1984

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin (подбородок) nuzzled (уткнулся) into his breast (грудь) in an effort to escape (избежать) the vile (мерзкий) wind, slipped (проскользнувший) quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions (дворец), though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl (водоворот) of gritty (песчаный) dust (пыль) from entering along with him.

The hallway (коридор) smelt (вонял) of boiled (варенный) cabbage (капуста) and old rag (тряпичный) mats (коврики). At one end of it a coloured poster (плакат), too large for indoor display (помещение), had been tacked (был прикреплен) to the wall. It depicted (изображал) simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy (тяжелый) black moustache (усы) and ruggedly (грубо) handsome (красивый) features. Winston made for the stairs (направился к лестнице). It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current (электричество) was cut off (было отрезано) during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat (квартира) was seven flights up (на седьмом этаже), and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose (варикозный) ulcer (язва) above his right ankle (лодыжка), went slowly, resting several times on the way. On each landing (площадка), opposite the lift-shaft (лифтная шахта), the poster with the enormous face gazed (смотрел) from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived (задуман) that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption (надпись) beneath (под) it ran.