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

sure [ˈʃuǝ], hitherto [hɪðǝˈtu:], doubtless [ˈdautlɪs], breathing [ˈbri:ðɪŋ], ruffians [ˈrʌfɪǝnz]

It seems that it was. She had the surest information that of late he had, when the fit was on him, made use of an opium den in the farthest east of the City. Hitherto his orgies had always been confined to one day, and he had come back, twitching and shattered, in the evening. But now the spell had been upon him eight-and-forty hours, and he lay there, doubtless among the dregs of the docks, breathing in the poison or sleeping off the effects. There he was to be found, she was sure of it, at the Bar of Gold, in Upper Swandam Lane. But what was she to do? How could she, a young and timid woman, make her way into such a place and pluck her husband out from among the ruffians who surrounded him?

There was the case (была /определенная/ ситуация) , and of course there was but one way out of it (и, конечно, был лишь один выход из нее) . Might I not escort her to this place (мог бы я сопроводить ее к тому месту) ? And then, as a second thought (и затем, как вторая мысль = подумал я) , why should she come at all (зачем ее идти вообще) ? I was Isa Whitney's medical adviser (я был консультирующим врачом Айзы Уитни) , and as such I had influence over him (и в этом качестве /будучи врачом/ я оказывал на него влияние) . I could manage it better if I were alone (я мог бы справиться с этим /делом/ лучше, если бы был один) . I promised her on my word (я дал ей честное слово) that I would send him home in a cab within two hours (что пришлю его домой в кебе в течение двух часов) if he were indeed at the address which she had given me (если он действительно находится по адресу, который она мне дала) . And so in ten minutes I had left my armchair and cheery sitting-room behind me (и вот, через десять минут я оставил свое кресло и уютную: «веселую» гостиную /позади меня/) , and was speeding eastward in a hansom on a strange errand (и мчался: «был мчащимся» в восточном направлении в экипаже по странному поручению = делу) , as it seemed to me at the time (как мне казалось в то время) , though the future only could show how strange it was to be (хотя только будущее могло показать, насколько странным оно оказалось) .

escort [ˈeskɔ:t], thought [Ɵɔ:t], cheery [ˈtʃɪǝrɪ], eastward [ˈi:stwǝd], errand [ˈerǝnd]

There was the case, and of course there was but one way out of it. Might I not escort her to this place? And then, as a second thought, why should she come at all? I was Isa Whitney's medical adviser, and as such I had influence over him. I could manage it better if I were alone. I promised her on my word that I would send him home in a cab within two hours if he were indeed at the address which she had given me. And so in ten minutes I had left my armchair and cheery sitting-room behind me, and was speeding eastward in a hansom on a strange errand, as it seemed to me at the time, though the future only could show how strange it was to be.

But there was no great difficulty in the first stage of my adventure (но там не было большой сложности на первом этапе моего приключения) . Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley (Аппер-Суондем-лейн — мерзкий переулок) lurking behind the high wharves which line the north side of the river to the east of London Bridge (скрывающаяся позади высоких верфей, которые тянутся вдоль северной стороны реки к востоку от Лондонского моста) . Between a slop shop and a gin shop (между грязной лавкой и кабаком; slop — жидкая грязь, слякоть) , approached by a steep flight of steps (к которым примыкал крутой лестничный пролет; to approach — подходить, приближаться) leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave (спускающийся вниз в черную бездну словно = похожую на рот пещеры) , I found the den of which I was in search (я нашел притон, в поисках которого находился) . Ordering my cab to wait (приказав моему кебу подождать) , I passed down the steps (я спустился по ступеням) , worn hollow in the centre by the ceaseless tread of drunken feet (/с/ ложбинками в центре /ступеней/, протертыми бесконечной поступью пьяных ног) ; and by the light of a flickering oil-lamp above the door (и в свете дрожащей керосиновой лампы /висящей/ над дверью) I found the latch and made my way (я нашел щеколду и прошел: «сделал путь») into a long, low room (в длинную, низкую комнату) , thick and heavy with the brown opium smoke (плотную и густую от коричневого опиумного дыма = полную густого коричневого дыма) , and terraced with wooden berths (уставленную деревянными койками; to terrace — устраивать в виде террасы) , like the forecastle of an emigrant ship (как на баке эмигрантского корабля) .

stage [steɪʤ], lurking [ˈlɜ:kɪŋ], ceaseless [ˈsi:slɪs], forecastle [ˈfǝuksl]

But there was no great difficulty in the first stage of my adventure. Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley lurking behind the high wharves which line the north side of the river to the east of London Bridge. Between a slop shop and a gin shop, approached by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave, I found the den of which I was in search. Ordering my cab to wait, I passed down the steps, worn hollow in the centre by the ceaseless tread of drunken feet; and by the light of a flickering oil-lamp above the door I found the latch and made my way into a long, low room, thick and heavy with the brown opium smoke, and terraced with wooden berths, like the forecastle of an emigrant ship.

Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying in strange fantastic poses (сквозь мрак кто-то мог = можно было смутно различить: «поймать» силуэты тел, лежащих в странных фантастических позах) , bowed shoulders (/с/ сгорбленными плечами) , bent knees (согнутыми коленями) , heads thrown back (запрокинутыми головами) , and chins pointing upward (и с торчащими вверх подбородками) , with here and there a dark, lack-lustre eye turned upon the newcomer (местами с темным тусклым глазом = кое-где я видел потухший взгляд, обращенный на пришельца) . Out of the black shadows there glimmered little red circles of light (от темных теней = среди тьмы мерцали маленькие красные кружки света = огоньки) , now bright, now faint (то яркие, то тусклые) , as the burning poison waxed or waned in the bowls of the metal pipes (в зависимости от того, прибавлялся или кончался сжигаемый яд в цилиндрах металлических трубок) . The most lay silent (большинство лежали молча) , but some muttered to themselves (но некоторые бормотали /что-то/ себе /под нос/) , and others talked together in a strange, low, monotonous voice (а другие разговаривали друг с другом странным, низким, монотонным голосом) , their conversation coming in gushes (их разговор вырывался стремительными потоками /слов/) , and then suddenly tailing off into silence (и затем внезапно замирал в тишине; to tail off — истощаться, умолкнуть) , each mumbling out his own thoughts (каждый бормотал свои собственные мысли) and paying little heed to the words of his neighbor (и обращал мало внимания на слова своего соседа) . At the farther end was a small brazier of burning charcoal (в самом дальнем конце была маленькая жаровня с пылающим /древесным/ углем) , beside which on a three-legged wooden stool (возле которой на трехногом деревянном стуле) there sat a tall, thin old man (сидел высокий худой старик: «старый человек») , with his jaw resting upon his two fists (со своей челюстью, покоящейся на его кулаках = опустив подбородок на кулаки) , and his elbows upon his knees, staring into the fire (/положив/ локти на колени, уставившись в огонь) .

waned [weɪnd], muttered [ˈmʌtǝd], farther [ˈfɑ:ðǝ], brazier [ˈbreɪzjǝ]

Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying in strange fantastic poses, bowed shoulders, bent knees, heads thrown back, and chins pointing upward, with here and there a dark, lack-lustre eye turned upon the newcomer. Out of the black shadows there glimmered little red circles of light, now bright, now faint, as the burning poison waxed or waned in the bowls of the metal pipes. The most lay silent, but some muttered to themselves, and others talked together in a strange, low, monotonous voice, their conversation coming in gushes, and then suddenly tailing off into silence, each mumbling out his own thoughts and paying little heed to the words of his neighbor. At the farther end was a small brazier of burning charcoal, beside which on a three-legged wooden stool there sat a tall, thin old man, with his jaw resting upon his two fists, and his elbows upon his knees, staring into the fire.

As I entered (как /только/ я вошел) , a sallow Malay attendant had hurried up with a pipe for me and a supply of the drug (смуглый малаец-слуга поспешил ко мне с трубкой и порцией наркотика) , beckoning me to an empty berth (кивая мне на свободную койку) .

"Thank you. I have not come to stay (я не пришел, чтобы остаться = не могу остаться) ," said I. "There is a friend of mine here (здесь находится мой друг) , Mr. Isa Whitney, and I wish to speak with him (и я желаю = хотел бы поговорить с ним) ."