Мальтийский сокол. Английский язык с Д. Хэмметом.

Hammett Dashiell

whoever [hu:'evq] statuette ["stxtSV'et] disguise [dIs'gaIz]

One of them must have brought it with him, but, whoever he was, it's likely he knew nothing about its real value. It had been — no doubt as a precaution during the Carlist trouble in Spain — painted or enameled over to look like nothing more than a fairly interesting black statuette. And in that disguise, sir, it was, you might say, kicked around Paris for seventy years by private owners and dealers too stupid to see what it was under the skin."

The fat man paused to smile (толстяк остановился для улыбки) and shake his head regretfully (и с сожалением покачал головой). Then he went on (потом он продолжил): "For seventy years, sir (семьдесят

лет, сэр), this marvelous item was (эта изумительная вещь была; item — пункт; отдельный предмет /в списке и т. п./), as you might say (как вы могли бы сказать), a football in the gutters of Paris (игрушкой: «футбольным мячом» в трущобах Парижа) — until 1911 when a Greek dealer named Charilaos Konstantinides (до 1911 г., когда греческий делец по имени Харилаос Константинидес) found it in an obscure shop (нашел ее в неприметном магазине; obscure — темный, слабо освещенный, тусклый; мрачный; незаметный, неприметный; неизвестный). It didn't take Charilaos long (для Харилаоса не заняло много времени) to learn what it was (чтобы узнать, что это было) and to acquire it (и приобрести ее). No thickness of enamel (никакой толстый слой: «толщина» эмали) could conceal value (не мог утаить ценность) from his eyes and nose (от его глаз и носа). Well, sir, Charilaos was the man (да, сэр, Харилаос был тем человеком) who traced most of its history (который отследил большую часть ее истории) and who identified it (и который идентифицировал ее) as what it actually was (как то, чем она на самом деле являлась). I got wind of it (я пронюхал об этом; wind — ветер; запах; слух) and finally forced most of the history out of him (и в конце концов, добился большей части истории от него), though I've been able to add a few details since (хотя я с тех пор мог бы добавить некоторые детали).

regretful [rI'gretf(q)l] obscure [qb'skjVq] detail ['di:teIl]

The fat man paused to smile and shake his head regretfully. Then he went on: "For seventy years, sir, this marvelous item was, as you might say, a football in the gutters of Paris — until 1911 when a Greek dealer named Charilaos Konstantinides found it in an obscure shop. It didn't take Charilaos long to learn what it was and to acquire it. No thickness of enamel could conceal value from his eyes and nose. Well, sir, Charilaos was the man who traced most of its history and who identified it as what it actually was. I got wind of it and finally forced most of the history out of him, though I've been able to add a few details since.

"Charilaos was in no hurry (Харилаос не торопился) to convert his find (превратить свою находку) into money at once (в деньги сразу). He knew that (он знал, что) — enormous as its intrinsic value was (какой бы громадной не была ее истинная стоимость) — a far higher, a terrific, price could be obtained for it (намного большая, колоссальная цена могла бы быть получена за нее) once its authenticity was established beyond doubt (когда ее подлинность будет установлена вне всяких сомнений). Possibly he planned to do business (возможно, он намеревался: «планировал» провернуть это дело) with one of the modern descendents (с одним из современных наследников) of the old Order (древнего Ордена) — the English Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Английским орденом Св. Иоанна из Иерусалима), the Prussian Johanniterorden (прусским орденом иоаннитов), or the Italian or German langues of the Sovereign Order of Malta (или итальянской или германской ветвью: «языком» Верховного Мальтийского Ордена)— all wealthy orders (все это богатые ордена)."

enormous [I'nO:mqs] intrinsic [In'trIn|sIk, -zIk]

"Charilaos was in no hurry to convert his find into money at once. He knew that — enormous as its intrinsic value was — a far higher, a terrific, price could be obtained for it once its authenticity was established beyond doubt. Possibly he planned to do business with one of the modern descendents of the old Order — the English Order of St. John of Jerusalem, the Prussian Johanniterorden, or the Italian or German langues of the Sovereign Order of Malta — all wealthy orders."

The fat man raised his glass (толстяк поднял свой бокал), smiled at its emptiness (улыбнулся его пустоте), and rose to fill it and Spade's (и поднял, чтобы наполнить его и бокал Спейда). "You begin to believe me a little (вы начинаете верить мне немного)?" he asked as he worked the siphon (спросил он, когда управлялся с сифоном).

"I haven't said I didn't (я не говорил, что не верю)."

"No," Gutman chuckled (Гутман хихикнул). "But how you looked (но как вы смотрели)." He sat down, drank generously (он сел, обильно выпил), and patted his mouth with a white handkerchief (и обмакнул: «похлопал» свой рот белым носовым платком). "Well, sir (ну, сэр), to hold it safe (чтобы содержать ее в безопасности) while pursuing his researches into its history (во время выполнения своих исследований ее истории), Charilaos had re-enamelled the bird (Харилаос повторно эмалировал птицу), apparently just as it is now (очевидно, именно так, какая она есть сейчас).

emptiness ['emptInIs] little ['lItl] research [rI'sq:tS]

The fat man raised his glass, smiled at its emptiness, and rose to fill it and Spade's. "You begin to believe me a little?" he asked as he worked the siphon.

"I haven't said I didn't."

"No," Gutman chuckled. "But how you looked." He sat down, drank generously, and patted his mouth with a white handkerchief. "Well, sir, to hold it safe while pursuing his researches into its history, Charilaos had re-enamelled the bird, apparently just as it is now.

One year to the very day (один год с того самого дня) after he had acquired it (после которого он приобрел ее) — that was possibly three months (это было, вероятно, через три месяца) after I'd made him confess to me (после того, как я заставил его признаться мне) — I picked up the Times in London (я взял «Таймс» в Лондоне) and read that his establishment had been burglarized (и прочитал, что его учреждение было ограблено) and him murdered (и его убили). I was in Paris the next day (я был в Париже на следующий день)." He shook his head sadly (он печально покачал головой). "The bird was gone (птица пропала). By Gad, sir, I was wild (ей-Богу, сэр, я был в бешенстве). I didn't believe anybody else knew what it was (я не верил, что кто-нибудь еще знал, что это). I didn't believe he had told anybody but me (я не верил, что он сказал кому-нибудь, кроме меня). A great quantity of stuff had been stolen (большое количество вещей было украдено).

establishment [I'stxblISmqnt] sadly ['sxdlI] quantity ['kwOntItI]

One year to the very day after he had acquired it — that was possibly three months after I'd made him confess to me — I picked up the Times in London and read that his establishment had been burglarized and him murdered. I was in Paris the next day." He shook his head sadly. "The bird was gone. By Gad, sir, I was wild. I didn't believe anybody else knew what it was. I didn't believe he had told anybody but me. A great quantity of stuff had been stolen.

That made me think (это заставило меня думать) that the thief had simply taken the bird along (что вор просто взял птицу) with the rest of his plunder (вместе с другим награбленным), not knowing what it was (не зная, что это). Because I assure you (потому что, я уверяю вас) that a thief who knew its value (что вор, который знал бы ее ценность) would not burden himself with anything else (не стал бы обременять себя чем-то еще) — no, sir (нет, сэр) — at least not anything less than crown jewels (по крайней мере, не чем-то меньшим, чем королевские регалии и драгоценности; crown — корона, венец)."