Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Знак четырех - Arthur Conan Doyle

concise [kǝnˈsaɪs], deter [dɪˈtǝ:], bizarre [bɪˈzɑ:], conceit [kǝnˈsi:t]

"No: it is clear and concise."

"Well, now, let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan Small. Let us look at it from his point of view. He comes to England with the double idea of regaining what he would consider to be his rights and of having his revenge upon the man who had wronged him. He found out where Sholto lived, and very possibly he established communications with some one inside the house. There is this butler, Lal Rao, whom we have not seen. Mrs. Bernstone gives him far from a good character. Small could not find out, however, where the treasure was hid, for no one ever knew, save the major and one faithful servant who had died. Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his death-bed. In a frenzy lest the secret of the treasure die with him, he runs the gauntlet of the guards, makes his way to the dying man's window, and is only deterred from entering by the presence of his two sons. Mad with hate, however, against the dead man, he enters the room that night, searches his private papers in the hope of discovering some memorandum relating to the treasure, and finally leaves a memento of his visit in the short inscription upon the card. He had doubtless planned beforehand that should he slay the major he would leave some such record upon the body as a sign that it was not a common murder, but, from the point of view of the four associates, something in the nature of an act of justice. Whimsical and bizarre conceits of this kind are common enough in the annals of crime, and usually afford valuable indications as to the criminal. Do you follow all this?"

"Very clearly (полностью: «очень ясно»)."

"Now, what could Jonathan Small do (теперь, что оставалось делать Джонатану Смоллу: «что мог сделать…»)? He could only continue to keep a secret watch upon the efforts made to find the treasure (он мог только продолжить вести секретное наблюдение за попытками найти сокровища; watch — пристальное наблюдение; надзор). Possibly he leaves England and only comes back at intervals (возможно, он на время уезжает из Англии и возвращается через определенные промежутки времени; interval — интервал, промежуток; перерыв). Then comes the discovery of the garret (затем следует открытие чердака), and he is instantly informed of it (и ему немедленно сообщают об этом; to inform — сообщать, информировать, уведомлять). We again trace the presence of some confederate in the household (и снова мы видим след присутствия какого-то сообщника из домочадцев; to trace — набрасывать, чертить; обнаружить, установить; household — семейство, семья; домочадцы; все, кто живет в конкретном доме). Jonathan, with his wooden leg, is utterly unable to reach the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto (Джонатан со своей деревянной ногой абсолютно неспособен забраться в так высоко расположенный кабинет Бартоломью Шолто; to reach — протягивать; достигать; lofty — очень высокий). He takes with him, however, a rather curious associate (однако он берет с собой довольно любопытного сообщника), who gets over this difficulty (который справляется с этой трудностью; to get over — преодолевать, справляться), but dips his naked foot into creosote (но попадает босой ногой в креозот; to dip — макать, окунать), whence come Toby, and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis (вследствие чего появляется Тоби, а офицер на половинном жалованье с поврежденным ахилловым сухожилием вынужден хромать шесть миль; limp — прихрамывание, хромота; медленно двигаться, с трудом передвигаться; to damage — повреждать)."

"But it was the associate, and not Jonathan, who committed the crime (но преступление совершил сообщник, а не Джонатан)."

"Very clearly."

"Now, what could Jonathan Small do? He could only continue to keep a secret watch upon the efforts made to find the treasure. Possibly he leaves England and only comes back at intervals. Then comes the discovery of the garret, and he is instantly informed of it. We again trace the presence of some confederate in the household. Jonathan, with his wooden leg, is utterly unable to reach the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto. He takes with him, however, a rather curious associate, who gets over this difficulty, but dips his naked foot into creosote, whence come Toby, and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis."

"But it was the associate, and not Jonathan, who committed the crime."

"Quite so (совершенно верно). And rather to Jonathan's disgust (чем Джонатан был весьма недоволен; disgust — отвращение; недовольство, раздражение), to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room (судя по тому, как он топтался, когда вошел в комнату; to stamp — штамповать, ставить печать; топтать). He bore no grudge against Bartholomew Sholto (он не питал злобы к Бартоломью Шолто; to bear — носить, нести; питать, испытывать; grudge — недовольство; злоба; обида), and would have preferred if he could have been simply bound and gagged (и предпочел бы, чтобы того просто связали и заткнули бы ему рот кляпом; to bind — вязать; связывать; to gag — вставлять кляп). He did not wish to put his head in a halter (он не хотел совать голову в петлю; halter — недоуздок, повод; веревка с петлей на виселице). There was no help for it, however (тем не менее, уже ничего нельзя было поделать): the savage instincts of his companion had broken out (прорвались дикарские инстинкты его сообщника; to break out — вырываться /на свободу/), and the poison had done its work (а яд сделал свое дело: «свою работу»): so Jonathan Small left his record (поэтому Джонатан Смолл оставил свою записку), lowered the treasure-box to the ground (спустил сокровища на землю), and followed it himself (и сам последовал за ними). That was the train of events as far as I can decipher them (такова была последовательность событий, насколько я могу расшифровать их; train — поезд; ряд, последовательность). Of course as to his personal appearance he must be middle-aged (а что касается его внешности, то, конечно, он должен быть средних лет; personal — персональный, личный; appearance — появление; внешний вид, наружность), and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans (и как следует загореть, отбывая срок в таком пекле как Анадманские острова; to sunburn — загорать; to serve — служить; отбывать срок; time — время; срок; oven — печь; духовка). His height is readily calculated from the length of his stride (его рост легко вычислить по длине его шага), and we know that he was bearded (и мы знаем, что он носил бороду). His hairiness was the one point which impressed itself upon Thaddeus Sholto (его волосатость — это как раз то, что поразило Тадеуса Шолто) when he saw him at the window (когда он увидел его в окне). I don't know that there is anything else (ну вот, кажется, и все)."

halter [ˈhɔ:ltǝ], savage [ˈsævɪʤ], decipher [dɪˈsaɪfǝ], oven [ʌvn], height [haɪt]

"Quite so. And rather to Jonathan's disgust, to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room. He bore no grudge against Bartholomew Sholto, and would have preferred if he could have been simply bound and gagged. He did not wish to put his head in a halter. There was no help for it, however: the savage instincts of his companion had broken out, and the poison had done its work: so Jonathan Small left his record, lowered the treasure-box to the ground, and followed it himself. That was the train of events as far as I can decipher them. Of course as to his personal appearance he must be middle-aged, and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans. His height is readily calculated from the length of his stride, and we know that he was bearded. His hairiness was the one point which impressed itself upon Thaddeus Sholto when he saw him at the window. I don't know that there is anything else."

"The associate (сообщник)?"

"Ah, well, there is no great mystery in that (а, ну, в этом большой тайны нет). But you will know all about it soon enough (но вы все об этом узнаете достаточно скоро). How sweet the morning air is (как сладок утренний воздух)! See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic flamingo (смотрите, как вон то маленькое облачко парит подобно розовому перышку какого-то гигантского фламинго; to float — плавать; плыть в воздухе, парить). Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloud-bank (теперь красный ободок солнца пробивается сквозь лондонский туман; to push — толкать; cloud-bank — облачная гряда). It shines on a good many folk (оно светит многим добрым людям), but on none, I dare bet, who are on a stranger errand than you and I (но никому, держу пари, кто выполнял бы более странное дело, чем вы и я; to dare — отваживаться, осмеливаться; errand — поручение, задание). How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of nature (какими маленькими мы чувствуем себя с нашими мелочными амбициями и устремлениями перед лицом величественных стихийных сил природы; presence — присутствие, непосредственная близость; elemental — основной; стихийный, природный)! Are you well up in your Jean Paul (далеко погрузились в вашего Жана Поля; to be well up in — быть сведущим, хорошо осведомленным в)?"

"Fairly so (изрядно). I worked back to him through Carlyle (я вышел на него через Карлейля; to work — работать, заниматься; пробираться; исследовать, систематически изучать)."

enough [ɪˈnʌf], feather [ˈfeðǝ], gigantic [ʤaɪˈɡæntɪk]

"The associate?"

"Ah, well, there is no great mystery in that. But you will know all about it soon enough. How sweet the morning air is! See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic flamingo. Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloud-bank. It shines on a good many folk, but on none, I dare bet, who are on a stranger errand than you and I. How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of nature! Are you well up in your Jean Paul?"

"Fairly so. I worked back to him through Carlyle."

"That was like following the brook to the parent lake (это словно по ручью подняться до озера, из которого он вытекает: «следовать по ручью до родительского озера»). He makes one curious but profound remark (у него есть одна парадоксальная, но глубокая мысль: «он делает одно любопытное, но глубокое замечание»; curious — любопытный; необычный). It is that the chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness (это что главное доказательство истинного величия человека — осознание им его собственного ничтожества; to lie — лежать; perception — восприятие, ощущение; осмысление, понимание; smallness — малость). It argues, you see, a power of comparison and of appreciation (это подтверждает, видите ли, наличие в нем способности к сравнению и оценке; to argue — спорить; свидетельствовать; доказывать, служить доказательством) which is in itself a proof of nobility (что само по себе является доказательством благородства духа; nobility — знатность; благородство; величие). There is much food for thought in Richter (в Рихтере /настоящая фамилия Жана Поля/ много пищи для ума). You have not a pistol, have you (у вас нет револьвера, так ведь)?"