Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов
Шрифт:
“I confess that so far, Watson (признаюсь, Ватсон, что пока), I had been disappointed in my investigation (я был разочарован /результатами/ расследования). I had reckoned upon solving the matter (я рассчитывал решить эту задачу; to reckon on — рассчитывать на; полагаться на; to reckon — считать, полагать) when once I had found the place referred to in the Ritual (обнаружив место, указанное в «Обряде»); but now I was there, and was apparently as far as ever from knowing (но теперь я стоял там /на том месте/, и, по-видимому, был так же далек от разгадки) what it was which the family had concealed with such elaborate precautions (что же было спрятано семейством с такими тщательными предосторожностями; precaution — предусмотрительность; мера предосторожности). It is true that I had thrown a light upon the fate of Brunton (правда,
“You know my methods in such cases, Watson (вы знаете мои методы в подобных случаях, Ватсон). I put myself in the man’s place (я ставлю себя на место действующего лица) and, having first gauged his intelligence (и, прежде оценив его умственные способности; to gauge — измерять; оценивать /человека, характер и т. д./), I try to imagine how I should myself have proceeded under the same circumstances (я пытаюсь представить, как бы я сам поступил при тех же обстоятельствах).
concealed [kn'si:ld], precaution [pr'k:n], gauged [ed]
“I confess that so far, Watson, I had been disappointed in my investigation. I had reckoned upon solving the matter when once I had found the place referred to in the Ritual; but now I was there, and was apparently as far as ever from knowing what it was which the family had concealed with such elaborate precautions. It is true that I had thrown a light upon the fate of Brunton, but now I had to ascertain how that fate had come upon him, and what part had been played in the matter by the woman who had disappeared. I sat down upon a keg in the corner and thought the whole matter carefully over.
“You know my methods in such cases, Watson. I put myself in the man’s place and, having first gauged his intelligence, I try to imagine how I should myself have proceeded under the same circumstances.
“In this case the matter was simplified by Brunton’s intelligence being quite first-rate (в этом случае дело упрощалось, так как Брантон обладал весьма незаурядным умом; first-rate — первоклассный, отличный, превосходный), so that it was unnecessary to make any allowance for the personal equation (так что не было необходимости делать поправку на разницу нашего с ним мышления; to make allowance for — принимать что-либо во внимание, в расчет; делать поправку на что-либо; personal equation — поправка на личные особенности; equation — выравнивание, уравнивание), as the astronomers have dubbed it (как это назвали астрономы; to dub — ровнять; дать прозвище, окрестить). He knew that something valuable was concealed (он знал, что нечто ценное было спрятано). He had spotted the place (он определил это место). He found that the stone which covered it (обнаружил, что плита, закрывающая /вход туда/) was just too heavy for a man to move unaided (слишком тяжелая, чтобы поднять ее без посторонней помощи; aid — помощь). What would he do next (что бы он сделал затем)? He could not get help from outside (он не мог прибегнуть к помощи /людей/ со стороны), even if he had some one whom he could trust (даже если бы у него был кто-то, кому он мог доверять), without the unbarring of doors and considerable risk of detection (не отпирая двери и не подвергаясь значительному риску быть обнаруженным: «риску обнаружения»; bar — брусок; засов). It was better, if he could, to have his helpmate inside the house (было бы лучше, если бы он сумел найти помощника внутри дома). But whom could he ask (но к кому он мог обратиться)?
“This girl had been devoted to him (та девушка была предана ему; to devote — посвящать, отдавать). A man always finds it hard to realize (мужчине всегда трудно поверить) that he may have finally lost a woman’s love (что он окончательно потерял любовь женщины), however badly he may have treated her (как бы плохо он с ней ни обходился).
allowance ['launs], equation ['kwen], astronomer ['strnm], unaided [n'edd]
“In this case the matter was simplified by Brunton’s intelligence being quite first-rate, so that it was unnecessary to make any allowance for the personal equation, as the astronomers have dubbed it. He knew that something valuable was concealed. He had spotted the place. He found that the stone which covered it was just too heavy for a man to move unaided. What would he do next? He could not get help from outside, even if he had some one whom he could trust, without the unbarring of doors and considerable risk of detection. It was better, if he could, to have his helpmate inside the house. But whom could he ask?
“This girl had been devoted to him. A man always finds it hard to realize that he may have finally lost a woman’s love, however badly he may have treated her.
“He would try by a few attentions to make his peace with the girl Howells (возможно,
“But for two of them, and one a woman (но для двух /человек/, /особенно если/ один из них женщина), it must have been heavy work the raising of that stone (поднять камень, должно быть, явилось нелегкой работой). A burly Sussex policeman and I had found it no light job (мне и дюжему суссекскому полисмену это не показалось легкой работой). What would they do to assist them (что же они сделали, чтобы помочь себе)? Probably what I should have done myself (вероятно, /то же/, что сделал бы я сам). I rose and examined carefully the different billets of wood (я встал и внимательно осмотрел поленья; to rise; different — различный) which were scattered round the floor (валявшиеся на полу). Almost at once I came upon what I expected (почти сразу же я нашел то, что ожидал /найти/). One piece, about three feet in length (одно полено, примерно три фута длиной), had a very marked indentation at one end (имело очень отчетливое углубление на конце; indentation — вдавленность; впадина; отпечаток), while several were flattened at the sides (а несколько /других/ были сплющены на концах; flat — плоский) as if they had been compressed by some considerable weight (как будто они сдавливались значительной тяжестью).
accomplice ['kmpls], burly ['b:l], several ['sevrl], weight [wet]
“He would try by a few attentions to make his peace with the girl Howells, and then would engage her as his accomplice. Together they would come at night to the cellar, and their united force would suffice to raise the stone. So far I could follow their actions as if I had actually seen them.
“But for two of them, and one a woman, it must have been heavy work the raising of that stone. A burly Sussex policeman and I had found it no light job. What would they do to assist them? Probably what I should have done myself. I rose and examined carefully the different billets of wood which were scattered round the floor. Almost at once I came upon what I expected. One piece, about three feet in length, had a very marked indentation at one end, while several were flattened at the sides as if they had been compressed by some considerable weight.
“Evidently, as they had dragged the stone up (по-видимому, приподняв плиту) they had thrust the chunks of wood into the chink (они просовывали эти поленья в щель; chunk — колода, чурбан), until at last, when the opening was large enough to crawl through (пока наконец отверстие не стало достаточно большим, чтобы протиснуться: «проползти» через него), they would hold it open by a billet placed lengthwise (они держали его открытым = подперли плиту поленом, поставленным вертикально; lengthwise — продольный, направленный в длину), which might very well become indented at the lower end (которое вполне могло получить вмятину на нижнем конце; indented — вдавленный, вогнутый), since the whole weight of the stone (так как весь вес плиты) would press it down on to the edge of this other slab (прижимал его к краю другой плиты; slab — плита; лист, пластина). So far I was still on safe ground (пока у меня по-прежнему были обоснованные предположения: «я был на надежной почве»).