The door to the kitchen opened and the nigger came in. “What was it?” he asked. The two men at the counter took a look at him

“All right, nigger. You stand right there,” Al said.

Sam, the nigger, standing in his apron, looked at the two men sitting at the counter. “Yes, sir,” he said. Al got down from his stool.

“I’m going back to the kitchen with the nigger and bright boy,” he said. “Go on back to the kitchen, nigger. You go with him, Bright boy.” The little man walked after Nick and Sam, the cook, back into the kitchen. The door shut after them. The man called Max sat at the counter opposite George. He didn’t look at George but looked in the mirror that ran along back of the counter. Henry’s had been made over from a saloon into a lunch-counter.

apron [`eıpr∂n] opposite [`op∂zıt]

“Well, bright boy,” Max said, looking into the mirror, “why don’t you say something (почему ты не скажешь что-нибудь)?”

“What’s it all about (что все это значит: «о чем все это»)?”

“Hey, Al,” Max called, “bright boy wants to know (хочет знать) what’s all about.”

“Why don’t you tell him (что же ты ему не скажешь)?” Al’s voice came from the kitchen (отозвался голос Эла из кухни).

“What do you think it’s all about?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you think?”

Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking (все время, пока говорил).

“I wouldn’t say (я бы не сказал, не скажу, пожалуй, не знаю).”

“Hey, Al, bright boy says he wouldn’t what he thinks it’s all about.”

“I can hear you, all right (я могу слышать тебя, в порядке, хорошо = не кричи, я и так слышу),” Al said from the kitchen. He had propped open the slit (он подпер, чтобы оставалось открытым, окошечко, отверстие: «щель») that dishes passed through into the kitchen (через которое передавались блюда на кухню) with a catsup bottle (бутылкой кетчупа). “Listen, bright boy,” he said from the kitchen to George. “Stand a little further (стань немного дальше) along the bar (вдоль бара). You move a little to the left (подвинься немного налево), Max.” He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture (он был точно фотограф, расставляющий /людей/ для групповой фотографии).

“Well, bright boy,” Max said, looking into the mirror, “why don’t you say something?”

“What’s it all about?”

“Hey, Al,” Max called, “bright boy wants to know what’s all about.”

“Why don’t you tell him?” Al’s voice came from the kitchen.

“What do you think it’s all about?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you think?”