Lesson 3

Smith, Jones and Brown

Jones I met a little later under embarrassing circumstances, for he was engaged in trying to bribe the bedroom-steward to swap our cabins. He stood in a doorway of mine with a suitcase in one hand and two five-dollar bills in the other. He was saying, ‘He hasn’t been down yet. He won’t make a fuss. He’s not that kind of a chap. Even if he notices the difference.’ He spoke as if he knew me.

‘But Mr Jones …’ the steward began to argue.

Jones was a small man very tidily dressed in a pale grey suit with a double-breasted waistcoat which somehow looked out of place away from elevators, office-crowds, the clatter of typewriters – it was the only one of its kind in our scrubby cargoship peddling the sullen sea. He never changed it, I noticed later, not even on the night of the ship’s concert, and I began to wonder whether perhaps his suitcases contained no other clothes at all. I thought of him as someone who, having packed in a hurry, had brought the wrong uniform, for he certainly did not mean to be conspicuous. With the little black moustache and the dark Pekinese eyes I would have taken him for a Frenchman – perhaps someone on the Bourse – and it was quite a surprise to me when I learnt that his name was Jones.

‘Major Jones,’ he replied to the steward with a note of reproof.

I was almost as embarrassed as he was. On a cargosteamer there are few passengers and it is uncomfortable to nourish a resentment. The steward with his hands folded said to him righteously. ‘There is really nothing I can do, sir. The cabin was reserved for this gentleman. For Mr Brown.’ Smith, Jones and Brown – the situation was improbable. I had a half-right to my drab name, but had he? I smiled at his predicament, but Jones’s sense of humour, as I was to find, was of a simpler order. He looked at me with grave attention and said, ‘This is really your cabin, sir?’

‘I have an idea it is.’

“Someone told me it was unoccupied.” He shifted slightly so that his back was turned to my too obvious cabin-trunk standing just inside. The bills had disappeared, perhaps up his sleeve, for I had seen no movement towards his pocket.

‘Have they given you a bad cabin?’ I asked.

‘Oh, it’s only that I prefer the starboard side.’

‘Yes, so do I, on this particular run. One can leave the porthole open,’ and as though to emphasize the truth of what I said the boat began a slow roll as it moved further into the open sea.

‘Time for a pink gin,’ Jones said promptly, and we went upstairs together to find the small saloon and the black steward who took the first opportunity as he added water to my gin to whisper in my ear, ‘I’m a British subject, sah.’ I noticed that he made no such claim to Jones. (Graham Greene. The Comedians)

Exercise 1. Answer these questions.

1. What was unusual about the first meeting of Mr. Brown (the narrator) and Jones?

2. What problem did Jones discuss with the steward?

3. What was unusual about the double-breasted waistcoat Jones wore?

4. What did Jones look like?

5. Why did Jones try to change his cabin?

6. Why did Jones and Brown go upstairs together?

Exercise 2. State which parts of the original text might be the counterparts of these bits of the Russian translation of the book.

¨ <>познакомиться <> не совсем приятные обстоятельства <> стараться подкупить <> обменять каюты <> бумажки <> заходить <> скандалить <> такой <> отбиваться <> рост <> двубортный <> перестук <> захудалый <> прощальный <> глазеть <> причислять <> к своему изумлению <> укоризна <> неловко <> таить <> добродетельный <> оставлять <> простецкий <> казус <> примитивный <> внимательно <> полагать <> положение <> плоский <> его кулак потянулся <> правый борт <> подчеркнуть <> без обиняков <> разбавлять <> сообщить <>

Exercise 3. Find suitable Russian counterparts for those bits of the original text.

under embarrassing circumstances

to be engaged in trying to bribe

to swap our cabins

to make a fuss

the steward began to argue

very tidily dressed

a pale grey suit

a double-breasted waistcoat

out of place

clatter of typewriters

our scrubby cargoship peddling the sullen sea

having packed in a hurry

to be conspicuous

I would have taken him for

with a note of reproof

it is uncomfortable to nourish a resentment

with his hands folded

I smiled at his predicament

as I was to find

with grave attention

‘I have an idea it is.’

He shifted slightly

up his sleeve

I prefer the starboard side

on this particular run

as though to emphasize the truth

the boat began a slow roll

Jones said promptly

who took the first opportunity

Exercise 4. Translate these sentences into English using the following words.

<> embarrassing <> circumstances <> engage <> to swap <> fuss <> to argue <> out of place <> clatter <> scrubby <> sullen <> conspicuous <> reproof <> to nourish <> predicament <> grave <> shift <> up his sleeve <> run <> to emphasize <> promptly <>

1. Не задавай им щекотливых вопросов.

2. Его нашли мертвым в прошлом году при загадочных обстоятельствах.

3. Боюсь, что не смогу к вам присоединиться, потому что у меня есть дела.

4. Они рассказали друг другу о своих летних каникулах.

5. Не устраивай шума не из ничего.

6. Мы поспорили с женщиной о цене костюма.

7. Этому шкафу не место в гостиной.

8. Стук ножей и вилок указывал на то, что у Смитов был ланч.

9. К нашему удивлению “дом” оказался жалкой лачугой.

10. Все наши попытки развлечь детей наталкивались на недовольные гримасы.

11. В этом платье ты будешь слишком заметна.

12. Она смела осколки стекла без слова упрека.