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

Moreover, you will observe that I had honourably kept my word (кроме того, /как/ вы /могли/ заметить, я честно сдержал слово), and not fired till they did (и не стрелял, пока они не /начали/).

Yes, there it was. I was up and over in a minute. Doubling back, I saw the horses; then I heard a shot. It was Sapt. He had heard us, and was battling and raging with the locked gate, hammering it and firing into the keyhole like a man possessed. He had quite forgotten that he was not to take part in the fight. Whereat I laughed again, and said, as I clapped him on the shoulder:

“Come home to bed, old chap. I’ve got the finest tea-table story that ever you heard!”

He started and cried: “You’re safe!” and wrung my hand. But a moment later he added:

“And what the devil are you laughing at?”

“Four gentlemen round a tea-table,” said I, laughing still, for it had been uncommonly ludicrous to see the formidable three altogether routed and scattered with no more deadly weapon than an ordinary tea-table.

Moreover, you will observe that I had honourably kept my word, and not fired till they did.

It was the custom that the Prefect of Police (было так заведено: «был такой обычай», что префект полиции) should send every afternoon a report to me (каждый день должен посылать мне доклад; afternoon – время после полудня ) on the condition of the capital and the feeling of the people (о положении /дел/ в столице и настроениях среди народа; feeling – ощущение, чувство; эмоциональная атмосфера, настроение ); the document included also an account of the movements of any persons (документ также включал в себя отчет о деятельности всех лиц; movement – движение, перемещение; movements – действия, поведение ) whom the police had received instructions to watch (за которыми полиции надлежало наблюдать: «за которыми полиция получила указания наблюдать»). Since I had been in Strelsau (с тех пор, как я был = стал жить в Стрелсо), Sapt had been in the habit of reading the report (Сэпт имел обыкновение читать этот отчет; habit – привычка ) and telling me any items of interest which it might contain (и докладывать мне обо всех интересных вопросах, которые могли в нем содержаться; item – пункт, параграф; вопрос ). On the day after my adventure in the summer-house (на следующий день после моего приключения в летнем домике), he came in as I was playing a hand of écarte with Fritz von Tarlenheim (он вошел, когда я играл партию в экарте с Фрицем фон Тарленхаймом).

“The report is rather full of interest this afternoon,” he observed, sitting down (отчет сегодня весьма интересный, – заметил он, усаживаясь).

“Do you find,” I asked, “any mention of a certain fracas (вы обнаружили, – спросил я, – упоминание о каком-нибудь скандале)?”

He shook his head with a smile (он с улыбкой покачал головой).

It was the custom that the Prefect of Police should send every afternoon a report to me on the condition of the capital and the feeling of the people; the document included also an account of the movements of any persons whom the police had received instructions to watch. Since I had been in Strelsau, Sapt had been in the habit of reading the report and telling me any items of interest which it might contain. On the day after my adventure in the summer-house, he came in as I was playing a hand of écarte with Fritz von Tarlenheim.

“The report is rather full of interest this afternoon,” he observed, sitting down.

“Do you find,” I asked, “any mention of a certain fracas?”

He shook his head with a smile.

“I find this first,” he said (сначала мне попалось вот это: «я обнаружил это первым»): “ ‘His Highness the Duke of Strelsau left the city (его высочество герцог Стрелсо покинул город) (so far as it appears, suddenly), accompanied by several of his household ((кажется, внезапно) сопровождаемый несколькими из его придворных; so far as – насколько, поскольку; to appear – показываться, производить впечатление, казаться ). His destination is believed to be the Castle of Zenda (предполагается, что целью его путешествия является замок Зенды), but the party travelled by road and not by train (но компания двинулась по дороге, а не поездом). MM De Gautet, Bersonin, and Detchard followed an hour later (господа Де Готе, Берзонин и Дэтчард проследовали часом позже; MM = Messieurs / сокр., фр. / – господа ), the last-named carrying his arm in a sling (последний держал руку на перевязи; last-named – последний из вышеупомянутых; to carry – нести, носить; sling – ремень, канат; перевязь ). The cause of his wound is not known (причина его ранения неизвестна), but it is suspected that he has fought a duel (но есть подозрения, что он дрался на дуэли; to fight ), probably incidental to a love affair (вероятно, сопутствующей какой-то любовной интрижке; incidental – свойственный, присущий ).’ ”

“That is remotely true,” I observed (это отдаленно /похоже/ на правду, – заметил я), very well pleased to find that I had left my mark on the fellow (будучи очень рад узнать, что оставил на этом парне свою отметину).

“Then we come to this,” pursued Sapt (теперь переходим к этому, – продолжал Сэпт): “’Madame de Mauban, whose movements have been watched according to instructions (госпожа де Мобан, за чьими действиями велось наблюдение согласно инструкции), left by train at midday (уехала поездом в полдень). She took a ticket for Dresden (она взяла билет до Дрездена) —’ ”

“It’s an old habit of hers (это ее старая привычка),” said I.

“I find this first,” he said: “ ‘His Highness the Duke of Strelsau left the city (so far as it appears, suddenly), accompanied by several of his household. His destination is believed to be the Castle of Zenda, but the party travelled by road and not by train. MM De Gautet, Bersonin, and Detchard followed an hour later, the last-named carrying his arm in a sling. The cause of his wound is not known, but it is suspected that he has fought a duel, probably incidental to a love affair.’”