Читать «Английский язык с В. Ирвингом. Рип ван Винкль» онлайн - страница 13

His adherents, however (for every great man has his adherents), perfectly understood him, and knew how to gather his opinions. When any thing that was read or related displeased him, he was observed to smoke his pipe vehemently; and to send forth short, frequent and angry puffs; but when pleased, he would inhale the smoke slowly and tranquilly, and emit it in light and placid clouds; and sometimes, taking the pipe from his mouth, and letting the fragrant vapor curl about his nose, would gravely nod his head in token of perfect approbation.

From even this stronghold (даже из этой цитадели; stronghold [‘strONhqVld] — крепость, твердыня, цитадель; оплот) the unlucky Rip was at length routed by his termagant wife (несчастный Рип, в конце концов, бывал обращен в бегство его сварливой женой), who would suddenly break in upon the tranquility of the assemblage (которая, бывало, неожиданно врывалась в спокойствие собрания; assemblage [q’semblIG] — сбор, собрание; скопление) and call the members all to naught (и называла его участников ничтожествами; naught [nO:t] — ничто; ноль; бесполезный, ничтожный); nor was that august personage (не была даже такая августейшая особа), Nicholas Vedder himself (как сам Николас Веддер), sacred from the daring tongue of this terrible virago (неприкосновенен от дерзкого языка этой ужасной мегеры; virago [vI’rQ:gqV] — бой-баба, амазонка; сварливая женщина, мегера), who charged him outright with encouraging her husband in habits of idleness (которая прямо обвиняла его в подстрекательстве ее мужа к привычкам праздности).

From even this stronghold the unlucky Rip was at length routed by his termagant wife, who would suddenly break in upon the tranquility of the assemblage and call the members all to naught; nor was that august personage, Nicholas Vedder himself, sacred from the daring tongue of this terrible virago, who charged him outright with encouraging her husband in habits of idleness.