Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Собака Баскервилей
Шрифт:
She laughed and clapped her hands. Her eyes and teeth gleamed with fierce merriment.
"He may find his way in, but never out," she cried. "How can he see the guiding wands to-night? We planted them together, he and I, to mark the pathway through the Mire. Oh, if I could only have plucked them out to-day. Then indeed you would have had him at your mercy!"
It was evident to us (нам было ясно) that all pursuit was in vain (что любая погоня была напрасной; in vain — напрасно, тщетно) until the fog had lifted (пока туман не рассеется; to lift — поднимать/-ся/; рассеиваться /об облаках, тумане и т. п./). Meanwhile we left Lestrade in possession of the house (тем временем мы оставили Лестрейда распоряжаться в доме; in possession of — во владении) while Holmes and I went back with the Baronet to Baskerville Hall (тогда как мы с Холмсом и с баронетом вернулись в Баскервиль-холл). The story of the Stapletons could no longer be withheld from him (/мы/ не могли больше от него скрывать историю Стэплтонов; to withhold — воздерживаться; утаивать, скрывать), but he took the blow bravely (но он мужественно принял удар) when he learned the truth about the woman (когда
pursuit [p'sju:t], shatter['aet], destine ['destn]
It was evident to us that all pursuit was in vain until the fog had lifted. Meanwhile we left Lestrade in possession of the house while Holmes and I went back with the Baronet to Baskerville Hall. The story of the Stapletons could no longer be withheld from him, but he took the blow bravely when he learned the truth about the woman whom he had loved. But the shock of the night's adventures had shattered his nerves, and before morning he lay delirious in a high fever, under the care of Dr. Mortimer. The two of them were destined to travel together round the world before Sir Henry had become once more the hale, hearty man that he had been before he became master of that ill-omened estate.
And now I come rapidly to the conclusion of this singular narrative (а теперь я быстро подхожу к концу своего необычайного рассказа; conclusion — вывод; итог, результат), in which I have tried to make the reader share those dark fears and vague surmises (в котором я попытался заставить читателя разделить те темные страхи и смутные подозрения) which clouded our lives so long (которые столь долго омрачали нашу жизнь; to cloud — заволакивать /облаками/; омрачать), and ended in so tragic a manner (и закончились столь трагически: «в такой трагической манере»). On the morning after the death of the hound (на утро после смерти собаки) the fog had lifted (туман рассеялся) and we were guided by Mrs. Stapleton to the point (и миссис Стэплтон привела нас к месту) where they had found a pathway through the bog (где они нашли тропинку через трясину). It helped us to realize the horror of this woman's life (это помогло нам понять = мы поняли /весь/ ужас жизни этой женщины) when we saw the eagerness and joy (когда увидели старание и радость; eager — страстно желающий, жаждущий /что-либо сделать — о человеке/; энергичный, активный /о желании/) with which she laid us on her husband's track (с которыми она направила нас по следу своего мужа; to lay — положить; нацеливать). We left her standing upon the thin peninsula of firm, peaty soil (мы оставили ее стоять на узком островке твердой торфяной почвы; peninsula — полуостров; узкая полоска земли, выдающаяся в море или озеро; peat — торф) which tapered out into the widespread bog (который вонзался в растянувшиеся во всю ширь болота; to taper — сводить на конус; сходить на нет; taper — свечка /тонкая/; конусообразный; сужающийся; утончающийся). From the end of it a small wand planted here and there showed (от его оконечности маленькие прутики, воткнутые там и сям, показывали) where the path zig-zagged from tuft to tuft of rushes (где тропа шла зигзагом от одной камышовой кочки до другой) among those green-scummed pits and foul quagmires (среди ям, /затянутых/ зеленой тиной и вонючих трясин; scum — пена; тина) which barred the way to the stranger (которые преграждали путь незнакомцу).
share [], peninsula [p'nnsjul], quagmire ['kwaema]
And now I come rapidly to the conclusion of this singular narrative, in which I have tried to make the reader share those dark fears and vague surmises which clouded our lives so long, and ended in so tragic a manner. On the morning after the death of the hound the fog had lifted and we were guided by Mrs. Stapleton to the point where they had found a pathway through the bog. It helped us to realize the horror of this woman's life when we saw the eagerness and joy with which she laid us on her husband's track. We left her standing upon the thin peninsula of firm, peaty soil which tapered out into the widespread bog. From the end of it a small wand planted here and there showed where the path zig-zagged from tuft to tuft of rushes among those green-scummed pits and foul quagmires which barred the way to the stranger.
Rank reeds and lush, slimy water-plants (заросли камыша и обильно растущие скользкие водоросли; rank — богатый /о растительности/; заросший; lush — покрытый буйной растительностью) sent an odour of decay (посылали запах гниения) and a heavy miasmatic vapour into our faces (и тяжелые миазматические испарения нам в лицо), while a false step plunged us more than once thigh-deep (тогда как неверный шаг не раз /заставлял/ нас погружаться по бедра) into the dark, quivering mire (в
odour ['ud], decay [d'ke], perilous ['perls]
Rank reeds and lush, slimy water-plants sent an odour of decay and a heavy miasmatic vapour into our faces, while a false step plunged us more than once thigh-deep into the dark, quivering mire, which shook for yards in soft undulations around our feet. Its tenacious grip plucked at our heels as we walked, and when we sank into it it was as if some malignant hand were tugging us down into those obscene depths, so grim and purposeful was the clutch in which it held us. Once only we saw a trace that someone had passed that perilous way before us. From amid a tuft of cotton-grass which bore it up out of the slime some dark thing was projecting.
Holmes sank to his waist (Холмс погрузился по пояс) as he stepped from the path to seize it (когда шагнул в сторону от тропы, /чтобы/ взять его; to seize — схватить; завладеть), and had we not been there to drag him out (и не будь нас /рядом/, чтобы вытащить его) he could never have set his foot upon firm land again (он никогда не смог бы снова поставить ногу на твердую землю). He held an old black boot in the air (он держал «в воздухе» старый черный ботинок). "Meyers, Toronto," was printed on the leather inside ("Мейерс, Торонто", было оттиснуто на кожаной /подкладке/; inside — внутри).
"It is worth a mud bath (он стоит грязевой ванны)," said he. "It is our friend Sir Henry's missing boot (это пропавший ботинок нашего друга сэра Генри)."
"Thrown there by Stapleton in his flight (брошенный там Стэплтоном /во время/ бегства)."
"Exactly. He retained it in his hand (он держал его в руке) after using it to set the hound upon his track (после того как использовал, пуская по следу /сэра Генри/ собаку). He fled when he knew the game was up (он убежал, когда понял, что игра закончена; to flee — бежать, спасаться бегством), still clutching it (все еще сжимая его /в руке/). And he hurled it away (и он бросил его; to hurl — бросать с силой) at this point of his flight (в этом месте /во время/ своего бегства). We know at least that he came so far in safety (по крайней мере, мы знаем, что он добрался сюда: «так далеко» невредимым)."
air [], hurl [h:l], far [f:]
Holmes sank to his waist as he stepped from the path to seize it, and had we not been there to drag him out he could never have set his foot upon firm land again. He held an old black boot in the air. "Meyers, Toronto," was printed on the leather inside.
"It is worth a mud bath," said he. "It is our friend Sir Henry's missing boot."
"Thrown there by Stapleton in his flight."
"Exactly. He retained it in his hand after using it to set the hound upon his track. He fled when he knew the game was up, still clutching it. And he hurled it away at this point of his flight. We know at least that he came so far in safety."
But more than that we were never destined to know (но кроме этого: «больше, чем это» нам не суждено было узнать), though there was much which we might surmise (хотя было много чего, что мы могли бы предполагать). There was no chance of finding footsteps in the mire (не было никаких шансов /на то, чтобы/ найти следы в трясине), for the rising mud oozed swiftly in upon them (поскольку поднимающаяся грязь быстро /затягивала/ их; to ooze — выделяться, вытекать), but as we at last reached firmer ground beyond the morass (но когда мы наконец достигли твердой почвы позади трясины) we all looked eagerly for them (мы все настойчиво их искали). But no slightest sign of them ever met our eyes (но ни малейшего их признака не встретилось нашим взглядам). If the earth told a true story (если земля рассказывала правдивую историю), then Stapleton never reached that island of refuge (тогда Стэплтон не добрался до убежища на островке) towards which he struggled through the fog upon that last night (к которому он пробирался сквозь туман в ту последнюю ночь). Somewhere in the heart of the great Grimpen Mire (где-то в сердце большой Гримпенской трясины), down in the foul slime of the huge morass (на дне: «внизу» в вонючей тине огромного болота) which had sucked him in (которое засосало его), this cold and cruel-hearted man is for ever buried (этот холодный человек с жестоким сердцем похоронен навсегда).