H. Wells - Английский язык с Г. Уэллсом Человек-невидимка

sinister [`sInIstq], infernal [In`fq:n(q)l], key [kJ]

“He shut the door quietly, and immediately I heard the key turn in the lock. Then his footsteps retreated. I realised abruptly that I was locked in. For a minute I did not know what to do. I walked from door to window and back, and stood perplexed. A gust of anger came upon me. But I decided to inspect the clothes before I did anything further, and my first attempt brought down a pile from an upper shelf. This brought him back, more sinister than ever. That time he actually touched me, jumped back with amazement and stood astonished in the middle of the room.

“Presently he calmed a little. ‘Rats,’ he said in an undertone, fingers on lips. He was evidently a little scared. I edged quietly out of the room, but a plank creaked. Then the infernal little brute started going all over the house, revolver in hand and locking door after door and pocketing the keys. When I realised what he was up to I had a fit of rage — I could hardly control myself sufficiently to watch my opportunity. By this time I knew he was alone in the house, and so I made no more ado, but knocked him on the head.”

“Knocked him on the head (ударили его по голове)?” exclaimed Kemp (воскликнул Кемп).

“Yes — stunned him — as he was going downstairs (да, оглушил его, когда он спускался вниз). Hit him from behind with a stool that stood on the landing (ударил сзади стулом, который стоял на лестничной площадке). He went downstairs like a bag of old boots (он покатился вниз, как мешок со старыми башмаками).”

“But — I say! The common conventions of humanity — (но, позвольте, простая гуманность…; common convention — обычай; convention — собрание; договор; обычай, традиция )”

“Are all very well for common people (хороша для простых людей). But the point was, Kemp, that I had to get out of that house in a disguise without his seeing me (но дело в том, Кемп, что мне нужно было выбраться из этого дома в одежде, чтобы он меня не видел). I couldn’t think of any other way of doing it (я не смог придумать другого способа сделать это). And then I gagged him with a Louis Quatorze vest and tied him up in a sheet (затем я заткнул ему рот камзолом эпохи Людовика Четырнадцатого и завязал в простыню; Louis Quatorze — встилеЛюдовикаЧетырнадцатого/омебели, архитектуре/ ).”

“Tied him up in a sheet (завязали в простыню)!”

humanity [hju(:)`mxnItI], disguise [dIs`gaIz], Louis [`lHIs]

“Knocked him on the head?” exclaimed Kemp.

“Yes — stunned him — as he was going downstairs. Hit him from behind with a stool that stood on the landing. He went downstairs like a bag of old boots.”

“But — I say! The common conventions of humanity — ”

“Are all very well for common people. But the point was, Kemp, that I had to get out of that house in a disguise without his seeing me. I couldn’t think of any other way of doing it. And then I gagged him with a Louis Quatorze vest and tied him up in a sheet.”

“Tied him up in a sheet!”

“Made a sort of bag of it (сделал из нее что-то вроде узла/мешка). It was rather a good idea to keep the idiot scared and quiet (это было довольно хорошей идеей, чтобы напугать и утихомирить этого идиота), and a devilish hard thing to get out of (и выбраться из узла было чертовски трудно) — head away from the string (/при том, что он лежал/ головой от завязки = завязка была в ногах ). My dear Kemp, it’s no good your sitting glaring as though I was a murderer (мой дорогой Кемп, нечего сидеть и глазеть на меня, будто я убийца). It had to be done (это было необходимо: «это должно было быть сделано»). He had his revolver (у него был револьвер). If once he saw me he would be able to describe me — (если бы он меня увидел, то сумел бы описать…)”

“But still (но все же),” said Kemp, “in England — to-day (в Англии, в наше время). And the man was in his own house, and you were — well, robbing (и человек был в своем собственном доме, а вы… э-э, совершили грабеж).”

“Robbing (грабеж)! Confound it (черт знает что)! You’ll call me a thief next (сейчас вы назовете меня вором)! Surely, Kemp, you’re not fool enough to dance on the old strings (несомненно, Кемп, вы не настолько глупы, чтобы плясать под старую дудку: «старые струны»; the strings — струнные (/инструменты/ ). Can’t you see my position (неужели вы не понимаете моего положения)?”

idiot [`IdIqt], England [`INglqnd], position [pq`zIS(q)n]

“Made a sort of bag of it. It was rather a good idea to keep the idiot scared and quiet, and a devilish hard thing to get out of — head away from the string. My dear Kemp, it’s no good your sitting glaring as though I was a murderer. It had to be done. He had his revolver. If once he saw me he would be able to describe me — ”

“But still,” said Kemp, “in England — to-day. And the man was in his own house, and you were — well, robbing.”

“Robbing! Confound it! You’ll call me a thief next! Surely, Kemp, you’re not fool enough to dance on the old strings. Can’t you see my position?”

“And his too (и его тоже),” said Kemp.

The Invisible Man stood up sharply (Невидимка резко встал).

“What do you mean to say (что вы имеете в виду)?”

Kemp’s face grew a trifle hard (лицо Кемпа стало немного суровее; trifle — пустяк; a trifle — чуточку ). He was about to speak and checked himself (он хотел было заговорить, но сдержался).

“I suppose, after all (в конечном счете, полагаю),” he said with a sudden change of manner (сказал он, вдруг меняя тон), “the thing had to be done (то, что вы сделали, должно было быть сделано). You were in a fix (вы были в затруднительном положении). But still — (но все-таки…)”

“Of course I was in a fix — an infernal fix (конечно, я был в затруднительном положении, в ужасном: «адском» положении). And he made me wild too — hunting me about the house (да и он привел меня в бешенство — преследовал меня по всему дому), fooling about with his revolver, locking and unlocking doors (размахивал своим револьвером, запирал и отпирал двери; tofoolabout— болтаться, дурачиться ). He was simply exasperating (он был просто невыносим; toexasperate— сердить; возмущать, раздражать; изводить ). You don’t blame me, do you (вы ведь не вините меня, правда)? You don’t blame me (не вините)?”

sharply [`SRplI], revolver [rI`vOlvq], exasperating [Ig`zRspqreItIN]

“And his too,” said Kemp.

The Invisible Man stood up sharply.

“What do you mean to say?”

Kemp’s face grew a trifle hard. He was about to speak and checked himself.

“I suppose, after all,” he said with a sudden change of manner, “the thing had to be done. You were in a fix. But still — ”

“Of course I was in a fix — an infernal fix. And he made me wild too — hunting me about the house, fooling about with his revolver, locking and unlocking doors. He was simply exasperating. You don’t blame me, do you? You don’t blame me?”

“I never blame anyone (я никогда никого не виню),” said Kemp. “It’s quite out of fashion (это совершенно устарело/вышло из моды). What did you do next (что вы сделали потом)?”

“I was hungry (я был голоден). Downstairs I found a loaf and some rank cheese (внизу я нашел каравай и немного прогорклого сыра) — more than sufficient to satisfy my hunger (больше чем достаточно, чтобы утолить голод). I took some brandy and water, and then went up past my impromptu bag (я выпил немного бренди с водой, а потом пошел наверх мимо импровизированного узла) — he was lying quite still (он лежал совершенно неподвижно) — to the room containing the old clothes (в комнату, где была старая одежда; tocontain—содержать в себе, включать, вмещать ). This looked out upon the street (/окно комнаты/ выходило на улицу), two lace curtains brown with dirt guarding the window (две занавески из тюля, потемневшие от грязи, закрывали его; toguard— охранять, защищать ). I went and peered out through their interstices (я подошел и выглянул между ними; interstice — промежуток, щель ). Outside the day was bright (снаружи был яркий день) — by contrast with the brown shadows of the dismal house (по сравнению с сумраком мрачного дома) in which I found myself, dazzlingly bright (в котором я находился, /день был/ ослепительно яркий). A brisk traffic was going by (на улице наблюдалось оживленное движение; to go by — проходитьмимо, проезжать ), fruit carts (тележки с фруктами), a hansom (экипаж), a four-wheeler with a pile of boxes (пролетка с кучей ящиков), a fishmonger’s cart (тележка торговца рыбой). I turned with spots of colour swimming before my eyes to the shadowy fixtures behind me (я повернулся к темным стеллажам, перед глазами у меня поплыли разноцветные пятна). My excitement was giving place to a clear apprehension of my position again (мое волнение сменялось ясным представлением о своем положении). The room was full of a faint scent of benzoline (комната была наполнена слабым запахом бензола), used, I suppose, in cleaning the garments (использовавшегося, видимо, для чистки одежды).

sufficient [sq`fIS(q)nt], impromptu [Im`prOmptjH], fruit [frHt]

“I never blame anyone,” said Kemp. “It’s quite out of fashion. What did you do next?”

“I was hungry. Downstairs I found a loaf and some rank cheese — more than sufficient to satisfy my hunger. I took some brandy and water, and then went up past my impromptu bag — he was lying quite still — to the room containing the old clothes. This looked out upon the street, two lace curtains brown with dirt guarding the window. I went and peered out through their interstices. Outside the day was bright — by contrast with the brown shadows of the dismal house in which I found myself, dazzlingly bright. A brisk traffic was going by, fruit carts, a hansom, a four-wheeler with a pile of boxes, a fishmonger’s cart. I turned with spots of colour swimming before my eyes to the shadowy fixtures behind me. My excitement was giving place to a clear apprehension of my position again. The room was full of a faint scent of benzoline, used, I suppose, in cleaning the garments.