Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Знак четырех

Сарапов Михаил

"That seems simple enough (это кажется совсем простым)."

invisibility [nvz'blt], conceal [kn'si:l], trifling ['trafl]

"But the launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings."

"Quite so. I argued that the launch must be no great way off, in spite of its invisibility. I then put myself in the place of Small, and looked at it as a man of his capacity would. He would probably consider that to send back the launch or to keep it at a wharf would make pursuit easy if the police did happen to get on his track. How, then, could he conceal the launch and yet have her at hand when wanted? I wondered what I should do myself if I were in his shoes. I could only think of one way of doing it. I might hand the launch over to some boat-builder or repairer, with directions to make a trifling change in her. She would then be removed to his shed or yard, and so be effectually concealed, while at the same time I could have her at a few hours' notice."

"That seems simple enough."

"It is just these very simple things which are extremely liable to be overlooked (как

раз что-то очень простое очень легко можно просмотреть; extremely — чрезвычайно, очень; liable — обязанный; очень вероятный, очень возможный; to overlook — обозревать; смотреть сверху; просмотреть, пропустить). However, I determined to act on the idea (как бы то ни было, я решил действовать, руководствуясь этой идеей; to determine — определять, устанавливать; решать). I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig (я немедленно взялся за дело в этом наряде безобидного моряка; rig — оснастка; парусное вооружение; обмундирование, экипировка) and inquired at all the yards down the river (и стал расспрашивать во всех доках вниз по реке). I drew blank at fifteen (в пятнадцати я потерпел неудачу; blank — пустой, чистый; to draw blank — потерпеть неудачу), but at the sixteenth — Jacobson's — I learned that the Aurora had been handed over to them two days ago (но в шестнадцатом — Джекобсона — я узнал, что «Аврора» была передана им два дня назад) by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial directions as to her rudder (человеком на деревянной ноге для мелкого ремонта руля: «с какими-то банальными указаниями относительно руля»; trivial — банальный, обычный, тривиальный). 'There ain't naught amiss with her rudder (= there isn't anything amiss with her rudder — все с ее рулем в порядке; amiss — плохой; неправильный),' said the foreman (сказал мастер). 'There she lies, with the red streaks (вот она, с красными полосками).' At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith, the missing owner (и в этот момент появляется не кто иной, как Мордекай Смит, пропавший владелец)? He was rather the worse for liquor (он был изрядно навеселе; worse — худшее; liquor — напиток; спиртной напиток; the worse for liquor — пьяный, в пьяном виде). I should not, of course, have known him (я бы его не узнал, конечно), but he bellowed out his name and the name of his launch (но он сам гаркнул свое имя и название катера; to bellow — мычать, реветь; орать; вопить). 'I want her to-night at eight o'clock (мне он нужен сегодня вечером в восемь часов),' said he, — 'eight o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting (ровно в восемь, имейте в виду, так как со мной будут два джентльмена, которые не любят ждать; to keep waiting — заставлять ждать).' They had evidently paid him well (очевидно, они хорошо ему заплатили), for he was very flush of money, chucking shillings about to the men (так как он сорил деньгами, швыряя шиллинги рабочим; flush — наполненный до краев; щедрый; изобилующий; расточительный, раздающий направо и налево; to chuck — бросать; кидать; швырять). I followed him some distance, but he subsided into an ale-house (я проследовал за ним некоторое расстояние, но он осел в пивной; to subside — опускаться; оседать; ale — пиво, эль; ale-house — паб; пивная): so I went back to the yard (поэтому я вернулся в док), and, happening to pick up one of my boys on the way (и, случайно встретив одного из моих мальчишек по дороге; to pick up — подбирать; забирать), I stationed him as a sentry over the launch (поставил его сторожить катер; to station — ставить на определенное место; располагать; sentry — часовой). He is to stand at the water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start (он должен стоять у воды: «у края воды» и махнуть нам платком, когда они отчалят: «стартуют»). We shall be lying off in the stream (мы будем поджидать их посреди реки; to lie off — стоять на некотором расстоянии от берега), and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men, treasure, and all (и будет весьма странно, если мы не схватим их с сокровищами и катером)."

liable ['labl], inquire [n'kwa], liquor ['lk], bellow ['belu]

"It is just these very simple things which are extremely liable to be overlooked. However, I determined to act on the idea. I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river. I drew blank at fifteen, but at the sixteenth — Jacobson's — I learned that the Aurora had been handed over to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial directions as to her rudder. 'There ain't naught amiss with her rudder,' said the foreman. 'There she lies, with the red streaks.' At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith, the missing owner? He was rather the worse for liquor. I should not, of course, have known him, but he bellowed out his name and the name of his launch. 'I want her to-night at eight o'clock,' said he, — 'eight o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting.' They had evidently paid him well, for he was very flush of money, chucking shillings about to the men. I followed him some distance, but he subsided into an ale-house: so I went back to the yard, and, happening to pick up one of my boys on the way, I stationed him as a sentry over the launch. He is to stand at the water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start. We shall be lying off in the stream, and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men, treasure, and all."

"You have planned it all very neatly (вы

все очень тщательно распланировали; neatly — аккуратно; четко, ясно), whether they are the right men or not (те ли они, кого мы ищем, или нет)," said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard (но если бы я руководил операцией: «дело было в моих руках», я бы отправил отряд полицейских в док Джекобсона; body — тело; воинская часть, отряд), and arrested them when they came down (и арестовал бы их, когда они появятся)."

"Which would have been never (а они бы не появились: «а это было бы никогда»). This man Small is a pretty shrewd fellow (этот Смолл довольно сообразительный малый). He would send a scout on ahead (он наверняка пошлет вперед разведчика), and if anything made him suspicious he would lie snug for another week (и если тот что-нибудь заподозрит: «и если что-нибудь сделает его подозрительным», он заляжет на дно еще на неделю; to lie — лежать; snug — удобный; укромный; скрытый, потайной)."

"But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith (но вы могли остаться с Мордекаем Смитом; to stick — втыкать, вонзать; привязываться; придерживаться), and so been led to their hiding-place (который привел бы вас: «и были бы приведены» к их укрытию; to lead — вести; to hide — прятаться, скрываться)," said I.

"In that case I should have wasted my day (в этом случае я впустую потратил бы день; to waste — терять даром, тратить впустую). I think that it is a hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live (я думаю, что шансы сто против одного, что Смит не знает, где они живут). As long as he has liquor and good pay, why should he ask questions (пока у него есть выпивка и деньги: «хорошая оплата», с чего ему задавать вопросы)? They send him messages what to do (они посылают ему записки с указаниями, что делать; message — сообщение). No, I thought over every possible course, and this is the best (нет, я обдумал любой возможный образ действия, и этот — лучший)."

shrewd [ru:d], scout [skaut], suspicious [s'sps], waste [west]

"You have planned it all very neatly, whether they are the right men or not," said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard, and arrested them when they came down."

"Which would have been never. This man Small is a pretty shrewd fellow. He would send a scout on ahead, and if anything made him suspicious he would lie snug for another week."

"But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith, and so been led to their hiding-place," said I.

"In that case I should have wasted my day. I think that it is a hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live. As long as he has liquor and good pay, why should he ask questions? They send him messages what to do. No, I thought over every possible course, and this is the best."

While this conversation had been proceeding (пока длилась эта беседа; to proceed — продолжать говорить), we had been shooting the long series of bridges which span the Thames (мы пронеслись под многочисленными мостами, соединяющими берега Темзы; to shoot — стрелять; пронестись, промчаться; series — ряд; последовательность; to span — измерять; соединять берега). As we passed the City (когда мы проплывали мимо Сити; to pass — идти; проходить, миновать) the last rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the summit of St. Paul's (последние лучи солнца позолотили крест на куполе Сент-Пола; summit — вершина, верх; St. Paul's = St. Paul's Cathedral — Сент-Пол, собор Святого Павла). It was twilight before we reached the Tower (наступили сумерки, прежде чем мы достигли Тауэра).

"That is Jacobson's Yard," said Holmes (вот док Джекобсона, — сказал Холмс), pointing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey side (указывая на лес мачт и такелажа со стороны Суррея; bristle — щетина; rigging — оснастка, такелаж). "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters (тихонько курсируйте здесь взад и вперед под прикрытием этой вереницы лихтеров; to cruise — совершать круиз, путешествовать; курсировать; gently — мягко, нежно; тихо, спокойно; lighter — лихтер, шаланда)." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore (он вынул из кармана ночной бинокль и некоторое время всматривался в берег). "I see my sentry at his post," he remarked (я вижу моего караульного на посту, — заметил он), "but no sign of a handkerchief (но платка не видать: «никаких признаков платка»; sign — знак; признак, примета)."

series ['sri:z], twilight ['twalat], cruise [kru:z]

While this conversation had been proceeding, we had been shooting the long series of bridges which span the Thames. As we passed the City the last rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the summit of St. Paul's. It was twilight before we reached the Tower.

"That is Jacobson's Yard," said Holmes, pointing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey side. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. "I see my sentry at his post," he remarked, "but no sign of a handkerchief."