Энтони Хоуп - Английский язык с Энтони Хоупом. Узник Зенды / Anthony Hope. The Prisoner Of Zenda

“I need you no more.”

“Nay, I’m not oppressed with fatigue,” said Rupert.

“Pray, sir, leave us,” said Michael, more impatiently. “In ten minutes the drawbridge will be drawn back, and I presume you have no wish to swim to your bed.”

Rupert’s figure disappeared. I heard the door open and shut again. Michael and Antoinette de Mauban were left together. To my chagrin, the duke laid his hand on the window and closed it. He stood talking to Antoinette for a moment or two. She shook her head, and he turned impatiently away. She left the window. The door sounded again, and Black Michael closed the shutters.

“De Gautet, De Gautet, man!” sounded from the drawbridge. “Unless you want a bath before your bed, come along!”

It was Rupert’s voice, coming from the end of the drawbridge. A moment later he and De Gautet stepped out on the bridge. Rupert’s arm was through De Gautet’s, and in the middle of the bridge he detained his companion and leant over. I dropped behind the shelter of “Jacob’s Ladder.”

Then Master Rupert had a little sport (тут господин Руперт решил немного позабавиться; sport – спорт, спортивные игры; забава, развлечение ). He took from De Gautet a bottle which he carried, and put it to his lips (он взял у Де Готе бутылку, которую тот нес, и поднес ко рту: «к губам»).

“Hardly a drop!” he cried discontentedly, and flung it in the moat (почти нет ни капли! – вскричал он с досадой и швырнул ее в ров).

It fell, as I judged from the sound and the circles on the water (она упала, как я мог судить по звуку и кругам на воде), within a yard of the pipe (в ярде от трубы). And Rupert, taking out his revolver, began to shoot at it (и Руперт, достав свой револьвер, принялся стрелять в нее). The first two shots missed the bottle, but hit the pipe (первые две пули /пролетели/ мимо бутылки, но попали в трубу; to miss – промахнуться, промазать; не попасть в цель ). The third shattered the bottle (третья разбила бутылку вдребезги). I hoped that the young ruffian would be content (я надеялся, что юный хулиган /этим/ ограничится: «удовольствуется»; content – довольство, чувство удовлетворения ); but he emptied the other barrels at the pipe, and one, skimming over the pipe (но он разрядил в трубу еще один барабан, и одна /пуля/, скользнув по ней; barrel – бочка, бочонок; барабан / в револьвере /), whistled through my hair as I crouched on the other side (со свистом пронеслась у меня над головой: «просвистела сквозь мои волосы», когда я припал к земле с другой стороны /трубы/).

“Ware bridge!” a voice cried, to my relief (осторожно, мост! – крикнул чей-то голос к моему облегчению).

Rupert and De Gautet cried, “A moment!” and ran across (Руперт и Де Готе крикнули: “Один момент!” и бегом пересекли /мост/). The bridge was drawn back, and all became still (мост подняли, и все стихло). The clock struck a quarter past one (часы пробили четверть второго). I rose and stretched myself and yawned (я поднялся, потянулся и зевнул).

Then Master Rupert had a little sport. He took from De Gautet a bottle which he carried, and put it to his lips.

“Hardly a drop!” he cried discontentedly, and flung it in the moat.

It fell, as I judged from the sound and the circles on the water, within a yard of the pipe. And Rupert, taking out his revolver, began to shoot at it. The first two shots missed the bottle, but hit the pipe. The third shattered the bottle. I hoped that the young ruffian would be content; but he emptied the other barrels at the pipe, and one, skimming over the pipe, whistled through my hair as I crouched on the other side.

“’Ware bridge!” a voice cried, to my relief.

Rupert and De Gautet cried, “A moment!” and ran across. The bridge was drawn back, and all became still. The clock struck a quarter past one. I rose and stretched myself and yawned.

I think some ten minutes had passed when I heard a slight noise to my right (думаю, прошло минут десять, прежде чем я услыхал слабый шум справа от меня). I peered over the pipe, and saw a dark figure standing in the gateway (я выглянул из-за трубы и увидел темную фигуру, стоящую у ворот) that led to the bridge (что вели к мосту). It was a man (это был мужчина). By the careless, graceful poise, I guessed it to be Rupert again (по небрежной, грациозной позе я догадался, что это снова был Руперт; poise – равновесие, устойчивость; манера держаться ). He held a sword in his hand, and he stood motionless for a minute or two (в руке он держал меч, и несколько минут он стоял неподвижно). Wild thoughts ran through me (/самые/ дикие мысли = догадки пронеслись у меня /в голове/). On what mischief was the young fiend bent now (какую каверзу задумал юный злодей на этот раз; mischief – озорство, проказы; fiend – дьявол; злодей; to be bent on smth. – устремлять свои помыслы на что-л. / как правило, плохое / , замышлять / что-л. недоброе /)? There he laughed low to himself (тут он тихо рассмеялся сам себе); then he turned his face to the wall, took a step in my direction (потом повернулся лицом к стене, сделал шаг по направлению ко мне), and, to my surprise, began to climb down the wall (и, к моему удивлению, стал спускаться вниз по стене). In an instant I saw that there must be steps in the wall (через секунду я понял, что в стене должны быть ступени); it was plain (это было очевидно). They were cut into or affixed to the wall (они были либо вырублены в стене, либо приделаны /к ней/), at intervals of about eighteen inches (с промежутками около восемнадцати дюймов). Rupert set his foot on the lower one (Руперт поставил ногу на нижнюю /ступеньку/).

I think some ten minutes had passed when I heard a slight noise to my right. I peered over the pipe, and saw a dark figure standing in the gateway that led to the bridge. It was a man. By the careless, graceful poise, I guessed it to be Rupert again. He held a sword in his hand, and he stood motionless for a minute or two. Wild thoughts ran through me. On what mischief was the young fiend bent now? There he laughed low to himself; then he turned his face to the wall, took a step in my direction, and, to my surprise, began to climb down the wall. In an instant I saw that there must be steps in the wall; it was plain. They were cut into or affixed to the wall, at intervals of about eighteen inches. Rupert set his foot on the lower one.