Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах (ASCII-IPA)

blood [blVd], janitor ['dZ&nIt@], handkerchief ['h&Nk@tSIf]

"Don't imagine that I intended to kill him in cold blood. It would only have been rigid justice if I had done so, but I could not bring myself to do it. I had long determined that he should have a show for his life if he chose to take advantage of it. Among the many billets which I have filled in America during my wandering life, I was once janitor and sweeper out of the laboratory at York College. One day the professor was lecturing on poisons, and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it, which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison, and which was so powerful that the least grain meant instant death. I spotted the bottle in which this preparation was kept, and when they were all gone, I helped myself to a little of it. I was a fairly good dispenser, so I worked this alkaloid into small, soluble pills, and each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made without the poison. I determined at the time that when I had my chance, my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of these boxes, while I ate the pill that remained. It would be quite as deadly, and a good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief. From that day I had always my pill boxes about with me, and the time had now come when I was to use them.

"It was nearer one than twelve (было ближе к часу, чем к полуночи: «к двенадцати») , and a wild, bleak night (ночь была ветреная, промозглая; wild — бурный, штормовой; bleak — холодный, промозглый) , blowing hard and raining in torrents (дул сильный ветер, и шел проливной дождь; torrent — ливень) . Dismal as it was outside (несмотря на мерзкую погоду: «хотя снаружи было мрачно»; dismal — мрачный; унылый; гнетущий) , I was glad within (на душе: «внутри» у меня было радостно) — so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation (настолько радостно, что я мог бы закричать от восторга: «от чистого ликования») . If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing (если когда-либо кто-нибудь из вас, джентльмены, безумно желал чего-нибудь; to pine — чахнуть, томиться; изнемогать, изнывать, иссыхать; /for, after smth./ жаждать чего-либо, тосковать по чему-либо) , and longed for it during twenty long years (и жаждал этого двадцать долгих лет) , and then suddenly found it within your reach (а затем внезапно обнаружил это на расстоянии вытянутой руки; to reach — протягивать; reach — досягаемость, предел досягаемости) , you would understand my feelings (вы поймете мои чувства) . I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves (я зажег сигару и закурил, чтобы успокоить нервы; to puff — дымить; покуривать) , but my hands were trembling (но мои руки дрожали) , and my temples throbbing with excitement (а в висках стучало от возбуждения) . As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me (когда я ехал, я видел, как старик Джон Феррьер и милая Люси смотрели на меня из темноты и улыбались мне) , just as plain as I see you all in this room (так же ясно, как я вижу всех вас здесь в комнате) . All the way they were ahead of me (всю дорогу они были передо мной) , one on each side of the horse (справа и слева от лошади: «один на каждой стороне лошади») until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road (пока я не натянул поводья у дома на Брикстон-роуд) .

"There was not a soul to be seen, nor a sound to be heard (не было видно ни души, не слышно ни звука) , except the dripping of the rain (кроме шума дождя; to drip — капать, падать каплями; стекать) . When I looked in at the window (когда я заглянул внутрь через окошко) , I found Drebber all huddled together in a drunken sleep (я обнаружил, что Дреббер спит пьяным сном, весь съежившись) . I shook him by the arm (я потряс его за руку) , ‘It's time to get out (время выходить) ,’ I said.

" ‘All right, cabby (хорошо, кебмен) ,’ said he.

exultation [,egzVl'teIS(@)n], year [jI@], [j@:], cigar [sI'gA:]

"It was nearer one than twelve, and a wild, bleak night, blowing hard and raining in torrents. Dismal as it was outside, I was glad within — so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation. If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing, and longed for it during twenty long years, and then suddenly found it within your reach, you would understand my feelings. I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves, but my hands were trembling, and my temples throbbing with excitement. As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me, just as plain as I see you all in this room. All the way they were ahead of me, one on each side of the horse until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road.

"There was not a soul to be seen, nor a sound to be heard, except the dripping of the rain. When I looked in at the window, I found Drebber all huddled together in a drunken sleep. I shook him by the arm, `It's time to get out,' I said.

"`All right, cabby,' said he.

"I suppose he thought we had come to the hotel that he had mentioned (я полагаю, что он подумал, что мы приехали к гостинице, которую он назвал; to mention — упоминать) , for he got out without another word (так как он вышел, ничего больше не сказав) , and followed me down the garden (и пошел за мной по садовой дорожке) . I had to walk beside him to keep him steady (мне пришлось идти рядом, чтобы поддерживать его; steady — устойчивый) , for he was still a little top-heavy (так как он по-прежнему был немного навеселе; top-heavy — перевешивающий в верхней части; неустойчивый; пьяный) . When we came to the door, I opened it (когда мы подошли к двери, я открыл ее) , and led him into the front room (и провел его в переднюю) . I give you my word that all the way, the father and the daughter were walking in front of us (даю вам слово, что все это время: «всю дорогу» отец и дочь шли перед нами) .

" ‘It's infernally dark (темнота адская) ,’ said he, stamping about (сказал он, топчась на месте) .

" ‘We'll soon have a light,’ I said (скоро у нас будет свет, — сказал я) , striking a match and putting it to a wax candle which I had brought with me (зажигая спичку и поднося ее к восковой свечи, что я принес с собой) . ‘Now, Enoch Drebber,’ I continued, turning to him (а теперь, Инок Дреббер, — продолжал я, поворачиваясь к нему) , and holding the light to my own face (и поднеся свет к своему лицу) , ‘who am I (кто я) ?’

"He gazed at me with bleared, drunken eyes for a moment (мгновение он смотрел на меня мутными, пьяными глазами; to blear — затуманивать, делать неясным) , and then I saw a horror spring up in them (а затем я увидел, как в них вспыхнул ужас; to spring up — возникать) , and convulse his whole features (и судорогой пробежал по чертам его лица; to convulse — вызывать судороги, конвульсии; трясти, сотрясать) , which showed me that he knew me (из чего я понял: «что показало мне», что он меня узнал) . He staggered back with a livid face (он отшатнулся, побледнев; livid — мертвенно-бледный) , and I saw the perspiration break out upon his brow (и я увидел, что у него на лбу выступил пот) , while his teeth chattered in his head (зубы его стучали) . At the sight, I leaned my back against the door and laughed loud and long (увидев это, я прислонился спиной к двери и громко захохотал: «и захохотал громко и долго») . I had always known that vengeance would be sweet (я всегда знал, что месть будет сладка) , but I had never hoped for the contentment of soul which now possessed me (но я и не надеялся на то блаженство: «душевное довольство», что теперь на меня спустилось; to possess — овладевать, захватывать) .

hotel [h@u'tel], [@u'tel], convulse [k@n'vVls], brow [brau]

"I suppose he thought we had come to the hotel that he had mentioned, for he got out without another word, and followed me down the garden. I had to walk beside him to keep him steady, for he was still a little top-heavy. When we came to the door, I opened it, and led him into the front room. I give you my word that all the way, the father and the daughter were walking in front of us.

" ‘It's infernally dark,’ said he, stamping about.

" ‘We'll soon have a light,’ I said, striking a match and putting it to a wax candle which I had brought with me. ‘Now, Enoch Drebber,’ I continued, turning to him, and holding the light to my own face, ‘who am I?’

"He gazed at me with bleared, drunken eyes for a moment, and then I saw a horror spring up in them, and convulse his whole features, which showed me that he knew me. He staggered back with a livid face, and I saw the perspiration break out upon his brow, while his teeth chattered in his head. At the sight, I leaned my back against the door and laughed loud and long. I had always known that vengeance would be sweet, but I had never hoped for the contentment of soul which now possessed me.

" ‘You dog (ты, собака) !’ I said; ‘I have hunted you from Salt Lake City to St. Petersburg (я гонялся за тобой от Солт-Лейк-Сити до Санкт-Петербурга; to hunt — охотиться /на кого-либо; особ. с гончими/; гнать; преследовать) , and you have always escaped me (и ты всегда от меня ускользал) . Now, at last your wanderings have come to an end (теперь, наконец, твои странствия подошли к концу) , for either you or I shall never see to-morrow's sun rise (так как один из нас не увидит восход солнца: «так как или ты, или я никогда не увидит восход завтрашнего солнца») .’ He shrunk still further away as I spoke (он еще дальше отступил от меня, пока я говорил; to shrink — уменьшаться, сокращаться; сморщиваться; садиться /о материи/, давать усадку; отскочить; отпрянуть, отшатнуться) , and I could see on his face that he thought I was mad (и я мог видеть на его лице, что он думал, что я сошел с ума; mad — сумасшедший, ненормальный; бешеный, безумный) . So I was for the time (на время это так и было) . The pulses in my temples beat like sledge-hammers (пульс у меня в висках бил, как кузнечный молот) , and I believe I would have had a fit of some sort (и я думаю, что со мной случился бы какой-нибудь припадок) if the blood had not gushed from my nose and relieved me (если бы у меня из носа не хлынула кровь и мне от этого не полегчало бы; to relieve — облегчить) .