Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов (ASCII-IPA)
Шрифт:
“‘I can give you it at once. It was sixty-four feet.’
“‘How do you come to know it?’ I asked, in surprise.
“‘When my old tutor used to give me an exercise in trigonometry, it always took the shape of measuring heights. When I was a lad I worked out every tree and building in the estate.’
“This was an unexpected piece of luck. My data were coming more quickly than I could have reasonably hoped.
“‘Tell me,’ I asked, ‘did your butler ever ask you such a question?’
“Reginald Musgrave looked at me in astonishment.
‘Now that you call it to my mind,’ he answered, ‘Brunton did ask me about the height of the tree some months ago, in connection with some little argument with the groom,’
“This was excellent news, Watson (это было превосходное известие, Ватсон), for it showed me that I was on the right road (поскольку оно показало,
“That must have been difficult, Holmes (должно быть, это было трудно, Холмс), when the elm was no longer there (ведь вяза больше там не было).”
“Well, at least I knew that if Brunton could do it, I could also (по крайней мере я знал, что если Брантон мог это сделать, то и я смогу). Besides, there was no real difficulty (кроме того, на самом деле это было нетрудно). I went with Musgrave to his study and whittled myself this peg (я пошел вместе с Месгрейвом в его кабинет и сам вырезал этот колышек; to whittle — строгать или оттачивать ножом /дерево/; вырезать), to which I tied this long string with a knot at each yard (к которому привязал эту длинную веревку с узелком на каждом ярде = отметив каждый ярд узелком).
calculated ['k&lkjuleItId], mentioned ['menS(@)nd], knot [nOt]
“This was excellent news, Watson, for it showed me that I was on the right road. I looked up at the sun. It was low in the heavens, and I calculated that in less than an hour it would lie just above the topmost branches of the old oak. One condition mentioned in the Ritual would then be fulfilled. And the shadow of the elm must mean the farther end of the shadow, otherwise the trunk would have been chosen as the guide. I had, then, to find where the far end of the shadow would fall when the sun was just clear of the oak.”
“That must have been difficult, Holmes, when the elm was no longer there.”
“Well, at least I knew that if Brunton could do it, I could also. Besides, there was no real difficulty. I went with Musgrave to his study and whittled myself this peg, to which I tied this long string with a knot at each yard.
“Then I took two lengths of a fishing-rod (затем я взял два куска удилища /и соединил их/; length — длина; кусок, отрезок /троса, трубы или провода/; to fish — ловить рыбу; rod — прут, стержень, ветвь; удочка), which came to just six feet (что составило шесть футов), and I went back with my client to where the elm had been (и мы с клиентом вернулись к /тому месту/, где рос вяз). The sun was just grazing the top of the oak (солнце как раз касалось вершины дуба; to graze — слегка касаться, задевать; скользить по поверхности /о луче света/). I fastened the rod on end (я установил палку вертикально; on end — стоймя; дыбом; вертикально), marked out the direction of the shadow (отметил направление тени), and measured it (измерил ее). It was nine feet in length (она была девять футов длиной).
“Of course the calculation now was a simple one (естественно, теперь вычисления были простыми). If a rod of six feet threw a shadow of nine (если палка длиной шесть футов отбрасывает тень в девять /футов/), a tree of sixty-four feet would throw one of ninety-six (то дерево /высотой/ шестьдесят четыре фута отбросит тень в девяносто шесть футов), and the line of the one would of course the line of the other (и направление одной, разумеется, совпадет с направлением другой). I measured out the distance (я отмерил это расстояние), which brought me almost to the wall of the house (которое привело меня почти к стене дома), and I thrust a peg into the spot (и я воткнул колышек в том месте). You can imagine my exultation, Watson (можете представить мое торжество, Ватсон), when within two inches of my peg (когда в двух дюймах от своего колышка) I saw a conical depression in the ground (я увидел конусообразное углубление в земле). I knew that it was the mark made by Brunton in his measurements (я понял, что это была отметина, сделанная Брантоном при его измерениях), and that I was still upon his trail (и что я по-прежнему шел по его следу).
fastened ['fA:s(@)nd], brought [brO:t], exultation [,egzVl'teIS(@)n]
“Then I took two lengths of a fishing-rod, which came to just six feet, and I went back with my client to where the elm had been. The sun was just grazing the top of the oak. I fastened the rod on end, marked out the direction of the shadow, and measured it. It was nine feet in length.
“Of course the calculation now was a simple one. If a rod of six feet threw a shadow of nine, a tree of sixty-four feet would throw one of ninety-six, and the line of the one would of course the line of the other. I measured out the distance, which brought me almost to the wall of the house, and I thrust a peg into the spot. You can imagine my exultation, Watson, when within two inches of my peg I saw a conical depression in the ground. I knew that it was the mark made by Brunton in his measurements, and that I was still upon his trail.
“From this starting-point I proceeded to step (от этой исходной точки я начал /отсчитывать/ шаги; to proceed to — приступать к; приниматься за), having first taken the cardinal points by my pocket-compass (сначала определив страны света с помощью карманного компаса; cardinal — основной, главный). Ten steps with each foot took me along parallel with the wall of the house (десять шагов каждой ногой повели меня параллельно стене дома), and again I marked my spot with a peg (и снова я отметил место колышком). Then I carefully paced off five to the east (затем я тщательно отсчитал пять /шагов/ на восток) and two to the south (и два на юг). It brought me to the very threshold of the old door (они привели меня к самому порогу старой двери). Two steps to the west meant now (два шага на запад означали теперь) that I was to go two paces down the stone-flagged passage (что мне придется сделать два шага по выложенному каменными плитами коридору; to flag — мостить плитами; flag — каменная плита; плитняк), and this was the place indicated by the Ritual (это и было место, указанное в «Обряде»).
“Never have I felt such a cold chill of disappointment, Watson (никогда я не испытывал такого горького разочарования, Ватсон; chill — холод; озноб, дрожь). For a moment is seemed to me (на минуту мне показалось) that there must be some radical mistake in my calculations (что в моих вычислениях /допущена/ какая-то грубая, существенная ошибка). The setting sun shone full upon the passage floor (заходящее солнце ярко освещало пол коридора; to shine), and I could see that the old, foot-worn gray stones (и я видел, что старые, истертые ногами серые каменные плиты; foot-worn — исхоженный, утоптанный, истертый ногами) with which it was paved were firmly cemented together (которыми он был выложен, крепко связаны замазкой), and had certainly not been moved for many a long year (и, естественно, их не сдвигали с места в течение многих лет).
parallel ['p&r@lel], threshold ['TreS(h)@uld], cemented [sI'mentId]
“From this starting-point I proceeded to step, having first taken the cardinal points by my pocket-compass. Ten steps with each foot took me along parallel with the wall of the house, and again I marked my spot with a peg. Then I carefully paced off five to the east and two to the south. It brought me to the very threshold of the old door. Two steps to the west meant now that I was to go two paces down the stone-flagged passage, and this was the place indicated by the Ritual.