), flatter (льстила), intrigue (интриговала), even if need be give herself to advance her husband's interests (даже, если потребуется отдала бы себя, чтобы содействовать интересам своего мужа;
need — нужда; потребность). Here was the ideal situation for such assistance (это была идеальная ситуация для такого содействия); a plum was ready to fall to the right man (доходное место было готово достаться нужному человеку;
plum — слива; доходное место,«лакомый кусочек»; to fall — падать; доставаться) and there was no way (и не было способа) she could influence it into the lap of her Jules (/каким/ она могла бы повлиять, /чтобы она попала/ в подол =
в руки ее Жюля). There was no one in those circles (не было никого в тех кругах) who cared so much as a fig for her or her husband (кто позаботился =
сделал бы даже пустяк/мелочь для нее или ее мужа;
fig — фига; винная ягода, инжир; нечто мелкое, незначительное; пустяк).
burden [bWdn], salon [sx'lLN], intrigue [In'trJg]
This then was the burden that Mme. Colbert carried about with her. She had helped her husband by working and taking financial strain off him and so had built herself into her position in the great dressmaking house. But she realized now that this was not enough and that in another way she had failed. The wife of a diplomat or a politician must herself be a diplomat or a politician, conduct a salon to which the great and the might-be great would be invited; she would wheedle, flatter, intrigue, even if need be give herself to advance her husband's interests. Here was the ideal situation for such assistance; a plum was ready to fall to the right man and there was no way she could influence it into the lap of her Jules. There was no one in those circles who cared so much as a fig for her or her husband.
This knowledge drove Mme. Colbert almost frantic with unhappiness (это знание делало мадам Кольбер почти безумной от несчастья) for she loved her husband (потому что она любила своего мужа) and could not bear to see him destroyed (и не могла видеть: «выносить видеть», как его уничтожали), but neither could she do anything (но также она не могла ничего поделать) to prevent it (чтобы предотвратить это) and break the ugly pattern of his being shunted aside (и разрушить ужасную череду: «шаблон», когда его постоянно отталкивали; pattern — шаблон; система; to shunt — переводить на запасной путь; отталкивать, перемещать
