нет установленных правил). She wrote her stories (она писала свои рассказы/истории), she said (она говорила), “because they were there to be written (потому что они приходили сюда, чтобы их написали)”. The actual business of catching ideas and getting them on paper was a mysterious and lonely process (настоящее занятие добычи идей и нанесении их на бумагу было таинственным и уединенным процессом); and yet (и все же), as she would explain (как она объясняла), “you can do it anywhere, any time (ты можешь делать это где угодно, в любое время) — when you’re out at the shops buying a pound of butter (когда ты в магазине покупаешь фунт масла) — still it goes on (это все продолжается). Even if you forget your idea by the time you get home (даже если ты забыла свою мысль/идею к тому времени, как пришла домой), you wait a little (ты ждешь немного) and then it will come back if it wants to (а затем она вернется, если захочет).”

And the ideas did come back (и мысли действительно возвращались) — or maybe she had never forgotten them (или, может быть, она никогда не забывала их)? “Spit-spot into bed” was a favourite phrase of her mother’s («мигом в кровать» была любимой фразой ее матери), and other bits of Mary Poppins’ character were clearly inspired by Pamela’s spinster aunt, Christina Saraset (а другие черты характера Мэри Поппинс были явно навеяны тетей Памелы, старой девой Кристиной Сарасет), whom everybody called “Aunt Sass” (которую все называли «Тетя Сасс»). She was a crisp (она была живой/резкой; crisp — завитой, кудрявый; жесткий), no-nonsense woman with a sharp tongue and a heart of gold (не сумасбродной: «никакой чепухи /мне тут/» женщиной с острым языком и золотым сердцем) who, like Mary Poppins, was given to making “a curious convulsion in her nose that was something between a snort and a sniff” (которая, как и Мэри Поппинс, была склонна издавать «любопытные колебания в своем носу, которые были что-то между фырканьем и сопением »; be given to — быть склонным к /чему-либо/).

When Pamela once suggested to her aunt that she might write about her (когда Памела однажды намекнула ей, что она, возможно, напишет о ней), the elderly lady replied (пожилая леди ответила): “What (что)! You put me in a book (ты поместишь меня в книгу)! I trust you will never so far forget yourself (я верю, что ты никогда настолько не забудешься) as to do anything so vulgarly disgusting (чтобы совершить что-либо настолько вульгарно отвратительное)!”This indignant response was followed up with a contemptuous (за возмущенным ответом последовало пренебрежительное), “Sniff, sniff (фыр, фыр)!” Doesn’t this sound just like Mary Poppins speaking (не звучит ли это как раз, как разговаривала Мэри Поппинс)? Equally (в равной степени), it might have been P. L. Travers herself (это могла быть П. Треверс сама), who said something very similar to me (которая сказала что-то похожее мне) when I rashly suggested one day that I might write her life story (когда я опрометчиво/поспешно предложил/намекнул однажды, что я напишу ее историю жизни)!

convulsion [kqn'vAl∫(q)n] suggested [sq'GestId] vulgarly ['vAlgqlI]

The only rule Pamela had about writing was that there were no set rules. She wrote her stories, she said, “because they were there to be written”. The actual business of catching ideas and getting them on paper was a mysterious and lonely process; and yet, as she would explain, “you can do it anywhere, any time — when you’re out at the shops buying a pound of butter — still it goes on. Even if you forget your idea by the time you get home, you wait a little and then it will come back if it wants to.”

And the ideas did come back — or maybe she had never forgotten them? “Spit-spot into bed” was a favourite phrase of her mother’s, and other bits of Mary Poppins’ character were clearly inspired by Pamela’s spinster aunt, Christina Saraset, whom everybody called “Aunt Sass”. She was a crisp, no-nonsense woman with a sharp tongue and a heart of gold who, like Mary Poppins, was given to making “a curious convulsion in her nose that was something between a snort and a sniff”.

When Pamela once suggested to her aunt that she might write about her, the elderly lady replied: “What! You put me in a book! I trust you will never so far forget yourself as to do anything so vulgarly disgusting!”This indignant response was followed up with a contemptuous, “Sniff, sniff!” Doesn’t this sound just like Mary Poppins speaking? Equally, it might have been P. L. Travers herself, who said something very similar to me when I rashly suggested one day that I might write her life story!

I received a similar reaction (я получил подобную реакцию) — the severe look and the sniff (суровый взгляд и фырканье)! — when I once wondered aloud whether Mary Poppins was based on a real person (когда я однажды поинтересовался вслух, была ли Мэри Поппинс основана на реальном человеке). After all (в конце концов), the character is very real to a great many people (персонаж очень реален для огромного количества людей). Pamela herself had once told me (сама Памела однажды сказала мне) how a harassed mother of three had written to ask for Mary Poppins’s address (как измученная мать троих детей написала, чтобы попросить адрес Мэри Поппинс), adding (добавив): “Because if she has really left the Banks family (потому что если она действительно ушла из семьи Бэнксов), couldn’t she come to me (не могла ли она прийти ко мне)?” In reply to my question, however, all Pamela would say was (в ответ на мой вопрос, тем не менее, все, что сказала Памела, было), “Well (ну)? Have you ever met anyone like Mary Poppins (вы когда-либо встречали кого-либо, похожего на Мэри Поппинс)?” Taken aback by her brusque tone (пораженный ее отрывистым/резким тоном; to take aback — захватить врасплох, поразить), I was silent for a moment (я замолчал на мгновенье), then summoned up my courage (затем собрал все свое мужество) and said that I hadn’t but that I rather wished I had (и сказал, что я не встречал, но очень хотел встретить).

What I should have said was what I knew in my heart, which was (что мне следовало сказать было то, что я знаю в своем сердце, а именно), “Yes, I have met someone very like Mary Poppins (да, я встречал кое-кого, очень похожую на Мэри Поппинс) — and she is you (и она — это вы)…”

severe [sI'vIq] brusque [brAsk] summoned ['sAmqnt]

I received a similar reaction — the severe look and the sniff! — when I once wondered aloud whether Mary Poppins was based on a real person. After all, the character is very real to a great many people. Pamela herself had once told me how a harassed mother of three had written to ask for Mary Poppins’s address, adding: “Because if she has really left the Banks family, couldn’t she come to me?” In reply to my question, however, all Pamela would say was, “Well? Have you ever met anyone like Mary Poppins?” Taken aback by her brusque tone, I was silent for a moment, then summoned up my courage and said that I hadn’t but that I rather wished I had.

What I should have said was what I knew in my heart, which was, “Yes, I have met someone very like Mary Poppins — and she is you…”

BRIAN SIBLEY (Брайан Сибли)