perpetual [pe'peCuql], untidiness [An'taIdInIs], greasy ['grJzI]
The world in which Mrs. Harris, now approaching her sixties, moved was one of a perpetual mess, slop and untidiness. Not once, but half a dozen times a day she opened the doors of homes or flats with the keys entrusted to her, to face the litter of dirty dishes and greasy pans in the sink, areas of stale, rumpled, unmade beds, articles of clothing scattered about, wet towels on the bathroom floor, mouthwash water left in the glass, dirty laundry to be filed away and, of course, cigarette stubs in the ash trays, dust on tables and mirrors, and all the other litter that human pigs are capable of leaving behind them when they leave their homes in the morning.
Mrs. Harris cleaned up these messes because it was her profession (миссис Харрис вычищала этот беспорядок, потому что это было ее профессией), a way of gaining a livelihood and keeping body and soul together (способом добыть средства к существованию и сохранить тело и дух вместе = и выжить). And yet with some chars there was more to it than just that (и все же для некоторых домработниц это означало большее: «было большим, чем только этим»: char = charwoman), and particularly with Mrs. Harris — a kind of perpetual house-proudness (и особенно для миссис Харрис — что-то вроде бесконечной удовлетворенности домом; proud — гордый; испытывающий удовлетворение). And it was a creative effort as well (и это было творческой деятельностью вдобавок/кроме того), something in which a person might take pride and satisfaction (чем-то, где человек мог бы гордиться и получать удовлетворение). She came to these rooms to find them pigsties (она заходила в эти комнаты, чтобы обнаружить там свинарник: «найти их свинарниками»; pig — свинья; sty — свинарник, хлев), she left them neat (она покидала их опрятными), clean (чистыми), sparkling and sweet-smelling (сверкающими и благоухающими).
livelihood ['laIvlIhud], particularly [pq'tIkjulqlI], proudness ['praudnIs]
Mrs. Harris cleaned up these messes because it was her profession, a way of gaining a livelihood and keeping body and soul together. And yet with some chars there was more to it than just that, and particularly with Mrs. Harris — a kind of perpetual house-proudness. And it was a creative effort as well, something in which a person might take pride and satisfaction. She came to these rooms to find them pigsties, she left them neat, clean, sparkling and sweet-smelling.
