Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах
chimerical [kɪˈmerɪk(ǝ)l], involuntarily [ɪnˈvɔlǝnt(ǝ)r(ǝ)lɪ], straight [streɪt]
"You!"
"Yes, I have a turn both for observation and for deduction. The theories which I have expressed there, and which appear to you to be so chimerical are really extremely practical — so practical that I depend upon them for my bread and cheese."
"And how?" I asked involuntarily.
"Well, I have a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world. I'm a consulting detective, if you can understand what that is. Here in London we have lots of Government detectives and lots of private ones. When these fellows are at fault they come to me, and I manage to put them on the right scent. They lay all the evidence before me, and I am generally able, by the help of my knowledge of the history of crime, to set them straight. There is a strong family resemblance about misdeeds, and if you have all the details of a thousand at your finger ends, it is odd if you can't unravel the thousand and first. Lestrade is a well-known detective. He got himself into a fog recently over a forgery case, and that was what brought him here."
"And these other people (а все эти другие люди)?"
"They are mostly sent on by private inquiry agencies (большей частью их присылают частные сыскные агентства; to send — посылать; inquiry — расследование, следствие; to inquire — осведомляться, справляться, спрашивать, узнавать; наводить справки, добиваться сведений). They are all people who are in trouble about something, and want a little enlightening (все они тем или иным образом попали в беду и хотят, чтобы им немного посоветовали; trouble — беда, неприятность; to enlighten — осведомлять; информировать; помочь понять; to lighten — светлеть; становиться ярче; освещать, рассеивать тьму). I listen to their story (я выслушиваю их историю), they listen to my comments (они выслушивают мои комментарии), and then I pocket my fee (и затем я кладу в карман свой гонорар; to pocket — класть в карман)."
"But do you mean to say," I said (то есть вы хотите сказать, — сказал я), "that without leaving your room you can unravel some knot which other men can make nothing of (что не покидая своей комнаты вы можете разгадать какую-нибудь загадку: «распутать какой-нибудь узел», которая поставила в тупик других; to make nothing of — никак не использовать /что-либо/; не понять /чего-либо/), although they have seen every detail for themselves (хотя они сами видели каждую деталь)?"
"Quite so (совершенно верно: «вполне так»). I have a kind of intuition that way (у меня что-то вроде интуиции в этом деле; way — область, сфера занятий). Now and again a case turns up which is a little more complex (время от времени подворачивается более сложный случай; to turn up — неожиданно появляться; случаться). Then I have to bustle about and see things with my own eyes (тогда мне приходится побегать и осмотреть все собственными глазами; to bustle about — хлопотать, суетиться). You see I have a lot of special knowledge which I apply to the problem (видите ли, у меня богатый запас специальных познаний, которые я применяю для решения проблемы; a lot of — много), and which facilitates matters wonderfully (что чудесно облегчает дело: «которые /знания/ содействуют делу замечательно»). Those rules of deduction laid down in that article which aroused your scorn (те правила дедукции, которые изложены в статье и вызвали вашу насмешку; to lay down — устанавливать, утверждать; to arouse — будить, пробуждать; scorn — презрение, пренебрежение; насмешка), are invaluable to me in practical work (неоценимы для меня в практической работе). Observation with me is second nature (наблюдательность — это моя вторая натура). You appeared to be surprised when I told you, on our first meeting (вы выглядели удивленным, когда я сказал вам при нашей первой встрече), that you had come from Afghanistan (что вы прибыли из Афганистана)."
listen [ˈlɪs(ǝ)n], knot [nɔt], detail [ˈdi:teɪl], kind [kaɪnd], bustle [bʌsl]
"And these other people?"
"They are mostly sent on by private inquiry agencies. They are all people who are in trouble about something, and want a little enlightening. I listen to their story, they listen to my comments, and then I pocket my fee."
"But do you mean to say," I said, "that without leaving your room you can unravel some knot which other men can make nothing of, although they have seen every detail for themselves?"
"Quite so. I have a kind of intuition that way. Now and again a case turns up which is a little more complex. Then I have to bustle about and see things with my own eyes. You see I have a lot of special knowledge which I apply to the problem, and which facilitates matters wonderfully. Those rules of deduction laid down in that article which aroused your scorn, are invaluable to me in practical work. Observation with me is second nature. You appeared to be surprised when I told you, on our first meeting, that you had come from Afghanistan."
"You were told, no doubt (вам кто-то сказал, несомненно)."
"Nothing of the sort (ничего подобного). I knew you came from Afghanistan (я знал, что вы приехали из Афганистана). From long habit the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind (по укоренившейся: «долгой» привычке цепочка мыслей так быстро промелькнула у меня в голове; to run — бежать, бегать; mind — ум, разум), that I arrived at the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps (что я пришел к заключению, не осознавая промежуточных шагов; to arrive — достигать, приходить; conscious — сознающий). There were such steps, however (тем не менее, такие шаги присутствовали). The train of reasoning ran (цепочка рассуждений выглядела так), ‘Here is a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man (вот джентльмен похожий на доктора, но с выправкой военного; medical — врачебный, медицинский; type — типаж; тип; air — внешний вид). Clearly an army doctor, then (очевидно, армейский врач тогда). He has just come from the tropics (он недавно прибыл из тропиков), for his face is dark (так как у него смуглое лицо), and that is not the natural tint of his skin, for his wrists are fair (и это не естественный цвет его кожи, так как его запястья белые; tint — окраска, оттенок; fair — светлый). He has undergone hardship and sickness (ему пришлось переносить трудности и болезнь; to undergo — переносить, испытывать), as his haggard face says clearly (как явственно говорит его изнуренное лицо). His left arm has been injured (его левая рука была повреждена). He holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner (он держит ее неестественно и старается ею не шевелить; stiff — негибкий, неэластичный; неловкий, неуклюжий; unnatural — неестественный; manner — манера). Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded (где в тропиках мог английский доктор встретиться с множеством трудностей: «увидеть множество…» и получить ранение руки)? Clearly in Afghanistan (очевидно, в Афганистане).’ The whole train of thought did not occupy a second (весь поток мыслей не занял и секунды). I then remarked that you came from Afghanistan, and you were astonished (я затем заметил, что вы прибыли из Афганистана, и вы удивились)."
through [Ɵru:], conscious [ˈkɔnʃǝs], wrist [rɪst], injure [ˈɪnʤǝ], wound [wu:nd]
"You were told, no doubt."
"Nothing of the sort. I knew you came from Afghanistan. From long habit the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind, that I arrived at the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps. There were such steps, however. The train of reasoning ran, ‘Here is a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man. Clearly an army doctor, then. He has just come from the tropics, for his face is dark, and that is not the natural tint of his skin, for his wrists are fair. He has undergone hardship and sickness, as his haggard face says clearly. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.’ The whole train of thought did not occupy a second. I then remarked that you came from Afghanistan, and you were astonished."
"It is simple enough as you explain it," I said, smiling (это достаточно просто, когда вы все объяснили, — сказал я, улыбаясь). "You remind me of Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin (вы напоминаете мне Дюпена Эдгара Аллана По). I had no idea that such individuals did exist outside of stories (я и не думал, что такие люди существуют не только в книжках: «за пределами книжек»; individual — индивидуум; особа, человек; story — повесть, рассказ)."
