As a youth he had taken his beauty for granted ( ,
237
; to take for granted
): now he began to pay more attention to it (
) and spared no pains (
; to spare no pains ; to spare ) to keep
what was left of it ( , ). It became an
obsession ( ). He devoted anxious care to his
figure ( ). He never ate a
fattening thing ( , ;
fattening food , ) and never forgot his exercises
( ). He consulted hair specialists (
/ /) when he thought his hair was
thinning ( , ), and Julia was
convinced ( ) that had it been possible (,
) to get the operation done secretly ( )
he would have had his face lifted ( ). He had got into
the way of sitting ( ; to get into the way of
) with his chin slightly thrust out (
: ; to thrust out ,
) so that the wrinkles in his neck should not show (,
) and he held himself with an arched back
( : //
) to keep his belly from sagging ( :
). He could not pass a mirror (
) without looking into it ( : ,
).
obsession [qb'seS(q)n] spare [speq] arched [Q:tSt]
As a youth he had taken his beauty for granted: now he began to pay more
Attention to it and spared no pains to keep what was left of it. It became an
238
Obsession. He devoted anxious care to his figure. He never ate a fattening
Thing and never forgot his exercises. He consulted hair specialists when he
Thought his hair was thinning, and Julia was convinced that had it been
Possible to get the operation done secretly he would have had his face lifted.
He had got into the way of sitting with his chin slightly thrust out so that the
Wrinkles in his neck should not show and he held himself with an arched back
To keep his belly from sagging. He could not pass a mirror without looking
Into it.
He hankered for compliments ( // )
|
|
|
and beamed with delight ( ) when he had managed to
extract one ( // ; to extract ,
, ). They were food and drink to him (
). Julia laughed bitterly ( )
when she remembered that it was she ( , /
, /) who had accustomed him to them ( ). For years she
had told him how beautiful he was ( ,
) and now he could not live without flattery (
). It was the only chink in his armour (
; a chink in smb.'s armour , - ). An
actress out of a job ( ; out of a job ,
) had only to tell him to his face (
) that he was too handsome to be true ( ,
: , ) for him to think ( ,
) that she might do for a part he had in mind (
, ; that will do ,
).
extract [Ik'strxkt] chink [tSINk] armour ['Q:mq]
239
