Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Собака Баскервилей (ASCII-IPA)

"Nail-scissors," said Holmes. "You can see that it was a very short-bladed scissors, since the cutter had to take two snips over 'keep away.'"

"That is so. Someone, then, cut out the message with a pair of short-bladed scissors, pasted it with paste ——"

"Gum," said Holmes.

"With gum on to the paper. But I want to know why the word 'moor' should have been written?"

"Because he could not find it in print. The other words were all simple and might be found in any issue, but 'moor' would be less common."

"Why, of course, that would explain it (ну, конечно, это все объясняет) . Have you read anything else in this message, Mr. Holmes (/а/ еще что-нибудь вы разгадали в этом письме; to read — читать; разгадывать) ?"

"There are one or two indications (есть две или три подсказки) , and yet the utmost pains have been taken (хотя были предприняты все возможные усилия; pain — боль; старание) to remove all clues (/чтобы/ удалить все улики; clue — клубок; улика, ключ /к разгадке/) . The address, you observe (адрес, /как/ можете видеть) , is printed in rough characters (написан неровными печатными буквами) . But the Times is a paper (но "Таймс" это газета) which is seldom found in any hands (которая редко находится в каких-либо /других/ руках) but those of the highly educated (кроме как в /руках человека/ высокообразованного) . We may take it, therefore (поэтому мы можем предположить; to take it — принимать, допускать) , that the letter was composed by an educated man (что письмо было составлено образованным человеком) who wished to pose as an uneducated one (который хочет выдать себя за необразованного; to pose — принимать позу; притвориться /кем-либо/) , and his effort to conceal his own writing (и его попытка скрыть свой собственный почерк) suggests that that writing might be known (предполагает то, что этот почерк мог быть /вам/ известен) , or come to be known, by you (или /случится так, что/ будет вам известен) . Again, you will observe (/и/ опять же, вы заметите) that the words are not gummed on in an accurate line (что слова приклеены неаккуратно: «не в аккуратную линию») , but that some are much higher than others (и некоторые много выше других) . 'Life,' for example ("жизнь" например) , is quite out of its proper place (совсем /выбилась за пределы/ надлежащего ей места) . That may point to carelessness or it may point to agitation and hurry (это может указывать на небрежность или на волнение и спешку) upon the part of the cutter (автора письма: «того, кто вырезал»; /up/on the part of — от лица, от имени) .

course [kO:s], clue [klu:], hurry ['hVrI]

"Why, of course, that would explain it. Have you read anything else in this message, Mr. Holmes?"

"There are one or two indications, and yet the utmost pains have been taken to remove all clues. The address, you observe, is printed in rough characters. But the Times is a paper which is seldom found in any hands but those of the highly educated. We may take it, therefore, that the letter was composed by an educated man who wished to pose as an uneducated one, and his effort to conceal his own writing suggests that that writing might be known, or come to be known, by you. Again, you will observe that the words are not gummed on in an accurate line, but that some are much higher than others. 'Life,' for example, is quite out of its proper place. That may point to carelessness or it may point to agitation and hurry upon the part of the cutter.

"On the whole I incline to the latter view (в целом, я склоняюсь к последнему; view — вид; мнение) , since the matter was evidently important (поскольку вопрос был, несомненно, важным) , and it is unlikely that the composer of such a letter would be careless (и вряд ли составитель письма был бы небрежен) . If he were in a hurry (если он спешил; to be in a hurry — спешить, торопиться) it opens up the interesting question (то встает интересный вопрос; to open up — открывать возможности) why he should be in a hurry (почему он спешил) , since any letter posted up to early morning (потому что любое письмо, посланное рано утром) would reach Sir Henry before he would leave his hotel (дошло бы до сэра Генри прежде, чем он покинул отель) . Did the composer fear an interruption (боялся ли автор чьего-то вмешательства; interruption — перерыв; помеха) — and from whom (но чьего) ?"

"We are coming now rather into the region of guess work (пожалуй, мы вступаем сейчас в область догадок) ," said Dr. Mortimer.

"Say, rather, into the region (скажите лучше, в область) where we balance probabilities (где мы взвешиваем = рассматриваем возможности) and choose the most likely (и выбираем наиболее вероятную) . It is the scientific use of the imagination (это научный /метод/ применения воображения) , but we have always some material basis (но у нас всегда есть какая-то материальная основа) on which to start our speculations (с которой начинаются наши предположения) . Now, you would call it a guess, no doubt (сейчас, без сомнения, вы назовете это догадкой) , but I am almost certain (но я почти уверен) that this address has been written in an hotel (что этот адрес был написан в гостинице) ."

view [vju:], region ['ri:dZ(@)n], guess [ges]

"On the whole I incline to the latter view, since the matter was evidently important, and it is unlikely that the composer of such a letter would be careless. If he were in a hurry it opens up the interesting question why he should be in a hurry, since any letter posted up to early morning would reach Sir Henry before he would leave his hotel. Did the composer fear an interruption — and from whom?"

"We are coming now rather into the region of guess work," said Dr. Mortimer.

"Say, rather, into the region where we balance probabilities and choose the most likely. It is the scientific use of the imagination, but we have always some material basis on which to start our speculations. Now, you would call it a guess, no doubt, but I am almost certain that this address has been written in an hotel."