Английский с Р. Л. Стивенсоном. Алмаз раджи / R. L. Stevenson. The Rajah’s Diamond

Стивенсон Роберт

 “In what way am I to construe your attitude, sir?” demanded Vandeleur.

“Why, sir, as you please,” returned Pendragon.

The General once more raised his cane, and made a cut for Charlie’s head; but the latter, lame foot and all, evaded the blow with his umbrella, ran in, and immediately closed with his formidable adversary.

“Run, Harry, run!” he cried; “run, you dolt (беги, Гарри, беги! – крикнул он, – беги, ты, олух)!” Harry stood petrified for a moment (Гарри постоял, оцепенев, секунду; to petrify – обращать в камень), watching the two men sway together in this fierce embrace (глядя, как двое мужчин раскачиваются в этом яростном объятии); then he turned and took to his heels (затем он повернулся

и пустился наутек: «взялся за каблуки/пятки»; to take – взять/ся/). When he cast a glance over his shoulder (когда он бросил взгляд через плечо; to cast – бросать) he saw the General prostrate under Charlie’s knee (он увидел, что генерал распростерся под коленом Чарли), but still making desperate efforts to reverse the situation (но все еще делал отчаянные усилия, чтобы повернуть ситуацию); and the Gardens seemed to have filled with people (а парк, кажется, наполнился людьми), who were running from all directions towards the scene of fight (которые бежали со всех концов к месту драки). This spectacle lent the secretary wings (это зрелище= вид этого дал секретарю крылья; to lend – одолжить /дать/); and he did not relax his pace (и он не ослаблял = не замедлял своей скорости) until he had gained the Bayswater road (пока не добрался до Бейзуотер-роуд), and plunged at random into an unfrequented by-street (и нырнул наугад в безлюдный переулок; to frequent – посещать).

 “Run, Harry, run!” he cried; “run, you dolt!” Harry stood petrified for a moment, watching the two men sway together in this fierce embrace; then he turned and took to his heels. When he cast a glance over his shoulder he saw the General prostrate under Charlie’s knee, but still making desperate efforts to reverse the situation; and the Gardens seemed to have filled with people, who were running from all directions towards the scene of fight. This spectacle lent the secretary wings; and he did not relax his pace until he had gained the Bayswater road, and plunged at random into an unfrequented by-street.

To see two gentlemen of his acquaintance (видеть двух знакомых ему джентльменов: «его знакомства») thus brutally mauling each other (столь жестоко колотящих друг друга) was deeply shocking to Harry (было глубоко шокирующим для Гарри). He desired to forget the sight (он желал забыть это зрелище); he desired, above all (он желал, прежде всего: «выше всего/над всем»), to put as great a distance as possible between himself and General Vandeleur (положить как можно б'oльшее расстояние между собой и генералом Венделером); and in his eagerness for this he forgot everything about his destination (и в своем стремлении к этому он позабыл все о своей цели = куда направляется), and hurried before him headlong and trembling (и несся сломя голову и дрожа; headlong – головой вперед /о падении вниз, нырянии/; стремительно, безрассудно, неосторожно; неуправляемо; очертя голову). When he remembered that Lady Vandeleur was the wife of one and the sister of the other of these gladiators (когда он вспомнил, что леди Венделер – жена одного и сестра другого из этих забияк), his heart was touched with sympathy (его сердце было тронуто состраданием) for a woman so distressingly misplaced in life (к женщине, которой так не повезло: «столь прискорбно поставленной не на место» в жизни). Even his own situation in the General’s household (даже его собственное положение в доме генерала) looked hardly so pleasing as usual (едва ли выглядело так же приятно, как обычно) in the light of these violent transactions (в свете этих жестоких: «насильственных» дел).

 To see two gentlemen of his acquaintance thus brutally mauling each other was deeply shocking to Harry. He desired to forget the sight; he desired, above all, to put as great a distance as possible between himself and General Vandeleur; and in his eagerness for this he forgot everything about his destination, and hurried before him headlong and trembling. When he remembered that Lady Vandeleur was the wife of one and the sister of the other of these gladiators, his heart was touched with sympathy for a woman so distressingly misplaced in life. Even his own situation in the General’s household looked hardly so pleasing as usual in the light of these violent transactions.

He had walked some little distance (он прошел некоторое расстояние), busied with these meditations (занятый этими размышлениями), before a slight collision with another passenger reminded him of the bandbox on his arm (пока легкое столкновение с другим прохожим не напомнило ему о шляпной картонке у него на руке).

“Heavens!” cried he, “where was my head (силы

небесные! – вскричал он, – где была моя голова = о чем я думал)? and whither have I wandered (и куда я зашел)?”

Thereupon he consulted the envelope which Lady Vandeleur had given him (после чего он сверился с конвертом, который леди Венделер дала ему). The address was there (на нем был адрес: «там»), but without a name (но без имени). Harry was simply directed to ask for “the gentleman who expected a parcel from Lady Vandeleur (Гарри было просто указано спросить джентльмена, который ожидает пакет от леди Венделер),” and if he were not at home (а если его не будет дома) to await his return (подождать его возвращения). The gentleman, added the note, should present a receipt (этот джентльмен, добавляла записка, должен представить расписку) in the handwriting of the lady herself (написанную рукой самой леди).

 He had walked some little distance, busied with these meditations, before a slight collision with another passenger reminded him of the bandbox on his arm.

“Heavens!” cried he, “where was my head? and whither have I wandered?”

Thereupon he consulted the envelope which Lady Vandeleur had given him. The address was there, but without a name. Harry was simply directed to ask for “the gentleman who expected a parcel from Lady Vandeleur,” and if he were not at home to await his return. The gentleman, added the note, should present a receipt in the handwriting of the lady herself.

All this seemed mightily mysterious (все это казалось чрезвычайно загадочным), and Harry was above all astonished at the omission of the name (и Гарри был больше всего поражен отсутствием имени /адресата/) and the formality of the receipt (и формальностью расписки). He had thought little of this last (он мало думал об этом /последнем/ = о расписке) when he heard it dropped in conversation (когда услышал это упомянутым в разговоре); but reading it in cold blood (но прочтя это внимательно: «хладнокровно»), and taking it in connection with the other strange particulars (и связав это с другими странными деталями: «взяв это в связи…»), he became convinced that he was engaged in perilous affairs (он проникся убеждением: «стал убежден», что ввязался в рискованное дело; to become – стать). For half a moment he had a doubt of Lady Vandeleur herself (на полсекунды он усомнился в самой леди Венделер: «у него было сомнение»); for he found these obscure proceedings somewhat unworthy of so high a lady (ибо он находил эти таинственные процедуры несколько недостойными такой высокопоставленной дамы), and became more critical when her secrets were preserved against himself (и стал более критически настроен, когда ее тайны хранились от него самого = раз у нее были секреты даже от него). But her empire over his spirit was too complete (но ее власть над его душой была слишком безусловна), he dismissed his suspicions (он отбросил свои подозрения; to dismiss – отпускать; распускать /собрание/; отвергать, выбрасывать из головы, прогонять от себя /о мыслимом объекте, чувстве и т. п./), and blamed himself roundly for having so much as entertained them (и строго выбранил себя за то, что вообще питал их).

 All this seemed mightily mysterious, and Harry was above all astonished at the omission of the name and the formality of the receipt. He had thought little of this last when he heard it dropped in conversation; but reading it in cold blood, and taking it in connection with the other strange particulars, he became convinced that he was engaged in perilous affairs. For half a moment he had a doubt of Lady Vandeleur herself; for he found these obscure proceedings somewhat unworthy of so high a lady, and became more critical when her secrets were preserved against himself. But her empire over his spirit was too complete, he dismissed his suspicions, and blamed himself roundly for having so much as entertained them.

In one thing, however, his duty and interest, his generosity and his terrors, coincided (в одной вещи, однако, его долг и интересы, его благородство и страхи совпадали) – to get rid of the bandbox (избавиться от шляпной картонки) with the greatest possible despatch (с наибольшей возможной поспешностью).

He accosted the first policeman (он обратился к первому же полицейскому) and courteously inquired his way (и вежливо спросил дорогу). It turned out that he was already not far from his destination (оказалось, что он был уже недалеко от своей цели), and a walk of a few minutes brought him to a small house in a lane (и ходьба в несколько минут привела его к маленькому домику в переулке; to bring – приводить, привозить, приносить), freshly painted (свежевыкрашенному), and kept with the most scrupulous attention (и ухоженному: «хранимому с очень тщательным вниманием»; to keep – хранить, держать).