Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов
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“‘And under,’ he cried. ‘You have omitted the “and under.”’
“I had thought that it meant that we were to dig, but now, of course, I saw at once that I was wrong.
‘There is a cellar under this then?’ I cried.
“‘Yes, and as old as the house. Down here, through this door.’
“We went down a winding stone stair (мы спустились вниз по винтовой каменной лестнице), and my companion, striking a match (и мой спутник, чиркнув спичкой), lit a large lantern which stood on a barrel in the corner (зажег большой фонарь, стоявший на бочке в углу). In an instant it was obvious (в одно мгновение стало очевидно) that we had at last come upon the true place (что мы наконец-то нашли то, что искали: «истинное место»; to come upon smth. — напасть неожиданно, натолкнуться на что-либо), and that we had not been the only people to visit the spot recently (и
“It had been used for the storage of wood (подвал использовался для хранения дров), but the billets, which had evidently been littered over the floor (но поленья, которые, по-видимому, /раньше/ были разбросаны по полу; to litter — сорить, разбрасывать вещи, делать беспорядок), were now piled at the sides (теперь были отодвинуты в стороны; to pile — складывать, сваливать в кучу), so as to leave a clear space in the middle (так, чтобы оставить свободное пространство посередине). In this space lay a large and heavy flagstone (здесь лежала огромная и тяжелая каменная плита) with a rusted iron ring in the centre (с заржавленным железным кольцом в центре) to which a thick shepherd’s-check muffler was attached (к которому был привязан толстый клетчатый шарф; shepherd’s-check — мелкий шашечный рисунок; черно-белая клетка; шерстяная ткань в черно-белую клетку; shepherd — пастух).
“‘By Jove (черт возьми: «клянусь Юпитером!»)!’ cried my client (вскричал мой клиент). ‘That’s Brunton’s muffler (это шарф Брантона). I have seen it on him, and could swear to it (я видел этот шарф на нем, могу поклясться в этом). What has the villain been doing here (что этот негодяй здесь делал)?’
lantern ['laentn], recently ['ri:sntl], storage ['st:r], iron ['an]
“We went down a winding stone stair, and my companion, striking a match, lit a large lantern which stood on a barrel in the corner. In an instant it was obvious that we had at last come upon the true place, and that we had not been the only people to visit the spot recently.
“It had been used for the storage of wood, but the billets, which had evidently been littered over the floor, were now piled at the sides, so as to leave a clear space in the middle. In this space lay a large and heavy flagstone with a rusted iron ring in the centre to which a thick shepherd’s-check muffler was attached.
“‘By Jove!’ cried my client. ‘That’s Brunton’s muffler. I have seen it on him, and could swear to it. What has the villain been doing here?’
“At my suggestion a couple of the county police were summoned to be present (по моему предложению были вызваны два /констебля из/ полиции графства; to be present — присутствовать), and I then endeavored to raise the stone by pulling on the cravat (и затем я попытался поднять плиту, потянув за шарф). I could only move it slightly (я лишь едва мог двинуть ее), and it was with the aid of one of the constables (и только с помощью одного из констеблей) that I succeeded at last in carrying it to one side (мне удалось наконец сдвинуть: «перенести» ее в сторону). A black hole yawned beneath into which we all peered (черная яма зияла под ней, в которую мы все заглянули), while Musgrave, kneeling at the side (а Месгрейв, встав на колени на краю), pushed down the lantern (опустил туда фонарь).
“A small chamber about seven feet deep (маленькая комнатка примерно семь футов глубиной) and four feet square lay open to us (с квадратным основанием, шириной и длиной около четырех /футов/, открылась перед нами; square — квадрат; квадратный, с квадратным основанием). At one side of this was a squat (в одной стороне стоял низкий и широкий), brass-bound wooden box (отделанный медью деревянный сундук; brassbound — отделанный медью: brassbound box — коробка с медными накладками), the lid of which was hinged upwards (крышка которого была откинута), with this curious old-fashioned key projecting from the lock (этот необычный старомодный ключ торчал из замка). It was furred outside by a thick layer of dust (снаружи он был покрыт толстым слоем пыли; fur — мех; накипь /в чайнике, котле/; осадок /в винной бочке/), and damp and worms had eaten through the wood (сырость и черви так изъели дерево), so that a crop of livid fungi was growing on the inside of it (что плесень росла внутри сундука; crop —урожай; обилие, масса; livid — синевато-серый, серовато-синий; мертвенно бледный). Several discs of metal (несколько металлических
cravat [kr'vaet], yawned [j:nd], kneeling ['ni:l], metal [metl]
“At my suggestion a couple of the county police were summoned to be present, and I then endeavored to raise the stone by pulling on the cravat. I could only move it slightly, and it was with the aid of one of the constables that I succeeded at last in carrying it to one side. A black hole yawned beneath into which we all peered, while Musgrave, kneeling at the side, pushed down the lantern.
“A small chamber about seven feet deep and four feet square lay open to us. At one side of this was a squat, brass-bound wooden box, the lid of which was hinged upwards, with this curious old-fashioned key projecting from the lock. It was furred outside by a thick layer of dust, and damp and worms had eaten through the wood, so that a crop of livid fungi was growing on the inside of it. Several discs of metal, old coins apparently, such as I hold here, were scattered over the bottom of the box, but it contained nothing else.
“At the moment, however (однако в ту минуту), we had no thought for the old chest (мы не думали о старом сундуке), for our eyes were riveted upon that which crouched beside it (наши взгляды были прикованы к тому, что находилось рядом с ним; to rivet — клепать, склепывать; сосредоточивать /внимание/; устремлять /взгляд/; rivet — заклепка; to crouch — припадать к земле; согнуться, склониться). It was the figure of a man (это был человек), clad in a suit of black (одетый в черный костюм), who squatted down upon his hams (который сидел на корточках; ham — бедро, ляжка; to squat on one's hams — сидеть на корточках) with his forehead sunk upon the edge of the box (упершись лбом в край сундука) and his two arms thrown out on each side of it (и обхватив его руками: «обхватив каждую сторону»; to throw out — выставить, выпрямить, протянуть /ногу, руку/). The attitude had drawn all the stagnant blood to the face (такое положение вогнало всю застоявшуюся кровь в лицо = от такого положения лицо налилось кровью), and no man could have recognized that distorted liver-colored countenance (и никто бы не узнал это искаженное/перекошенное лицо темно-каштанового цвета; countenance — выражение лица, лицо; liver — печень); but his height (но его роста), his dress (одежды), and his hair were all sufficient to show my client (и волос было достаточно, чтобы мой клиент смог определить: «указать моему клиенту»), when we had drawn the body up (когда мы приподняли тело; to draw up — выпрямлять/ся/, вытягивать/ся/), that it was indeed his missing butler (что это действительно его пропавший дворецкий). He had been dead some days (он был мертв /уже/ несколько дней), but there was no wound or bruise upon his person to show (но на теле не было ни ран, ни кровоподтеков, указывавших на то) how he had met his dreadful end (каким образом он встретил свою страшную смерть). When his body had been carried from the cellar (когда его тело вытащили из подвала) we found ourselves still confronted with a problem (перед нами по-прежнему стояла загадка; to confront — встретиться лицом к лицу; столкнуться /с трудностями, проблемами и т. д./) which was almost as formidable as that with which we had started (почти такая же трудноразрешимая, как и та, с которой мы начинали; formidable — страшный; труднопреодолимый; очень трудный: formidable task — невероятно трудная задача).
crouched [kraut], blood [bld], distorted [ds't:td], countenance ['kauntnns], sufficient [s'fnt], bruise [bru:z]
“At the moment, however, we had no thought for the old chest, for our eyes were riveted upon that which crouched beside it. It was the figure of a man, clad in a suit of black, who squatted down upon his hams with his forehead sunk upon the edge of the box and his two arms thrown out on each side of it. The attitude had drawn all the stagnant blood to the face, and no man could have recognized that distorted liver-colored countenance; but his height, his dress, and his hair were all sufficient to show my client, when we had drawn the body up, that it was indeed his missing butler. He had been dead some days, but there was no wound or bruise upon his person to show how he had met his dreadful end. When his body had been carried from the cellar we found ourselves still confronted with a problem which was almost as formidable as that with which we had started.