Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Собака Баскервилей

The lady looked quickly up (дама быстро взглянула /на меня/) , with an angry gleam in her hazel eyes (с проблеском недовольства в ее карих глазах; angry — сердитый, недовольный) .

"What is the object of these questions (какова цель этих вопросов) ?" she asked, sharply (спросила она резко) .

"The object is to avoid a public scandal (цель — избежать публичного скандала) . It is better that I should ask them here (лучше, если я задам их здесь) than that the matter should pass outside our control (чем /если/ это дело выйдет из-под нашего контроля) ."

She was silent and her face was very pale (она молчала = была молчалива, и ее лицо сильно побледнело) . At last she looked up (наконец она посмотрела на меня: «вверх») with something reckless and defiant in her manner (с беспечным и дерзким видом; manner — способ; манера, поведение) .

"Well, I'll answer," she said (хорошо, я отвечу, — сказала она) . "What are your questions (какие у вас вопросы) ?"

nervously [ˈnǝ:vǝslɪ], kindness [ˈkaɪndnɪs], scandal [skændl]

"What can I tell you about him?" she asked, and her fingers played nervously over the stops of her typewriter.

"You knew him, did you not?"

"I have already said that I owe a great deal to his kindness. If I am able to support myself it is largely due to the interest which he took in my unhappy situation."

"Did you correspond with him?"

The lady looked quickly up, with an angry gleam in her hazel eyes.

"What is the object of these questions?" she asked, sharply.

"The object is to avoid a public scandal. It is better that I should ask them here than that the matter should pass outside our control."

She was silent and her face was very pale. At last she looked up with something reckless and defiant in her manner.

"Well, I'll answer," she said. "What are your questions?"

"Did you correspond with Sir Charles (вы переписывались с сэром Чарльзом) ?"

"I certainly wrote to him once or twice (да, я писала ему пару раз; certainly — конечно; используется как утверждение в ответах на вопросы) to acknowledge his delicacy and his generosity (/чтобы/ поблагодарить за учтивость и великодушие; to acknowledge — признавать; выражать признательность) ."

"Have you the dates of those letters (у вас есть = можете назвать даты этих писем) ?"

"No."

"Have you ever met him (вы когда-нибудь встречались с ним) ?"

"Yes, once or twice, when he came into Coombe Tracey (да, раза два, когда он приезжал в Кум-Трэйси) . He was a very retiring man (он был очень скромным человеком; to retire — уходить, удаляться; уединяться; retiring — склонный к уединению; застенчивый, скромный) , and he preferred to do good by stealth (и предпочитал делать добро незаметно для других; by stealth — втихомолку, украдкой; stealth — хитрость, уловка) ."

"But if you saw him so seldom (но если вы видели его так редко) and wrote so seldom (и писали так редко) , how did he know enough about your affairs (откуда он был так осведомлен о ваших делах) to be able to help you (чтобы иметь возможность помочь вам) , as you say that he has done (что он, как вы говорите, сделал) ?"

She met my difficulty with the utmost readiness (она встретила мое возражение с полнейшей готовностью; difficulty — трудность; протест, возражение; utmost — крайний; предельный) .

"There were several gentlemen (было несколько джентльменов) who knew my sad history (которые знали мою печальную историю) and united to help me (и объединились, чтобы помочь мне) . One was Mr. Stapleton (один /из них/ был мистер Стэплтон) , a neighbour and intimate friend of Sir Charles (сосед и близкий друг сэра Чарльза) . He was exceedingly kind (он был весьма добр /ко мне/) , and it was through him that Sir Charles learned about my affairs (и от него сэр Чарльз узнал о моих делах) ."

delicacy [ˈdelɪkǝsɪ], stealth [stelƟ], exceedingly [ɪkˈsi:dɪŋlɪ]

"Did you correspond with Sir Charles?"

"I certainly wrote to him once or twice to acknowledge his delicacy and his generosity."

"Have you the dates of those letters?"

"No."

"Have you ever met him?"

"Yes, once or twice, when he came into Coombe Tracey. He was a very retiring man, and he preferred to do good by stealth."

"But if you saw him so seldom and wrote so seldom, how did he know enough about your affairs to be able to help you, as you say that he has done?"

She met my difficulty with the utmost readiness.

"There were several gentlemen who knew my sad history and united to help me. One was Mr. Stapleton, a neighbour and intimate friend of Sir Charles. He was exceedingly kind, and it was through him that Sir Charles learned about my affairs."

I knew already that Sir Charles Baskerville had made Stapleton his almoner upon several occasions (я уже знал, что сэр Чарльз сделал Стэплтона своим поверенным в нескольких благотворительных делах; almoner — человек, занимающийся благотворительностью) , so the lady's statement bore the impress of truth upon it (поэтому утверждение дамы производило правдивое впечатление; to bear — нести; иметь /признаки, следы/; truth — правда, истина) .

"Did you ever write to Sir Charles (вы когда-нибудь писали сэру Чарльзу) asking him to meet you (настаивая на встрече с вами; to ask — спрашивать; требовать) ?" I continued (продолжал я) .

Mrs. Lyons flushed with anger again (миссис Лайонс снова вспыхнула от гнева) .

"Really, sir, this is a very extraordinary question (в самом деле, сэр, этот вопрос излишний; extraordinary — выдающийся; чрезмерный) ."

"I am sorry, madam, but I must repeat it (сожалею, мадам, но я должен повторить его) ."

"Then I answer — certainly not (тогда ответ: конечно, нет) ."

"Not on the very day of Sir Charles's death (не писали и в самый день смерти сэра Чарльза) ?"