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

energetic [ˌenǝˈdʒetɪk], surmise [ˈsǝ:maɪz] /сущ./, [sǝ:ˈmaɪz] /гл./, bite [baɪt]

"My dear Watson, you were born to be a man of action. Your instinct is always to do something energetic. But supposing, for argument's sake, that we had him arrested to-night, what on earth the better off should we be for that? We could prove nothing against him. There's the devilish cunning of it! If he were acting through a human agent we could get some evidence, but if we were to drag this great dog to the light of day it would not help us in putting a rope round the neck of its master."

"Surely we have a case."

"Not a shadow of one — only surmise and conjecture. We should be laughed out of court if we came with such a story and such evidence."

"There is Sir Charles's death."

"Found dead without a mark upon him. You and I know that he died of sheer fright, and we know also what frightened him; but how are we to get twelve stolid jurymen to know it? What signs are there of a hound? Where are the marks of its fangs? Of course, we know that a hound does not bite a dead body, and that Sir Charles was dead before ever the brute overtook him. But we have to prove all this, and we are not in a position to do it."

"Well, then, to-night (ну, а сегодня вечером) ?"

"We are not much better off to-night (мы и сегодня вечером не многого достигнем; to be better off — быть богаче; находиться в лучшем положении) . Again, there was no direct connection (опять же, не было никакой прямой связи) between the hound and the man's death (между собакой и смертью /того/ человека) . We never saw the hound (мы не видели собаку) . We heard it (мы слышали ее) ; but we could not prove (но мы не смогли бы доказать) that it was running upon this man's trail (что она бежала по следу этого человека) . There is a complete absence of motive (/к тому же/ полное отсутствие мотива /преступления/) . No, my dear fellow (нет, мой дорогой) ; we must reconcile ourselves to the fact (мы должны примириться с тем фактом) that we have no case at present (что в настоящее время фактов у нас нет) , and that it is worth our while to run any risk (что нам стоит все же пойти на риск) in order to establish one (чтобы установить /хоть/ один) ."

"And how do you propose to do so (и как вы предлагаете сделать это) ?"

"I have great hopes (я питаю большие надежды /на то/) of what Mrs. Laura Lyons may do for us (что миссис Лора Лайонс может для нас сделать) when the position of affairs is made clear to her (когда положение дел для нее прояснится: «сделается ясным») . And I have my own plan as well (и также у меня есть свой собственный план) . Sufficient for to-morrow is the evil thereof (согласно ему завтра будет трудный день: «на завтрашний день будет достаточно зла») ; but I hope before the day is past (но я надеюсь, что прежде чем день пройдет = закончится) to have the upper hand at last (наконец взять верх /в этом деле/) ."

I could draw nothing farther from him (я не мог больше ничего из него вытянуть) , and he walked, lost in thought (и он шел, погруженный в мысли; lost — потерянный) , as far as the Baskerville gates (до самых ворот Баскервиль-холла) .

"Are you coming up (вы поднимитесь) ?"

"Yes; I see no reason for further concealment (да, не вижу причин для дальнейшей скрывания = для того, чтобы продолжать скрываться; to conceal — скрывать; утаивать) . But one last word, Watson (но одно последнее слово, Ватсон) . Say nothing of the hound to Sir Henry (не говорите ничего о собаке сэру Генри) . Let him think (пусть думает: «позвольте ему думать») that Selden's death was as Stapleton would have us believe (что смерть Сэлдэна была /такой/, как Стэплтон хотел, чтобы мы поверили) . He will have a better nerve for the ordeal (у него будет больше мужества для сурового испытания) which he will have to undergo to-morrow (которому ему придется подвергнуться завтра; to undergo — переносить, испытывать; подвергаться) , when he is engaged (поскольку он приглашен; to engage — привлекать; вовлекать) , if I remember your report aright (если я хорошо помню из вашего доклада) , to dine with these people (обедать с этими людьми) ."

"And so am I (и я тоже /приглашен/) ."

"Then you must excuse yourself (значит, вы должны извиниться) and he must go alone (и он должен пойти один) . That will be easily arranged (это будет легко устроить) . And now, if we are too late for dinner (а сейчас, коль мы опоздали на обед) , I think that we are both ready for our suppers (я полагаю, что мы оба готовы к ужину) ."

motive [ˈmǝutɪv], reconcile [ˈrekǝnsaɪl], ordeal [ɔ:ˈdi:l]

"Well, then, to-night?"

"We are not much better off to-night. Again, there was no direct connection between the hound and the man's death. We never saw the hound. We heard it; but we could not prove that it was running upon this man's trail. There is a complete absence of motive. No, my dear fellow; we must reconcile ourselves to the fact that we have no case at present, and that it is worth our while to run any risk in order to establish one."

"And how do you propose to do so?"

"I have great hopes of what Mrs. Laura Lyons may do for us when the position of affairs is made clear to her. And I have my own plan as well. Sufficient for to-morrow is the evil thereof; but I hope before the day is past to have the upper hand at last."

I could draw nothing farther from him, and he walked, lost in thought, as far as the Baskerville gates.

"Are you coming up?"

"Yes; I see no reason for further concealment. But one last word, Watson. Say nothing of the hound to Sir Henry. Let him think that Selden's death was as Stapleton would have us believe. He will have a better nerve for the ordeal which he will have to undergo to-morrow, when he is engaged, if I remember your report aright, to dine with these people."

"And so am I."

"Then you must excuse yourself and he must go alone. That will be easily arranged. And now, if we are too late for dinner, I think that we are both ready for our suppers."

(Расстановка сетей)