Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Собака Баскервилей
Шрифт:
"Well, Sir Henry, your uncle had a letter that morning (ну, в то утро, сэр Генри, ваш дядя получил письмо). He had usually a great many letters (он обычно получал очень много писем), for he was a public man (потому что был общественным деятелем) and well known for his kind heart (и /был/ хорошо известен своим добрым сердцем), so that everyone who was in trouble (так что каждый, попав в беду) was glad to turn to him (был рад обратиться к нему). But that morning, as it chanced (но так случилось, что в то утро), there was only this one letter (было только одно это письмо), so I took the more notice of it (поэтому
"Well (ну, и)?"
"Well, sir, I thought no more of the matter (да я, сэр, больше и не думал об этом /письме/), and never would have done (и никогда бы не /вспомнил/; to do — делать; употребляется вместо другого глагола во избежание его повторения) had it not been for my wife (если б не моя жена: «не будь это из-за жены»). Only a few weeks ago (только несколько недель назад) she was cleaning out Sir Charles's study (она прибирала в кабинете сэра Чарльза) — it had never been touched since his death (его не трогали = туда не входили со /дня/ его смерти) — and she found the ashes of a burned letter (и она обнаружила пепел от сожженного письма) in the back of the grate (у задней /стенки/ камина; grate — решетка; камин). The greater part of it was charred to pieces (большая часть его сгорела дотла; to char — обжечь; сгореть; piece — кусок, часть), but one little slip, the end of a page, hung together (но одна маленькая часть в конце страницы осталась целой; slip — росток; длинная узкая полоска; hung together — соединенный; образующий единое целое), and the writing could still be read (и написанное все еще можно было разобрать), though it was grey on a black ground (хотя оно было серым на черном фоне; ground — земля; фон). It seemed to us to be a postscript at the end of the letter (нам показалось, что это был постскриптум в конце письма), and it said (и он гласил): 'Please, please, as you are a gentleman, burn this letter (прошу вас, поскольку вы джентльмен, сожгите это письмо), and be at the gate by ten o'clock (и будьте у калитки в десять часов).' Beneath it were signed the initials L. L. (ниже оно было помечено инициалами Л. Л.)"
study ['std], piece [pi:s], initial ['nl]
"How do you know this, Barrymore?"
"Well, Sir Henry, your uncle had a letter that morning. He had usually a great many letters, for he was a public man and well known for his kind heart, so that everyone who was in trouble was glad to turn to him. But that morning, as it chanced, there was only this one letter, so I took the more notice of it. It was from Coombe Tracey, and it was addressed in a woman's hand."
"Well?"
"Well, sir, I thought no more of the matter, and never would have done had it not been for my wife. Only a few weeks ago she was cleaning out Sir Charles's study — it had never been touched since his death — and she found the ashes of a burned letter in the back of the grate. The greater part of it was charred to pieces, but one little slip, the end of a page, hung together, and the writing could still be read, though it was grey on a black ground. It seemed to us to be a postscript at the end of the letter, and it said: 'Please, please, as you are a gentleman, burn this letter, and be at the gate by ten o'clock.' Beneath it were signed the initials L. L."
"Have you got that slip (у вас есть этот фрагмент)?"
"No, sir, it crumbled all to bits after we moved it (нет, сэр, он весь рассыпался на кусочки после того, как мы притронулись к нему; to move —
"Had Sir Charles received any other letters in the same writing (получал сэр Чарльз другие письма, /написанные/ тем же почерком)?"
"Well, sir, I took no particular notice of his letters (но, сэр, я не уделял особого внимания его письмам). I should not have noticed this one (я бы не обратил внимания и на это) only it happened to come alone (не случись так, что оно было: «пришло» единственным)."
"And you have no idea who L. L. is (и вы не имеете представления, кто эта Л. Л.)?"
"No, sir. No more than you have (нет, сэр, не больше, чем вы). But I expect if we could lay our hands upon that lady (но я полагаю, если бы мы смогли разыскать эту леди) we should know more about Sir Charles's death (мы бы узнали больше о смерти сэра Чарльза)."
"I cannot understand, Barrymore (я не могу понять, Бэрримор), how you came to conceal this important information (как вы осмелились скрывать эту важную информацию; to come + infinitive /неопределенная форма глагола/ — прийти к чему-либо; дойти до того, чтобы сделать что-либо)."
"Well, sir, it was immediately after that (но, сэр, это было сразу же после того) our own trouble came to us (/как/ к нам самим пришла беда). And then again, sir (и опять же, сэр), we were both of us very fond of Sir Charles, as we well might be (мы оба очень любили сэра Чарльза, что и не удивительно: «как и должны были») considering all that he has done for us (учитывая все, что он сделал для нас; to consider — рассматирвать; принимать во внимание). To rake this up couldn't help our poor master (разворошив это, мы /все равно/ не смогли бы помочь нашему бедному хозяину; rake — грабли), and it's well to go carefully (и лучше действовать осторожно; to go — идти; действовать в соответствии с /чем-либо/) when there's a lady in the case (когда в деле /замешана/ женщина). Even the best of us (даже лучшие из нас) ——"
"You thought it might injure his reputation (вы думали, это могло повредить его репутации; to injure — ранить; испортить, повредить)?"
"Well, sir, I thought no good could come of it (я думал, ничего хорошего из этого не выйдет). But now you have been kind to us (но теперь, /когда/ вы были так добры к нам), and I feel as if it would be treating you unfairly (я чувствую, что было бы нечестно по отношению к вам; to treat — обходиться, вести себя /по отношению к кому-либо как-либо/) not to tell you all that I know about the matter (не рассказать вам все, что я знаю об этом деле)."
receive [r'si:v], idea [a'd], reputation [repju:'ten]
"Have you got that slip?"
"No, sir, it crumbled all to bits after we moved it."
"Had Sir Charles received any other letters in the same writing?"
"Well, sir, I took no particular notice of his letters. I should not have noticed this one only it happened to come alone."
"And you have no idea who L. L. is?"
"No, sir. No more than you have. But I expect if we could lay our hands upon that lady we should know more about Sir Charles's death."
"I cannot understand, Barrymore, how you came to conceal this important information."
"Well, sir, it was immediately after that our own trouble came to us. And then again, sir, we were both of us very fond of Sir Charles, as we well might be considering all that he has done for us. To rake this up couldn't help our poor master, and it's well to go carefully when there's a lady in the case. Even the best of us ——"
"You thought it might injure his reputation?"
"Well, sir, I thought no good could come of it. But now you have been kind to us, and I feel as if it would be treating you unfairly not to tell you all that I know about the matter."