Читаем без скачивания Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Первый сборник рассказов - Arthur Conan Doyle

From outside came the occasional cry of a night bird, and once at our very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us that the cheetah was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, and one, and two, and three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall.

Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light (вдруг появился кратковременный проблеск света) up in the direction of the ventilator (в направлении вентиляции), which vanished immediately (который исчез мгновенно), but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal (но был сменен резким запахом керосина: «сгорающего масла» и накаленного металла). Someone in the next room had lit a dark lantern (кто-то в соседней комнате зажег потайной фонарь: «темный фонарь»). I heard a gentle sound of movement (я услышал тихий звук движения), and then all was silent once more (затем все было тишиной = смолкло снова), though the smell grew stronger (хотя запах усилился). For half an hour I sat with straining ears (полчаса я сидел, прислушиваясь: «с напряженными ушами»). Then suddenly another sound became audible (затем внезапно другой звук стал слышимым) — a very gentle, soothing sound (очень тихий, успокаивающий звук), like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle (как звук струи пара, вырывающейся непрерывно из чайника /котла/). The instant that we heard it (в /то самое/ мгновение, когда мы услышали его), Holmes sprang from the bed (вскочил с кровати), struck a match (зажег спичку), and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull (и хлестнул яростно тростью по шнурку звонка).

gleam [ɡli:m], heated [ˈhi:tɪd], lantern [ˈlæntǝn], audible [ˈɔ:dɪbl], furiously [ˈfjuǝrɪǝslɪ]

Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the direction of the ventilator, which vanished immediately, but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal. Someone in the next room had lit a dark lantern. I heard a gentle sound of movement, and then all was silent once more, though the smell grew stronger. For half an hour I sat with straining ears. Then suddenly another sound became audible — a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull.

"You see it, Watson (вы видите ее, Ватсон)?" he yelled (прокричал он). "You see it?"

But I saw nothing (но я ничего не видел). At the moment when Holmes struck the light (в момент, когда Холмс зажигал свет) I heard a low, clear whistle (я слышал тихий, явный = отчетливый свист), but the sudden glare (но внезапный яркий свет; glare — слепящий свет, сияние, блеск) flashing into my weary eyes (сверкнувший в мои утомленные глаза) made it impossible for me to tell what it was at which my friend lashed so savagely (сделал невозможным для меня сказать, по чему мой друг хлестал /тростью/ так свирепо). I could, however, see that his face was deadly pale (я мог, однако, видеть, что его лицо было бледно как смерть), and filled with horror and loathing (и наполнено ужасом и отвращением). He had ceased to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator (он перестал бить и всматривался /вверх/ в отверстие вентиляции) when suddenly there broke from the silence of the night (когда внезапно раздался в тишине ночи = прорезал ночную тишину; to break — сломать, прервать, вырваться) the most horrible cry to which I have ever listened (самый ужасный крик, какой я когда-либо слышал). It swelled up louder and louder (он становился громче и громче; to swell up — набухать, вздуваться), a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger (хриплый вопль боли, страха и злости) all mingled in the one dreadful shriek (все перемешалось в этом одном ужасном крике). They say that away down in the village (они говорят = рассказывают, что далеко на краю: «внизу» деревни), and even in the distant parsonage (и даже в отдаленном доме приходского священника), that cry raised the sleepers from their beds (этот крик поднял спящих из их кроватей). It struck cold to our hearts (ударило холодом в наши сердца), and I stood gazing at Holmes, and he at me (и я стоял, глядя на Холмса, а он на меня), until the last echoes of it had died away into the silence from which it rose (пока последние отголоски его /крика/ не замерли в тишине, из которой поднялись = возникли; to die away — гаснуть, глохнуть, утихнуть).

glare [ɡleǝ], loathing [ˈlǝuðɪŋ], yell [jel], shriek [ʃri:k], parsonage [ˈpɑ:sǝnɪʤ], echo [ˈekǝu]

"You see it, Watson?" he yelled. "You see it?"

But I saw nothing. At the moment when Holmes struck the light I heard a low, clear whistle, but the sudden glare flashing into my weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it was at which my friend lashed so savagely. I could, however, see that his face was deadly pale, and filled with horror and loathing. He had ceased to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator when suddenly there broke from the silence of the night the most horrible cry to which I have ever listened. It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek. They say that away down in the village, and even in the distant parsonage, that cry raised the sleepers from their beds. It struck cold to our hearts, and I stood gazing at Holmes, and he at me, until the last echoes of it had died away into the silence from which it rose.

"What can it mean (что это может значить)?" I gasped (спросил я, задыхаясь; to gasp — дышать с трудом).

"It means that it is all over (это значит, что все кончено)," Holmes answered. "And perhaps, after all (и, возможно, в конечном счете), it is for the best (это к лучшему). Take your pistol, and we will enter Dr. Roylott's room (возьмите пистолет, и мы войдем в комнату доктора)."

With a grave face he lit the lamp (с суровым лицом он зажег лампу; grave — серьезный, мрачный), and led the way down the corridor (и пошел по коридору; to lead the way — показывать путь, сделать первый шаг). Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply from within (дважды он стукнул в дверь комнаты без какого-либо ответа изнутри). Then he turned the handle and entered (повернул ручку и вошел), I at his heels (я по его пятам = вошел за ним следом), with the cocked pistol in my hand (с заряженным пистолетом в руке).

mean [mi:n], gasped [ɡɑ:spt], reply [rɪˈplaɪ], handle [hændl]

"What can it mean?" I gasped.

"It means that it is all over," Holmes answered. "And perhaps, after all, it is for the best. Take your pistol, and we will enter Dr. Roylott's room."

With a grave face he lit the lamp, and led the way down the corridor. Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply from within. Then he turned the handle and entered, I at his heels, with the cocked pistol in my hand.

It was a singular sight which met our eyes (необычайное зрелище встретило наши глаза = представилось нашим взорам). On the table stood a dark lantern with the shutter half open (на столе стоял потайной фонарь с полуоткрытой заслонкой), throwing a brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe (кидая яркий луч света на железный сейф), the door of which was ajar (дверь которого была приоткрыта). Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roylott (у стола, на деревянном стуле, сидел доктор Гримсби Ройлотт), clad in a long gray dressing-gown (одетый в длинный серый халат), his bare ankles protruding beneath (его голые лодыжки торчали внизу = из-под халата), and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers (и его ступни /были/ втиснуты в красные без каблуков турецкие туфли). Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash (поперек его коленей лежала короткая ручка с длинной плетью) which we had noticed during the day (которую мы заметили днем; during — во время, в течение). His chin was cocked upward (его подбородок был задран кверху) and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling (и глаза застыли в ужасном суровом взгляде /направленном/ в угол потолка). Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band (вокруг его лба была странная желтая лента), with brownish speckles (с коричневатыми крапинками), which seemed to be bound tightly round his head (которая, казалась, была обвязанной крепко вокруг его головы). As we entered he made neither sound nor motion (когда мы вошли, он сделал ни звука, ни движения = ни издал звука, ни шевельнулся).

"The band! the speckled band (пестрая лента)!" whispered Holmes (прошептал).

sight [saɪt], beam [bi:m], ajar [ǝˈʤɑ:], beneath [bɪˈni:Ɵ], tightly [ˈtaɪtlɪ]

It was a singular sight which met our eyes. On the table stood a dark lantern with the shutter half open, throwing a brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe, the door of which was ajar. Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roylott, clad in a long gray dressing-gown, his bare ankles protruding beneath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers. Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling. Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band, with brownish speckles, which seemed to be bound tightly round his head. As we entered he made neither sound nor motion.

"The band! the speckled band!" whispered Holmes.

I took a step forward (я сделал шаг вперед). In an instant his strange headgear began to move (в /одно/ мгновение его странный головной убор начал двигаться), and there reared itself from among his hair (и поднялась посреди волос) the squat diamond-shaped head (маленькая и короткая ромбовидная голова) and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent (раздувшийся воротник /капюшон/ отвратительной змеи).

"It is a swamp adder (это болотная гадюка)!" cried Holmes; "the deadliest snake in India (самая смертоносная змея в Индии). He has died within ten seconds of being bitten (он умер в течение десяти секунд после того, как был укушен). Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent (насилие, воистину, делает отдачу = возвращается к сотворившему его; violent — яростный, неистовый, резкий), and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another (и интриган попадает в яму, которую он роет другому). Let us thrust this creature back into its den (давайте запустим /затолкаем/ эту тварь обратно в ее логово), and we can then remove Miss Stoner to some place of shelter (и мы можем переместить = отвезти мисс Стонер в какое-нибудь безопасное место; shelter — приют, кров, убежище) and let the county police know what has happened (дадим знать полиции графства /о том/, что случилось)."