Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Знак четырех
Шрифт:
colonel ['k:nl], idler ['adl], quarter ['kw:t]
"I was, as you can imagine, pretty down on my luck at this time, for I was a useless cripple though not yet in my twentieth year. However, my misfortune soon proved to be a blessing in disguise. A man named Abelwhite, who had come out there as an indigo-planter, wanted an overseer to look after his coolies and keep them up to their work. He happened to be a friend of our colonel's, who had taken an interest in me since the accident. To make a long story short, the colonel recommended me strongly for the post, and, as the work was mostly to be done on horseback, my leg was no great obstacle, for I had enough knee left to keep a good grip on the saddle. What I had to do was to ride over the plantation, to keep an eye on the men as they worked, and to report the idlers. The pay was fair, I had comfortable quarters, and altogether I was content to spend the remainder of my life in indigo-planting. Mr. Abelwhite was a kind man, and he would often drop into my little shanty and smoke a pipe with me, for white folk out there feel their hearts warm to each other as they never do here at home.
"Well, I was never in luck's way long (ну, мне никогда долго не везло: «я никогда не был долго на пути удачи»). Suddenly, without a note of warning, the great mutiny broke upon us (внезапно, без всякого предупреждения у нас разразился крупный мятеж; note — заметка, запись; сигнал, знак, знамение; warning — предупреждение; предостережение; to break — ломать, разбивать; разразиться; начаться внезапно). One month India lay as still and peaceful, to all appearance, as Surrey or Kent (только что: «один месяц» Индия по всей видимости была тихой и мирной, подобно Суррею или Кенту; to lie — лежать; оставаться в каком-либо положении или состоянии); the next there were two hundred thousand black devils let loose (и вот уже: «на следующий /месяц/» двести тысяч черных дьяволов творят, что хотят; to let loose — выпустить, дать волю; предоставить свободу, развязать руки), and the country was a perfect hell (а
European [jur'pi:n], exaggerate ['zaeret]
"Well, I was never in luck's way long. Suddenly, without a note of warning, the great mutiny broke upon us. One month India lay as still and peaceful, to all appearance, as Surrey or Kent; the next there were two hundred thousand black devils let loose, and the country was a perfect hell. Of course you know all about it, gentlemen, — a deal more than I do, very like, since reading is not in my line. I only know what I saw with my own eyes. Our plantation was at a place called Muttra, near the border of the Northwest Provinces. Night after night the whole sky was alight with the burning bungalows, and day after day we had small companies of Europeans passing through our estate with their wives and children, on their way to Agra, where were the nearest troops. Mr. Abelwhite was an obstinate man. He had it in his head that the affair had been exaggerated, and that it would blow over as suddenly as it had sprung up. There he sat on his veranda, drinking whisky-pegs and smoking cheroots, while the country was in a blaze about him. Of course we stuck by him, I and Dawson, who, with his wife, used to do the book-work and the managing. Well, one fine day the crash came.
"I had been away on a distant plantation (я был на дальней плантации; away — далеко, вдали), and was riding slowly home in the evening (и верхом медленно возвращался вечером домой; to ride — ехать верхом), when my eye fell upon something all huddled together at the bottom of a steep nullah (когда мои глаза упали на какую-то бесформенную кучу на дне крутого ущелья; to huddle — толпиться, собираться; валить в одну кучу; свертываться калачиком; nullah — поток, ручей в период дождей; ущелье, образовавшееся от потока). I rode down to see what it was (я подскакал поближе: «спустился верхом вниз», чтобы рассмотреть, что это было), and the cold struck through my heart when I found it was Dawson's wife (и холод пронзил мое сердце, когда я увидел: «обнаружил», что это была жена Доусона; to strike — ударять/ся/, наносить удар), all cut into ribbons, and half eaten by jackals and native dogs (изрезанная на куски и наполовину обглоданная шакалами и местными собаками; ribbon — лента; тесьма; ribbons — клочья, обрывки; to eat — есть; поедать; native — родной, исконно присущий; туземный, местный). A little farther up the road Dawson himself was lying on his face (немного дальше по дороге сам Доусон лежал лицом вниз: «лежал на своем лице»), quite dead, with an empty revolver in his hand and four Sepoys lying across each other in front of him (мертвый, разряженный: «пустой» револьвер в руке и четыре сипая вповалку лежащие перед ним; Sepoy — сипай, наемный солдат в Индии; across — поперек; крест-накрест). I reined up my horse, wondering which way I should turn (я натянул поводья, размышляя, куда мне теперь ехать: «в каком направлении я должен повернуть»; rein — повод; вожжа; to rein up — натянуть вожжи), but at that moment I saw thick smoke curling up from Abelwhite's bungalow (и в этот момент увидел густой дым, валивший из бунгало Эйбельвайта; to curl — виться; клубиться), and the flames beginning to burst through the roof (языки пламени уже начали прорываться сквозь крышу; flame — огонь, пламя). I knew then that I could do my employer no good (я понял тогда, что моему хозяину я уже больше не помощник: «я не мог сделать ничего хорошего моему нанимателю»), but would only throw my own life away if I meddled in the matter (и только напрасно загублю свою жизнь, попытайся я вмешаться; to throw away — попусту растрачивать; загубить; to meddle — вмешиваться). From where I stood I could see hundreds of the black fiends, with their red coats still on their backs (с того места, где я стоял, я мог видеть сотни черных бестий, все еще в красных мундирах: «со своими красными мундирами по-прежнему на их спинах»; fiend — дьявол; демон; злодей, изверг; coat — пиджак; мундир), dancing and howling round the burning house (выплясывавших и вопивших вокруг горящего дома; to howl — выть, завывать). Some of them pointed at me, and a couple of bullets sang past my head (некоторые из них указали в мою сторону: «на меня», и несколько пуль просвистело над моей головой; to sing — петь; свистеть /о пуле, снаряде во время полета/): so I broke away across the paddy-fields (поэтому я бросился прочь через рисовые поля; to break away — сбежать от, вырваться; пробиваться, применяя силу; paddy — рис-падди, рис-сырец), and found myself late at night safe within the walls at Agra (и поздно ночью оказался в безопасности в стенах Агры).
employer [m'pl], fiend [fi:nd]
"I had been away on a distant plantation, and was riding slowly home in the evening, when my eye fell upon something all huddled together at the bottom of a steep nullah. I rode down to see what it was, and the cold struck through my heart when I found it was Dawson's wife, all cut into ribbons, and half eaten by jackals and native dogs. A little farther up the road Dawson himself was lying on his face, quite dead, with an empty revolver in his hand and four Sepoys lying across each other in front of him. I reined up my horse, wondering which way I should turn, but at that moment I saw thick smoke curling up from Abelwhite's bungalow, and the flames beginning to burst through the roof. I knew then that I could do my employer no good, but would only throw my own life away if I meddled in the matter. From where I stood I could see hundreds of the black fiends, with their red coats still on their backs, dancing and howling round the burning house. Some of them pointed at me, and a couple of bullets sang past my head: so I broke away across the paddy-fields, and found myself late at night safe within the walls at Agra.
"As it proved, however, there was no great safety there, either (как оказалось, однако, там тоже было не очень-то безопасно: «там тоже не было большой безопасности»). The whole country was up like a swarm of bees (вся страна гудела как пчелиный улей; swarm — рой, стая; толпа). Wherever the English could collect in little bands they held just the ground that their guns commanded (если где-то англичанам удавалось объединиться в маленькие группы, они удерживали лишь ту территорию, которую покрывали их ружья; band — отряд, группа людей; to hold — держать; удерживать; to command — приказывать, командовать; держать под обстрелом). Everywhere else they were helpless fugitives (в любом другом месте они были беспомощными беглецами). It was a fight of the millions against the hundreds (это была битва миллионов против сотен); and the cruellest part of it was that these men that we fought against (и самое жестокое в этом было то, что те, с кем мы сражались; to fight — драться, сражаться, воевать), foot, horse, and gunners (пехота ли, кавалерия ли или артиллеристы; foot — ступня; пехота; horse — конь, лошадь; кавалерия, конница), were our own picked troops (были
bugle [bju:l], corps [k:], clerk [kl:k], torture ['t:]
"As it proved, however, there was no great safety there, either. The whole country was up like a swarm of bees. Wherever the English could collect in little bands they held just the ground that their guns commanded. Everywhere else they were helpless fugitives. It was a fight of the millions against the hundreds; and the cruellest part of it was that these men that we fought against, foot, horse, and gunners, were our own picked troops, whom we had taught and trained, handling our own weapons, and blowing our own bugle-calls. At Agra there were the 3d Bengal Fusiliers, some Sikhs, two troops of horse, and a battery of artillery. A volunteer corps of clerks and merchants had been formed, and this I joined, wooden leg and all. We went out to meet the rebels at Shahgunge early in July, and we beat them back for a time, but our powder gave out, and we had to fall back upon the city. Nothing but the worst news came to us from every side, — which is not to be wondered at, for if you look at the map you will see that we were right in the heart of it. Lucknow is rather better than a hundred miles to the east, and Cawnpore about as far to the south. From every point on the compass there was nothing but torture and murder and outrage.
"The city of Agra is a great place (Агра — большой город), swarming with fanatics and fierce devil-worshippers of all sorts (кишащий фанатиками и свирепыми поклонниками дьявола всех сортов; to worship — поклоняться, почитать). Our handful of men were lost among the narrow, winding streets (наша горстка людей затерялась бы среди узких, извилистых улочек; to wind — виться, извиваться, изгибаться). Our leader moved across the river, therefore, and took up his position in the old fort of Agra (поэтому наш начальник переправился через реку, и мы заняли оборону: «и занял свою позицию» в старой крепости Агры; to take up — закреплять; занимать определенную позицию). I don't know if any of you gentlemen have ever read or heard anything of that old fort (я не знаю, читал ли когда или слышал кто из вас, джентльмены, что-нибудь об этой старой крепости). It is a very queer place, — the queerest that ever I was in (это очень странное место — в более странном я и не бывал), and I have been in some rum corners, too (а побывал я во многих чудных местах; rum — странный, чудной, подозрительный; corner — угол, уголок; сторона, район). First of all, it is enormous in size (прежде всего, она огромна по размеру). I should think that the enclosure must be acres and acres (я бы сказал, что огороженное пространство занимает многие акры; enclosure — огораживание, отгораживание; огороженное место). There is a modern part, which took all our garrison (в ней есть новая часть, которая приняла весь наш гарнизон), women, children, stores, and everything else, with plenty of room over (женщин, детей, припасы и все остальное, да при этом еще осталось много места). But the modern part is nothing like the size of the old quarter (но новая часть и не сравнится по размеру со старой частью), where nobody goes (куда никто не ходит), and which is given over to the scorpions and the centipedes (и которая предоставлена скорпионам и сороконожкам). It is all full of great deserted halls, and winding passages, and long corridors twisting in and out (это сплошные огромные заброшенные залы, извивающиеся проходы, длинные извилистые коридоры), so that it is easy enough for folk to get lost in it (так что заблудиться в ней легче легкого: «достаточно легко»). For this reason it was seldom that any one went into it (по этой причине туда редко кто ходил), though now and again a party with torches might go exploring (хотя время от времени экспедиция с факелами отправлялась /туда/ исследовать).
winding ['wand], centipede ['sentpi:d]
"The city of Agra is a great place, swarming with fanatics and fierce devil-worshippers of all sorts. Our handful of men were lost among the narrow, winding streets. Our leader moved across the river, therefore, and took up his position in the old fort of Agra. I don't know if any of you gentlemen have ever read or heard anything of that old fort. It is a very queer place, — the queerest that ever I was in, and I have been in some rum corners, too. First of all, it is enormous in size. I should think that the enclosure must be acres and acres. There is a modern part, which took all our garrison, women, children, stores, and everything else, with plenty of room over. But the modern part is nothing like the size of the old quarter, where nobody goes, and which is given over to the scorpions and the centipedes. It is all full of great deserted halls, and winding passages, and long corridors twisting in and out, so that it is easy enough for folk to get lost in it. For this reason it was seldom that any one went into it, though now and again a party with torches might go exploring.
"The river washes along the front of the old fort (река течет вдоль переднего фасада старой крепости; to wash — мыть; омывать; front — лоб; лицо; передняя сторона чего-либо), and so protects it (и таким образом защищает его), but on the sides and behind there are many doors (но с боков и сзади было много дверей), and these had to be guarded, of course (и их надо было охранять, конечно), in the old quarter as well as in that which was actually held by our troops (в старой части так же, как и в той, которую, собственно, и занимали наши войска). We were short-handed (у нас не хватало людей; short-handed — неукомплектованный штатами, испытывающий недостаток в рабочей силе), with hardly men enough to man the angles of the building and to serve the guns (их едва было достаточно, чтобы держать посты на углах здания и обслуживать орудия; to man — укомплектовывать кадрами; укомплектовывать личным составом). It was impossible for us, therefore, to station a strong guard at every one of the innumerable gates (поэтому мы не имели возможности поставить сильную охрану у каждого из многочисленных проходов; to station — ставить на определенное место; помещать; размещать; gate — ворота; дверь, калитка; проход). What we did was to organize a central guard-house in the middle of the fort (мы организовали тогда центральное караульное помещение в центре крепости), and to leave each gate under the charge of one white man and two or three natives (и каждый проход оставили под охраной одного белого и двух или трех туземцев; charge — заряд; руководство; ответственность). I was selected to take charge during certain hours of the night of a small isolated door upon the southwest side of the building (мне выпало: «я был избран» охранять в определенные ночные часы маленькую изолированную дверь с юго-западной стороны здания). Two Sikh troopers were placed under my command (под мое начало дали двух сикхов; trooper — солдат любого рода войск), and I was instructed if anything went wrong to fire my musket (и я был проинструктирован выстрелить из мушкета в случае опасности: «если что-нибудь пойдет не так»), when I might rely upon help coming at once from the central guard (и ожидать подмоги из центральной караулки: «когда я мог положиться на помощь, сразу приходящую из центральной караулки»). As the guard was a good two hundred paces away, however (но так как она располагалась в добрых двухстах шагах), and as the space between was cut up into a labyrinth of passages and corridors (и это расстояние представляло собой: «было изрезано в» лабиринт переходов и коридоров), I had great doubts as to whether they could arrive in time to be of any use in case of an actual attack (я сильно сомневался, что подкрепление прибыло бы: «они могли бы прибыть» вовремя в случае настоящей атаки).