Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах

quarter [ˈkwɔ:tǝ], shove [ʃʌv], deserted [dɪˈzǝ:tɪd]

"That's better," he said. "Well, I waited for a quarter of an hour, or more, when suddenly there came a noise like people struggling inside the house. Next moment the door was flung open and two men appeared, one of whom was Drebber, and the other was a young chap whom I had never seen before. This fellow had Drebber by the collar, and when they came to the head of the steps he gave him a shove and a kick which sent him half across the road. ‘You hound,’ he cried, shaking his stick at him; ‘I'll teach you to insult an honest girl!’ He was so hot that I think he would have thrashed Drebber with his cudgel, only that the cur staggered away down the road as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran as far as the corner, and then, seeing my cab, he hailed me and jumped in. ‘Drive me to Halliday's Private Hotel,’ said he.

"When I had him fairly inside my cab, my heart jumped so with joy that I feared lest at this last moment my aneurism might go wrong. I drove along slowly, weighing in my own mind what it was best to do. I might take him right out into the country, and there in some deserted lane have my last interview with him. I had almost decided upon this, when he solved the problem for me. The craze for drink had seized him again, and he ordered me to pull up outside a gin palace. He went in, leaving word that I should wait for him. There he remained until closing time, and when he came out he was so far gone that I knew the game was in my own hands.

"Don't imagine that I intended to kill him in cold blood (не подумайте, что я собирался хладнокровно его убить). It would only have been rigid justice if I had done so (если бы я так поступил, это было бы всего лишь чистое правосудие; rigid — строгий; непреклонный), but I could not bring myself to do it (но я не мог себя заставить так поступить). I had long determined that he should have a show for his life (я давно решил, что у него будет шанс выжить; show — возможность проявить себя; шанс) if he chose to take advantage of it (если он пожелает воспользоваться им; to choose — выбирать, избирать; to take advantage — воспользоваться, использовать в своих интересах). Among the many billets which I have filled in America during my wandering life (среди многих занятий, что я перепробовал в Америке за время своей бродячей жизни; billet — должность, место; to fill — занимать), I was once janitor and sweeper out of the laboratory at York College (мне случилось однажды быть уборщиком при лаборатории в колледже в Йорке). One day the professor was lecturing on poisons (однажды профессор давал лекцию по ядам), and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it (и он показал своим студентам один алкалоид, как он его назвал), which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison (который он добыл из яда, которым в Южной Америке смазывают наконечники стрел: «из южноамериканского яда для стрел»; to extract — извлекать, экстрагировать), and which was so powerful that the least grain meant instant death (и который был таким сильным, что мельчайшая его крупица означала мгновенную смерть). I spotted the bottle in which this preparation was kept (я запомнил склянку, в которой хранился этот препарат; preparation — препарат), and when they were all gone, I helped myself to a little of it (и когда они все ушли, я немного себе оттуда отлил; to help oneself — брать без разрешения). I was a fairly good dispenser (я неплохо знал аптекарское дело; to dispense — готовить лекарства; dispenser — фармацевт), so I worked this alkaloid into small, soluble pills (так что я изготовил маленькие растворимые пилюли с этим алкалоидом; to work — производить, изготовлять), and each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made without the poison (и каждую пилюлю я положил в коробочку с подобной пилюлей, но не содержащей яда: «сделанной без яда»). I determined at the time that when I had my chance (я тогда решил, что когда мне выпадет мой шанс), my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of these boxes (мои господам придется каждому вытянуть по пилюле: «вытянуть свой жребий» из одной из этих коробочек; draw — жребий), while I ate the pill that remained (а я проглочу: «съем» ту, что останется). It would be quite as deadly, and a good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief (это будет столь же смертоносно, как стрелять через носовой платок, но куда менее шумно). From that day I had always my pill boxes about with me (с того дня я всегда носил с собой эти коробочки с пилюлями), and the time had now come when I was to use them (и теперь пришло время использовать их).

blood [blʌd], janitor [ˈʤænɪtǝ], handkerchief [ˈhæŋkǝʧɪf]

"Don't imagine that I intended to kill him in cold blood. It would only have been rigid justice if I had done so, but I could not bring myself to do it. I had long determined that he should have a show for his life if he chose to take advantage of it. Among the many billets which I have filled in America during my wandering life, I was once janitor and sweeper out of the laboratory at York College. One day the professor was lecturing on poisons, and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it, which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison, and which was so powerful that the least grain meant instant death. I spotted the bottle in which this preparation was kept, and when they were all gone, I helped myself to a little of it. I was a fairly good dispenser, so I worked this alkaloid into small, soluble pills, and each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made without the poison. I determined at the time that when I had my chance, my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of these boxes, while I ate the pill that remained. It would be quite as deadly, and a good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief. From that day I had always my pill boxes about with me, and the time had now come when I was to use them.

"It was nearer one than twelve (было ближе к часу, чем к полуночи: «к двенадцати»), and a wild, bleak night (ночь была ветреная, промозглая; wild — бурный, штормовой; bleak — холодный, промозглый), blowing hard and raining in torrents (дул сильный ветер, и шел проливной дождь; torrent — ливень). Dismal as it was outside (несмотря на мерзкую погоду: «хотя снаружи было мрачно»; dismal — мрачный; унылый; гнетущий), I was glad within (на душе: «внутри» у меня было радостно)— so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation (настолько радостно, что я мог бы закричать от восторга: «от чистого ликования»). If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing (если когда-либо кто-нибудь из вас, джентльмены, безумно желал чего-нибудь; to pine — чахнуть, томиться; изнемогать, изнывать, иссыхать; /for, after smth./ жаждать чего-либо, тосковать по чему-либо), and longed for it during twenty long years (и жаждал этого двадцать долгих лет), and then suddenly found it within your reach (а затем внезапно обнаружил это на расстоянии вытянутой руки; to reach — протягивать; reach — досягаемость, предел досягаемости), you would understand my feelings (вы поймете мои чувства). I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves (я зажег сигару и закурил, чтобы успокоить нервы; to puff — дымить; покуривать), but my hands were trembling (но мои руки дрожали), and my temples throbbing with excitement (а в висках стучало от возбуждения). As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me (когда я ехал, я видел, как старик Джон Феррьер и милая Люси смотрели на меня из темноты и улыбались мне), just as plain as I see you all in this room (так же ясно, как я вижу всех вас здесь в комнате). All the way they were ahead of me (всю дорогу они были передо мной), one on each side of the horse (справа и слева от лошади: «один на каждой стороне лошади») until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road (пока я не натянул поводья у дома на Брикстон-роуд).

"There was not a soul to be seen, nor a sound to be heard (не было видно ни души, не слышно ни звука), except the dripping of the rain (кроме шума дождя; to drip — капать, падать каплями; стекать). When I looked in at the window (когда я заглянул внутрь через окошко), I found Drebber all huddled together in a drunken sleep (я обнаружил, что Дреббер спит пьяным сном, весь съежившись). I shook him by the arm (я потряс его за руку), ‘It's time to get out (время выходить),’ I said.

" ‘All right, cabby (хорошо, кебмен),’ said he.

exultation [ˌeɡzʌlˈteɪʃ(ǝ)n], year [jɪǝ], [jǝ:], cigar [sɪˈɡɑ:]

"It was nearer one than twelve, and a wild, bleak night, blowing hard and raining in torrents. Dismal as it was outside, I was glad within — so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation. If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing, and longed for it during twenty long years, and then suddenly found it within your reach, you would understand my feelings. I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves, but my hands were trembling, and my temples throbbing with excitement. As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me, just as plain as I see you all in this room. All the way they were ahead of me, one on each side of the horse until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road.

"There was not a soul to be seen, nor a sound to be heard, except the dripping of the rain. When I looked in at the window, I found Drebber all huddled together in a drunken sleep. I shook him by the arm, `It's time to get out,' I said.

"`All right, cabby,' said he.

"I suppose he thought we had come to the hotel that he had mentioned (я полагаю, что он подумал, что мы приехали к гостинице, которую он назвал; to mention — упоминать), for he got out without another word (так как он вышел, ничего больше не сказав), and followed me down the garden (и пошел за мной по садовой дорожке). I had to walk beside him to keep him steady (мне пришлось идти рядом, чтобы поддерживать его; steady — устойчивый), for he was still a little top-heavy (так как он по-прежнему был немного навеселе; top-heavy — перевешивающий в верхней части; неустойчивый; пьяный). When we came to the door, I opened it (когда мы подошли к двери, я открыл ее), and led him into the front room (и провел его в переднюю). I give you my word that all the way, the father and the daughter were walking in front of us (даю вам слово, что все это время: «всю дорогу» отец и дочь шли перед нами).

" ‘It's infernally dark (темнота адская),’ said he, stamping about (сказал он, топчась на месте).

" ‘We'll soon have a light,’ I said (скоро у нас будет свет, — сказал я), striking a match and putting it to a wax candle which I had brought with me (зажигая спичку и поднося ее к восковой свечи, что я принес с собой). ‘Now, Enoch Drebber,’ I continued, turning to him (а теперь, Инок Дреббер, — продолжал я, поворачиваясь к нему), and holding the light to my own face (и поднеся свет к своему лицу), ‘who am I (кто я)?’

"He gazed at me with bleared, drunken eyes for a moment (мгновение он смотрел на меня мутными, пьяными глазами; to blear — затуманивать, делать неясным), and then I saw a horror spring up in them (а затем я увидел, как в них вспыхнул ужас; to spring up — возникать), and convulse his whole features (и судорогой пробежал по чертам его лица; to convulse — вызывать судороги, конвульсии; трясти, сотрясать), which showed me that he knew me (из чего я понял: «что показало мне», что он меня узнал). He staggered back with a livid face (он отшатнулся, побледнев; livid — мертвенно-бледный), and I saw the perspiration break out upon his brow (и я увидел, что у него на лбу выступил пот), while his teeth chattered in his head (зубы его стучали). At the sight, I leaned my back against the door and laughed loud and long (увидев это, я прислонился спиной к двери и громко захохотал: «и захохотал громко и долго»). I had always known that vengeance would be sweet (я всегда знал, что месть будет сладка), but I had never hoped for the contentment of soul which now possessed me (но я и не надеялся на то блаженство: «душевное довольство», что теперь на меня спустилось; to possess — овладевать, захватывать).