Английский с улыбкой. Брет Гарт, Стивен Ликок. Дефективный детектив / Bret Harte, Stephen Leacock

Ликок Стивен Батлер

Great Heaven (Боже милостивый)!

It was the Archbishop of Canterbury (то был архиепископ Кентерберийский)!

So! To clip the Prince’s tail! The brain of the Great Detective reeled. So! a gang of miscreants had conspired to – but no! the thing was not possible.

There was another rap at the door.

A second visitor was seen. He wormed his way in, lying almost prone upon his stomach, and wriggling across the floor. He was enveloped in a long purple cloak. He stood up and peeped over the top of it.

Great Heaven!

It was the Archbishop of Canterbury!

“Your Grace!” exclaimed the detective in amazement (Ваша

милость, – воскликнул сыщик в изумлении) – “pray do not stand, I beg you (молю вас, умоляю, не вставайте; to pray – молиться; молить, умолять). Sit down, lie down, anything rather than stand (садитесь, ложитесь, только не вставайте).”

The Archbishop took off his mitre and laid it wearily on the whisker-stand (архиепископ снял свою митру и устало повесил: «положил» ее на подставку для бакенбард; to take off – снимать, сбрасывать).

“You are here in regard to the Prince of Wurttemberg (вы здесь по поводу Принца Вюртембергского).”

The Archbishop started and crossed himself (архиепископ вздрогнул и перекрестился). Was the man a magician (неужто этот человек волшебник)?

“Yes,” he said, “much depends on getting him back (да, – сказал он, – многое зависит от его возвращения). But I have only come to say this: my sister is desirous of seeing you (но я пришел только для того, чтобы сказать вам: моя сестра жаждет видеть вас). She is coming here (она идет сюда). She has been extremely indiscreet and her fortune hangs upon the Prince (она была крайне неосмотрительна, и ее состояние полностью зависит от Принца; to hang upon smth. – зависеть от чего-л.; fortune – удача, счастливый случай; богатство, состояние). Get him back to Paris or I fear she will be ruined (доставьте его назад в Париж, иначе, боюсь, она будет разорена; to ruin – рушиться; разорять).”

“Your Grace!” exclaimed the detective in amazement – “pray do not stand, I beg you. Sit down, lie down, anything rather than stand.”

The Archbishop took off his mitre and laid it wearily on the whisker-stand.

“You are here in regard to the Prince of Wurttemberg.”

The Archbishop started and crossed himself. Was the man a magician?

“Yes,” he said, “much depends on getting him back. But I have only come to say this: my sister is desirous of seeing you. She is coming here. She has been extremely indiscreet and her fortune hangs upon the Prince. Get him back to Paris or I fear she will be ruined.”

The Archbishop regained his mitre (архиепископ вернул на место свою митру; to regain – получить обратно, вновь обрести), uncrossed himself, wrapped his cloak about him (перекрестился наоборот, обернул плащ вокруг себя), and crawled stealthily out on his hands and knees, purring like a cat (и, крадучись, пополз на четвереньках, мурлыча, как кот).

The face of the Great Detective showed the most profound sympathy (лицо Великого Сыщика выражало: «показывало» самое глубокое сочувствие; sympathy – расположение, симпатия; сочувствие, сострадание). It ran up and down in furrows (по нему вверх-вниз забегали морщинки; to run). “So,” he muttered, “the sister of the Archbishop, the Countess of Dashleigh (значит, – пробормотал он, – сестра архиепископа, графиня Дэшли)!” Accustomed as he was to the life of the aristocracy, even the Great Detective felt (хоть и будучи знакомым с жизнью аристократии, Великий Сыщик почувствовал; to feel) that there was here intrigue of more than customary complexity (что здесь интрига будет посложнее обычного).

There was a loud rapping at the door (раздался громкий стук в дверь).

There entered the Countess of Dashleigh (вошла графиня Дэшли). She was all in furs (вся она была в мехах).

She was the most beautiful woman in England (она была самой красивой женщиной в Англии).

The Archbishop regained his mitre, uncrossed himself, wrapped his cloak about him, and crawled stealthily out on his hands and knees, purring like a cat.

The face of the Great Detective showed the most profound sympathy. It ran up and down in furrows. “So,” he muttered, “the sister of the Archbishop, the Countess of Dashleigh!” Accustomed as he was to the life of the aristocracy, even the Great Detective felt that there was here intrigue of more than customary complexity.

There was a loud rapping at the door.

There entered the Countess of Dashleigh. She was all in furs.

She was the most beautiful woman in England.

She strode imperiously into the room (величаво она шагнула в комнату; to stride; imperious – повелительный, властный; величественный). She seized a chair imperiously and seated herself on it, imperial side up (величаво схватила стул и уселась на него, величавым профилем /к сыщику/; side – сторона, часть /чего-л./; бок /туловища/).

She took off her tiara of diamonds and put it on the tiara-holder beside her (она сняла свою бриллиантовую тиару и повесила: «положила» ее на подставку для тиар, /стоявшую/ рядом с нею) and uncoiled her boa of pearls and put it on the pearl-stand (размотала свое боа из жемчуга и повесила его на подставку для жемчугов).

“You have come,” said the Great Detective, “about the Prince of Wurttemberg (вы пришли, – сказал Великий Сыщик, – насчет Принца Вюртембергского).”

“Wretched little pup!” said the Countess of Dashleigh in disgust (негодный маленький щенок! – раздраженно сказала графиня Дэшли; disgust – отвращение, омерзение; недовольство, раздражение).

So! A further complication (вот как! новое осложнение; further – дальнейший; дополнительный, добавочный)! Far from being in love with the Prince (не будучи отнюдь влюбленной в Принца; far from – далеко не; to be in love – любить, быть влюбленным), the Countess denounced the young Bourbon as a pup (графиня обозвала юного Бурбона щенком; to denounce – осуждать, обвинять)!

She strode imperiously into the room. She seized a chair imperiously and seated herself on it, imperial side up.

She took off her tiara of diamonds and put it on the tiara-holder beside her and uncoiled her boa of pearls and put it on the pearl-stand.

“You have come,” said the Great Detective, “about the Prince of Wurttemberg.”

“Wretched little pup!” said the Countess of Dashleigh in disgust.

So! A further complication! Far from being in love with the Prince, the Countess denounced the young Bourbon as a pup!

“You are interested in him, I believe (вас интересует его пропажа: «вы заинтересованы в нем», я полагаю; to believe – верить).”

“Interested!” said the Countess (интересует! – сказала графиня). “I should rather say so (еще как, я бы сказала; I should say so – еще бы! конечно! rather – лучше, скорее; весьма, в значительной степени). Why, I bred him (ведь я же его вскормила; to breed – вынашивать /детенышей/, высиживать /птенцов/; вскармливать)!”