Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Знак четырех
Шрифт:
"'I will tell you how Morstan died,' he continued (я расскажу вам, как умер Морстен, — продолжил он). ' He had suffered for years from a weak heart (годами он страдал болезнью сердца: «от слабого сердца»), but he concealed it from every one (но скрывал это ото всех). I alone knew it (только я знал об этом). When in India, he and I, through a remarkable chain of circumstances, came into possession of a considerable treasure (пока мы были в Индии, он и я, то благодаря примечательному стечению обстоятельств стали обладателями немалых богатств; chain — цепь, вереница, череда; to come into possession — вступать во владение; получать; considerable — большой, значительный; treasure — сокровище). I brought it over to England (я доставил их в Англию; to bring — приносить, привозить), and on the night of Morstan's arrival he came straight over here to claim his share (и по возвращении вечером Морстен приехал сразу же сюда, чтобы востребовать свою долю). He walked over from the station (он пришел с вокзала пешком), and was admitted by my faithful old Lal Chowdar, who is now dead (его впустил мой преданный Лал Чоудар, ныне покойный; to admit — допускать, соглашаться; впускать; dead — мертвый). Morstan and I had a difference of opinion as to the division of the treasure (Морстен и я разошлись во мнениях относительно
through [ru:], straight [stret]
"'I will tell you how Morstan died,' he continued. ' He had suffered for years from a weak heart, but he concealed it from every one. I alone knew it. When in India, he and I, through a remarkable chain of circumstances, came into possession of a considerable treasure. I brought it over to England, and on the night of Morstan's arrival he came straight over here to claim his share. He walked over from the station, and was admitted by my faithful old Lal Chowdar, who is now dead. Morstan and I had a difference of opinion as to the division of the treasure, and we came to heated words. Morstan had sprung out of his chair in a paroxysm of anger, when he suddenly pressed his hand to his side, his face turned a dusky hue, and he fell backwards, cutting his head against the corner of the treasure-chest. When I stooped over him I found, to my horror, that he was dead.
"'For a long time I sat half distracted, wondering what I should do (долгое время я сидел в смятении: «в полусмятении», не зная, что делать; to sit — сидеть; half — наполовину; неполностью; to distract — отвлекать; приводить в смятение; to wonder — удивляться; интересоваться; размышлять). My first impulse was, of course, to call for assistance (первый мой импульс, конечно, был позвать на помощь); but I could not but recognize that there was every chance that I would be accused of his murder (но я не мог не осознавать, что было очень вероятно: «существовал каждый шанс», что меня обвинят в его убийстве). His death at the moment of a quarrel (смерть в момент ссоры), and the gash in his head (рана на голове; gash — глубокая рана, разрез), would be black against me (будут серьезными уликами против меня; black — черный; мрачный, предвещающий недоброе). Again, an official inquiry could not be made without bringing out some facts about the treasure (к тому же при официальном расследовании речь обязательно зашла бы о сокровищах: «официальное расследование не могло быть сделано без выявления каких-нибудь фактов о сокровищах»; to bring out — выявлять, обнаруживать), which I was particularly anxious to keep secret (а это мне очень хотелось бы сохранить в тайне; particularly — очень, чрезвычайно; anxious — озабоченный, беспокоящийся). He had told me that no soul upon earth knew where he had gone (он сказал мне, что ни одна душа на свете не знала, куда он отправился). There seemed to be no necessity why any soul ever should know (казалось, не было никакой необходимости, чтобы хоть одна душа когда-либо узнала: «почему какая-либо душа когда-либо должна узнать»).
"'I was still pondering over the matter, when, looking up, I saw my servant, Lal Chowdar, in the door-way (я все еще размышлял над этим, когда, подняв голову: «посмотрев вверх», я увидел моего слугу, Лала Чоудара, в дверном проеме; to ponder — обдумывать; размышлять; to see — видеть). He stole in and bolted the door behind him (он проскользнул в комнату и запер дверь за собой; to steal — воровать; прокрасться, проскользнуть). "Do not fear, Sahib," he said (не бойтесь, сахиб, — сказал он). "No one need know that you have killed him (никому не надо знать, что вы убили его). Let us hide him away, and who is the wiser (давайте спрячем его, и кто узнает; wise — мудрый; знающий, осведомленный)?" "I did not kill him," said I (я не убивал его, — сказал я). Lal Chowdar shook his head and smiled (Лал Чоудар покачал головой и улыбнулся; to shake — трясти). "I heard it all, Sahib," said he (я все слышал, сахиб, — сказал он). "I heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow (я слышал, как вы ссорились, и я слышал удар). But my lips are sealed (но на моих губах печать молчания: «но мои губы запечатаны»; seal — печать). All are asleep in the house (все в доме спят). Let us put him away together (давайте вместе его уберем)." That was enough to decide me (этого было достаточно, чтобы я решился). If my own servant could not believe my innocence (если даже мой собственный слуга не мог поверить в мою невиновность), how could I hope to make it good before twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury-box (как мог я надеяться доказать это двенадцати тупым торговцам на скамье присяжных; to make good — возместить; доказать; jury-box — место присяжных заседателей в суде)? Lal Chowdar and I disposed of the body that night (Лал Чоудар и я избавились от тела той ночью; to dispose of — отделаться, избавиться), and within a few days the London papers were full of the mysterious disappearance of Captain Morstan (а через несколько дней лондонские газеты пестрили сообщениями: «были полны /сообщениями/» о таинственном исчезновении капитана Морстена).
quarrel ['kwrl], anxious ['ae(k)s], bolt [bult]
"'For a long time I sat half distracted, wondering what I should do. My first impulse was, of course, to call for assistance; but I could not but recognize that there was every chance that I would be accused of his murder. His death at the moment of a quarrel, and the gash in his head, would be black against me. Again, an official inquiry could not be made without bringing out some facts about the treasure, which I was particularly anxious to keep secret. He had told me that no soul upon earth knew where he had gone. There seemed to be no necessity why any soul ever should know.
"'I was still pondering over the matter, when, looking up, I saw my servant, Lal Chowdar, in the door-way. He stole in and bolted the door behind him. "Do not fear, Sahib," he said. "No one need know that you have killed him. Let us hide him away, and who is the wiser?" "I did not kill him," said I. Lal Chowdar shook his head and smiled. "I heard it all, Sahib," said he. "I heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow. But my lips are sealed. All are asleep in the house. Let us put him away together." That was enough to decide me. If my own servant could not believe my innocence, how could I hope to make it good before twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury-box? Lal Chowdar and I disposed of the body that night, and within a few days the London papers were full of the mysterious disappearance of Captain Morstan.
"You will see from what I say that I can hardly be blamed in the matter (вы
fault [f:lt], malevolence [m'levlns], pulse [pls], cease [si:s]
"You will see from what I say that I can hardly be blamed in the matter. My fault lies in the fact that we concealed not only the body, but also the treasure, and that I have clung to Morstan's share as well as to my own. I wish you, therefore, to make restitution. Put your ears down to my mouth. The treasure is hidden in ——' At this instant a horrible change came over his expression; his eyes stared wildly, his jaw dropped, and he yelled, in a voice which I can never forget, 'Keep him out! For Christ's sake keep him out!' We both stared round at the window behind us upon which his gaze was fixed. A face was looking in at us out of the darkness. We could see the whitening of the nose where it was pressed against the glass. It was a bearded, hairy face, with wild cruel eyes and an expression of concentrated malevolence. My brother and I rushed towards the window, but the man was gone. When we returned to my father his head had dropped and his pulse had ceased to beat.
"We searched the garden that night (мы обыскали сад той ночью), but found no sign of the intruder (но не нашли ни следа непрошенного гостя; to find — находить; intruder — навязчивый, назойливый человек; незваный гость), save that just under the window a single footmark was visible in the flower-bed (если не считать единственного отпечатка ноги в цветочной грядке как раз под окном; visible — видимый). But for that one trace, we might have thought that our imaginations had conjured up that wild, fierce face (если бы не один этот след, мы могли бы подумать, что это дикое, свирепое лицо — плод нашего воображения: «наше воображение вызвало это дикое, свирепое лицо»; to conjure up — вызывать в воображении; to conjure — заклинать, вызывать духов). We soon, however, had another and a more striking proof (вскоре, однако, мы получили другое и более яркое доказательство; striking — поразительный, изумительный) that there were secret agencies at work all round us (того, что вокруг нас плели свои сети какие-то тайные силы; agency — агентство; сила, фактор; be at work — действовать). The window of my father's room was found open in the morning (окно комнаты моего отца утром обнаружили отворенным), his cupboards and boxes had been rifled (шкафы и ящики были перерыты; to rifle — обыскивать с целью грабежа), and upon his chest was fixed a torn piece of paper (а к его сундуку пришпилен оборванный клочок бумаги; to tear — рвать), with the words 'The sign of the four' scrawled across it (с накарябанными на нем словами «Знак четырех»). What the phrase meant (что значила эта фраза), or who our secret visitor may have been, we never knew (или кто был наш тайный посетитель, мы никогда не узнали). As far as we can judge, none of my father's property had been actually stolen (насколько мы можем судить, ничего из собственности отца на самом деле не было украдено; to steal — воровать; actually — фактически, на самом деле, в действительности), though everything had been turned out (хотя все было перевернуто; to turn out —выворачивать). My brother and I naturally associated this peculiar incident with the fear which haunted my father during his life (естественно, мой брат и я связали этот своеобразный инцидент со страхом, который преследовал отца всю жизнь; to haunt — часто заезжать, навещать; /о привидении/ жить, обитать; являться; мучить; не давать покоя); but it is still a complete mystery to us (для нас это по-прежнему полная загадка)."
search [s:], conjure ['kn], fierce [fs], agency ['ens], cupboard ['kbd], rifle [rafl]
"We searched the garden that night, but found no sign of the intruder, save that just under the window a single footmark was visible in the flower-bed. But for that one trace, we might have thought that our imaginations had conjured up that wild, fierce face. We soon, however, had another and a more striking proof that there were secret agencies at work all round us. The window of my father's room was found open in the morning, his cupboards and boxes had been rifled, and upon his chest was fixed a torn piece of paper, with the words 'The sign of the four' scrawled across it. What the phrase meant, or who our secret visitor may have been, we never knew. As far as we can judge, none of my father's property had been actually stolen, though everything had been turned out. My brother and I naturally associated this peculiar incident with the fear which haunted my father during his life; but it is still a complete mystery to us."