«Been here long?»
«Only a day.»
«Oh.»
Evidently feeling that the subject had been thoroughly changed, he looked in turn (по очереди) at the others.
«Going to stay all summer?» asked Mrs. McKisco, innocently (невинно). «If you do (если останешься) you can watch the plot unfold (раскрывать).»
«For God’s sake (ради бога), Violet, drop (бросать, отказываться от) the subject!» exploded her husband. «Get a new joke (шутка), for God’s sake!»
Mrs. McKisco swayed (качнуться) toward Mrs. Abrams and breathed (выдохнуть) audibly (громко, вслух):
«He’s nervous.»
«I’m not nervous,» disagreed McKisco. «It just happens I’m not nervous at all.»
He was burning (гореть) visibly (вслух) – a grayish flush (румянец) had spread over his face, dissolving (растворять) all his expressions into a vast (огромный) ineffectuality (отсутствие эффективности, действенности). Suddenly remotely (отдаленно) conscious (осознавать) of his condition he got up (подняться) to go in the water, followed by his wife (а жена следовала за ним), and seizing the opportunity (воспользоваться возможностью) Rosemary followed (последовать за ними).
Mr. McKisco drew a long breath, flung himself into the shallows and began a stiff-armed batting of the Mediterranean, obviously intended to suggest a crawl – his breath exhausted he arose and looked around with an expression of surprise that he was still in sight of shore.
«I haven’t learned to breathe (дышать) yet. I never quite understood how they breathed.» He looked at Rosemary inquiringly (вопросительно).
«I think you breathe out (выдыхать) under water,» she explained. «And every fourth beat (такт, удар) you roll (крутить, вертеть) your head over (над водой) for air.»
«The breathing’s the hardest part for me. Shall we go to the raft (плот, наплавной мост, паром)?»
The man with the leonine (львиный) head lay stretched out upon the raft, which tipped (перевешивать) back and forth (вперед) with the motion (движение) of the water. As Mrs. McKisco reached for (потянуться) it a sudden (неожиданный) tilt (наклон) struck (ударить) her arm up roughly (сильно), whereupon (при этом) the man started up (поднялся на ноги) and pulled (вытянуть) her on board.
«I was afraid it hit you (что он ударит вас).» His voice was slow (тихий) and shy (застенчивый); he had one of the saddest (печальный) faces Rosemary had ever seen (когда-либо видела), the high (высокий) cheekbones (скула) of an Indian, a long upper lip, and enormous (огромный) deep-set (глубоко посаженный) dark golden eyes. He had spoken out of the side (уголок) of his mouth, as if he hoped his words would reach Mrs. McKisco by a circuitous (кружный, окольный, обходной) and unobtrusive (ненавязчивый; малозаметный) route (способ; путь, маршрут); in a minute he had shoved (отталкиваться) off into the water and his long body lay motionless (неподвижно) toward shore.