Илья Франк - Английский язык с Грэмом Грином. Третий человек

This meant that if I wanted to pick up Kurtz it would be as well to catch him in the British zone.

When Rollo Martins went drunkenly back at four o'clock in the morning to tell Anna that he had seen the ghost of Harry, he was told by a frightened porter who had not yet gone back to sleep that she had been taken away by the International Patrol.

What happened was this. Russia, you remember, was in the chair as far as the Inner Stadt was concerned, and the Russians had information that Anna Schmidt was one of their nationals living with false papers. On this occasion, halfway through the patrol, the Russian policeman directed the car to the street where Anna Schmidt lived.

Outside Anna Schmidt's block the American took a hand in the game and demanded in German what it was all about. The Frenchman leant against the bonnet and lit a stinking Caporal. France wasn't concerned and nothing that didn't concern France had any genuine importance to him. The Russian dug out a few words of German and flourished some papers. As far as they could tell, a Russian national wanted by the Russian police was living there without proper papers. They went upstairs and found Anna in bed, though I don't suppose, after Martins' visit, that she was asleep.

There is a lot of comedy in these situations if you are not directly concerned. You need a background of general European terror, of a father who belonged to a losing side, of house searches and disappearances before the fear outweighs the comedy. The Russian, you see, refused to leave the room: the American wouldn't leave a girl unprotected, and the Frenchman—well, I think the Frenchman must have thought it was fun. Can't you imagine the scene? The Russian was just doing his duty and watched the girl all the time, without a flicker of sexual interest: the American stood with his back chivalrously turned: the Frenchman smoked his cigarette and watched with detached amusement the reflection of the girl dressing in the mirror of the wardrobe, and the Englishman stood in the passage wondering what to do next.

I don't want you to think the English policeman came too badly out of the affair. In the passage, undistracted by chivalry, he had time to think, and his thoughts led him to the telephone in the next flat. He got straight through to me at my flat and woke me out of that deepest middle sleep. That was why when Martins rang up an hour later, I already knew what was exciting him—it gave him an undeserved but very useful belief in my efficiency. I never had another crack from him about policemen or sheriffs after that night.

When the M.P. (когда этот военный полицейский) went back to Anna's room (вошел назад в комнату Анны) a dispute was raging (/там/ бушевал спор). Anna had told the American that she had Austrian papers (Анна сказала американцу, что у нее были австрийские документы) (which was true (что было правдой; true — правдивый, истинный ) and that they were quite in order (и что они были совершенно в порядке) (which was rather stretching the truth (что было весьма растягивающим = вольно трактующим истину). The American told the Russian in bad German (американец сказал русскому на плохом немецком) that they had no right to arrest an Austrian citizen (что те не имели никакого права арестовывать австрийскую гражданку). He asked Anna for her papers (он попросил Анну о ее документах) and when she produced them (и когда она предъявила их), the Russian took them (русский взял их).

"Hungarian (венгерка)," he said, pointing at Anna (сказал он, указывая на Анну). "Hungarian," and then flourishing the papers (и затем, помахивая документами), "bad bad (плохо плохо)."

The American, whose name was O'Brien, said (американец, чье имя было О’Брайен, сказал), "Give the goil back her papers (отдайте девушке ее документы; goil = искаж. girl — девушка )," which the Russian naturally didn't understand (чего русский, естественно, не понял). The American put his hand on his gun (американец положил свою руку на свой пистолет), and Corporal Starling said gently (а капрал Старлинг сказал мягко), "Let it go, Pat (оставь это, Пэт)."

"If those papers ain't in order we got a right to look (если эти документы не в порядке, мы имеем право посмотреть)."

"Just let it go (просто оставь). We’ll see the papers at H.Q. (мы увидим документы в штабе)."

"The trouble about you British is you never know when to make a stand (проблема с вами, британцами, в том, что вы никогда не знаете, когда оказать сопротивление)."

"Oh, well (о, хорошо)," Starling said (сказал Старлинг)—he had been at Dunkirk (он был при Дюнкерке), but he knew when to be quiet (но он знал, когда /надо/ быть спокойным).

The driver put on his brakes suddenly (водитель нажал на свои тормоза внезапно; to put on — приводить в действие ): there was a road block (на дороге было заграждение). You see I knew they would have to pass this military post (видите ли, я знал, что они бы должны были проехать этот военный пост). I put my head in at the window (я просунул мою голову внутрь в окно) and said to the Russian (и сказал русскому), haltingly, in his own tongue (запинаясь, на его собственном языке): "What are you doing in the British zone (что вы делаете в британской зоне)?"

He grumbled that it was "Orders" (он проворчал ,что это был приказ).

"Whose orders (чей приказ)? Let me see them (позвольте мне увидеть его: «их»)." I noted the signature (я приметил подпись)—it was useful information (это была полезная информация). I said, "This tells you to pick up a certain Hungarian national and war criminal (это = этот приказ говорит вам взять некую венгерскую гражданку и военную преступницу) who is living with faulty papers in the British zone (которая живет с поддельными документами в британской зоне). Let me see the papers (позвольте мне увидеть = покажите мне эти документы)."

He started on a long explanation (он пустился в долгое объяснение). I said, "These papers look to me quite in order (эти документы выглядят для меня совершенно в порядке), but I'll investigate them (но я исследую их) and send a report of the result to your colonel (и пошлю отзыв о результате вашему полковнику). He can, of course, ask for the extradition of this lady at any time (он может, конечно, просить о выдаче этой дамы в любое время). All we want (все, чего мы хотим) is proof of her criminal activities (это доказательство ее преступной деятельности)."

I said to Anna: "Get out of the car (выходите из машины)." I put a packet of cigarettes in the Russian's hand (я сунул пачку сигарет в руку русского), said, "Have a good smoke (желаю вам хорошо покурить)," waved my hand to the others (помахал моей рукой остальным), gave a sigh of relief (издал вздох облегчения) and that incident was closed (и этот инцидент был исчерпан: «закрыт»).

dispute [dIs'pju:t], rage ['reIG], produce [prq'dju:s], Hungarian [hAN'gearIqn], naturally ['nxtS(q)r(q)lI], tongue [tAN], national ['nxS(q)n(q)l], faulty ['fO:ltI], extradition ["ekstrq'dIS(q)n], activity [xk'tIvItI]

When the M.P. went back to Anna's room a dispute was raging. Anna had told the American that she had Austrian papers (which was true) and that they were quite in order (which was rather stretching the truth). The American told the Russian in bad German that they had no right to arrest an Austrian citizen. He asked Anna for her papers and when she produced them, the Russian took them.

"Hungarian," he said, pointing at Anna. "Hungarian," and then flourishing the papers, "bad bad."

The American, whose name was O'Brien, said, "Give the goil back her papers," which the Russian naturally didn't understand. The American put his hand on his gun, and Corporal Starling said gently, "Let it go, Pat."

"If those papers ain't in order we got a right to look."

"Just let it go. Well see the papers at H.Q."

"The trouble about you British is you never know when to make a stand."

"Oh, well," Starling said—he had been at Dunkirk, but he knew when to be quiet.

The driver put on his brakes suddenly: there was a road block. You see I knew they would have to pass this military post. I put my head in at the window and said to the Russian, haltingly, in his own tongue: "What are you doing in the British zone?"

He grumbled that it was "Orders."

"Whose orders? Let me see them." I noted the signature—it was useful information. I said, "This tells you to pick up a certain Hungarian national and war criminal who is living with faulty papers in the British zone. Let me see the papers."

He started on a long explanation. I said, "These papers look to me quite in order, but I'll investigate them and send a report of the result to your colonel. He can, of course, ask for the extradition of this lady at any time. All we want is proof of her criminal activities."

I said to Anna: "Get out of the car." I put a packet of cigarettes in the Russian's hand, said, "Have a good smoke," waved my hand to the others, gave a sigh of relief and that incident was closed.

13

WHILE MARTINS told me how he went back to Anna's and found her gone (пока Мартинс рассказывал мне, как он отправился назад к Анне и нашел ее ушедшей = обнаружил, что она ушла), I did some hard thinking (я напряженно думал). I wasn't satisfied with the ghost story (я не был убежден историей о призраке) or the idea that the man with Harry Lime's features had been a drunken illusion (или мыслью, что человек с чертами /лица/ Гарри Лайма был пьяной иллюзией). I took out two maps of Vienna and compared them (я вынул две карты Вены и сравнил их): I rang up my assistant (я позвонил моему помощнику) and keeping Martins silent with a glass of whisky (и, держа Мартинса молчащим = заставив Мартинса молчать при помощи стакана виски) asked him (спросил его) if he had located Harbin yet (нашел ли он: «если он нашел» уже Харбина; yet — еще; уже /в вопросительных предложениях/ ). He said no (он сказал, что нет): he understood he'd left Klagenfurt a week ago (он понял, что тот покинул Клагенфурт неделю назад) to visit his family in the adjoining zone (чтобы навестить свою семью в прилегающей зоне). One always wants to do everything oneself (человек: «один» всегда хочет сделать все сам = всегда хочешь все сделать сам): one has to guard against blaming one's juniors (человек должен остерегаться обвинять своих подчиненных; against — против; to blame — обвинять ). I am convinced that I would never have let Harbin out of our clutches (я убежден, что я бы никогда не выпустил Харбина из наших когтей), but then (но с другой стороны: «но затем») I would probably have made all kinds of mistakes (я бы, возможно, наделал все возможные ошибки: «все разновидности ошибок») that my junior would have avoided (которых мой подчиненный избежал бы). "All right (хорошо)," I said, "go on trying to get hold of him (продолжайте пытаться поймать его)."