Английский язык с Грэмом Грином. Третий человек

Франк Илья

sentimental ["sentI'mentl], focus ['fqukqs], available [q'veIlqbl], balance ['bxlqns], possibility ["pOsq'bIlItI], human ['hju:mqn], demonstrate ['demqnstreIt], superiority ["sju:pqrI'OrItI], vulnerable ['vAln(q)rqbl], refuse [rI'fju:z], humanitarian [hju:mxnI'teqrIqn], typhus ['taIfqs], epidemic ["epI'demIk], Chinese ['tSaI'ni:z], famine ['fxmIn], entrance ['entrqns], encounter [In'kauntq], soda ['squdq], generous ['Gen(q)rqs] court ['kO:t], involve [In'vOlv]

AFTER TWO DRINKS Rollo Martins' mind would always turn towards women—in a vague, sentimental, romantic way, as a Sex, in general. After three drinks, like a pilot who dives to find direction, he would begin to focus on one available girl. If he had not been offered a third drink by Cooler, he would probably have not gone quite so soon to Anna Schmidt's house, and if ... but there are too many "ifs" in my style of writing, for it is my profession to balance possibilities, human possibilities, and the drive of destiny can never find a place in my files.

Martins had spent his lunchtime reading up the reports of the inquest, thus again demonstrating the superiority of the amateur to the professional, and making him more vulnerable to Cooler's liquor (which the professional in duty bound would have refused). It was nearly five o'clock when he reached Cooler's flat which was over an ice-cream parlour in the American zone: the bar below was full of G.I.'s with their girls, and the clatter of the long spoons and the curious free uniformed laughter followed him up the stairs.

The Englishman who objects to Americans in general usually carried in his mind's eye just such an exception as Cooler: a man with tousled grey hair and a worried kindly face and long-sighted eyes, the kind of humanitarian who turns up in a typhus epidemic or a world war or a Chinese famine long before his countrymen have discovered the place in an atlas. Again the card marked "Harry's friend" was like an entrance ticket. His warm frank handclasp was the most friendly act that Martins had encountered in Vienna.

"Any friend of Harry is all right with me," Cooler said. "I've heard of you, of course."

"From Harry?"

"I'm a great reader of Westerns," Cooler said, and Martins believed him as he did not believe Kurtz.

"I wondered—you were there, weren't you?—if you'd tell me about Harry's death."

"It was a terrible thing," Cooler said. "I was just crossing the road to go to Harry. He and Mr. Kurtz were on the sidewalk. Maybe if I hadn't started across the road, he'd have stayed where he was. But he saw me and stepped straight off to meet me and this jeep—it was terrible, terrible. The driver braked, but he didn't stand a chance. Have a Scotch, Mr. Martins. It's silly of me, but I get shaken up when I think of it." He said as he splashed in the soda, "I'd never seen a man killed before."

"Was the other man in the car?"

Cooler took a long pull and then measured what was left with his tired kindly eyes. "What man would you be referring to, Mr. Martins?"

"I was told there was another man there."

"I don't know how you got that idea. You'll find all about it in the inquest reports." He poured out two more generous drinks. "There were just the three of us—me and Mr. Kurtz and the driver. The doctor, of course. I expect you were thinking of the doctor."

"This man I was talking to happened to look out of a window—he has the next flat to Harry's—and he said he saw three men and the driver. That's before the doctor arrived."

"He didn't say that in court."

"He didn't want to get involved."

"You'll never teach these Europeans to be good citizens (вы

никогда не научите этих европейцев быть хорошими гражданами). It was his duty (это был его долг)." Cooler brooded sadly over his glass (Кулер поразмышлял грустно над своей рюмкой; to brood — высиживать яйца; размышлять /особ. грустно; about, on, over, upon — над чем-л./; вынашивать /в уме, в душе/; glass — стекло; стакан, бокал, фужер, рюмка). "It's an odd thing, Mr. Martins, with accidents (странная вещь, мистер

Мартинс, с несчастными случаями = эти несчастные случаи). You'll never get two reports that coincide (вы никогда не получите двух рассказов, которые совпадают; report — отчет, доклад, рапорт, донесение, сообщение; рассказ, описание событий). Why, even I and Mr. Kurtz disagreed about details (как же/да что тут говорить, даже я и мистер Куртц разошлись в деталях; to disagree — не совпадать, расходиться, противоречить один другому; to agree — соглашаться; why — почему?; выражает самые разнообразные эмоции в зависимости от контекста: удивление, согласие или несогласие, нетерпение и т. п.). The thing happens so suddenly (эта штука случается так внезапно), you aren't concerned to notice things (вы стараетесь замечать детали), until bang crash (пока не: бац! трах!), and then you have to reconstruct, remember (и потом вы должны восстанавливать, вспоминать). I expect he got too tangled up trying to sort out what happened before and what after (я ожидаю = полагаю, он совсем запутался: «сделался слишком запутавшимся», пытаясь разобраться, что случилось прежде и что потом; to tangle — запутывать/ся/; to sort out — распределять по сортам, рассортировывать; улаживать /проблемы/; выяснить /вопрос, недоразумение и т. п./), to distinguish the four of us (чтобы различить нас четырех)."

"The four (четырех)?"

"I was counting Harry (я считал Гарри). What else did he see, Mr. Martins (что еще он видел)?"

"Nothing of interest (ничего представляющего интерес)—except he says Harry was dead when he was carried to the house (кроме того, что он говорит, что Гарри был мертв, когда его несли к дому)."

"Well, he was dying—not much difference there (ну, он был умирающий — не много разницы там = в этом). Have another drink, Mr. Martins (еще рюмочку, мистер Мартинс)?"

"No, I don't think I will (нет, пожалуй, не надо: «я не думаю, что я буду»)."

"Well, I'd like another spot (ну, я бы хотел еще капельку; spot — пятнышко; крапинка; /разг./ небольшое количество, небольшая порция чего-л. /напр., еды, питья и т. д./). I was very fond of your friend, Mr. Martins (я очень любил вашего друга, мистер Мартинс), and I don't like talking about it (и я не люблю говорить об этом)."

"Perhaps one more—to keep you company (возможно еще один: «один больше» — чтобы составить вам компанию)."

"Do you know Anna Schmidt (вы знаете Анну Шмидт)?" Martins asked, while the whisky still tingled on his tongue (спросил Мартинс, пока виски все еще пощипывало у него на языке).

"Harry's girl (девушку Гарри)? I met her once, that's all (я встречал ее однажды, это все). As a matter of fact (на самом деле: «как дело факта»), I helped Harry fix her papers (я помог Гарри устроить ее документы). Not the sort of thing I should confess to a stranger (не такая вещь, которую я бы поведал незнакомцу; sort — разновидность; to confess — признавать/ся/; сознаваться), I suppose (я полагаю), but you have to break the rules sometimes (но ты должен иногда нарушить правила = приходится иногда нарушать правила; to break — ломать, разбивать). Humanity's a duty too (человеколюбие — это тоже долг)."

"What was wrong (что было не так; wrong — неправильный)?"

"She was Hungarian and her father had been a Nazi so they said (она была венгерка, и ее отец был нацистом, так говорят). She was scared the Russians would pick her up (она была испугана = боялась, что русские ее арестуют; to pick up — подобрать: «поднять вверх»; арестовать)."

"Why should they want to (почему бы они хотели /сделать это/)?"

"Well, her papers weren't in order (ну, ее документы не были в порядке)."