Michael got himself demobbed the moment the war was finished and

Stepped straight into a part. He returned to the stage a much better actor than

He left it. The breeziness he had acquired in the army was effective. He was a

Well set-up, normal, high-spirited fellow, with a ready smile and a hearty

Laugh. He was well suited to drawing-room comedy. His light voice gave a

Peculiar effect to a flippant line, and though he never managed to make love

Convincingly he could carry off a chaffing love scene, making a proposal as if

It were rather a joke, or a declaration as though he were laughing at himself,

In a manner that the audience found engaging. He never attempted to play

Anyone but himself.

He specialized in men about town (он играл преимущественно:

«специализировался на» богатых повес; a man about town — светский

человек, жуир), gentlemanly gamblers (благородных игроков), guardsmen

(гвардейцев) and young scamps with a good side to them (и

привлекательных/добродушных молодых бездельников: «со своей хорошей

стороной»).

Managers liked him (импресарио любили его). He worked hard (он упорно

работал) and was amenable to direction (и подчинялся /их/ указаниям; amenable

— послушный, сговорчивый). So long as he could get work (пока он мог

получить работу) he didn't mind much (он не очень-то обращал внимание)

what sort of part it was (что это за роль была). He stuck out for the salary he

thought he was worth (он требовал зарплату, которую, как он думал,

заслуживал: «стоил»; to stick out for — настаивать на чем-либо, требовать),

but if he couldn't get it (но если он не мог ее получить) was prepared to take less

(он был готов согласиться на меньшее) rather than be idle (чем остаться без

работы; idle — незанятый, безработный, свободный).

He was making his plans carefully (он прорабатывал свои планы тщательно).

During the winter that followed the end of the war (зимой: «во время зимы»,

которая последовала после окончания войны) there was an epidemic of

influenza (случилась эпидемия гриппа). His father and mother died (его

родители: «отец и мать» умерли). He inherited nearly four thousand pounds (он

унаследовал почти четыре тысячи фунтов), and this with his own savings (и эти

/деньги/, вместе его собственными накоплениями) and Julia's (и

/накоплениями/ Джулии) brought up their joint capital to seven thousand

(увеличили их совместный капитал до семи тысяч; to bring up — зд.

поднимать, доводить до определенного уровня).

gambler ['gxmblq] guardsman ['gQ:dz mqn]| (pl -men [-mqn]) amenable

[q'mi:nqbl] influenza ["InflV'enzq]

He specialized in men about town, gentlemanly gamblers, guardsmen and