Артур Дойл - Лучшие расследования Шерлока Холмса / The Best of Sherlock Holmes

a rubber of whist – whist is a trick-taking card game played by 4 players who play in 2 partnerships. A rubber is a full round of the game.

baritsu – misspelled “bartitsu,” a martial art developed in Britain during 1898–1902. Bartitsu combined elements of different Japanese and European fighting styles.

Lhassa is the ancient capital of Tibet and the residentional city of the Dalai Lama. In the19 thcentury foreigners weren’t welcome in Tibet, especially the British. For an Englishman to travel in Tibet would have been an extremely difficult and dangerous task.

the head Llama – misspelled “Lama.” Sherlock Holms means the Dalai Lama, the head of the dominant branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Till 1959 the Dalai Lama was both spiritual and temporal ruler of the country.

Hansomcab was a two-wheeled cab for two passengers drawn by one horse. It got its name after Joseph Hansom who designed and patented the carriage that combined safety with speed.

I trust that age doth not wither nor custom stale my infinite variety – it’s a paraphrase of William Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” Act II, scene 2: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety....”

garroteris someone using garrote, a weapon (most often a chain, cord or wire) used for strangling a person

Jew’s harpis a mouth-harp

‘journeys end in lovers’ meetings,’ – it’s a quotation from William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” (Act II, scene 3)

shikari is a native professional hunter in India

1st Bengalore Pioneers – a fictional regiment of the British Indian Army

Jowaki Campaign(1877–1878) is an expedition of the British Indian Army against Pathan tribes inhabiting the mountains on the Peshawar border of the British India.

Afghan Campaignor the Second Afghan war aka Second Anglo-Afghan war (1878–1880) was a part of confrontation of British Empire and Russian Empire in the region. It was ended by the Treaty of Gandamak; the British forces withdrew from Afghanistan but Britain gained control over its international affairs.

Charasiab (despatches), Sherpur, and Cabul – Holmes means battles of Charasiab, Sherpur, and Cabul fought during the Second Anglo-Afghan war.

the Scotland Yard Museum – the Prisoner Property Act of 1869 authorized the retention of prisoners’ property in order to help the police to study crime and criminals. The collection of criminal items formed the Scotland-yard Museum aka Black Museum that came into existence in 1874–1875.

Freemason(or Mason) is a member of the secret fraternal order of Free and Accepted Masons. Originated in Middle Ages from the guilds of stonemasons that built cathedrals and castles, Freemasonry is now the largest worldwide secret society.

Lower Norwood(now West Norwood) is a residentional suburb of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth.

The Daily Telegraphis a large format daily newspaper founded in 1855.

London Bridge Stationis a railway station in Southwark, London. It is one of the oldest stations of the London railway.

Blackheathis a suburb of South-East London, part of the London Borough of Lewisham.

The Anerley Armsis a real pub (former railway hotel) still in existance situated in Anerley London Borough of Bromley.

Manor – in the Middle Ages “manor” was a legal term denominating an estate in land that entitled a right to hold a court. In the 19 thcentury “manor” became the name for an old house of a landlord with a great area of land around it.

The Jubileehere refers to The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria (22 June 1897) that marked the 60 thanniversary of Her Majesty’s reign.

Liverpool Street – Liverpool Street Station (aka London Liverpool) opened in 1847 served as London terminus for the London – Norwich line of the Great Eastern Railway.

East Anglia is a traditional region in the East of England. It includes counties Norfolk and Suffolk, parts of Essex and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles.

The German Oceanrefers to the North Sea (a part of the Atlantic Ocean located between the UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway). The North Sea provided a waterway access to the British Isles for European conquerors (Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes among them) and traders for ages. It was known as the German Ocean till the World War I when the name became politically unacceptable in the UK.

squire – initially a mediaeval term “squire” referred to a page-boy of a knight, and later to a landlord in feudal system. In Victorian Britain squires were landlords who lived in their manors but hadn’t any feudal rights. The word was also a polite form to address an unfamiliar gentleman.

The New York Police Bureauis the erroneous for The New York Police Department

Crookis a slang term for a “criminal.”

Johannesburgis a city in South Africa founded in 1866 after the discovery of gold in its area.

ménagerefers to a household

by the living Jingo! – it is a mild oath of an unknown origin. It is believed to be the corruption of “Jesus, Son of God.”

from Kimberley to Johannesburg – Kimberley is a city in South Africa founded in 1870s as a diamond-mining camp. It is 478 km south-west from Johannesburg.

M.A., Ph.D. – M.A. stands for “Master of Arts” (from Latin “Magister Artium”). Ph.D. stands for “Doctor of Philosophy” (from Latin “Philosophiae Doctor”). M.A. and Ph.D are high academic degrees awarded by European Universities.

Cabinet Ministeris a member of Her/His Majesty Cabinet, the supreme decision-making body in the British government.

The Globewas a conservative daily newspaper issued from 1803 to 1921.

K.G., P.C. – K.G. stands for “Knight of the Garter,” a member of The Most Noble Order of the Garter founded by King Edward III in 1348. The membership of the Order is strictly limited, can be granted only by the monarch and so is regarded to be the greatest honour in the UK. P.C. stands for “Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council,” a private council of the British monarch. Initially it was a consulting and executive body of the Crown but it lost its powers and became a formal one in the 18 thcentury.