Лучшие рассказы О. Генри = The Best of O. Henry. О. Генри

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176

Eden – in the Old Testament, the biblical paradise on the Earth where the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, lived

177

incog. = incognito – with concealed identity, under an assumed name

178

bunco steerer – here: swindler

179

Fortunatus – Venantius Fortunatus (540–600), a French bishop and poet, the author of Latin poems and hymns

180

horologue = chronograph, a device for measuring time

181

Rubberneck Auto – a tour bus for sightseers; rubberneck means to drive slowly to be able to see the places of interest.

182

Russell Sage (1816–1906) – an American financier who took part in organizing the US railroad and telegraph

183

the Rialto – Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice, built in the 16th century, with a broad deck carrying two arcades of shops

184

the Harlem River – a river in Harlem, the district in central New York City, with no fixed boundaries

185

H. P. = horse power

186

Epictetian philosophy – in Greek and Roman history, the philosophy of stoicism characterized by tranquility of mind and the mode of life based on certain moral principles

187

cardiaphone – the device for listening to the work of a human heart and other most subtle sounds

188

Bluebeard – a fictional character in European, Eastern and African folklore and Charles Perrault’s tale; he killed everybody who risked to enter the locked and forbidden room.

189

mfg. = manufacturing

190

wot = know (obsolete)

191

anthropology – the science which studies humanity in different aspects: biological, historical, cultural, evolutional, etc.

192

harlequin – one of the main characters in the Italian comedy of arts, a witty manservant

193

sacque = sack – here: a wide coat

194

Patrolman – a patrol policeman

195

a plain clothes man – an agent or detective (not wearing uniform)

196

hall bedroom – a one-room flat

197

the Flatrion Building – a famous skyscraper in Broadway, built in 1902

198

the great cathedral in Milan – Cathedral of Milan, a fine example of Gothic architecture, one of the largest churches in Europe, built in the 14th–15th centuries

199

regalia – emblems or decorations used at some occasions

200

début – the first appearance in society

201

bon vivants – people leading a merry life and enjoying it

202

habitués – usual customers or visitors

203

tulle – a party dress made of tulle, an extremely fine and soft fabric

204

vespertine – adj evening

205

cheviot – woolen fabric, slightly rough and heavy

206

beau monde – the best society, the elite

207

cotillions – cotillion is the 18th–19th century French court dance

208

wigwams – wigwam is a North American Indian dwelling consisting of a dome-shaped framework covered with mats

209

the tribe of the Manhattans – a North American Indian tribe that used to inhabit the island until 1626 when Manhattan was sold to the Dutch

210

the highway of Mammon and the auxiliary gods – here: the place where the rich live; Mammon is an ancient god of wealth.

211

to do de Johny act – here: to chase after a woman, to misbehave

212

diaphanous = semitransparent, translucent

213

troubadour – a lyric poet in Italy, France and Spain in the 11th–13th centuries

214

conservatory – a hot-house with glass roof and walls to protect plants from cold

215

impresario – a manager or sponsor of an actor, singer, etc. or an entertainment

216

calico – cotton fabric with plain designs, originated in Calicut, India, in the 11th century

217

ragtime – a musical style predominant in American popular music in the late 19th – early 20th century

218

lares et penates = native home (French)

219

polychromatic = multi-coloured

220

Huguenot – the French Protestant in the 16th–17th centuries

221

Psyche = Soul (Greek) – the personification of a human soul; in Greco-Roman mythology, a beautiful princess who aroused Cupid’s love.

222

Amazonian – from Amazon, in Greek mythology, a representative of the race of woman warriors who lived in the Black Sea area

223

cryptograph – a specialist in cryptography, the practice of using cipher with a secret code in messages

224

the worm dieth seldom – a part of the phrase from the Bible that describes the blazing inferno

225

rayjict = reject

226

the blowing of Gabriel’s dinner horn – Archangel Gabriel, the messenger of the God, according to the Old Testament texts blew a trumpet (horn)

227

‘Parsifal’ – opera by Richard Wagner, written in 1882 and based on the early 13th century epic poem of the same name, written by Wolfram von Eschenbach

228

Grecian = Greek

229

Eve-sister – any woman; in the Old Testament, Eve was the first woman on the Earth.

230

Sabine – a member of the Sabini, an ancient Italian tribe

231

Venus – in Roman mythology, the goddess of love, beauty, spring and gardens

232

Circe – 1) in Greek mythology, a sorceress, the daughter of the sun god and an ocean nymph; 2) an insidious seducer.

233

pompadour – high hair-do with a roll over the forehead, named after Marquise de Pompadour (1721–1764), the mistress of Louis XV of France

234

Persian lamb – expensive fur

235

Gabriel – in the Old Testament, and in the three religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam, one of the archangels, God’s messenger often depicted with a trumpet

236

Tiffany(’s) – a famous luxury jewelry selling company founded in New York by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young

237

noblesse oblige = position entails responsibility(French)

238

dactylis – here: a ring with an engraving

239