Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Первый сборник рассказов

"Had there been women in the house, I should have suspected a mere vulgar intrigue. That, however, was out of the question. The man's business was a small one, and there was nothing in his house which could account for such elaborate preparations, and such an expenditure as they were at. It must, then, be something out of the house. What could it be? I thought of the assistant's fondness for photography, and his trick of vanishing into the cellar. The cellar! There was the end of this tangled clew. Then I made inquiries as to this mysterious assistant and found that I had to deal with one of the coolest and most daring criminals in London. He was doing something in the cellar — something which took many hours a day for months on end. What could it be, once more? I could think of nothing save that he was running a tunnel to some other building.

"So far I had got when we went to visit the scene of action (к такому выводу: «так далеко» я пришел = успел прийти, /к тому моменту/ когда мы отправились посмотреть место действия; so far — до сих пор, пока) . I surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick (я удивил вас битьем по мостовой моей тростью) . I was ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind (я устанавливал, протягивался ли погреб = прокладывался ли подкоп вперед или назад) . It was not in front (перед фасадом его не было) . Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the assistant answered it (затем я позвонил, и, как и ожидал, открыл помощник) . We have had some skirmishes (у нас бывали /прежде/ кое-какие стычки) , but we had never set eyes upon each other before (но мы никогда раньше не видели друг друга в лицо) . I hardly looked at his face (я едва взглянул в его лицо) . His knees were what I wished to see (его колени были /тем/ что я хотел увидеть) . You must yourself have remarked how worn, wrinkled, and stained they were (вы сами должны были заметить, как потерты, помяты и запачканы они были) . They spoke of those hours of burrowing (они говорили о тех часах рытья) . The only remaining point was what they were burrowing for (единственным оставшимся пунктом было /выяснить/ куда они рыли подкоп) . I walked round the corner (я свернул за угол) , saw the City and Suburban Bank abutted on our friend's premises (увидел Городской и Пригородный Банк, примыкающий к дому наших друзей) , and felt that I had solved my problem (и понял, что я решил проблему) . When you drove home after the concert (когда вы поехали домой после концерта) I called upon Scotland Yard and upon the chairman of the bank directors (я обратился в Скотланд-Ярд и к председателю правления банка) , with the result that you have seen (с результатом, который вы видели = что было дальше — вам известно) ."

scene [si:n], skirmish [ˈskǝ:mɪʃ], wrinkled [rɪŋkld], burrow [ˈbǝ:rǝu], abutted [ǝˈbʌtɪd]

"So far I had got when we went to visit the scene of action. I surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick. I was ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. It was not in front. Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the assistant answered it. We have had some skirmishes, but we had never set eyes upon each other before. I hardly looked at his face. His knees were what I wished to see. You must yourself have remarked how worn, wrinkled, and stained they were. They spoke of those hours of burrowing. The only remaining point was what they were burrowing for. I walked round the corner, saw the City and Suburban Bank abutted on our friend's premises, and felt that I had solved my problem. When you drove home after the concert I called upon Scotland Yard and upon the chairman of the bank directors, with the result that you have seen."

"And how could you tell that they would make their attempt tonight (как вы могли сказать мне = откуда вы знали, что они совершат попытку /ограбления/ этой ночью) ?" I asked.

"Well, when they closed their League offices (ну, когда они закрыли свою контору Союза) that was a sign that they cared no longer about Mr. Jabez Wilson's presence (это был знак, что их не волновало больше присутствие = что они не нуждались больше в отсутствии мистера Джабеза Уилсона) — in other words (иными словами) , that they had completed their tunnel (что они закончили свой туннель) . But it was essential that they should use it soon (но было существенно, что они должны использовать его в ближайшее время) , as it might be discovered (так как он мог быть обнаружен) , or the bullion might be removed (или слитки золота могли быть перевезены /в другое место/) . Saturday would suit them better than any other day (суббота подошла бы им лучше, чем любой другой день) , as it would give them two days for their escape (так как она дала бы им два дня для побега) . For all these reasons I expected them to come tonight (на основании всех этих соображений я ожидал их = что они придут этой ночью) ."

presence [prezns], essential [ɪˈsenʃl], discovered [dɪsˈkʌvǝd], bullion [ˈbuljǝn], suit [sju:t]

"And how could you tell that they would make their attempt tonight?" I asked.

"Well, when they closed their League offices that was a sign that they cared no longer about Mr. Jabez Wilson's presence — in other words, that they had completed their tunnel. But it was essential that they should use it soon, as it might be discovered, or the bullion might be removed. Saturday would suit them better than any other day, as it would give them two days for their escape. For all these reasons I expected them to come tonight."

"You reasoned it out beautifully (вы продумали это прекрасно = ваши рассуждения изумительны) ," I exclaimed in unfeigned admiration (воскликнул я в неподдельном восхищении; to feign — притворяться; подделывать) . "It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true (это такая длинная цепь = вы создали такую длинную цепь, и каждое звено ее правильно = безупречно) ."

beautiful [ˈbju:tɪful], unfeigned [ʌnˈfeɪnd], admiration [ˌædmǝˈreɪʃn], chain [tʃeɪn], true [tru:]

"It saved me from ennui (это спасло меня от апатии) ," he answered, yawning (ответил он, зевая) . "Alas (увы) ! I already feel it closing in upon me (я уже чувствую ее, приближающуюся ко мне = чувствую, что скука снова одолевает меня) . My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence (моя жизнь проведена в одном долгом усилии убежать от = избежать банальностей существования) . These little problems help me to do so (эти маленькие проблемы помогают мне сделать это) ."

ennui [ɑ:nˈwi:], yawning [ˈjɔ:nɪŋ], alas [ǝˈlɑ:s], commonplaces [ˈkɔmǝnpleɪsɪz], existence [ɪɡˈzɪstǝns]

"You reasoned it out beautifully," I exclaimed in unfeigned admiration. "It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true."

"It saved me from ennui," he answered, yawning. "Alas! I already feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so."

"And you are a benefactor of the race (вы благодетель расы = человечества) ," said I.

He shrugged his shoulders (он пожал плечами) . "Well, perhaps, after all, it is of some little use (ну, пожалуй, в конце концов, это имеет небольшую пользу = я действительно приношу кое-какую пользу) ," he remarked. 'L'homme c'est rien — l'œuvre c'est tout ,' (человек — ничто, дело/создание — все (фр.)) as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand (как Густав Флобер написал /в письме/ к Жорж Санд) ."

shrugged [ʃrʌɡd], shoulders [ˈʃǝuldǝz], use [ju:s]

"And you are a benefactor of the race," said I.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, perhaps, after all, it is of some little use," he remarked. 'L'homme c'est rien — l'œuvre c'est tout ,' as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand."

(ЧЕЛОВЕК С РАССЕЧЕННОЙ ГУБОЙ)

Isa Whitney, brother of the late Elias Whitney (Айза Уитни, брат покойного Элиаса Уитни) , D.D. (D.D. = Doctor of Divinity — доктора богословия) , Principal of the Theological College of St. George's (директора теологического колледжа Св. Георга) , was much addicted to opium (сильно пристрастился к опию; addicted to drugs — принимающий наркотики, наркоман; addicted — cклонный /к чему-либо дурному/, предающийся чему-либо) . The habit grew upon him (/эта/ привычка поработила его; to grow on — овладеть) , as I understand (как я понимаю) , from some foolish freak when he was at college (из-за одной глупой затеи, когда он учился в колледже; freak — причуда, чудачество) ; for having read De Quincey's description of his dreams and sensations (прочитав описание снов и ощущений де Куинси) , he had drenched his tobacco with laudanum (он пропитывал = начал пропитывать свой тобак настойкой опия) in an attempt to produce the same effects (в попытке вызвать те же самые воздействия) . He found, as so many more have done (он обнаружил, как и многие другие сделали = обнаружили) , that the practice is easier to attain than to get rid of (что эту привычку легче приобрести, чем избавиться от нее) , and for many years he continued to be a slave to the drug (и в течение многих лет он продолжал быть рабом наркотика) , an object of mingled horror and pity to his friends and relatives (объектом смешанных отвращения и жалости для своих друзей и родственников) . I can see him now (сейчас я могу видеть его = я так и вижу его) , with yellow, pasty face (с желтым, одутловатым лицом) , drooping lids (набрякшими веками; to droop — свисать) , and pin-point pupils (и сузившимися: «точечными» зрачками) , all huddled in a chair (все /тело/, съежившееся в кресле; to huddle — складывать в кучу, свернуться) , the wreck and ruin of a noble man (обломки и развалины благородного = прекрасного человека) .