Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов
allowance [ǝˈlauǝns], equation [ɪˈkweɪʒ(ǝ)n], astronomer [ǝˈstrɔnǝmǝ], unaided [ˌʌnˈeɪdɪd]
“In this case the matter was simplified by Brunton’s intelligence being quite first-rate, so that it was unnecessary to make any allowance for the personal equation, as the astronomers have dubbed it. He knew that something valuable was concealed. He had spotted the place. He found that the stone which covered it was just too heavy for a man to move unaided. What would he do next? He could not get help from outside, even if he had some one whom he could trust, without the unbarring of doors and considerable risk of detection. It was better, if he could, to have his helpmate inside the house. But whom could he ask?
“This girl had been devoted to him. A man always finds it hard to realize that he may have finally lost a woman’s love, however badly he may have treated her.
“He would try by a few attentions to make his peace with the girl Howells (возможно, оказывая знаки внимания, он попытался помириться с горничной Хауэллс; attention — внимание; ухаживание), and then would engage her as his accomplice (а потом сделал ее сообщницей; to engage — нанимать; привлекать, заинтересовывать). Together they would come at night to the cellar (ночью они вместе спустились в погреб), and their united force would suffice to raise the stone (и их совместных/объединенных усилий хватило, чтобы поднять камень). So far I could follow their actions as if I had actually seen them (до этого момента я мог проследить за их действиями, будто видел их на самом деле).
“But for two of them, and one a woman (но для двух /человек/, /особенно если/ один из них женщина), it must have been heavy work the raising of that stone (поднять камень, должно быть, явилось нелегкой работой). A burly Sussex policeman and I had found it no light job (мне и дюжему суссекскому полисмену это не показалось легкой работой). What would they do to assist them (что же они сделали, чтобы помочь себе)? Probably what I should have done myself (вероятно, /то же/, что сделал бы я сам). I rose and examined carefully the different billets of wood (я встал и внимательно осмотрел поленья; to rise; different — различный) which were scattered round the floor (валявшиеся на полу). Almost at once I came upon what I expected (почти сразу же я нашел то, что ожидал /найти/). One piece, about three feet in length (одно полено, примерно три фута длиной), had a very marked indentation at one end (имело очень отчетливое углубление на конце; indentation — вдавленность; впадина; отпечаток), while several were flattened at the sides (а несколько /других/ были сплющены на концах; flat — плоский) as if they had been compressed by some considerable weight (как будто они сдавливались значительной тяжестью).
accomplice [ǝˈkɔmplɪs], burly [ˈbǝ:lɪ], several [ˈsev(ǝ)rǝl], weight [weɪt]
“He would try by a few attentions to make his peace with the girl Howells, and then would engage her as his accomplice. Together they would come at night to the cellar, and their united force would suffice to raise the stone. So far I could follow their actions as if I had actually seen them.
“But for two of them, and one a woman, it must have been heavy work the raising of that stone. A burly Sussex policeman and I had found it no light job. What would they do to assist them? Probably what I should have done myself. I rose and examined carefully the different billets of wood which were scattered round the floor. Almost at once I came upon what I expected. One piece, about three feet in length, had a very marked indentation at one end, while several were flattened at the sides as if they had been compressed by some considerable weight.
“Evidently, as they had dragged the stone up (по-видимому, приподняв плиту) they had thrust the chunks of wood into the chink (они просовывали эти поленья в щель; chunk — колода, чурбан), until at last, when the opening was large enough to crawl through (пока наконец отверстие не стало достаточно большим, чтобы протиснуться: «проползти» через него), they would hold it open by a billet placed lengthwise (они держали его открытым = подперли плиту поленом, поставленным вертикально; lengthwise — продольный, направленный в длину), which might very well become indented at the lower end (которое вполне могло получить вмятину на нижнем конце; indented — вдавленный, вогнутый), since the whole weight of the stone (так как весь вес плиты) would press it down on to the edge of this other slab (прижимал его к краю другой плиты; slab — плита; лист, пластина). So far I was still on safe ground (пока у меня по-прежнему были обоснованные предположения: «я был на надежной почве»).
“And now how was I to proceed to reconstruct this midnight drama (как же я должен был теперь восстанавливать /картину/ той полуночной драмы; to proceed — продолжать движение; действовать, поступать)? Clearly, only one could fit into the hole, and that one was Brunton (ясно, что только один /из них/ мог пролезть в отверстие, и это был Брантон; to fit — подходить, быть впору; умещаться). The girl must have waited above (девушка, должно быть, ждала наверху). Brunton then unlocked the box (затем Брантон отпер сундук), handed up the contents presumably (и, вероятно, передал наверх его содержимое) — since they were not to be found (поскольку его /содержимое/ не нашли) — and then — and then what happened (а потом… что же произошло потом)?
crawl [krɔ:l], reconstruct [ˌri:kǝnˈstrʌkt], presumably [prɪˈzju:mǝblɪ]
Evidently, as they had dragged the stone up they had thrust the chunks of wood into the chink, until at last, when the opening was large enough to crawl through, they would hold it open by a billet placed lengthwise, which might very well become indented at the lower end, since the whole weight of the stone would press it down on to the edge of this other slab. So far I was still on safe ground.
“And now how was I to proceed to reconstruct this midnight drama? Clearly, only one could fit into the hole, and that one was Brunton. The girl must have waited above. Brunton then unlocked the box, handed up the contents presumably — since they were not to be found — and then — and then what happened?
“What smouldering fire of vengeance (какой тлеющий огонь мести) had suddenly sprung into flame (внезапно вспыхнул; flame — пламя) in this passionate Celtic woman’s soul (в пылкой душе этой кельтской женщины) when she saw the man who had wronged her (когда она увидела, что мужчина, который обидел ее; to wrong — причинять зло, обижать; поступать несправедливо, подло; wrong — вред, зло; обида) — wronged her, perhaps, far more than we suspected (обидел, возможно, намного сильнее, чем мы подозревали) — in her power (находится в ее власти)? Was it a chance that the wood had slipped (случайно ли полено соскользнуло), and that the stone had shut Brunton into what had become his sepulcher (и плита замуровала Брантона в /комнатке/, которая стала его могилой; sepulcher — склеп, могила, гробница)? Had she only been guilty of silence as to his fate (виновна ли она только в молчании относительно его судьбы = только в том, что умолчала о его судьбе)? Or had some sudden blow from her hand dashed the support away (или внезапный удар ее руки выбил подпорку) and sent the slab crashing down into its place (и плита упала с грохотом на свое /прежнее/ место: «и послал плиту грохнуться…»)? Be that as it might (как бы то ни было: «пусть будет так, как это могло бы»), I seemed to see that woman’s figure still clutching at her treasure trove (я словно видел, как эта женщина прижимает к себе сокровище; treasure trove — найденный клад /не имеющий владельца/; trove — находка) and flying wildly up the winding stair (и летит = стремительно бежит вверх по винтовой лестнице), with her ears ringing perhaps with the muffled screams from behind her (а в ее ушах звучат приглушенные крики, /раздающиеся/ ей вслед; from behind — из-за, позади) and with the drumming of frenzied hands against the slab of stone (отчаянный стук рук по каменной плите; drum — барабан; to drum — барабанить, стучать, колотить; frenzied — бешеный, яростный; лихорадочный) which was choking her faithless lover’s life out (под которой задыхался ее неверный возлюбленный; to choke — душить; задыхаться; заглушать; faithless — вероломный, неверный).
