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О.Уайльд. Преданный друг. Ч.4

Oscar Wilde

THE DEVOTED FRIEND

Part 4

‘There is no good (Нет смысла) in my going to see little Hans as long as the snow lasts,’ the Miller used to say to his wife, ‘for when people are in trouble they should be left alone and not be bothered by visitors. That at least (Это по крайней мере) is my idea about friendship, and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till the spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and he will be able to give me a large basket of primroses (примула), and that will make him so happy.'

‘You are certainly very thoughtful about others,’ answered the Wife, as she sat in her comfortable armchair by the big pinewood fire (огонь из сосновых поленьев); ‘very thoughtful indeed. It is quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship. I am sure the clergyman (священник) himself could not say such beautiful things as you do, though he does live in a three-storied house (в трехэтажном доме), and wear a gold ring on his little finger.'

‘But could we not ask little Hans up here?’ said the Miller’s youngest son. ‘If poor Hans is in trouble I will give him half my porridge, and show him my white rabbits.'

‘What a silly boy you are!’ cried the Miller; ‘I really don’t know what is the use (какой толк, какая польза) of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anything. Why, if little Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, and our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I certainly will not allow Hans’ nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit, and that I could not do. Flour is one thing and friendship is another, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.'

 ‘How well you talk!’ said the Miller’s Wife, pouring herself out a large glass of warm ale (эль); ‘really I feel quite drowsy. It is just like being in church.'

‘Lots of people act well,’ answered the Miller; ‘but very few people talk well, which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also’; and he looked sternly across the table at his little son, who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his head down, and grew quite scarlet, and began to cry into his tea. However, he was so young that you must excuse him.'