Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Знак четырех
Шрифт:
laugh [l:f], brought [br:t], guess [es], curiosity [kjur'st]
"If we are to go to Norwood it would perhaps be as well to start at once," I ventured to remark.
He laughed until his ears were quite red. "That would hardly do," he cried. "I don't know what he would say if I brought you in that sudden way. No, I must prepare you by showing you how we all stand to each other. In the first place, I must tell you that there are several points in the story of which I am myself ignorant. I can only lay the facts before you as far as I know them myself.
"My father was, as you may have guessed, Major John Sholto, once of the Indian army. He retired some eleven years ago, and came to live at Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood. He had prospered in India, and brought back with him a considerable sum of money, a large collection of valuable curiosities, and a staff of native servants. With these advantages he bought himself a house, and lived in great luxury. My twin-brother Bartholomew and I were the only children.
"I very well remember the sensation which was caused by the disappearance of Captain Morstan (я очень хорошо помню сенсацию, которую
"We did know, however, that some mystery, — some positive danger — overhung our father (мы знали, однако, что тут была какая-то тайна, — какая-то явная опасность угрожала нашему отцу; positive — позитивный, реальный; несомненный; to overhang — нависать; угрожать). He was very fearful of going out alone (он очень боялся выходить из дома в одиночку; fearful — вселяющий страх; испытывающий страх), and he always employed two prize-fighters to act as porters at Pondicherry Lodge (а в Пондичерри-Лодж швейцарами у него постоянно работали два боксера-профессионала; to employ — держать на службе, иметь в штате; prize-fighter — профессиональный боксер; to act — действовать, поступать; работать, служить в качестве). Williams, who drove you to-night, was one of them (Вильямс, который привез вас сегодня, — один из них; to drive — ездить; везти). He was once light-weight champion of England (он когда-то был чемпионом Англии в легком весе). Our father would never tell us what it was he feared (наш отец никогда не говорил нам, чего он боялся), but he had a most marked aversion to men with wooden legs (но у него было стойкая антипатия к людям на деревянной ноге; marked — отмеченный, маркированный; явный, заметный; aversion — отвращение, антипатия). On one occasion he actually fired his revolver at a wooden-legged man (однажды: «в одном случае» он даже выстрелил из револьвера в человека на деревянной ноге; occasion — возможность, случай; происшествие; actually — фактически, на самом деле; to fire — зажигать; стрелять), who proved to be a harmless tradesman (который оказался невинным коммивояжером; to prove — доказывать; оказываться; harmless — безвредный, безобидный; невинный; tradesman — торговец) canvassing for orders (пытавшимся получить заказ; to canvass — обсуждать; собирать заказы; order — порядок; заказ). We had to pay a large sum to hush the matter up (нам пришлось заплатить большую сумму, чтобы замять дело; to hush up — замалчивать, скрывать). My brother and I used to think this a mere whim of my father's (мой брат и я привыкли считать это простой причудой отца; mere — простой, всего лишь; whim — прихоть, каприз; причуда), but events have since led us to change our opinion (но то, что случилось с тех пор, заставило изменить нас наше мнение; event — событие; происшествие; to lead — вести; приводить к).
detail ['di:tel], breast [brest], danger ['den], weight [wet]
"I very well remember the sensation which was caused by the disappearance of Captain Morstan. We read the details in the papers, and, knowing that he had been a friend of our father's, we discussed the case freely in his presence. He used to join in our speculations as to what could have happened. Never for an instant did we suspect that he had the whole secret hidden in his own breast, — that of all men he alone knew the fate of Arthur Morstan.
"We did know, however, that some mystery, — some positive danger — overhung our father. He was very fearful of going out alone, and he always employed two prize-fighters to act as porters at Pondicherry Lodge. Williams, who drove you to-night, was one of them. He was once light-weight champion of England. Our father would never tell us what it was he feared, but he had a most marked aversion to men with wooden legs. On one occasion he actually fired his revolver at a wooden-legged man, who proved to be a harmless tradesman canvassing for orders. We had to pay a large sum to hush the matter up. My brother and I used to think this a mere whim of my father's, but events have since led us to change our opinion.
"Early in 1882 my father received a letter from India (в начале: «рано в» 1882 года мой отец получил письмо из Индии) which was a great shock to him (которое сильно потрясло его: «которое было для него сильным шоком»). He nearly fainted at the breakfast-table when he opened it (он чуть не упал в обморок за столом во время завтрака, когда открыл его), and from that day he sickened to his death (и с этого дня он захворал, что и привело к его смерти: «заболел до смерти»; to sicken — заболевать). What was in the letter we could never discover (что было в письме, мы так никогда и не смогли обнаружить), but I could see as he held it that it was short and written in a scrawling hand (но
"When we entered his room (когда мы вошли в комнату) he was propped up with pillows and breathing heavily (он, тяжело дыша, сидел на кровати, опираясь на подушки; to prop — подпирать; pillow — подушка). He besought us to lock the door and to come upon either side of the bed (он попросил нас запереть дверь и подойти к кровати: «к каждой стороне кровати»; to beseech — заклинать, просить). Then, grasping our hands, he made a remarkable statement to us (затем, схватив нас за руки, он сделал удивительное заявление; to grasp — схватывать, хватать; remarkable — замечательный, выдающийся, поразительный; statement — заявление), in a voice which was broken as much by emotion as by pain (голосом, искаженным как эмоциями, так и болью; to break — ломать). I shall try and give it to you in his own very words (я попытаюсь передать его вам его собственными словами).
receive [r'si:v], worse [w:s], breathe [bri:d], besought [b's:t]
"Early in 1882 my father received a letter from India which was a great shock to him. He nearly fainted at the breakfast-table when he opened it, and from that day he sickened to his death. What was in the letter we could never discover, but I could see as he held it that it was short and written in a scrawling hand. He had suffered for years from an enlarged spleen, but he now became rapidly worse, and towards the end of April we were informed that he was beyond all hope, and that he wished to make a last communication to us.
"When we entered his room he was propped up with pillows and breathing heavily. He besought us to lock the door and to come upon either side of the bed. Then, grasping our hands, he made a remarkable statement to us, in a voice which was broken as much by emotion as by pain. I shall try and give it to you in his own very words.
"'I have only one thing,' he said, 'which weighs upon my mind at this supreme moment (только одно: «у меня есть только одна вещь», — сказал он, — тяготит мою душу в этот решающий момент; to weigh — взвешивать/ся/; тяготить; mind — разум; дух, душа; supreme — верховный; высший; крайний, последний). It is my treatment of poor Morstan's orphan (это то, как я обошелся с бедной сироткой Морстен; treatment — обращение). The cursed greed which has been my besetting sin through life (проклятая жадность, которая была моим главным грехом всю жизнь: «была моим осаждающим грехом через жизнь»; to curse — проклинать; to beset — осаждать) has withheld from her the treasure (не дала поделиться с ней сокровищами; to withhold — воздерживаться; утаивать, скрывать), half at least of which should have been hers (по крайней мере половина которых должна была принадлежать ей). And yet I have made no use of it myself (и ведь я сам им никак не воспользовался), — so blind and foolish a thing is avarice (алчность слепа и глупа: «такая слепая и глупая вещь жадность»). The mere feeling of possession has been so dear to me (само чувство обладания было настолько дорого мне) that I could not bear to share it with another (что я не мог вынести /даже мысль о том/, чтобы поделиться с кем-то). See that chaplet tipped with pearls beside the quinine-bottle (видите это колье, украшенное жемчугом: «с жемчужинами на кончиках», рядом с бутылочкой с хинином; chaplet — венок, венец; колье, ожерелье; to tip — приставлять или надевать наконечник; образовывать верхушку). Even that I could not bear to part with (даже с этим я не смог: «не смог вынести» расстаться), although I had got it out with the design of sending it to her (хотя я достал его с целью послать ей; design — замысел, план). You, my sons, will give her a fair share of the Agra treasure (вы, мои сыновья, поделитесь с ней справедливой долей сокровища Агры). But send her nothing — not even the chaplet — until I am gone (но не посылайте ей ничего — даже колье, — пока я не умер; gone — умерший, ушедший из жизни). After all, men have been as bad as this and have recovered (в конце концов, случается, что человек так же плох, как и я, и поправляется; to recover — вновь обретать; выздоравливать, излечиваться).
weigh [we], supreme [su'pri:m], orphan [:fn], treasure ['tre], avarice ['aevrs], design [d'zan]
"'I have only one thing,' he said, 'which weighs upon my mind at this supreme moment. It is my treatment of poor Morstan's orphan. The cursed greed which has been my besetting sin through life has withheld from her the treasure, half at least of which should have been hers. And yet I have made no use of it myself, — so blind and foolish a thing is avarice. The mere feeling of possession has been so dear to me that I could not bear to share it with another. See that chaplet tipped with pearls beside the quinine-bottle. Even that I could not bear to part with, although I had got it out with the design of sending it to her. You, my sons, will give her a fair share of the Agra treasure. But send her nothing — not even the chaplet — until I am gone. After all, men have been as bad as this and have recovered.