Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Собака Баскервилей
Шрифт:
"It's moving towards us, Watson (он движется к нам, Ватсон)."
kitchen ['ktn], define [d'fan], mutter ['mt]
"Where can she be, then, since there is no light in any other room except the kitchen?"
"I cannot think where she is."
I have said that over the great Grimpen Mire there hung a dense, white fog. It was drifting slowly in our direction and banked itself up like a wall on that side of us, low, but thick and well defined. The moon shone on it, and it looked like a great shimmering icefield, with the heads of the distant tors as rocks borne upon its surface. Holmes's face was turned towards it, and he muttered impatiently as he watched its sluggish drift.
"It's moving towards us, Watson."
"Is that serious (а это существенно; serious — серьезный;
"Very serious, indeed (конечно, очень существенно) — the one thing upon earth (единственная вещь на земле) which could have disarranged my plans (которая может расстроить мои планы). He can't be very long, now (он = сэр Генри теперь не может быть /там/ очень долго). It is already ten o'clock (уже десять часов). Our success and even his life may depend upon his coming out before the fog is over the path (наш успех и даже его жизнь могут зависеть от того, выйдет ли он, прежде чем туман скроет тропинку: «будет над тропинкой»)."
The night was clear and fine above us (вечернее /небо/ над нами было чистым и прекрасным). The stars shone cold and bright (сияли холодные и яркие звезды), while a half-moon bathed the whole scene in a soft, uncertain light (тогда как серп луны купал все вокруг в мягком, неясном свете; scene — место действия). Before us lay the dark bulk of the house (перед нами лежала темная масса дома), its serrated roof and bristling chimneys (его рифленая крыша и торчащие /над ней/ дымовые трубы; serrated — зубчатый; рифленый; to bristle — ощетиниться; торчать дыбом) hard outlined against the silver-spangled sky (четко вырисовывались на фоне усыпанного серебром неба; hard — упорно; сильно, резко; to spangle — украшать блестками; усеивать, усыпать). Broad bars of golden light from the lower windows (широкие полосы золотого света из нижних окон; bar — брусок; полоса) stretched across the orchard and the moor (тянулись через сад и болота). One of them was suddenly shut off (одна из них внезапно погасла; to shut off — выключать). The servants had left the kitchen (слуги покинули кухню). There only remained the lamp in the dining-room (осталась /гореть/ только лампа в столовой) where the two men (где два человека), the murderous host and the unconscious guest (кровожадный хозяин и ничего не подозревающий гость; murderous — смертоносный; жестокий; кровожадный; unconscious — неосознающий), still chatted over their cigars (все еще беседовали за сигарами).
earth [:], cold [kuld], murderous ['m:drs]
"Is that serious?"
"Very serious, indeed — the one thing upon earth which could have disarranged my plans. He can't be very long, now. It is already ten o'clock. Our success and even his life may depend upon his coming out before the fog is over the path."
The night was clear and fine above us. The stars shone cold and bright, while a half-moon bathed the whole scene in a soft, uncertain light. Before us lay the dark bulk of the house, its serrated roof and bristling chimneys hard outlined against the silver-spangled sky. Broad bars of golden light from the lower windows stretched across the orchard and the moor. One of them was suddenly shut off. The servants had left the kitchen. There only remained the lamp in the dining-room where the two men, the murderous host and the unconscious guest, still chatted over their cigars.
Every minute that white woolly plain (каждую минуту белое пушистое покрывало; woolly — покрытый шерстью, пухом; plain — равнина) which covered one half of the moor (которое накрыло одну половину болота) was drifting closer and closer to the house (смещалось ближе и ближе к дому). Already the first thin wisps of it (уже первые тонкие нити его; wisp — пучок; клочок; фрагмент) were curling across the golden square of the lighted window (вились вокруг золотого квадрата освещенного окна). The farther wall of the orchard was already invisible (дальняя стена сада была уже невидима), and the trees were standing out of a swirl of white vapour (и
woolly ['wul], square [skw], crawl [kr:l]
Every minute that white woolly plain which covered one half of the moor was drifting closer and closer to the house. Already the first thin wisps of it were curling across the golden square of the lighted window. The farther wall of the orchard was already invisible, and the trees were standing out of a swirl of white vapour. As we watched it the fog-wreaths came crawling round both corners of the house and rolled slowly into one dense bank, on which the upper floor and the roof floated like a strange ship upon a shadowy sea. Holmes struck his hand passionately upon the rock in front of us, and stamped his feet in his impatience.
"If he isn't out in a quarter of an hour (если он не выйдет через четверть часа) the path will be covered (тропинку скроет /туман/). In half an hour we won't be able to see our hands in front of us (через полчаса мы не сможем разглядеть свои руки перед собой)."
"Shall we move farther back (/может/ нам передвинуться подальше назад) upon higher ground (на более высокое место: «землю»)?"
"Yes, I think it would be as well (да, думаю это было бы лучше)."
So as the fog-bank flowed onwards (так как туман струился /все/ дальше) we fell back before it (мы отступали перед ним; to fall back — отступать) until we were half a mile from the house (пока не оказались в полумиле от дома), and still that dense white sea (и, однако, это густое белое море), with the moon silvering its upper edge (с луной, серебрящейся на его верхнем краю), swept slowly and inexorably on (продолжало свое движение медленно и неумолимо; to sweep — подметать; простираться; on /зд. наречие/ — указывает на продолжение или развитие действия).
"We are going too far (мы уходим слишком далеко)," said Holmes. "We dare not take the chance (мы не смеем рисковать) of his being overtaken before he can reach us (/тем, что/ его догонят прежде, чем он доберется до нас; to overtake). At all costs we must hold our ground where we are (в любом случае мы должны остаться там, где мы есть; at all costs — любой ценой, во что бы то ни стало; to hold one’s ground — стоять на своем; держаться)." He dropped on his knees (он опустился на колени; to drop — капать; падать, опускаться) and clapped his ear to the ground (и быстро припал ухом к земле; to clap — хлопать; сделать быстрое, энергичное движение). "Thank Heaven (хвала небу), I think that I hear him coming (я думаю, что слышу его шаги: «что он идет»)."
flow [flu], inexorably [n'eksrbl], knee [ni:]
"If he isn't out in a quarter of an hour the path will be covered. In half an hour we won't be able to see our hands in front of us."
"Shall we move farther back upon higher ground?"
"Yes, I think it would be as well."
So as the fog-bank flowed onwards we fell back before it until we were half a mile from the house, and still that dense white sea, with the moon silvering its upper edge, swept slowly and inexorably on.