Knew she was sensible.

Their choice of acquaintance was wide by reason of their active church

membership: that is to say, they were members of various guilds and

Confraternities. Raymond was a sidesman, and he also organized the weekly

Football lottery in aid of the Church Decoration Fund Lou felt rather out of

things when the Mothers' Union met and had special Masses, for the Mothers'

Union was the only group she did not qualify for. Having been a nurse before

her marriage she was, however, a member of the Nurses' Guild.

Thus, most of their Catholic friends came from different departments of

Life. Others, connected with the motor works where Raymond was a foreman,

Were of different social grades to which Lou was more alive than Raymond.

He let her have her way, as a rule, when it came to a question of which would

Mix with which.

A dozen Jamaicans (десятки выходцев с Ямайки; dozen — дюжина) were

taken on at the motor works (были приняты на работу на автомобильный

завод). Two came into Raymond's department (двое /из них/ поступили:

«пришли» в отдел Раймонда). He invited them to the flat (он пригласил их к

себе домой: «в квартиру») one evening (как-то вечером) to have coffee (выпить

кофе). They were unmarried (они были холосты), very polite and black (очень

вежливы и черны). The quiet one was called Henry Pierce (того, что потише:

«тихого» звали Генри Пирс) and the talkative one, Oxford St. John (а

разговорчивого — Оксфорд Сент-Джон). Lou, to Raymond's surprise and

pleasure (Лу, к удивлению и удовольствию Раймонда), decided that all their

acquaintance (решила, что все их знакомые), from top to bottom (от самой

верхушки до самого низа), must meet Henry and Oxford (должны встретиться с

Генри и Оксфордом). All along (все это время) he had known she was not a

snob (он знал, что она не была снобом), only sensible (всего лишь разумной),

but he had rather feared (но он почти боялся, что) she would consider (она

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подумает) the mixing of their new black and their old white friends not sensible

(что смешение их новых черных /друзей/ со старыми белыми друзьями —

неразумно).

"I'm glad you like Henry and Oxford (я рад, что тебе понравились Генри и

Оксфорд)," he said. "I'm glad we’re able to introduce them (что мы сможем

представить их) to so many people (такому большому количеству людей)."

For the dark pair had (и пара темнокожих: «темная пара»), within a month (в

течение месяца), spent nine evenings at Cripps House (провела девять вечеров

в Криппс Хауз); they had met accountants (они встретились с бухгалтерами),

teachers

(учителями),

packers(упаковщиками),

and sorters

(и

сортировщиками). Only Tina Farrell (только Тина Фаррелл), the usherette

(билетерша), had not seemed to understand (казалось, не понимала) the quality

of these occasions (ценность этих встреч; quality — качество): "Quite nice

chaps (довольно приятные парни), them darkies (эти черные; darky — негр,

черномазый), when you get to know them (когда познакомишься с ними

поближе)."

talkative ['tO:kqtIv] acquaintance [q'kweIntqns] occasion [q'keIZ(q)n]

A dozen Jamaicans were taken on at the motor works. Two came into

Raymond's department. He invited them to the flat one evening to have coffee.

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