Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах
deuce [dju:s], draw [drɔ:], acquire [ǝˈkwaɪǝ]
"But the Solar System!" I protested.
"What the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted impatiently; "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work."
I was on the point of asking him what that work might be, but something in his manner showed me that the question would be an unwelcome one. I pondered over our short conversation, however, and endeavoured to draw my deductions from it. He said that he would acquire no knowledge which did not bear upon his object. Therefore all the knowledge which he possessed was such as would be useful to him. I enumerated in my own mind all the various points upon which he had shown me that he was exceptionally well-informed. I even took a pencil and jotted them down. I could not help smiling at the document when I had completed it. It ran in this way —
SHERLOCK HOLMES — his limits (Шерлок Холмс — пределы его познаний: «его ограничения»; limit — граница, предел).
1. Knowledge of Literature. — Nil (знание литературы — ноль). 2. Philosophy. — Nil (философии — ноль). 3. Astronomy. — Nil (астрономии — ноль). 4. Politics. — Feeble (политики — слабое). 5. Botany. — Variable (ботаники — неравномерное; variable — изменчивый, непостоянный). Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally (хорошо знаком с белладонной, опиумом и ядами вообще; to be well up in something — быть сведущим, хорошо разбираться в чем-либо). Knows nothing of practical gardening (ничего не знает о садоводстве). 6. Geology. — Practical, but limited (геологии — практическое, но ограниченное). Tells at a glance different soils from each other (с первого взгляда определяет разницу между разными почвами). After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers (после прогулок показывал мне брызги грязи на брюках; splash — пятно; to splash — забрызгивать; брызгать), and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them (и по их цвету и консистенции говорил, из какой они части Лондона: «в какой части Лондона он их получил»; to tell — говорить). 7. Chemistry. — Profound (химии — глубокое). 8. Anatomy. — Accurate, but unsystematic (анатомии — точное, но несистематическое). 9. Sensational Literature. — Immense (уголовной хроники: «сенсационной литературы» — обширное; sensational — сенсационный). He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century (похоже, он знает все подробности каждого злодеяния: «каждую деталь каждого ужаса», совершенного в этом веке). 10. Plays the violin well (хорошо играет на скрипке). 11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman (отлично фехтует любым оружием и боксирует; singlestick — деревянная рапира, палка с рукояткой для обучения фехтованию и тренировке; sword — меч; swordsman — фехтовальщик). 12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law (имеет хорошие практические познания британского законодательства).
chemistry [ˈkemɪstrɪ], immense [ɪˈmens], detail [ˈdi:teɪl], swordsman [ˈsɔ:dzmǝn]
SHERLOCK HOLMES — his limits.
1. Knowledge of Literature. — Nil. 2. Philosophy. — Nil. 3. Astronomy. — Nil. 4. Politics. — Feeble. 5. Botany. — Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening. 6. Geology. — Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them. 7. Chemistry. — Profound. 8. Anatomy. — Accurate, but unsystematic. 9. Sensational Literature. — Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century. 10. Plays the violin well. 11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman. 12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.
When I had got so far in my list (дойдя до этого места: «когда я зашел так далеко» в своем списке) I threw it into the fire in despair (я в отчаянии бросил его в огонь). "If I can only find what the fellow is driving at by reconciling all these accomplishments (если я могу обнаружить, к чему стремится этот парень, только найдя общее во всех этих достоинствах; to drive — гнать; to drive at — иметь в виду; клонить к; to reconcile — мирить, примирить; согласовывать), and discovering a calling which needs them all," I said to myself (и обнаружив род занятий, который требует их всех, — сказал я сам себе; calling — профессия; деятельность, род занятий), "I may as well give up the attempt at once (я могу с тем же успехом сдаться: «оставить попытку» сразу)."
I see that I have alluded above to his powers upon the violin (я вижу, что я упоминал выше его мастерство в обращении со скрипкой). These were very remarkable (хотя и примечательное само по себе: «эти = они /способности, мастерство/ были очень примечательны»), but as eccentric as all his other accomplishments (оно было таким же специфическим, как и прочие его таланты; eccentric — эксцентричный; вызывающе оригинальный; экстравагантный; accomplishment — достоинства; таланты). That he could play pieces, and difficult pieces, I knew well (что он мог исполнять музыкальные произведения, и трудные причем, я хорошо знал; piece — кусок; часть; произведение искусства), because at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn's Lieder, and other favourites (потому что по моей просьбе он исполнял мне некоторые из «Песен без слов» Мендельсона и другие популярные мелодии; Lieder — мн. число от das Lied — нем., песня; романс; favourite — любимый, наиболее предпочтительный). When left to himself, however (но предоставленный самому себе; however — однако, несмотря на это), he would seldom produce any music or attempt any recognized air (он редко исполнял музыкальные произведения или пытался воспроизвести какую-нибудь узнаваемую мелодию; to produce — создавать; вызывать, служить причиной). Leaning back in his arm-chair of an evening (развалившись в кресле вечером), he would close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle (он имел обыкновение закрывать глаза и небрежно водить смычком по струнам скрипки; to scrape — скрипеть; пиликать; fiddle — разг., скрипка) which was thrown across his knee (лежащей у него на коленях: «которая была брошена поперек колена»). Sometimes the chords were sonorous and melancholy (иногда аккорды выходили звучные и печальные). Occasionally they were fantastic and cheerful (порой — причудливые и бодрые). Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him (/совершенно/ очевидно, они отражали мысли, одолевавшие его; to possess — владеть; овладевать /например, о мыслях, чувствах/), but whether the music aided those thoughts (но помогала ли музыка этим мыслям), or whether the playing was simply the result of a whim or fancy was more than I could determine (или была игра просто результатом прихоти или причуды, понять я не мог: «было больше, чем я мог определить»). I might have rebelled against these exasperating solos (я мог бы возмутиться по поводу этих несносных соло; to rebel — протестовать; возмущаться; to exasperate — сердить; раздражать; изводить) had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession a whole series of my favourite airs (если бы он обычно не завершал их быстрой чередой моих любимых мелодий: «исполняя быстрой последовательностью целую серию моих любимых мелодий») as a slight compensation for the trial upon my patience (в качестве частичной компенсации за испытание моего терпения; slight — легкий, небольшой; trial — испытание, проба).
violin [ˌvaɪǝˈlɪn], piece [pi:s], request [rɪˈkwest], knee [ni:], chord [ˈkɔ:d], whim [wɪm]
When I had got so far in my list I threw it into the fire in despair. "If I can only find what the fellow is driving at by reconciling all these accomplishments, and discovering a calling which needs them all," I said to myself, "I may as well give up the attempt at once."
I see that I have alluded above to his powers upon the violin. These were very remarkable, but as eccentric as all his other accomplishments. That he could play pieces, and difficult pieces, I knew well, because at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn's Lieder, and other favourites. When left to himself, however, he would seldom produce any music or attempt any recognized air. Leaning back in his arm-chair of an evening, he would close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle which was thrown across his knee. Sometimes the chords were sonorous and melancholy. Occasionally they were fantastic and cheerful. Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him, but whether the music aided those thoughts, or whether the playing was simply the result of a whim or fancy was more than I could determine. I might have rebelled against these exasperating solos had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession a whole series of my favourite airs as a slight compensation for the trial upon my patience.
