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

“What in the devil can it be?” I heard a voice say.

It came from behind a door that faced me at the bottom of the stairs.

And another answered:

“Shall we kill him?”

I strained to hear the answer, and could have sobbed with relief when Detchard’s voice came grating and cold:

“Wait a bit. There’ll be trouble if we strike too soon.”

There was a moment’s silence. Then I heard the bolt of the door cautiously drawn back. Instantly I put out the light I held, replacing the lamp in the bracket.

“It’s dark – the lamp’s out. Have you a light?” said the other voice – Bersonin’s.

No doubt they had a light, but they should not use it (нет сомнений, что у них был фонарь, но он им не потребовался: «им не нужно было использовать его»). It was come to the crisis now (теперь наступил критический момент), and I rushed down the steps and flung myself against the door (и я помчался вниз по ступеням и бросился на дверь; to fling ). Bersonin had unbolted it and it gave way before me (/поскольку/ Берзонин вынул засов, дверь подалась; to give way – уступать, подаваться ). The Belgian stood there sword in hand (бельгиец стоял там с мечом в руке), and Detchard was sitting on a couch at the side of the room (а Дэтчард сидел на кушетке у стены: «у края комнаты»). In astonishment at seeing me, Bersonin recoiled (при виде меня Берзонин в удивлении отпрянул); Detchard jumped to his sword (Дэтчард прыгнул к своему мечу). I rushed madly at the Belgian (я, как сумасшедший, бросился на бельгийца): he gave way before me, and I drove him up against the wall (он отступил: «уступил передо мной», и я прижал его к стене; to drive – везти; отбрасывать, теснить / противника /). He was no swordsman, though he fought bravely (он не был /хорошим/ фехтовальщиком, хотя сражался храбро; to fight ), and in a moment he lay on the floor before me (и через минуту он лежал на полу передо мной; to lie ). I turned – Detchard was not there (я повернулся – Дэтчарда не было). Faithful to his orders, he had not risked a fight with me (верный своим = полученным указаниям, он не рискнул сразиться со мной; order – порядок; приказ, распоряжение ), but had rushed straight to the door of the King’s room (а бросился прямо к двери комнаты короля), opened it and slammed it behind him (открыл ее и /затем/ захлопнул за собой). Even now he was at his work inside (и теперь делал там внутри свое дело).

No doubt they had a light, but they should not use it. It was come to the crisis now, and I rushed down the steps and flung myself against the door. Bersonin had unbolted it and it gave way before me. The Belgian stood there sword in hand, and Detchard was sitting on a couch at the side of the room. In astonishment at seeing me, Bersonin recoiled; Detchard jumped to his sword. I rushed madly at the Belgian: he gave way before me, and I drove him up against the wall. He was no swordsman, though he fought bravely, and in a moment he lay on the floor before me. I turned – Detchard was not there. Faithful to his orders, he had not risked a fight with me, but had rushed straight to the door of the King’s room, opened it and slammed it behind him. Even now he was at his work inside.

And surely he would have killed the King (он обязательно убил бы короля), and perhaps me also, had it not been for one devoted man (а, возможно, также и меня, не будь там одного преданного человека) who gave his life for the King (который отдал свою жизнь за короля). For when I forced the door, the sight I saw was this (ибо, когда я вынес дверь, вот что я увидел): the King stood in the corner of the room (король стоял в углу комнаты; to stand ): broken by his sickness, he could do nothing (сломленный своим недугом, он не мог ничего сделать; to break ); his fettered hands moved uselessly up and down (его скованные руки беспомощно: «бесполезно» двигались вверх и вниз; use – употребление, применение; польза, толк ), and he was laughing horribly in half-mad delirium (и он жутко хохотал в полубессознательном бреду; mad – сумасшедший, помешанный ). Detchard and the doctor were together in the middle of the room (Дэтчард с доктором /стояли/ посреди комнаты); and the doctor had flung himself on the murderer (и доктор бросился на убийцу; to fling ), pinning his hands to his sides for an instant (на мгновение прижав ему руки к бокам; to pin – прикалывать; крепко схватить ). Then Detchard wrenched himself free from the feeble grip (затем Дэтчард вырвался из этих слабых объятий; free – свободный; grip – хватка ), and, as I entered, drove his sword through the hapless man (и /в тот момент/, когда я вошел, пронзил беднягу мечом; hapless – несчастный, злополучный ). Then he turned on me, crying (потом он повернулся ко мне, воскликнув):

“At last (наконец-то)!”

And surely he would have killed the King, and perhaps me also, had it not been for one devoted man who gave his life for the King. For when I forced the door, the sight I saw was this: the King stood in the corner of the room: broken by his sickness, he could do nothing; his fettered hands moved uselessly up and down, and he was laughing horribly in half-mad delirium. Detchard and the doctor were together in the middle of the room; and the doctor had flung himself on the murderer, pinning his hands to his sides for an instant. Then Detchard wrenched himself free from the feeble grip, and, as I entered, drove his sword through the hapless man. Then he turned on me, crying:

“At last!”

We were sword to sword (мы стояли друг против друга, с мечами в руках: «мы были меч против меча»). By blessed chance, neither he nor Bersonin had been wearing their revolvers (по счастливой случайности ни у него, ни у Берзонина не было при себе револьверов; blessed – благословенный; счастливый; to bless – благословлять; осчастливливать ). I found them afterwards, ready loaded, on the mantelpiece of the outer room (позже я обнаружил их, заряженными, на каминной полке во внешней комнате): it was hard by the door, ready to their hands (они были у самой двери, под рукой; hard – сильно, интенсивно; близко, на небольшом расстоянии; ready – готовый, приготовленный; ready to hands – находящийся под рукой ), but my sudden rush in had cut off access to them (но мой стремительный натиск отрезал доступ к ним). Yes, we were man to man (да, мы были один на один): and we began to fight, silently, sternly, and hard (и мы стали драться, молча, решительно, упорно). Yet I remember little of it, save that the man was my match with the sword (однако я помню о том немного, кроме того, что тот человек был равным мне на мечах; match – состязание, матч; равносильный, достойный противник ) – nay, and more, for he knew more tricks than I (нет, даже сильнее, ибо он знал больше приемов, чем я; trick – хитрость, обман; способ, прием ); and that he forced me back against the bars (и что он оттеснил меня назад к решетке; to force – заставлять, принуждать; вогнать, втолкнуть / кого-л. куда-л. /) that guarded the entrance to “Jacob’s Ladder” (которая преграждала вход = путь к «лестнице Иакова»). And I saw a smile on his face, and he wounded me in the left arm (и я видел улыбку на его лице, /когда/ он ранил меня в левую руку).