Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов (ASCII-IPA)
Шрифт:
“Oh, no (да нет же/что вы)!”
preposterous [prI'pOst(@)r@s], echoed ['ek@ud], incredulity [,InkrI'dju:lItI]
“You are right, Watson,” said he. “It does seem a very preposterous way of settling a dispute.”
“Most preposterous!” I exclaimed, and then, suddenly realizing how he had echoed the inmost thought of my soul, I sat up in my chair and stared at him in blank amazement.
“What is this, Holmes?” I cried. “This is beyond anything which I could have imagined.”
He laughed heartily at my perplexity.
“You remember,” said he, “that some little time ago, when I read you the passage in one of Poe’s sketches, in which a close reasoner follows the unspoken thought of his companion, you were inclined to treat the matter as a mere tour de force of the author. On my remarking that I was constantly in the habit of doing the same thing you expressed incredulity.”
“Oh, no!”
“Perhaps not with your tongue, my dear Watson (быть
But I was still far from satisfied (однако я все еще был далеко не удовлетворен /объяснением/).
“In the example which you read to me (в примере, который вы мне зачитали),” said I, “the reasoner drew his conclusions from the actions of the man whom he observed (мыслитель сделал выводы, исходя из действий человека, за которым наблюдал). If I remember right (если я правильно помню), he stumbled over a heap of stones (тот запнулся за груду камней), looked up at the stars, and so on (посмотрел на звезды и так далее). But I have been seated quietly in my chair (но я тихо сидел в кресле), and what clues can I have given you (какие же зацепки я мог вам дать)?”
“You do yourself an injustice (вы несправедливы к себе). The features are given to man as the means (лицо дано человеку как средство; features — черты лица) by which he shall express his emotions (с помощью которого он выражает свои эмоции), and yours are faithful servants (и ваше /лицо/ исправно выполняет эти функции: «преданный слуга»).”
tongue [tVN], rapport [r&'pO:], injustice [In'dZVstIs]
“Perhaps not with your tongue, my dear Watson, but certainly with your eyebrows. So when I saw you throw down your paper and enter upon a train of thought, I was very happy to have the opportunity of reading it off, and eventually of breaking into it, as a proof that I had been in rapport with you.”
But I was still far from satisfied.
“In the example which you read to me,” said I, “the reasoner drew his conclusions from the actions of the man whom he observed. If I remember right, he stumbled over a heap of stones, looked up at the stars, and so on. But I have been seated quietly in my chair, and what clues can I have given you?”
“You do yourself an injustice. The features are given to man as the means by which he shall express his emotions, and yours are faithful servants.”
“Do you mean to say (вы хотите сказать) that you read my train of thoughts from my features (что читаете ход моих мыслей по лицу)?”
“Your features, and especially your eyes (по вашему лицу, особенно по глазам). Perhaps you cannot yourself recall how your reverie commenced (может быть, вы вспомните сами, как началась ваша задумчивость)?”
“No, I cannot (нет, не могу).”
“Then I will tell you (тогда я вам расскажу). After throwing down your paper (после того, как вы отбросили газету), which was the action which drew my attention to you (что явилось действием, привлекшим к вам мое внимание), you sat for half a minute with a vacant expression (вы с полминуты сидели с отсутствующим выражением; vacant — незанятый, свободный; рассеянный, отрешенный). Then your eyes fixed themselves upon your newly-framed picture of General Gordon (затем ваш взгляд остановился на недавно вставленном в раму портрете генерала Гордона), and I saw by the alteration in your face (я увидел по изменению на вашем лице) that a train of thought had been started (что начался ход мыслей). But it did not lead very far (но
reverie ['rev@rI], vacant ['veIk@nt], correspond [,kOrI'spOnd]
“Do you mean to say that you read my train of thoughts from my features?”
“Your features, and especially your eyes. Perhaps you cannot yourself recall how your reverie commenced?”
“No, I cannot.”
“Then I will tell you. After throwing down your paper, which was the action which drew my attention to you, you sat for half a minute with a vacant expression. Then your eyes fixed themselves upon your newly-framed picture of General Gordon, and I saw by the alteration in your face that a train of thought had been started. But it did not lead very far. Your eyes turned across to the unframed portrait of Henry Ward Beecher which stands upon the top of your books. You then glanced up at the wall, and of course your meaning was obvious. You were thinking that if the portrait were framed it would just cover that bare space and correspond with Gordon’s picture over there.”
“You have followed me wonderfully (вы поразительно /точно/ проследили за ходом моих мыслей)!” I exclaimed (воскликнул я).
“So far I could hardly have gone astray (до тех пор я едва ли мог сбиться с пути). But now your thoughts went back to Beecher (но затем ваши мысли вернулись к Бичеру), and you looked hard across (и вы стали пристально на него смотреть) as if you were studying the character in his features (будто изучая его характер по чертам лица). Then your eyes ceased to pucker (затем вы перестали щуриться; to pucker — морщить/ся/, собирать/ся/ в складки), but you continued to look across (но продолжали смотреть), and your face was thoughtful (и ваше лицо было задумчивым). You were recalling the incidents of Beecher’s career (вы вспоминали случаи из карьеры Бичера). I was well aware that you could not do this without thinking of the mission (я вполне понимал, что вы не можете делать этого, не думая о той миссии) which he undertook on behalf of the North (которую он взял на себя от имени Севера; to undertake — предпринимать, совершать; брать на себя ответственность) at the time of the Civil War (во времена Гражданской войны /1861-1865/), for I remember you expressing your passionate indignation at the way (поскольку я помню, что вы выразили свое горячее возмущение тем) in which he was received by the more turbulent of our people (как он был принят наиболее буйными из наших сограждан; turbulent — бурный, бушующий; буйный; беспокойный; непокорный). You felt so strongly about it that I knew you could not think of Beecher without thinking of that also (вы столь близко приняли это к сердцу, столь живо показывали свое отношение к этому событию, что я понял, что вы не можете думать о Бичере, не думая /также/ об этом инциденте).
behalf [bI'hA:f], recalling [rI'kO:lIN], Civil War [,sIv(@)l'wA:], turbulent ['t@:bjul@nt]
“You have followed me wonderfully!” I exclaimed.
“So far I could hardly have gone astray. But now your thoughts went back to Beecher, and you looked hard across as if you were studying the character in his features. Then your eyes ceased to pucker, but you continued to look across, and your face was thoughtful. You were recalling the incidents of Beecher’s career. I was well aware that you could not do this without thinking of the mission which he undertook on behalf of the North at the time of the Civil War, for I remember you expressing your passionate indignation at the way in which he was received by the more turbulent of our people. You felt so strongly about it that I knew you could not think of Beecher without thinking of that also.