Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах (ASCII-IPA)

Сарапов Михаил

"This was the first point gained (это было первым звеном: «это было первое выигранное очко»; to gain — добывать, зарабатывать; выигрывать). I then walked slowly down the garden path (я затем медленно прошел по дорожке сада), which happened to be composed of a clay soil (которая, благодаря случаю, проходила по глинистой почве: «состояла из глинистой почвы»; to compose — составлять), peculiarly suitable for taking impressions (что особенно хорошо сохраняет следы: «особенно подходящей для запечатления отпечатков»). No doubt it appeared to you to be a mere trampled line of slush (вам, конечно, она показалась просто истоптанной полоской грязи; line — линия; черта; slush — грязь, слякоть; жижа), but to my trained eyes every mark upon its surface had a meaning (но для моего тренированного глаза каждая отметка на ее поверхности имела значение). There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so much neglected (нет отрасли науки сыска настолько важной и настолько пренебрегаемой) as the art of tracing footsteps (как искусство читать следы; to trace — следить; обнаружить; разыскать). Happily, I have always laid great stress upon it (к счастью, я всегда уделял этому особое внимание: «придавал большое значение»; stress — акцент; значение), and much practice has made it second nature to me (а

благодаря большой практике это стало для меня второй натурой). I saw the heavy footmarks of the constables (я увидел глубокие отпечатки констеблей), but I saw also the track of the two men who had first passed through the garden (но я также увидел и следы двух человек, которые раньше прошли через сад). It was easy to tell that they had been before the others (легко было сказать, что они прошли раньше других), because in places their marks had been entirely obliterated by the others coming upon the top of them (потому что местами их следы полностью терялись под следами других, наложившихся на них; to obliterate —удалять; полностью уничтожать; top — вершина, верх). In this way my second link was formed (таким образом сформировалось мое второе звено), which told me that the nocturnal visitors were two in number (а именно: «которое сказало мне», что ночных посетителей было двое: «посетители были двое числом»), one remarkable for his height (один, примечательный своим ростом) (as I calculated from the length of his stride (который я вычислил по длине его шага)), and the other fashionably dressed (а другой изысканно одетый), to judge from the small and elegant impression left by his boots (судя по узким, изящным отпечаткам его туфель).

peculiarly [pI'kju:lI@lI], surface ['s@:fIs], entirely [In'taI@lI]

"This was the first point gained. I then walked slowly down the garden path, which happened to be composed of a clay soil, peculiarly suitable for taking impressions. No doubt it appeared to you to be a mere trampled line of slush, but to my trained eyes every mark upon its surface had a meaning. There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so much neglected as the art of tracing footsteps. Happily, I have always laid great stress upon it, and much practice has made it second nature to me. I saw the heavy footmarks of the constables, but I saw also the track of the two men who had first passed through the garden. It was easy to tell that they had been before the others, because in places their marks had been entirely obliterated by the others coming upon the top of them. In this way my second link was formed, which told me that the nocturnal visitors were two in number, one remarkable for his height (as I calculated from the length of his stride), and the other fashionably dressed, to judge from the small and elegant impression left by his boots.

"On entering the house this last inference was confirmed (когда я вошел в дом, эта моя последняя догадка подтвердилась; inference — вывод, умозаключение; догадка, предположение; to infer — заключать; делать /логический/ вывод; делать предположение, высказывать догадку). My well-booted man lay before me (мой человек в изящных туфлях: «хорошо обутый» лежал передо мной). The tall one, then, had done the murder, if murder there was (следовательно, высокий совершил убийство, если убийство имело место). There was no wound upon the dead man's person (на теле мертвого не было ран), but the agitated expression upon his face assured me (но взволнованное выражение его лица ясно мне сказало; to assure — убеждать) that he had foreseen his fate before it came upon him (что он предвидел свою участь до того, как она его настигла). Men who die from heart disease, or any sudden natural cause (у умирающих от сердечного приступа или по другой внезапной естественной причине), never by any chance exhibit agitation upon their features (никогда ни при каких обстоятельствах не остается на лице потрясенное выражение; to exhibit — показывать; выказывать; agitation — волнение; возбуждение; тревога; потрясение). Having sniffed the dead man's lips (понюхав губы покойного) I detected a slightly sour smell (я заметил чуть кисловатый запах), and I came to the conclusion that he had had poison forced upon him (и пришел к выводу, что его заставили выпить яд). Again, I argued that it had been forced upon him (опять же, я пришел к выводу, что он был принужден его выпить) from the hatred and fear expressed upon his face (по выражению ненависти и страха, застывшем на лице: «по ненависти и страху, выраженных на его лице»). By the method of exclusion, I had arrived at this result (методом исключения я пришел к этому результату), for no other hypothesis would meet the facts (так как никакая другая гипотеза не согласовывалась с фактами). Do not imagine that it was a very unheard of idea (не думайте, что это была такая уж неслыханная идея). The forcible administration of poison is by no means a new thing in criminal annals (насильственное принятие яда никоим образом не новость в анналах преступности; administration — применение). The cases of Dolsky in Odessa (случаи Дольского в Одессе), and of Leturier in Montpellier (и Летурье в Монпелье), will occur at once to any toxicologist (сразу придут на ум любому токсикологу; to occur — случаться; приходить на ум).

wound [wu:nd], exhibit [Ig'zIbIt], hatred ['heItrId]

"On entering the house this last inference was confirmed. My well-booted man lay before me. The tall one, then, had done the murder, if murder there was. There was no wound upon the dead man's person, but the agitated expression upon his face assured me that he had foreseen his fate before it came upon him. Men who die from heart disease, or any sudden natural cause, never by any chance exhibit agitation upon their features. Having sniffed the dead man's lips I detected a slightly sour smell, and I came to the conclusion that he had had poison forced upon him. Again, I argued that it had been forced upon him from the hatred and fear expressed upon his face. By the method of exclusion, I had arrived at this result, for no other hypothesis would meet the facts. Do not imagine that it was a very unheard of idea. The forcible administration of poison is by no means a new thing in criminal annals. The cases of Dolsky in Odessa, and of Leturier in Montpellier, will occur at once to any toxicologist.

"And now came the great question as to the reason why (а теперь вставал главный вопрос: почему: «а теперь приходил великий вопрос относительно причины — почему»). Robbery had not been the object of the murder (ограбление не было целью убийства), for nothing was taken (так как ничего не было взято). Was it politics, then, or was it a woman (тогда по политическим мотивам или из-за женщины: «тогда была это политика или это была женщина»)? That was the question which confronted me (вот вопрос, который встал передо мной; to confront — противостоять, смотреть в лицо /опасности и т. п./; сталкиваться лицом к лицу). I was inclined from the first to the latter supposition (я

с самого начала склонялся к последнему предположению; to suppose — предполагать). Political assassins are only too glad to do their work and to fly (убийцы по политическим мотивам делают свое дело и рады улизнуть поскорее; to fly — улепетывать, удирать). This murder had, on the contrary, been done most deliberately (это же убийство, напротив, было совершено не спеша; deliberately — медленно, не торопясь), and the perpetrator had left his tracks all over the room (и убийца оставил свои следы по всей комнате), showing that he had been there all the time (что показывало, что он был там до самого конца: «все время»). It must have been a private wrong (должно быть, обида была личного порядка; private — частный, личный, персональный; wrong — зло, несправедливость), and not a political one (а не политического), which called for such a methodical revenge (что и вызвало такую обдуманную месть; to call for — требовать; methodical — систематический; методический). When the inscription was discovered upon the wall (когда была обнаружена надпись на стене) I was more inclined than ever to my opinion (я еще больше: «больше чем когда-либо» укрепился в своем мнении). The thing was too evidently a blind (это слишком очевидно была уловка для отвода глаз; blind — уловка; to blind — ослеплять; пускать пыль в глаза). When the ring was found, however, it settled the question (однако, когда было обнаружено кольцо, вопрос полностью решился; to settle — урегулировать, разрешить). Clearly the murderer had used it to remind his victim of some dead or absent woman (очевидно, убийца использовал его, чтобы напомнить жертве о какой-то мертвой или находящейся далеко: «отсутствующей» женщине). It was at this point that I asked Gregson (в этот момент я и спросил Грегсона) whether he had enquired in his telegram to Cleveland as to any particular point in Mr. Drebber's former career (не поинтересовался ли он в своей телеграмме в Кливленд о каких-либо особых обстоятельствах в жизни: «прежней карьере» Дреббера). He answered, you remember, in the negative (он ответил, как вы помните, отрицательно).

revenge [rI'vendZ], blind [blaInd], career [k@'rI@]

"And now came the great question as to the reason why. Robbery had not been the object of the murder, for nothing was taken. Was it politics, then, or was it a woman? That was the question which confronted me. I was inclined from the first to the latter supposition. Political assassins are only too glad to do their work and to fly. This murder had, on the contrary, been done most deliberately, and the perpetrator had left his tracks all over the room, showing that he had been there all the time. It must have been a private wrong, and not a political one, which called for such a methodical revenge. When the inscription was discovered upon the wall I was more inclined than ever to my opinion. The thing was too evidently a blind. When the ring was found, however, it settled the question. Clearly the murderer had used it to remind his victim of some dead or absent woman. It was at this point that I asked Gregson whether he had enquired in his telegram to Cleveland as to any particular point in Mr. Drebber's former career. He answered, you remember, in the negative.

"I then proceeded to make a careful examination of the room (я тогда приступил к тщательному осмотру комнаты), which confirmed me in my opinion as to the murderer's height (что подтвердило мое мнение о росте убийцы), and furnished me with the additional details as to the Trichinopoly cigar (и снабдило меня дополнительными деталями — трихинопольской сигарой) and the length of his nails (и длиной его ногтей). I had already come to the conclusion (я уже пришел к заключению), since there were no signs of a struggle (так как там не было следов борьбы), that the blood which covered the floor had burst from the murderer's nose in his excitement (что кровь, которой был закапан пол, пошла у убийцы носом из-за его сильного волнения; to burst — лопаться; прорываться). I could perceive that the track of blood coincided with the track of his feet (я смог заметить, что следы крови совпадали с отпечатками его обуви: «ног»). It is seldom that any man, unless he is very full-blooded (для любого редкость: «редко, что любой человек», если только он не страдает полнокровием), breaks out in this way through emotion (чтобы у него так хлынула кровь из-за эмоций; to break out — начинаться внезапно или бурно), so I hazarded the opinion (поэтому я рискнул предположить; opinion — мнение) that the criminal was probably a robust and ruddy-faced man (что убийца, вероятно, был крепкого сложения и краснолицый). Events proved that I had judged correctly (события доказали, что я рассудил правильно).

"Having left the house, I proceeded to do what Gregson had neglected (выйдя из дома, я приступил к тому, что упустил сделать Грегсон). I telegraphed to the head of the police at Cleveland (я телеграфировал главе полиции Кливленда), limiting my enquiry to the circumstances connected with the marriage of Enoch Drebber (ограничивая свой запрос обстоятельствами, связанными с браком Инока Дреббера). The answer was conclusive (ответ был исчерпывающим). It told me that Drebber had already applied for the protection of the law (в нем говорилось, что Дреббер уже прибегал к защите полиции: «закона») against an old rival in love, named Jefferson Hope (от старого соперника в любви по имени Джефферсон Хоуп), and that this same Hope was at present in Europe (и что этот самый Хоуп в настоящее время находился в Европе). I knew now that I held the clue to the mystery in my hand (я теперь знал, что ключ к разгадке был у меня в руках), and all that remained was to secure the murderer (и все, что мне оставалось сделать — поймать убийцу; to secure — охранять; защищать; оберегать; гарантировать, обеспечивать; заключать в тюрьму, брать под стражу).

hazard ['h&z@d], robust [r@u'bVst], conclusive [k@n'klu:sIv], secure [sI'kju@]

"I then proceeded to make a careful examination of the room, which confirmed me in my opinion as to the murderer's height, and furnished me with the additional details as to the Trichinopoly cigar and the length of his nails. I had already come to the conclusion, since there were no signs of a struggle, that the blood which covered the floor had burst from the murderer's nose in his excitement. I could perceive that the track of blood coincided with the track of his feet. It is seldom that any man, unless he is very full-blooded, breaks out in this way through emotion, so I hazarded the opinion that the criminal was probably a robust and ruddy-faced man. Events proved that I had judged correctly.

"Having left the house, I proceeded to do what Gregson had neglected. I telegraphed to the head of the police at Cleveland, limiting my enquiry to the circumstances connected with the marriage of Enoch Drebber. The answer was conclusive. It told me that Drebber had already applied for the protection of the law against an old rival in love, named Jefferson Hope, and that this same Hope was at present in Europe. I knew now that I held the clue to the mystery in my hand, and all that remained was to secure the murderer.