Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов
relatives [ˈrelǝtɪvz], plough [plau], eccentric [ɪkˈsentrɪk]
“Holmes,” said I as I stood one morning in our bow-window looking down the street, “here is a madman coming along. It seems rather sad that his relatives should allow him to come out alone.”
My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands in the pockets of his dressing-gown, looking over my shoulder. It was a bright, crisp February morning, and the snow of the day before still lay deep upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the wintry sun. Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed into a brown crumbly band by the traffic, but at either side and on the heaped-up edges of the foot-paths it still lay as white as when it fell. The gray pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but was still dangerously slippery, so that there were fewer passengers than usual. Indeed, from the direction of the Metropolitan Station no one was coming save the single gentleman whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.
He was a man of about fifty (это был мужчина лет пятидесяти), tall (высокий), portly (полный), and imposing (внушительный), with a massive, strongly marked face (с широким лицом, покрытым оспинами; to mark — отмечать, ставить знак, метку; оставлять шрам, рубец; иметь родимые пятна; marked — отмеченный, помеченный; пестрый /о масти/) and a commanding figure (и представительной фигурой). He was dressed in a sombre yet rich style (он был одет неброско, но богато; sombre, somber — мрачный; темный /о цвете/), in black frock-coat (черный сюртук), shining hat (блестящий цилиндр), neat brown gaiters (изящные коричневые гетры; neat — аккуратный, опрятный; изящный), and well-cut pearl-gray trousers (и хорошо скроенные жемчужно-серые брюки). Yet his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress and features (однако его действия совсем не соответствовали достоинству его одежды и внешности: «были абсурдной противоположностью его…»), for he was running hard (он бежал со всех ног), with occasional little springs (то и дело подскакивая; spring — прыжок, скачок: to take a spring — прыгнуть; occasional — случающийся время от времени, иногда, редко), such as a weary man gives (как утомленный человек) who is little accustomed to set any tax upon his legs (мало привыкший давать ногам нагрузку; tax — налог, пошлина; бремя, испытание; чрезмерное требование). As he ran he jerked his hands up and down (на бегу он размахивал руками: «дергал руки вверх и вниз»; jerk — резкое движение, рывок, толчок; судорожное подергивание), waggled his head (мотал головой), and writhed his face into the most extraordinary contortions (и его лицо искажалось самыми удивительными гримасами: «и корчил лицо в самые необыкновенные искривления»; to writhe — корчиться, извиваться; исказить /лицо/; contortion — искривление; искажение).
“What on earth can be the matter with him (что же это с ним такое; on earth: «на земле» — же, просто, только, все-таки /для усиления/: how on earth — каким же образом)?” I asked. “He is looking up at the numbers of the houses (он смотрит на номера домов).”
“I believe that he is coming here (думаю, он направляется сюда),” said Holmes, rubbing his hands (сказал Холмс, потирая руки).
“Here?”
figure [ˈfɪɡǝ], sombre [ˈsɔmbǝ], writhed [raɪðd]
He was a man of about fifty, tall, portly, and imposing, with a massive, strongly marked face and a commanding figure. He was dressed in a sombre yet rich style, in black frock-coat, shining hat, neat brown gaiters, and well-cut pearl-gray trousers. Yet his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress and features, for he was running hard, with occasional little springs, such as a weary man gives who is little accustomed to set any tax upon his legs. As he ran he jerked his hands up and down, waggled his head, and writhed his face into the most extraordinary contortions.
“What on earth can be the matter with him?” I asked. “He is looking up at the numbers of the houses.”
“I believe that he is coming here,” said Holmes, rubbing his hands.
“Here?”
“Yes; I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally (да, думаю, он спешит, чтобы проконсультироваться со мной профессионально = получить совет специалиста). I think that I recognize the symptoms (узнаю симптомы). Ha! did I not tell you (прав я был или нет: «разве я вам не говорил»)?”
As he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing (при этих его словах незнакомец, тяжело и шумно дыша), rushed at our door and pulled at our bell (кинулся к нашей двери и /стал/ дергать колокольчик) until the whole house resounded with the clanging (пока весь дом не огласился звоном; clang — лязг, звон, бряцание, резкий металлический звук; to resound — громко звучать, раздаваться; оглашаться /with/).
A few moments later he was in our room (через минуту он уже был в нашей комнате), still puffing, still gesticulating (все еще тяжело дыша и жестикулируя), but with so fixed a look of grief and despair in his eyes (но в его глазах застыл такой горестный и отчаянный взгляд) that our smiles were turned in an instant to horror and pity (что наши улыбки тотчас превратились в тревогу и жалость = уступили место тревоге и жалости). For a while he could not get his words out (некоторое время он не мог вымолвить ни слова), but swayed his body and plucked at his hair like one (только раскачивался: «раскачивал свое тело» и дергал себя за волосы, как человек) who has been driven to the extreme limits of his reason (доведенный до пределов разума = до грани сумасшествия). Then, suddenly springing to his feet (вдруг он бросился вперед; to spring to one's feet — вскочить на ноги), he beat his head against the wall with such force (и ударился головой о стену с такой силой) that we both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room (что мы оба кинулись к нему и оттащили его на середину комнаты). Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair (Холмс усадил его в мягкое кресло) and, sitting beside him, patted his hand (и, сев рядом, похлопал его по руке) and chatted with him in the easy, soothing tones (и заговорил с ним так мягко, успокаивающе: «в тех легких/непринужденных, успокаивающих тонах»; to chat — непринужденно болтать, беседовать, разговаривать) which he knew so well how to employ (как он очень хорошо умел: «как он очень хорошо умел использовать»; to employ — употреблять, применять, использовать).
symptom [ˈsɪmptǝm], gesticulating [ʤeˈstɪkjuleɪtɪŋ], extreme [ɪkˈstri:m]
“Yes; I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally. I think that I recognize the symptoms. Ha! did I not tell you?”
As he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing, rushed at our door and pulled at our bell until the whole house resounded with the clanging.
A few moments later he was in our room, still puffing, still gesticulating, but with so fixed a look of grief and despair in his eyes that our smiles were turned in an instant to horror and pity. For a while he could not get his words out, but swayed his body and plucked at his hair like one who has been driven to the extreme limits of his reason. Then, suddenly springing to his feet, he beat his head against the wall with such force that we both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room. Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy‑chair and, sitting beside him, patted his hand and chatted with him in the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ.
“You have come to me to tell your story, have you not (вы пришли ко мне, чтобы рассказать о своем деле, не так ли)?” said he. “You are fatigued with your haste (вы устали от спешки). Pray wait until you have recovered yourself (пожалуйста, придите в себя: «подождите, пока вы придете в себя»), and then I shall be most happy to look into any little problem (а потом я с радостью выслушаю вашу проблему; to look into — изучать, рассматривать) which you may submit to me (о которой вы, вероятно, хотите мне поведать; to submit — представлять на рассмотрение; предлагать /свою точку зрения и т. д./).”
The man sat for a minute or more with a heaving chest (незнакомец минуту или больше сидел, шумно, тяжело дыша: «со вздымающейся грудью»; to heave — поднимать; вздыматься, подниматься и опускаться /обычно в каком-либо ритме; о волнах, груди и т. п./; тяжело дышать), fighting against his emotion (борясь с волнением). Then he passed his handkerchief over his brow (затем он провел платком по лбу), set his lips tight (сжал губы; tight — сжатый, сжавшийся, тесный, плотный), and turned his face towards us (и повернулся к нам).
