|
| And Clyde, nervous and irritated, would retort: | Клайд, нервничая, наконец оборвал с досадой: |
| "Ah, cut it out, you two. | - Да отстаньте вы! |
| Quit kidding. | Хватит насмехаться! |
| What's the use of trying to make out that you know so much more than I do?" | Для чего это вам нужно хвалиться, что вы знаете больше меня? |
| And Ratterer would signal Hegglund with his eyes to let up and would occasionally whisper to Clyde: | Ретерер подмигнул Хегленду, чтобы тот оставил Клайда в покое, а сам шепнул: |
| "That's all right, old man, don't get sore. | - Не сердись, старина, все в порядке. |
| You know we were just fooling, that's all." | Мы просто пошутили малость, ты ж понимаешь! |
| And Clyde, very much drawn to Ratterer, would relent and wish he were not so foolish as to show what he actually was thinking about. | И Клайд, которому очень нравился Ретерер, быстро смягчился и пожалел, что так глупо себя выдал. |
| At last, however, by eleven o'clock, they had had their fill of conversation and food and drink and were ready to depart, Hegglund leading the way. | Наконец около одиннадцати часов, когда уже вдоволь наговорились, наелись и напились, вся компания под предводительством Хегленда вышла из ресторана. |
| And instead of the vulgar and secretive mission producing a kind of solemnity and mental or moral self-examination and self-flagellation, they laughed and talked as though there was nothing but a delicious form of amusement before them. | Бесстыдные и темные намерения не заставили их призадуматься, не вызвали в них стремления к умственному и нравственному самоисследованию и самобичеванию, - напротив, они так весело смеялись и болтали, словно их ожидала просто милая забава. |
| Indeed, much to Clyde's disgust and amazement, they now began to reminisce concerning other ventures into this world - of one particular one which seemed to amuse them all greatly, and which seemed to concern some "joint," as they called it, which they had once visited - a place called "Bettina's." They had been led there originally by a certain wild youth by the name of "Pinky" Jones of the staff of another local hotel. | С изумлением и отвращением слушал Клайд, как они вспоминали свои прежние похождения. По-видимому, всех особенно забавлял случай в притоне под названием "Дом Беттины", где они однажды побывали. Их привел туда один бесшабашный малый по прозвищу Малыш Джонс, служащий из другого отеля. |
| And this boy and one other by the name of Birmingham, together with Hegglund, who had become wildly intoxicated, had there indulged in wild pranks which all but led to their arrest - pranks which to Clyde, as he listened to them, seemed scarcely possible to boys of this caliber and cleanly appearance - pranks so crude and disgusting as to sicken him a little. |