Dashiell Hammett - Мальтийский сокол. Английский язык с Д. Хэмметом.

"No, no!" the District Attorney protested (окружной прокурор запротестовал). "You misunderstand me (ты неправильно понял меня)."

collar ['kOlq] hoarse [hO:s] passionate ['pxS(q)nIt]

Spade ran his tongue over his lips and pulled his lips back over his teeth in an ugly grin. His eyes glittered under pulled-down brows. His reddening neck bulged over the rim of his collar. His voice was low and hoarse and passionate. "Well, what do you think? Did I kill him for his creditors? Or just find him and let them do their own killing?"

"No, no!" the District Attorney protested. "You misunderstand me."

"I hope to Christ I do (искренне надеюсь /на Бога/, что так и есть)," Spade said.

"He didn't mean that (он не это имел в виду)," Thomas said.

"Then what did he mean (тогда что он имел в виду)?"

Bryan waved a hand (Брайан махнул рукой). "I only mean (я только имел в виду) that you might have been involved in it (что ты мог быть вовлечен в это) without knowing what it was (не зная, что это было). That could (это могло бы) — "

"I see (я понимаю)," Spade sneered (Спйэд усмехнулся). "You don't think I'm naughty (вы не считаете, что я плохой; naughty— шаловливый, капризный /о детях/, дурной, гадкий /о взрослых/ ). You just think I'm dumb (вы просто считаете, что я глуп)."

hope [hqVp] waved [weIvd] naughty ['nO:tI]

"I hope to Christ I do," Spade said.

"He didn't mean that," Thomas said.

"Then what did he mean?"

Bryan waved a hand. "I only mean that you might have been involved in it without knowing what it was. That could — "

"I see," Spade sneered. "You don't think I'm naughty. You just think I'm dumb."

"Nonsense (чушь)," Bryan insisted (Брайан настаивал): "Suppose someone came to you (предположим, кто-то пришел к тебе) and engaged you to find Monahan (и нанял тебя найти Монэхэна), telling you they had reasons for thinking (говоря тебе, что у них есть основания думать) he was in the city (что он в городе). The someone (этот кто-то) might give you a completely false story (мог дать тебе полностью фальшивую историю) — any one of a dozen or more would do (любая из дюжины или больше /историй/ могла бы сойти) — or might say he was a debtor (или мог сказать, что он должник) who had run away (который сбежал), without giving you any of the details (не давая тебе никаких дополнительных подробностей). How could you tell (как ты мог сказать) what was behind it (что было за этой историей)? How would you know (как ты узнаешь) it wasn't an ordinary piece of detective work (что это была не простая сыскная работа; piece— кусок, часть, отдельный предмет )?

nonsense ['nOns(q)ns] false [fO:ls] debtor ['detq]

"Nonsense," Bryan insisted: "Suppose someone came to you and engaged you to find Monahan, telling you they had reasons for thinking he was in the city. The someone might give you a completely false story — any one of a dozen or more would do — or might say he was a debtor who had run away, without giving you any of the details. How could you tell what was behind it? How would you know it wasn't an ordinary piece of detective work?

And under those circumstances (и при этих обстоятельствах) you certainly couldn't be held responsible (ты, конечно, не можешь рассматриваться ответственным) for your part in it (за твое участие в этом) unless (если)" — his voice sank (его голос упал) to a more impressive key (до более внушительной тональности; key — зд. клавиша, ключ, тонилистильречи ) and his words came out (и его слова исходили) spaced and distinct (через /равные/ промежутки и отчетливо) — "you made yourself an accomplice (ты не сделал себя соучастником) by concealing your knowledge (путем сокрытия знаний) of the murderer's identity (о личности убийцы) or information (или информации) that would lead to his apprehension (которая могла бы привести к его задержанию; apprehension — дурноепредчувствие, понимание; арест )."

Anger was leaving Spade's face (злость уходила с лица Спейда). No anger remained in his voice (злости не осталось в его голосе) when he asked (когда он спросил): "That's what you meant (это то, что вы имели в виду)?"

circumstance ['sq:kqmstxns, 'sq:kqmstqns] responsible [rI'spOnsqb(q)l] distinct [dIs'tIN(k)t]

And under those circumstances you certainly couldn't be held responsible for your part in it unless" — his voice sank to a more impressive key and his words came out spaced and distinct — "you made yourself an accomplice by concealing your knowledge of the murderer's identity or information that would lead to his apprehension."

Anger was leaving Spade's face. No anger remained in his voice when he asked: "That's what you meant?"

"Precisely (именно)."

"All right (хорошо). Then there's no hard feelings (тогда /в этом нет/ никакой обиды; feelings— ощущение, чувствительность, чувство ). But you're wrong (но вы не правы)."

"Prove it (докажите это)."

Spade shook his head (Спейд покачал головой). "I can't prove it to you now (я не могу доказать это вам сейчас). I can tell you (я могу сказать вам)."

"Then tell me (тогда скажите мне)."

"Nobody ever hired me (никто никогда не нанимал меня) to do anything about Dixie Monahan (что-либо сделать по поводу Дикси Монэхэна)."

precisely [prI'saIslI] feeling ['fi:lIN] prove [pru:v]

"Precisely."

"All right. Then there's no hard feelings. But you're wrong."

"Prove it."

Spade shook his head. "I can't prove it to you now. I can tell you."

"Then tell me."

"Nobody ever hired me to do anything about Dixie Monahan."

Bryan and Thomas exchanged glances (Брайан и Томас обменялись взглядами). Bryan's eyes came back to Spade (глаза Брайана вернулись назад к Спейду) and he said: "But, by your own admission (но, по твоему собственному признанию), somebody did hire you (кто-то все-таки нанимал тебя) to do something about his bodyguard Thursby (сделать что-то по поводу его телохранителя Терсби)."

"Yes, about his ex-bodyguard Thursby (да, по поводу его бывшего телохранителя Терсби)."

"Ex (бывшего)?"

"Yes, ex (да, бывшего)."

exchange [Iks'tSeIndZ] admission [qd'mIS(q)n] hire ['haIq]

Bryan and Thomas exchanged glances. Bryan's eyes came back to Spade and he said: "But, by your own admission, somebody did hire you to do something about his bodyguard Thursby."

"Yes, about his ex-bodyguard Thursby."

"Ex?"

"Yes, ex."

"You know (ты знаешь) that Thursby was no longer associated with Monahan (что Терсби больше не был связан с Монэхэном)? You know that positively (ты знаешь это определенно; positively— безусловно, категорически, положительно )?"

Spade stretched out his hand (Спейд протянул свою руку) and dropped the stub of his cigarette (и уронил окурок от своей сигареты) into an ashtray on the desk (в пепельницу на столе). He spoke carelessly (он небрежно сказал): "I don't know anything positively (я ничего не знаю точно) except that my client (за исключением того, что мой клиент) wasn't interested in Monahan (не интересовался Монэхэном), had never been interested in Monahan (и никогда не был заинтересован в Монэхэне). I heard (я слышал) that Thursby took Monahan out to the Orient (что Терсби вытащил Монэхэна на Восток) and lost him (и потерял его)."

associated [q'sqVSIeItId, q'sqVsIeItId] positively ['pOzItIvlI] heard [hq:d]

"You know that Thursby was no longer associated with Monahan? You know that positively?"

Spade stretched out his hand and dropped the stub of his cigarette into an ashtray on the desk. He spoke carelessly: "I don't know anything positively except that my client wasn't interested in Monahan, had never been interested in Monahan. I heard that Thursby took Monahan out to the Orient and lost him."

Again the District Attorney (снова окружной прокурор) and his assistant (и его помощник) exchanged glances (обменялись взглядами).

Thomas, in a tone (Томас, тоном) whose matter-of-factness (чья конкретность) did not quite hide excitement (не совсем скрывала волнение), said: "That opens another angle (это открывает другой аспект дела; angle — угол; точказрения ). Monahan's friends (друзья Монэхэна) could have knocked Thursby off (могли убрать Терсби) for ditching Monahan (за /то, что он/ бросил Монэхэна)."

"Dead gamblers (мертвые игроки) don't have any friends (не имеют друзей)," Spade said.

fact [fxkt] angle ['xNg(q)l] ditch [dItS]

Again the District Attorney and his assistant exchanged glances.

Thomas, in a tone whose matter-of-factness did not quite hide excitement, said: "That opens another angle. Monahan's friends could have knocked Thursby off for ditching Monahan."

"Dead gamblers don't have any friends," Spade said.

"It opens up two new lines (это открывает две новые линии)," Bryan said (сказал Брайан). He leaned back (он откинулся назад) and stared at the ceiling for several seconds (и уставился на потолок на несколько секунд), then sat upright quickly (потом быстро сел прямо). His orator's face was alight (его лицо оратора осветилось). "It narrows down to three things (это сужает /ситуацию/ до трех вещей). Number one (номер один): Thurshy was killed by the gamblers (Терсби был убит игроками) Monahan had welshed on in Chicago (которых Монэхэн обманул в Чикаго). Not knowing Thursby had sloughed Monahan (не зная, что Терсби избавился от Монэхэна; to slough (off) — бросать, отбрасывать ) — or not believing it (или не веря в это) — they killed him because (они убили его, потому) he had been Monahan's associate (что он был сообщником Монэхэна), or to get him out of the way (или чтобы убрать его с дороги) so they could get to Monahan (так чтобы они могли добраться до Монэхэна), or because he had refused (или потому что он отказался) to lead them to Monahan (вывести их на Монэхэна).