Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов (ASCII-IPA)

colossal [k@'lOs(@)l], crowning ['kraunIN], constable ['kVnst@b(@)l], carpet ['kA:pIt]

“It is a case, my dear Watson, where the law is as dangerous to us as the criminals are. Every man’s hand is against us, and yet the interests at stake are colossal. Should I bring it to a successful conclusion, it will certainly represent the crowning glory of my career. Ah, here is my latest from the front!” He glanced hurriedly at the note which had been handed in. “Halloa! Lestrade seems to have observed something of interest. Put on your hat, Watson, and we will stroll down together to Westminster.”

“It was my first visit to the scene of the crime — a high, dingy, narrow-chested house, prim, formal, and solid, like the century which gave it birth. Lestrade’s bulldog features gazed out at us from the front window, and he greeted us warmly when a big constable had opened the door and let us in. The room into which we were shown was that in which the crime had been committed, but no trace of it now remained save an ugly, irregular stain upon the carpet.

This carpet was a small square drugget in the centre of the room (этот ковер был маленьким шерстяным квадратом в середине комнаты; drugget — драгет /грубая шерстяная материя для половиков/) , surrounded by a broad expanse of beautiful (окруженным широким пространством красивого) , old-fashioned wood-flooring in square blocks (старинного дощатого пола в квадратных плитках) , highly polished (отполированных до /зеркального/ блеска) . Over the fireplace was a magnificent trophy of weapons (над камином находилась великолепная /коллекция/ трофейного оружия) , one of which had been used on that tragic night (/кинжал/ из которой был использован в тот трагический вечер) . In the window was a sumptuous writing-desk (у окна стоял роскошный письменный стол) , and every detail of the apartment (и каждый предмет в комнате) , the pictures (картины) , the rugs (ковры) , and the hangings (портьеры) , all pointed to a taste which was luxurious to the verge of effeminacy (все указывало на вкус, который был утонченным до изнеженности; luxurious — роскошный; любящий роскошь, расточительный; verge — край, грань; effeminacy — изнеженность, женственность, женоподобие /в мужчине/) .

“Seen the Paris news (видели новости из Парижа) ?” asked Lestrade (спросил Лестрейд) .

Holmes nodded (Холмс кивнул) .

“Our French friends seem to have touched the spot this time (наши французские друзья, по-видимому, попали в самую точку на этот раз; spot — пятнышко; крапинка) . No doubt it’s just as they say (несомненно, все так, как они говорят) . She knocked at the door — surprise visit, I guess (она постучала в дверь — думаю, неожиданный визит) , for he kept his life in water-tight compartments (потому что он хранил свою жизнь в водонепроницаемом отсеке = жил он уединенно, гостей не принимал) — he let her in, couldn’t keep her in the street (он ее впустил, не мог /же/ он держать ее на улице) . She told him how she had traced him, reproached him (она рассказала ему, как выследила его, /стала/ упрекать его) . One thing led to another (одно привело к другому) , and then with that dagger so handy the end soon came (затем, поскольку тот кинжал был так близко, под рукой, скоро наступил конец) . It wasn’t all done in an instant, though (впрочем, это все не произошло в один миг) , for these chairs were all swept over yonder (потому что эти стулья были сдвинуты вон в ту сторону; yonder — вон там; в ту сторону, туда) , and he had one in his hand (а один был у него в руке) as if he had tried to hold her off with it (будто он пытался им защищаться от нее; to hold off — задерживать, удерживать) . We’ve got it all clear as if we had seen it (все это представляется нам ясно, как будто мы сами это видели) .”

expanse [Ik'sp&ns], weapon ['wep@n], luxurious [lVg'zju(@)rI@s; lVg'Zu(@)rI@s], effeminacy [I'femIn@sI]

This carpet was a small square drugget in the centre of the room, surrounded by a broad expanse of beautiful, old-fashioned wood-flooring in square blocks, highly polished. Over the fireplace was a magnificent trophy of weapons, one of which had been used on that tragic night. In the window was a sumptuous writing‑desk, and every detail of the apartment, the pictures, the rugs, and the hangings, all pointed to a taste which was luxurious to the verge of effeminacy.

“Seen the Paris news?” asked Lestrade.

Holmes nodded.

“Our French friends seem to have touched the spot this time. No doubt it’s just as they say. She knocked at the door — surprise visit, I guess, for he kept his life in water‑tight compartments — he let her in, couldn’t keep her in the street. She told him how she had traced him, reproached him. One thing led to another, and then with that dagger so handy the end soon came. It wasn’t all done in an instant, though, for these chairs were all swept over yonder, and he had one in his hand as if he had tried to hold her off with it. We’ve got it all clear as if we had seen it.”

Holmes raised his eyebrows (Холмс поднял брови) .

“And yet you have sent for me (и все же вы прислали за мной) ?”

“Ah, yes, that’s another matter — a mere trifle (ах да, это другое дело — всего лишь пустяк) , but the sort of thing you take an interest in (но такой, какими вы интересуетесь; to take an interest in smth. — интересоваться, проявлять интерес к чему-либо) — queer, you know, and what you might call freakish (странный, знаете ли, и, как вы, вероятно, назовете, причудливый; freak — каприз, причуда, чудачество) . It has nothing to do with the main fact (он не имеет никакого отношения к главному делу) — can’t have, on the face of it (не может иметь, на первый взгляд) .”

“What is it, then (что же это) ?”

“Well, you know, after a crime of this sort (итак, вы знаете, что после преступления такого рода) we are very careful to keep things in their position (мы очень тщательно /следим/, чтобы вещи оставались на своих местах) . Nothing has been moved (/здесь/ ничего не передвигали) . Officer in charge here day and night (полисмен дежурил здесь день и ночь) . This morning, as the man was buried and the investigation over (сегодня утром, когда убитого похоронили и обследование было завершено) — so far as this room is concerned (/во всяком случае/ что касается этой комнаты) — we thought we could tidy up a bit (мы решили немного прибраться) . This carpet (/и вот/ этот ковер) . You see, it is not fastened down, only just laid there (видите ли, он не прикреплен к полу, а просто положен здесь) . We had occasion to raise it (мы подняли его; to have an occasion — иметь возможность; доводиться, случаться) . We found — (и обнаружили…) ”

eyebrows ['aIbrauz], fastened ['fA:s(@)nd], buried ['berId]

Holmes raised his eyebrows.

“And yet you have sent for me?”

“Ah, yes, that’s another matter — a mere trifle, but the sort of thing you take an interest in —queer, you know, and what you might call freakish. It has nothing to do with the main fact — can’t have, on the face of it.”

“What is it, then?”

“Well, you know, after a crime of this sort we are very careful to keep things in their position. Nothing has been moved. Officer in charge here day and night. This morning, as the man was buried and the investigation over — so far as this room is concerned — we thought we could tidy up a bit. This carpet. You see, it is not fastened down, only just laid there. We had occasion to raise it. We found —”

“Yes? You found — (да? обнаружили?..) ”

Holmes’s face grew tense with anxiety (лицо Холмса напряглось от беспокойства = Холмс с волнением ожидал ответа) .

“Well, I’m sure you would never guess in a hundred years what we did find (о, я уверен, вы не догадались бы и за сто лет, что мы обнаружили) . You see that stain on the carpet (видите это пятно на ковре) ? Well, a great deal must have soaked through, must it not (большое количество /крови/ должно было просочиться через него, не так ли) ?”

“Undoubtedly it must (безусловно, должно) .”

“Well, you will be surprised to hear (вы будете удивлены услышать) that there is no stain on the white woodwork to correspond (что на белом паркете нет соответствующего пятна; woodwork — деревянные изделия; деревянные части строения /двери, оконные рамы и т. п./; to correspond — соответствовать, соотноситься; совпадать) .”

“No stain! But there must — (нет пятна? Но оно должно быть…) ”

“Yes, so you would say (да, так бы вы сказали = да, должно быть) . But the fact remains that there isn’t (но факт остается /фактом/: его там нет) .”

guess [ges], undoubtedly [Vn'dautIdlI], correspond [,kOrI'spOnd]

“Yes? You found —”

Holmes’s face grew tense with anxiety.

“Well, I’m sure you would never guess in a hundred years what we did find. You see that stain on the carpet? Well, a great deal must have soaked through, must it not?”

“Undoubtedly it must.”