Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов

“Well, when he saw that they were indeed the proofs (и вот, когда он увидел, что это и в самом деле гранки), it was then that he yielded to temptation (то поддался искушению; to yield — приносить /урожай, результат/; уступать, поддаваться). He put his shoes on the table (он положил туфли на стол). What was it you put on that chair near the window (а что вы положили на это кресло у окна)?”

“Gloves (перчатки),” said the young man.

athletic [æƟˈletɪk], shoe [ʃu:], impulse [ˈɪmpʌls], exploit [ˈeksplɔɪt]

“What happened was this: This young fellow had employed his afternoon at the athletic grounds, where he had been practising the jump. He returned carrying his jumping-shoes, which are provided, as you are aware, with several sharp spikes. As he passed your window he saw, by means of his great height, these proofs upon your table, and conjectured what they were. No harm would have been done had it not been that, as he passed your door, he perceived the key which had been left by the carelessness of your servant. A sudden impulse came over him to enter, and see if they were indeed the proofs. It was not a dangerous exploit for he could always pretend that he had simply looked in to ask a question.

“Well, when he saw that they were indeed the proofs, it was then that he yielded to temptation. He put his shoes on the table. What was it you put on that chair near the window?”

“Gloves,” said the young man.

Holmes looked triumphantly at Bannister (Холмс торжествующе взглянул на Бэннистера). “He put his gloves on the chair (он положил перчатки на кресло), and he took the proofs, sheet by sheet, to copy them (и стал брать гранки лист за листом и переписывать их). He thought the tutor must return by the main gate (он думал, что преподаватель вернется через главные ворота) and that he would see him (и он его увидит). As we know, he came back by the side gate (как мы знаем, он вернулся через боковую калитку). Suddenly he heard him at the very door (внезапно он услышал /шаги/ мистера Сомса у самой двери). There was no possible escape (не было возможного побега = убежать было нельзя). He forgot his gloves but he caught up his shoes (он забыл перчатки, но схватил туфли) and darted into the bedroom (и бросился в спальню; to dart — бросать/ся/, метать/ся/; dart — дротик). You observe that the scratch on that table is slight at one side (видите, царапина на столе незначительная с одной стороны), but deepens in the direction of the bedroom door (но увеличивается по направлению к двери спальни; to deepen — делать/ся/ глубже; усиливать/ся/, увеличивать/ся/). That in itself is enough to show us (этого достаточно, чтобы показать нам; in itself — само по себе, по сути) that the shoe had been drawn in that direction (что туфлю дернули в этом направлении), and that the culprit had taken refuge there (и что виновный спрятался там; to take refuge — найти убежище, укрыться; refuge — убежище, прибежище; приют). The earth round the spike had been left on the table (земля, /налипшая/ вокруг шипа, осталась на столе), and a second sample was loosened and fell in the bedroom (а второй образец = комок с другого шипа упал в спальне; to loosen — ослаблять/ся/, расшатывать/ся/; отсоединять/ся/). I may add that I walked out to the athletic grounds this morning (могу добавить, что я ходил на спортивную площадку этим утром), saw that tenacious black clay is used in the jumping-pit (увидел, что вязкая темная глина используется в яме для прыжков) and carried away a specimen of it (унес с собой образец этой глины), together with some of the fine tan or sawdust (а также немного тонких опилок; tan — дубильная кора; толченая дубовая кора; желто-коричневый цвет) which is strewn over it to prevent the athlete from slipping (которыми посыпают землю, чтобы спортсмен не поскользнулся; to strew-strewed-strewn; to prevent from doing something — мешать, не позволять сделать что-либо). Have I told the truth, Mr. Gilchrist (я сказал правду, мистер Гилкрист)?”

triumphantly [traɪˈʌmfǝntlɪ], gloves [ɡlʌvz], tenacious [tɪˈneɪʃǝs], prevent [prɪˈvent]

Holmes looked triumphantly at Bannister. “He put his gloves on the chair, and he took the proofs, sheet by sheet, to copy them. He thought the tutor must return by the main gate and that he would see him. As we know, he came back by the side gate. Suddenly he heard him at the very door. There was no possible escape. He forgot his gloves but he caught up his shoes and darted into the bedroom. You observe that the scratch on that table is slight at one side, but deepens in the direction of the bedroom door. That in itself is enough to show us that the shoe had been drawn in that direction, and that the culprit had taken refuge there. The earth round the spike had been left on the table, and a second sample was loosened and fell in the bedroom. I may add that I walked out to the athletic grounds this morning, saw that tenacious black clay is used in the jumping-pit and carried away a specimen of it, together with some of the fine tan or sawdust which is strewn over it to prevent the athlete from slipping. Have I told the truth, Mr. Gilchrist?”

The student had drawn himself erect (студент выпрямился = сидел прямо).

“Yes, sir, it is true (да, сэр, это правда),” said he.

“Good heavens (Боже мой)! have you nothing to add (неужели вам нечего добавить)?” cried Soames (воскликнул Сомс).

“Yes, sir, I have, but the shock of this disgraceful exposure has bewildered me (есть, сэр, но потрясение от этого позорного разоблачения ошеломило меня). I have a letter here, Mr. Soames (у меня есть письмо, мистер Сомс), which I wrote to you early this morning (которое я написал вам сегодня рано утром) in the middle of a restless night (в середине бессонной ночи; restless — беспокойный, тревожный; rest — покой, отдых, сон). It was before I knew that my sin had found me out (это было раньше, чем я узнал, что мой проступок открылся; sin — грех; проступок, нарушение; to find out — разоблачать, выведать /тайну/). Here it is, sir (вот оно, сэр). You will see that I have said (видите, я написал), ‘I have determined not to go in for the examination (я решил не сдавать экзамен). I have been offered a commission in the Rhodesian Police (мне предложили поступить офицером в родезийскую армию; commission — полномочие; звание офицера, офицерский чин; Rhodesia — прежнее название Зимбабве; police — полиция; отряд по обеспечению безопасности), and I am going out to South Africa at once (и я без промедления уезжаю в Южную Африку).’”

“I am indeed pleased to hear (я, конечно, рад слышать) that you did not intend to profit by your unfair advantage (что вы не собирались воспользоваться своим незаслуженным преимуществом),” said Soames. “But why did you change your purpose (но почему вы изменили свои намерения)?”

Gilchrist pointed to Bannister (Гилкрист указал на Бэннистера).

bewildered [bɪˈwɪldǝd], South [sauƟ], advantage [ǝdˈvɑ:ntɪʤ]

The student had drawn himself erect.

“Yes, sir, it is true,” said he.

“Good heavens! have you nothing to add?” cried Soames.

“Yes, sir, I have, but the shock of this disgraceful exposure has bewildered me. I have a letter here, Mr. Soames, which I wrote to you early this morning in the middle of a restless night. It was before I knew that my sin had found me out. Here it is, sir. You will see that I have said, ‘I have determined not to go in for the examination. I have been offered a commission in the Rhodesian Police, and I am going out to South Africa at once.’”

“I am indeed pleased to hear that you did not intend to profit by your unfair advantage,” said Soames. “But why did you change your purpose?”

Gilchrist pointed to Bannister.

“There is the man who set me in the right path (вот человек, который наставил меня на путь истинный),” said he.

“Come now, Bannister (послушайте, Бэннистер),” said Holmes. “It will be clear to you, from what I have said (из того, что я уже сказал, будет ясно), that only you could have let this young man out (что только вы могли выпустить /из комнаты/ этого молодого человека), since you were left in the room (так как вас оставили в комнате), and must have locked the door when you went out (и вы должны были запереть дверь, когда уходили). As to his escaping by that window, it was incredible (что касается его бегства через окно, то это невозможно; incredible — невероятный, немыслимый, неправдоподобный). Can you not clear up the last point in this mystery (не могли бы вы прояснить последний момент в этой загадке), and tell us the reasons for your action (и сообщить нам мотивы вашего поступка)?”

“It was simple enough, sir (все довольно просто, сэр), if you only had known (если бы вы только знали /подоплеку/), but, with all your cleverness, it was impossible that you could know (но /даже/ с вашим умом невозможно догадаться; cleverness — ум; ловкость, умение). Time was, sir, when I was butler to old Sir Jabez Gilchrist (было время, сэр, когда я был дворецким у сэра Джейбса Гилкриста), this young gentleman’s father (отца этого юного джентльмена). When he was ruined I came to the college as servant (когда он разорился, я поступил в колледж слугой), but I never forgot my old employer (но никогда не забывал своего старого хозяина) because he was down in the world (потому что он потерял все; to come down in the world — потерять состояние, положение в обществе). I watched his son all I could for the sake of the old days (я как мог присматривал за его сыном в память о прежних временах: «старых днях»; for the sake of — ради). Well, sir, when I came into this room yesterday (так вот, сэр, когда я вошел в эту комнату вчера), when the alarm was given (когда подняли тревогу), the very first thing I saw was Mr. Gilchrist’s tan gloves a-lying in that chair (первое, что я увидел, были желтые перчатки мистера Гилкриста, лежавшие на этом кресле).

incredible [ɪnˈkredɪbl], employer [ɪmˈplɔɪǝ], alarm [ǝˈlɑ:m]

“There is the man who set me in the right path,” said he.

“Come now, Bannister,” said Holmes. “It will be clear to you, from what I have said, that only you could have let this young man out, since you were left in the room, and must have locked the door when you went out. As to his escaping by that window, it was incredible. Can you not clear up the last point in this mystery, and tell us the reasons for your action?”

“It was simple enough, sir, if you only had known, but, with all your cleverness, it was impossible that you could know. Time was, sir, when I was butler to old Sir Jabez Gilchrist, this young gentleman’s father. When he was ruined I came to the college as servant, but I never forgot my old employer because he was down in the world. I watched his son all I could for the sake of the old days. Well, sir, when I came into this room yesterday, when the alarm was given, the very first thing I saw was Mr. Gilchrist’s tan gloves a‑lying in that chair.

“I knew those gloves well (я хорошо знал те перчатки), and I understood their message (и понял, что они означают: «их сообщение»). If Mr. Soames saw them, the game was up (если бы мистер Сомс увидел их, игра бы закончилась = пиши пропало). I flopped down into that chair (я упал в это кресло; to flop — шлепаться, плюхаться; ударять, хлопать крыльями), and nothing would budge me until Mr. Soames he went for you (и ничто не сдвинуло бы меня с места = и сидел, не двигаясь, пока мистер Сомс не пошел за вами; to budge — шевелиться, двигаться; пошевельнуть, сдвинуть с места). Then out came my poor young master (затем из /спальни/ вышел мой бедный молодой хозяин), whom I had dandled on my knee (которого я /ребенком/ качал на коленях; to dandle — качать на руках или на коленях /ребенка/), and confessed it all to me (и во всем мне признался). Wasn’t it natural, sir, that I should save him (разве не естественно, сэр, что я должен был спасти его = как мне было не спасти его), and wasn’t it natural also that I should try to speak to him (и как не попытаться поговорить с ним) as his dead father would have done (как сделал бы его покойный отец), and make him understand that he could not profit by such a deed (объяснить ему, что не будет пользы от такого поступка; to profit — извлекать пользу)? Could you blame me, sir (можно меня винить /за это/, сэр)?”