Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Знак четырех (ASCII-IPA)
Шрифт:
steadily ['stedIlI], lantern ['l&nt@n], guard [gA:d]
"The rain was still falling steadily, for it was just the beginning of the wet season. Brown, heavy clouds were drifting across the sky, and it was hard to see more than a stone-cast. A deep moat lay in front of our door, but the water was in places nearly dried up, and it could easily be crossed. It was strange to me to be standing there with those two wild Punjaubees waiting for the man who was coming to his death.
"Suddenly my eye caught the glint of a shaded lantern at the other side of the moat. It vanished among the mound-heaps, and then appeared again coming slowly in our direction.
"'Here they are!' I exclaimed.
"'You will challenge him, Sahib, as usual,' whispered Abdullah. 'Give him no cause for fear. Send us in with him, and we shall do the rest while you stay here on guard. Have the lantern ready to uncover, that we may be sure that it is indeed the man.'
"The light had flickered onwards, now stopping and now advancing (свет
"'Who goes there?' said I, in a subdued voice (кто идет? — спросил я приглушенным голосом; to subdue — подчинять, покорять; ослаблять, снижать).
"'Friends,' came the answer (друзья, — раздался ответ). I uncovered my lantern and threw a flood of light upon them (я открыл фонарь и осветил их: «бросил поток света на них»; flood — наводнение, потоп; поток; струя). The first was an enormous Sikh, with a black beard which swept nearly down to his cummerbund (первым шел огромный сикх с черной бородой чуть ли не до кушака; to sweep — мести, подметать; касаться, дотрагиваться; cummerbund — пояс, кушак /в Индии/). Outside of a show I have never seen so tall a man (кроме как в цирке, я никогда не видел такого высокого человека; show — спектакль; шоу, представление). The other was a little, fat, round fellow, with a great yellow turban (второй был маленький, толстенький, кругленький человечек в большом желтом тюрбане), and a bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl (и узлом в руке — что-то, завернутое в шаль; to do up — упаковывать, завертывать). He seemed to be all in a quiver with fear (казалось, он весь трепетал от страха; quiver — дрожание; дрожь, трепет), for his hands twitched as if he had the ague (его руки дрожали, словно у него была лихорадка; to twitch — дергать, тащить; дергаться, подергиваться; конвульсивно сокращаться), and his head kept turning to left and right with two bright little twinkling eyes (он то и дело озирался: «его голова продолжала поворачиваться со» своими маленькими блестящими глазками то налево, то направо), like a mouse when he ventures out from his hole (словно мышь, выбравшаяся из норы; to venture — рисковать; отважиться; hole — дыра; отверстие; нора). It gave me the chills to think of killing him (у меня озноб пошел по коже, когда я подумал, что его убьют: «думать об его убийстве»; chill — простуда, озноб; гнетущее, давящее чувство), but I thought of the treasure, and my heart set as hard as a flint within me (но я вспомнил про сокровища, и сердце у меня окаменело: «стало твердым как кремень»; to set — ставить, класть; приводить в определенное состояние; flint — кремень). When he saw my white face he gave a little chirrup of joy and came running up towards me (когда он увидел, что перед ним белый: «когда он увидел мое белое лицо», он защебетал от радости и кинулся ко мне; chirrup — щебет, щебетание, чирикание).
climb [klaIm], subdue [s@b'dju:], enormous [I'nO:m@s]
"The light had flickered onwards, now stopping and now advancing, until I could see two dark figures upon the other side of the moat. I let them scramble down the sloping bank, splash through the mire, and climb half-way up to the gate, before I challenged them.
"'Who goes there?' said I, in a subdued voice.
"'Friends,' came the answer. I uncovered my lantern and threw a flood of light upon them. The first was an enormous Sikh, with a black beard which swept nearly down to his cummerbund. Outside of a show I have never seen so tall a man. The other was a little, fat, round fellow, with a great yellow turban, and a bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl. He seemed to be all in a quiver with fear, for his hands twitched as if he had the ague, and his head kept turning to left and right with two bright little twinkling eyes, like a mouse when he ventures out from his hole. It gave me the chills to think of killing him, but I thought of the treasure, and my heart set as hard as a flint within me. When he saw my white face he gave a little chirrup of joy and came running up towards me.
"'Your protection, Sahib,' he panted (вашей защиты, сахиб, — задыхаясь, сказал он; to pant — задыхаться, часто и тяжело дышать), — 'your protection for the unhappy merchant Achmet (защитите: «вашей защиты для» несчастного купца Ахмета). I have travelled across Rajpootana that I might seek the shelter of the fort at Agra (я прошел: «путешествовал» через Раджпутану, чтобы попасть в: «чтобы я мог искать» укрытие крепости Агры; shelter — приют; пристанище; убежище; защита). I have been robbed and beaten and abused because I have been the friend of the Company (меня ограбили, избивали, оскорбляли, потому что я друг англичан: «Компании»). It is a blessed night this when I am once more in safety, — I and my poor possessions (благословенна эта ночь, когда я опять в безопасности, я и мои жалкое имущество; possession — владение, обладание; собственность; имущество).'
"'What have you in the bundle?' I asked (что у вас в узле? — спросил я).
"'An iron box,' he answered, 'which contains one or two little family matters which are of no value to others (железный ящик, — ответил он, — в котором несколько семейных реликвий, которые ни для кого больше ценности не представляют; matter — вещество; материал), but which I should be sorry to lose (но которые я не хотел бы потерять: «был бы огорчен потерять»). Yet I am not a beggar (и все же я не нищий); and I shall reward you, young Sahib, and your governor also, if he will give me the shelter I ask (и я вознагражу вас, молодой сахиб, и вашего начальника тоже, если он даст мне укрытие, которого я ищу; governor — правитель; комендант, начальник).'
"I could not trust myself to speak longer with the man (я боялся, что выдам себя, если продолжу этот разговор: «я не мог доверить себе говорить дольше с этим человеком»). The more I looked at his fat, frightened face, the harder did it seem that we should slay him in cold blood (чем больше я смотрел на его жирное испуганное лицо, тем невероятнее: «труднее» мне представлялось то, что мы его хладнокровно убьем; hard — жесткий, твердый; трудный; требующий усилий; to slay — убивать, лишать жизни). It was best to get it over (лучше было покончить с этим поскорее).
"'Take him to the main guard,' said I (отведите его к главному караулу, — сказал я). The two Sikhs closed in upon him on each side, and the giant walked behind (два сикха встали у него по бокам, гигант пошел сзади; to close in — наступать с целью нападения, постепенно окружать), while they marched in through the dark gate-way (когда они проходили через темные ворота). Never was a man so compassed round with death (никогда еще не был человек так окружен смертью; to compass — окружать, опоясывать). I remained at the gate-way with the lantern (я остался у ворот с фонарем).
abuse [@'bju:z], blessed ['blesId], possession [p@'zeS(@)n], giant ['dZaI@nt]
"'Your protection, Sahib,' he panted, — 'your protection for the unhappy merchant Achmet. I have travelled across Rajpootana that I might seek the shelter of the fort at Agra. I have been robbed and beaten and abused because I have been the friend of the Company. It is a blessed night this when I am once more in safety, — I and my poor possessions.'
"'What have you in the bundle?' I asked.
"'An iron box,' he answered, 'which contains one or two little family matters which are of no value to others, but which I should be sorry to lose. Yet I am not a beggar; and I shall reward you, young Sahib, and your governor also, if he will give me the shelter I ask.'
"I could not trust myself to speak longer with the man. The more I looked at his fat, frightened face, the harder did it seem that we should slay him in cold blood. It was best to get it over.
"'Take him to the main guard,' said I. The two Sikhs closed in upon him on each side, and the giant walked behind, while they marched in through the dark gate-way. Never was a man so compassed round with death. I remained at the gate-way with the lantern.