Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов
Шрифт:
“I was myself consulted upon the case (ко мне обращались за помощью относительно этого дела), but I was unable to throw any light upon it (но я не мог пролить на него хоть какой-нибудь свет). Suspicion fell upon the maid of the Princess (подозрение пало на горничную принцессы; to fall upon; maid — девушка; служанка, горничная), who was an Italian (которая была итальянкой), and it was proved that she had a brother in London (было доказано, что у нее в Лондоне есть брат), but we failed to trace any connection between them (но нам не удалось установить никаких связей между ними; to fail — терпеть неудачу). The maid’s name was Lucretia Venucci (горничную звали Лукреция Венуччи), and there is no doubt in my mind (и я не сомневаюсь: «у меня в уме нет сомнения») that this Pietro who was murdered two nights ago was the brother (что
interior [n'tr], jewel ['u:l], recover [r'kv], brother ['brd]
“Yes, gentlemen,” said he, “it is the most famous pearl now existing in the world, and it has been my good fortune, by a connected chain of inductive reasoning, to trace it from the Prince of Colonna’s bedroom at the Dacre Hotel, where it was lost, to the interior of this, the last of the six busts of Napoleon which were manufactured by Gelder & Co., of Stepney. You will remember, Lestrade, the sensation caused by the disappearance of this valuable jewel and the vain efforts of the London police to recover it.
“I was myself consulted upon the case, but I was unable to throw any light upon it. Suspicion fell upon the maid of the Princess, who was an Italian, and it was proved that she had a brother in London, but we failed to trace any connection between them. The maid’s name was Lucretia Venucci, and there is no doubt in my mind that this Pietro who was murdered two nights ago was the brother. I have been looking up the dates in the old files of the paper, and I find that the disappearance of the pearl was exactly two days before the arrest of Beppo, for some crime of violence — an event which took place in the factory of Gelder & Co., at the very moment when these busts were being made.
“Now you clearly see the sequence of events (теперь вы ясно представляете последовательность событий), though you see them, of course (хотя вы наблюдаете их, конечно), in the inverse order to the way (в порядке, обратном тому) in which they presented themselves to me (в котором они представлялись мне). Beppo had the pearl in his possession (Беппо завладел жемчужиной). He may have stolen it from Pietro (возможно, он украл ее у Пьетро; to steal-stole-stolen), he may have been Pietro’s confederate (возможно, он был сообщником Пьетро), he may have been the go-between of Pietro and his sister (быть может, он был посредником между Пьетро и его сестрой). It is of no consequence to us (для нас не важно; consequence — /по/следствие, результат; важность, значимость) which is the correct solution (какое предположение верное; solution — решение, разрешение /вопроса и т. п./).
“The main fact is that he had the pearl (главное то, что у него была жемчужина), and at that moment, when it was on his person (и как раз в то время, когда она была при нем), he was pursued by the police (за ним гналась полиция). He made for the factory in which he worked (он направился к мастерской, в которой работал), and he knew that he had only a few minutes (он знал, что у него есть лишь несколько минут) in which to conceal this enormously valuable prize (/для того/, чтобы спрятать эту чрезвычайно ценную добычу; prize — награда, премия, приз; желанная добыча; трофей), which would otherwise be found on him (которую в противном случае найдут у него) when he was searched (когда обыщут). Six plaster casts of Napoleon were drying in the passage (шесть гипсовых бюстов Наполеона сохли в коридоре). One of them was still soft (один из них был еще мягкий).
sequence ['si:kwns], confederate [kn'fedrt], pursued [p'sju:d]
“Now you clearly see the sequence of events, though you see them, of course, in the inverse order to the way in which they presented themselves to me. Beppo had the pearl in his possession. He may have stolen it from Pietro, he may have been Pietro’s confederate, he may have been the go-between of Pietro and his sister. It is of no consequence to us which is the correct solution.
“The main fact is that he had the pearl, and at that moment, when it was on his person, he was pursued by the police. He made for the factory in which he worked, and he knew that he had only a few minutes in which to conceal this enormously valuable prize, which would otherwise be found on him when he was searched. Six plaster casts of Napoleon were drying in the passage. One of them was still soft.
“In an instant Beppo, a skilful workman (в
“Beppo did not despair (Беппо не отчаивался), and he conducted his search with considerable ingenuity and perseverance (он вел поиски с большими изобретательностью/находчивостью и упорством). Through a cousin who works with Gelder (через двоюродного брата, работавшего у Гельдера), he found out the retail firms who had bought the busts (он узнал, какие фирмы розничной торговли купили эти бюсты; to find out; to buy). He managed to find employment with Morse Hudson (ему удалось найти работу у Морза Хадсона), and in that way tracked down three of them (и таким образом выследить три из них). The pearl was not there (жемчужины в них не оказалось).
touch [t], aperture ['aep], condemned [kn'demd], adhere [d'h], ingenuity [n'njut], perseverance [p:s'vrns]
“In an instant Beppo, a skilful workman, made a small hole in the wet plaster, dropped in the pearl, and with a few touches covered over the aperture once more. It was an admirable hiding-place. No one could possibly find it. But Beppo was condemned to a year’s imprisonment, and in the meanwhile his six busts were scattered over London. He could not tell which contained his treasure. Only by breaking them could he see. Even shaking would tell him nothing, for as the plaster was wet it was probable that the pearl would adhere to it — as, in fact, it has done.
“Beppo did not despair, and he conducted his search with considerable ingenuity and perseverance. Through a cousin who works with Gelder, he found out the retail firms who had bought the busts. He managed to find employment with Morse Hudson, and in that way tracked down three of them. The pearl was not there.
“Then, with the help of some Italian employee (затем, с помощью итальянских работников; employee — служащий; работающий по найму), he succeeded in finding out (он сумел узнать) where the other three busts had gone (куда отправились остальные три бюста). The first was at Harker’s (первый находился у Харкера). There he was dogged by his confederate (там он /Беппо/ был выслежен своим сообщником), who held Beppo responsible for the loss of the pearl (который считал Беппо ответственным за пропажу жемчужины; to hold — держать), and he stabbed him in the scuffle which followed (и он /Беппо/ пырнул его ножом в драке, которая последовала).”