Английский с Уилки Коллинзом. Женщина из сна / Wilkie Collins. The Dream Woman

Еремин Андрей

 The old stone quarry where the carriage accident had happened was within view. The moon in the clear heavens lit it up almost as bright as day.

In a minute or two the doctor let me into the surgery. I closed the door, noticing that he had left his room very lightly clad. He kindly pardoned my mother’s neglect of his directions, and set to work at once at compounding the medicine. We were both intent on the bottle; he filling it, and I holding the light – when we heard the surgery door suddenly opened from the street.

VIII

Who could possibly be up and about in our quiet village (кто

же мог быть на ногах в нашей тихой деревне; possibly – возможно; /усил./ просто, только; to be up and about – встать на ноги после болезни; поднять после сна; заняться делом; to be about – быть поблизости; встать, быть на ногах) at the second hour of the morning (во втором часу утра)?

The person who opened the door (человек, открывший дверь; person – человек; личность; особа) appeared within range of the light of the candle (ступил в круг света свечи; range – сфера, зона; область, круг). To complete our amazement (чтобы завершить наше изумление = к нашему полному изумлению), the person proved to be a woman (человек этот оказался женщиной; to prove – доказывать; оказываться)! She walked up to the counter (она подошла к прилавку), and standing side by side with me, lifted her veil (и, стоя рядом/бок о бок со мной, подняла вуаль). At the moment when she showed her face (в тот миг, когда она показала лицо), I heard the church clock strike two (я услышал, как церковные часы пробили два). She was a stranger to me, and a stranger to the doctor (она была незнакома мне и незнакома доктору; stranger – незнакомец; чужестранец). She was also, beyond all comparison (также она была, вне всякого сравнения), the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life (самой красивой женщиной, что я когда-либо видел в своей жизни).

“I saw the light under the door,” she said (я увидела свет под дверью, – сказала она). “I want some medicine (мне нужно лекарство).”

 Who could possibly be up and about in our quiet village at the second hour of the morning?

The person who opened the door appeared within range of the light of the candle. To complete our amazement, the person proved to be a woman! She walked up to the counter, and standing side by side with me, lifted her veil. At the moment when she showed her face, I heard the church clock strike two. She was a stranger to me, and a stranger to the doctor. She was also, beyond all comparison, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.

“I saw the light under the door,” she said. “I want some medicine.”

She spoke quite composedly (она говорила совершенно спокойно; to speak; composedly – спокойно, сдержанно; to compose – cоставлять; успокаивать), as if there was nothing at all extraordinary in her being out in the village at two in the morning (словно не было совсем ничего необычного в том, что она ходит по деревне в два часа утра), and following me into the surgery to ask for medicine (и следует за мной в приемную, чтобы попросить лекарство)! The doctor stared at her as if he suspected his own eyes of deceiving him (доктор уставился на нее, будто сомневался, уж не обманывают ли его глаза; to suspect – подозревать; сомневаться, не доверять /чему-л./; to deceive – вводить в заблуждение, обманывать). “Who are you?” he asked (кто вы? – спросил он). “How do you come to be wandering about at this time in the morning (как оказалось, что вы блуждаете в это время /утра/)?”

She paid no heed to his questions (она не обратила внимания на его вопросы; to pay – платить; обращать /внимание/). She only told him coolly what she wanted (она лишь спокойно/невозмутимо сказала

ему, что ей нужно). “I have got a bad toothache (у меня ужасная зубная боль; bad – плохой, дурной; /разг./ сильный, острый; tooth – зуб; ache – боль /особ. продолжительная, тупая/). I want a bottle of laudanum (мне нужен пузырек опиума; laudanum – настойка опия).”

 She spoke quite composedly, as if there was nothing at all extraordinary in her being out in the village at two in the morning, and following me into the surgery to ask for medicine! The doctor stared at her as if he suspected his own eyes of deceiving him. “Who are you?” he asked. “How do you come to be wandering about at this time in the morning?”

She paid no heed to his questions. She only told him coolly what she wanted. “I have got a bad toothache. I want a bottle of laudanum.”

The doctor recovered himself when she asked for the laudanum (доктор пришел в себя, когда она спросила настойку опия; to recover – возвращать; вновь обретать; оправляться, приходить в себя от /болезни, испуга и т. д./). He was on his own ground, you know (он был в своей стихии: «на своей земле», знаете ли; ground – земля; основание; предмет, тема /исследования, спора/), when it came to a matter of laudanum (когда речь зашла о настойке опия); and he spoke to her smartly enough this time (и на этот раз он заговорил с ней достаточно резко; smartly – энергично, сильно; грубо, резко /в обращении с кем-л./).

“Oh, you have got the toothache, have you (о, значит, у вас зубная боль)? Let me look at the tooth (позвольте мне взглянуть на зуб).”

She shook her head, and laid a two-shilling piece on the counter (она покачала головой и положила на прилавок два шиллинга; two-shilling piece – флорин /англ. монета, равная двум шиллингам/; piece – кусок; монета). “I won’t trouble you to look at the tooth (я не хочу затруднять вас осмотром зуба),” she said. “There is the money (вот деньги). Let me have the laudanum, if you please (позвольте мне иметь = дайте мне настойку опия, будьте любезны).”

The doctor put the two-shilling piece back again in her hand (доктор положил монету обратно в ее руку). “I don’t sell laudanum to strangers,” he answered (я не продаю опиум незнакомым людям, – ответил он).

 The doctor recovered himself when she asked for the laudanum. He was on his own ground, you know, when it came to a matter of laudanum; and he spoke to her smartly enough this time.

“Oh, you have got the toothache, have you? Let me look at the tooth.”

She shook her head, and laid a two-shilling piece on the counter. “I won’t trouble you to look at the tooth,” she said. “There is the money. Let me have the laudanum, if you please.”

The doctor put the two-shilling piece back again in her hand. “I don’t sell laudanum to strangers,” he answered.

“If you are in any distress of body or mind, that is another matter (если вы чувствуете телесную или душевную боль, это другое дело; distress – физическая боль, недомогание; горе; страдание). I shall be glad to help you (буду рад вам помочь).”

She put the money back in her pocket (она положила деньги обратно в карман). “You can’t help me,” she said, as quietly as ever (вы не можете мне помочь, – сказала она чуть слышно: «так тихо, как когда-либо»). “Good morning (до свидания).”