“George thought I better come and tell you about it.”
“There isn’t anything I can do about it,” Ole Andreson said.
“I’ll tell you what they were like.”
“I don’t want to know what they were like,” Ole Andreson said. He looked at the wall. “Thanks for coming to tell me about it.”
“That’s all right.”
Nick looked at the big man lying on the bed.
“Don’t you want me to go and see the police?”
“No,” Ole Andreson said. “That wouldn’t do any good.”
“Isn’t there something I could do?”
“No. There ain’t anything to do.”
“Maybe it was just a bluff.”
“No. It ain’t just a bluff.”
Ole Andreson rolled over toward the wall, “I just can’t make up my mind to go out. I been in here all day.”
“Couldn’t you get out of town?”
“No,” Ole Andreson said. “I’m through with all that running around.”
He looked at the wall.
“There ain’t anything to do now.”
“Couldn’t you fix it up some way?”
“No. I got in wrong.” He talked in the same flat voice. “There ain’t anything to do. After a while I’ll make up my mind to go out.”
“I better go back and see George,” Nick said.
“So long,” said Ole Andreson. He did not look toward Nick. “Thanks for coming around.”
police [p∂`li:s]]
Nick went out. As he shut the door he saw Ole Andreson with all his clothes on, lying on the bed looking at the wall.
“He’s been in his room all day,” the landlady said downstairs (сказала хозяка комнат внизу /лестницы/). “I guess he don’t feel well (я думаю, уж не заболел ли: «он не чувствует себя хорошо»; to guess – угадывать; предполагать). I said to him: ‘Mr. Andreson, you ought to go out and take a walk (вам надо бы выйти и прогуляться: «взять = сделать прогулку») on a nice fall day like this (в такой прекрасный осенний день),’ but he didn’t feel like it (ему не захотелось).”
“He doesn’t want to go out (он не хочет выходить из дому).”
“I’m sorry he don’t feel well (мне жаль, что он чувствует себя неважно),” the woman said. “He’s an awfully nice man (ужасно славный человек). He was in the ring (он был на ринге = был боксером), you know.”
“I know it.”
“You’d never know it (никогда бы не догадаться: вы бы никогда этого не узнали) except from the way his face is (за исключением, кроме как по тому, каково его лицо),” the woman said. They stood talking just inside the street door (они стояли, разговаривая, прямо в двери на улицу). “He’s just as gentle (настолько он мягкий, кроткий).”
“Well, good-night (прощайте, доброго вечера, ночи), Mrs. Hirsch,” Nick said.
“I’m not Mrs. Hirsch,” the woman said. “She owns the place (она владеет этим местом). I just look after it for her (я просто присматриваю за ним для нее). I’m Mrs. Bell.”
“Well, good-night, Mrs. Bell,” Nick said.
“Good-night,” the woman said.