Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Первый сборник рассказов
Шрифт:
"'And what are they worth (и чего они стоят = а много ли можно заработать)?' I asked.
"'Oh, merely a couple of hundred a year (о, всего лишь пару сотен /фунтов/ в год), but the work is slight (но работа незначительная = пустяковая), and it need not interfere very much with one's other occupations (и не отвлекает очень сильно от других занятий).'
merely ['ml], couple [kpl], interfere [nt'f]
"'Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed Men?' he asked with his eyes open.
"'Never.'
"'Why, I wonder at that, for you are eligible yourself for one of the vacancies.'
"'And what are they worth?' I asked.
"'Oh, merely a couple of hundred a year, but the work is slight, and it need not interfere very much with one's other occupations.'
"Well, you can easily think that that made me prick up my ears (итак, вы можете легко подумать, что это /объявление/ заставило меня навострить уши), for the business has not been over-good for some years (так как
ears [z], business ['bzns], handy ['haend]
"'Tell me all about it (расскажите мне все об этом),' said I.
"Well, you can easily think that that made me prick up my ears, for the business has not been over-good for some years, and an extra couple of hundred would have been very handy.
"'Tell me all about it,' said I.
"'Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement (сказал он, показывая мне объявление), 'you can see for yourself that the League has a vacancy (вы можете видеть для себя самих = как вы сами можете видеть, Союз имеет вакансию = имеется вакансия), and there is the address where you should apply for particulars (и здесь есть адрес, куда вам следует обращаться за справками/подробностями). As far as I can make out (насколько я понимаю; to make out — разбирать, понимать), the League was founded by an American millionaire (Союз был основан американским миллионером), Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very peculiar in his ways (который был очень странным в своих привычках = был большим чудаком). He was himself red-headed (он сам был рыжим: «красноголовым»), and he had a great sympathy for all red-headed men (и он имел огромное сочувствие к = сочувствовал всем рыжим); so when he died it was found that he had left his enormous fortune in the hands of trustees (поэтому, когда он умер, оказалось: «было обнаружено», что он оставил свое громадное состояние в руках попечителей = душеприказчиков), with instructions to apply the interest to the providing of easy berths (с указаниями употребить проценты /с этого состояния/ для предоставления легких мест; berth — койка; должность) to men whose hair is of that color (людям, чьи волосы того цвета). From all I hear it is splendid pay and very little to do (от всех я слышу = все говорят, что это роскошное жалованье, а работать почти не требуется: «и очень мало /нужно/ делать»).'
particulars [p'tkjulz], sympathy ['smp], enormous ['n:ms], berth [b:]
"'Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement, 'you can see for yourself that the League has a vacancy, and there is the address where you should apply for particulars. As far as I can make out, the League was founded by an American millionaire, Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very peculiar in his ways. He was himself red-headed, and he had a great sympathy for all red-headed men; so when he died it was found that he had left his enormous fortune in the hands of trustees, with instructions to apply the interest to the providing of easy berths to men whose hair is of that color. From all I hear it is splendid pay and very little to do.'
"'But,' said I, 'there would be millions of red-headed men who would apply (найдутся миллионы рыжих, которые подадут заявление).'
"'Not so many as you might think (не так /уж и/ много, как вы можете подумать),' he answered. 'You see (видите ли), it is really confined to Londoners (это относится = обращено только к лондонцам; to confine — ограничивать), and to grown men (и /только/ к взрослым). This American had started from London when he was young (этот американец начинал /карьеру/ в Лондоне, когда он был молодым = в молодости; to start from — исходить), and he wanted to do the old town a good turn (и он хотел оказать старому городу хорошую услугу = облагодетельствовать родной город). Then, again, I have heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light red (также еще я слышал, /что это/ бесполезно обращаться, если ваши волосы светло-рыжие), or dark red, or anything but real bright, blazing, fiery red (или темно-рыжие, или какие-либо другие, кроме настоящего яркого, пылающего, огненно-рыжего цвета). Now, if you cared to apply, Mr. Wilson (теперь, если вы желаете обратиться, мистер Уилсон), you would just walk in (вы бы легко получили то место; to walk in — войти; легко получить работу); but perhaps it would hardly be worth your while to put yourself out of the way for the sake of a few hundred pounds (но, возможно, вам не стоит отвлекаться /от основной работы/ из-за нескольких сотен фунтов; hardly — едва; to be worth — стоить; while — промежуток времени; out of the way — лежащий в стороне, не по пути; for the sake of — ради).'
confined [kn'fand], blazing ['blez], fiery ['far], pound [paund]
"'But,' said I, 'there would be millions of red-headed men who would apply.'
"'Not so many as you might think,' he answered. 'You see, it is really confined to Londoners, and to grown men. This American had started from London when he was young, and he wanted to do the old town a good turn. Then, again, I have heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light red, or dark red, or anything but real bright, blazing, fiery red. Now, if you cared to apply, Mr. Wilson, you would just walk in; but perhaps it would hardly be worth your while to put yourself out of the way for the sake of a few hundred pounds.'
"Now, it is a fact, gentlemen, as you may see for yourselves (итак,
competition [kmp'tn], thought [:t], holiday ['hld]
"Now, it is a fact, gentlemen, as you may see for yourselves, that my hair is of a very full and rich tint, so that it seemed to me that if there was to be any competition in the matter I stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever met. Vincent Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that I thought he might prove useful, so I just ordered him to put up the shutters for the day and to come right away with me. He was very willing to have a holiday, so we shut the business up and started off for the address that was given us in the advertisement.
"I never hope to see such a sight as that again, Mr. Holmes (я не надеюсь более никогда увидеть вновь такое зрелище, как то = такого мне никогда не придется больше повидать). From north, south, east, and west (с севера, юга, востока и запада) every man who had a shade of red in his hair (каждый /человек/, кто имел хоть малейший оттенок рыжего в своих волосах; shade — тень; намек, оттенок) had tramped into the Сity to answer the advertisement (притопали в Сити откликнуться на объявление; to tramp — тяжело ступать, тащиться). Fleet Street was choked with red-headed folk (Флит-стрит была забита рыжими людьми; to choke with — подавиться; folk — люди, племя), and Pope's Court looked like a coster's orange barrow (а Попс-корт был похож на тачку уличного торговца апельсинами). I should not have thought there were so many in the whole country (я не мог подумать = никогда бы не подумал, что во всей стране так много /рыжих/) as were brought together by that single advertisement (как /те/, которые собрались вместе по одному объявлению). Every shade of colour they were (они были всех оттенков цвета = рыжего) — straw (соломенного), lemon (лимонного), orange (апельсинового), brick (кирпичного), Irish-setter (/цвета/ ирландского сеттера), liver (темно-каштанового), clay (глиняного); but, as Spaulding said, there were not many who had the real vivid flame-colored tint (там было немного /людей/, кто имел бы настоящий живой огненный тон). When I saw how many were waiting (когда я увидел, как много было ожидающих), I would have given it up in despair (я бы бросил это в отчаянии = чуть не пришел в отчаяние); but Spaulding would not hear of it (не захотел об этом слышать = настаивал на своем). How he did it I could not imagine (как он это сделал, я не мог представить), but he pushed and pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd (он толкался, и втискивался, и бодался, пока не провел меня через толпу), and right up to the steps which led to the office (и прямо к лестнице, которая вела к конторе). There was a double stream upon the stair (по лестнице двигался двойной поток), some going up in hope (некоторые поднимались в надежде = полные надежд), and some coming back dejected (а другие спускались угнетенные); but we wedged in as well as we could (но мы вклинились как могли) and soon found ourselves in the office (и вскоре очутились в конторе)."
sight [sat], north [n:], folk [fuk], straw [str:], despair [ds'pe], wedged [wed]
"I never hope to see such a sight as that again, Mr. Holmes. From north, south, east, and west every man who had a shade of red in his hair had tramped into the Сity to answer the advertisement. Fleet Street was choked with red-headed folk, and Pope's Court looked like a coster's orange barrow. I should not have thought there were so many in the whole country as were brought together by that single advertisement. Every shade of colour they were — straw, lemon, orange, brick, Irish-setter, liver, clay; but, as Spaulding said, there were not many who had the real vivid flame-colored tint. When I saw how many were waiting, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would not hear of it. How he did it I could not imagine, but he pushed and pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd, and right up to the steps which led to the office. There was a double stream upon the stair, some going up in hope, and some coming back dejected; but we wedged in as well as we could and soon found ourselves in the office."