Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Первый сборник рассказов

Еремин Андрей

trousers ['trauzs], beat [bi:t], spies [spaz], explore [k'spl:]

"What I expected to see."

"Why did you beat the pavement?"

"My dear doctor, this is a time for observation, not for talk. We are spies in an enemy's country. We know something of Saxe-Coburg Square. Let us now explore the parts which lie behind it."

The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the corner from the retired Saxe-Coburg Square (дорога, в которой мы нашли себя = где мы очутились, когда свернули за угол с уединенной Сакс-Кобург-сквер) presented as great a contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back (представляла такой же большой контраст = так же сильно отличалась от Сакс-Кобург-сквер, как передняя часть картины от ее оборотной стороны). It was one of the main arteries (это была одна из главных артерий) which conveyed the traffic of the City to the north and west (которая переправляла уличное движение Сити на север и запад = соединяющая Сити с севером и западом). The roadway was blocked with the immense stream of commerce (дорога была перегорожена = забита нескончаемым потоком

экипажей; commerce — транспорт, перевозки) flowing in a double tide inward and outward (движущихся двумя потоками внутрь и наружу; to flow — течь, струиться), while the footpaths were black with the hurrying swarm of pedestrians (в то время как тротуары: «ножные тропинки» были черными от спешащего роя пешеходов). It was difficult to realize (трудно было представить себе) as we looked at the line of fine shops and stately business premises (глядя на: «когда мы смотрели» ряд прекрасных магазинов и представительных торговых помещений) that they really abutted on the other side (что они действительно граничили с другой стороны) upon the faded and stagnant square which we had just quitted (с блеклой и безлюдной площадью, которую мы только что покинули; stagnant — застойный, неразвивающийся).

retired [r'tad], conveyed [kn'ved], immense ['mens], double [dbl], swarm [sw:m], pedestrians [p'destrn], stately ['stetl], stagnant ['staennt]

The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the corner from the retired Saxe-Coburg Square presented as great a contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back. It was one of the main arteries which conveyed the traffic of the City to the north and west. The roadway was blocked with the immense stream of commerce flowing in a double tide inward and outward, while the footpaths were black with the hurrying swarm of pedestrians. It was difficult to realize as we looked at the line of fine shops and stately business premises that they really abutted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant square which we had just quitted.

"Let me see (позвольте мне взглянуть)," said Holmes, standing at the corner and glancing along the line (сказал Холмс, вставая на углу и глядя вдоль ряда домов), "I should like just to remember the order of the houses here (я хотел бы только запомнить порядок домов здесь). It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London (это мое хобби — точное знание Лондона). There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist (там магазин Мортимера, владельца табачной фабрики), the little newspaper shop (маленький газетный магазин = лавчонка), the Coburg branch of the City and Suburban Bank (кобургское отделение Городского и Пригородного Банка; branch — ветвь, филиал), the Vegetarian Restaurant (вегетарианский ресторан), and McFarlane's carriage-building depot (и экипажестроительное = каретное депо Макфарлена). That carries us right on to the other block (это приводит нас прямо к следующему кварталу). And now, Doctor, we've done our work (а теперь, доктор, мы сделали нашу работу = наша работа окончена), so it's time we had some play (так что теперь мы можем немного поразвлечься: «время у нас была бы забава, игра»). A sandwich and a cup of coffee (сэндвич с чашкой кофе), and then off to violin-land (а затем — в страну скрипок: «скрипичную страну»), where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony (где все сладость и изысканность и гармония), and there are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums (и там нет рыжих клиентов, чтобы досаждать нам своими головоломками)."

order [':d], exact ['zaekt], knowledge ['nl], branch [br:nt], violin [va'ln], delicacy ['delks], harmony ['h:mn], conundrums [k'nndrmz]

"Let me see," said Holmes, standing at the corner and glancing along the line, "I should like just to remember the order of the houses here. It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London. There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist, the little newspaper shop, the Coburg branch of the City and Suburban Bank, the Vegetarian Restaurant, and McFarlane's carriage-building depot. That carries us right on to the other block. And now, Doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some play. A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony, and there are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums."

My friend was an enthusiastic musician (мой друг был увлеченным музыкантом), being himself not only a very capable performer (будучи сам не только очень способным исполнителем), but a composer of no ordinary merit (но и композитором необычного достоинства = незаурядным композитором). All the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the most perfect happiness (весь вечер он сидел в кресле /в партере/, окутанный наиболее совершенным счастьем = очень счастливый), gently waving his long, thin fingers in time to the music (слегка качая своими длинными, тонкими пальцами в такт музыке), while his gently smiling face and his languid, dreamy eyes (в то время как его слегка улыбающееся лицо и томные, задумчивые глаза) were as unlike those of Holmes, the sleuth-hound (были так непохожи на = ничем не напоминали глаза Холмса-ищейки), Holmes the relentless, keen-witted, ready-handed criminal agent (Холмса безжалостного, сообразительного, всегда готового действовать преследователя преступников; keen — острый, проницательный; wit /чаще wits/ — рассудок, разум), as it was possible to conceive (как это возможно было постичь = каков был только мыслим). In his singular character the dual nature alternately asserted itself (в его удивительном характере двойственная природа поочередно заявляла о себе = характер слагался из двух начал), and his extreme exactness and astuteness represented (и

его потрясающая точность и проницательность представляли собой), as I have often thought (как я часто думал), the reaction against the poetic and contemplative mood (реакцию против поэтического и созерцательного настроения = рождались в борьбе с поэтической задумчивостью) which occasionally predominated in him (которая временами преобладала в нем). The swing of his nature took him from extreme languor to devouring energy (колебание его природы переносило его = он постоянно переходил от чрезвычайной апатичности к необыкновенной: «пожирающей» энергии); and, as I knew well (и, как я хорошо знал), he was never so truly formidable as when (он никогда не был столь воистину грозен, как когда; formidable — страшный, жуткий; огромный), for days on end (дни напролет = несколько дней подряд), he had been lounging in his armchair (он бездельничал /развалясь/ в своем кресле) amid his improvisations and his black-letter editions (посреди своих импровизаций и напечатанных готическим шрифтом книг). Then it was that the lust of the chase would suddenly come upon him (затем бывало, что жажда преследования внезапно нисходила на него = охватывала его), and that his brilliant reasoning power would rise to the level of intuition (и /что/ его блистательный разум возрастал до уровня интуиции), until those who were unacquainted with his methods (что те, кто был не знаком с его методами /работы/) would look askance at him as on a man (начинали коситься на него, как на человека; askance — косо; неодобрительно) whose knowledge was not that of other mortals (чье знание не было /знанием/ других смертных). When I saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St. James's Hall (когда я видел его тем вечером столь окутанным музыкой: «завернутым в музыку» в Сент-Джеймс-холле) I felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set himself to hunt down (я почувствовал, что злое время может прийти к тем, на кого он решил охотиться = тем, за кем он охотится, будет плохо; to set to — ставить задачу).

"You want to go home, no doubt, Doctor (вы хотите, без сомнения, пойти домой, доктор)," he remarked as we emerged (заметил он, когда мы вышли; to emerge — появляться, всплывать).

enthusiastic [nju:z'aestik], musician [mju:'zn], capable ['kepbl], wrapped [raept], sleuth [slu:], hound [haund], alternately [:l't:ntl], astuteness ['stju:tns], languor ['lae], askance ['skaens]

My friend was an enthusiastic musician, being himself not only a very capable performer, but a composer of no ordinary merit. All the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the most perfect happiness, gently waving his long, thin fingers in time to the music, while his gently smiling face and his languid, dreamy eyes were as unlike those of Holmes, the sleuth-hound, Holmes the relentless, keen-witted, ready-handed criminal agent, as it was possible to conceive. In his singular character the dual nature alternately asserted itself, and his extreme exactness and astuteness represented, as I have often thought, the reaction against the poetic and contemplative mood which occasionally predominated in him. The swing of his nature took him from extreme languor to devouring energy; and, as I knew well, he was never so truly formidable as when, for days on end, he had been lounging in his armchair amid his improvisations and his black-letter editions. Then it was that the lust of the chase would suddenly come upon him, and that his brilliant reasoning power would rise to the level of intuition, until those who were unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on a man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals. When I saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St. James's Hall I felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set himself to hunt down.

"You want to go home, no doubt, Doctor," he remarked as we emerged.

"Yes, it would be as well (да, это было бы желательно)."

"And I have some business to do which will take some hours (а у меня есть кое-какое дело, которое займет несколько часов). This business at Coburg Square is serious (это дело = происшествие на Кобург-сквер — /дело/ серьезное)."

"Why serious (почему серьезное)?"

"A considerable crime is in contemplation (значительное преступление в намерении = там готовится крупное преступление). I have every reason to believe (у меня есть все основания полагать) that we shall be in time to stop it (что мы должны быть вовремя, чтобы остановить их). But today being Saturday rather complicates matters (но то, что сегодня суббота, довольно усложняет дело). I shall want your help tonight (мне может потребоваться ваша помощь сегодня вечером)."

"At what time (в какое время)?"

сontemplation [kntm'plen], believe [b'li:v], rather ['r:d]

"Yes, it would be as well."

"And I have some business to do which will take some hours. This business at Coburg Square is serious."

"Why serious?"

"A considerable crime is in contemplation. I have every reason to believe that we shall be in time to stop it. But today being Saturday rather complicates matters. I shall want your help tonight."

"At what time?"

"Ten will be early enough (десять будет рано достаточно = не раньше десяти)."

"I shall be at Baker Street at ten (я буду на Бейкер-стрит /ровно/ в десять)."

"Very well (отлично). And, I say, Doctor, there may be some little danger (и, послушайте: «я говорю», доктор, там может быть небольшая опасность), so kindly put your army revolver in your pocket (поэтому, будьте добры, положите в карман ваш армейский револьвер)." He waved his hand, turned on his heel (он помахал рукой, круто повернулся /на каблуке/), and disappeared in an instant among the crowd (и мгновенно исчез в толпе: «среди толпы»).