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

finesse [fɪˈnes], schemer [ˈski:mǝ], excite [ɪkˈsaɪt]

"Having conceived the idea he proceeded to carry it out with considerable finesse. An ordinary schemer would have been content to work with a savage hound. The use of artificial means to make the creature diabolical was a flash of genius upon his part. The dog he bought in London from Ross and Mangles, the dealers in Fulham Road. It was the strongest and most savage in their possession. He brought it down by the North Devon line and walked a great distance over the moor so as to get it home without exciting any remarks. He had already on his insect hunts learned to penetrate the Grimpen Mire, and so had found a safe hiding-place for the creature. Here he kennelled it and waited his chance.

"But it was some time coming (но ему пришлось ждать, когда наступит подходящее время; to come — приходить) . The old gentleman could not be decoyed outside of his grounds at night (/он/ не мог выманить пожилого джентльмена из своих владений ночью; grounds — угодья) . Several times Stapleton lurked about with his hound (несколько раз Стэплтон прятался /неподалеку/ со своей собакой; to lurk — скрываться, прятаться) , but without avail (но безрезультатно; avail — выгода, польза) . It was during these fruitless quests (во время этих бесплодных поисков) that he, or rather his ally, was seen by peasants (он или, скорее, его друг, был замечен крестьянами) , and that the legend of the demon dog (и легенда о демонической собаке) received a new confirmation (получила новое подтверждение) . He had hoped that his wife might lure Sir Charles to his ruin (он надеялся, что его жена может, соблазнив сэра Чарльза, привести его к гибели; ruin — разорение; гибель) , but here she proved unexpectedly independent (но здесь она оказалась неожиданно независимой = несговорчивой) . She would not endeavour (она не хотела) to entangle the old gentleman in a sentimental attachment (вовлекать старого джентльмена в сердечные/любовные отношения; sentimental — сентиментальный, чувствительный; основанный на чувствах; attachment — привязанность) which might deliver him over to his enemy (которые могли доставить его /прямо в руки/ его врага) . Threats and even, I am sorry to say, blows (угрозы и даже, с прискорбием говорю, побои; I am sorry to say — простите, прошу прощения /при возражении, выражении недовольства/) refused to move her (не помогали заставить ее; to refuse — отказываться; to move — двигать; заставлять) . She would have nothing to do with it (она не имела никакого отношения к этому; would — указывает на повторяющееся действие в прошлом; to have nothing to do with — не иметь ничего общего с /кем-либо или чем-либо/) , and for a time Stapleton was at a deadlock (и на время Стэплтон оказался в тупике) .

avail [ǝˈveɪl], quest [kwest], sentimental [ˌsentɪˈmentl]

"But it was some time coming. The old gentleman could not be decoyed outside of his grounds at night. Several times Stapleton lurked about with his hound, but without avail. It was during these fruitless quests that he, or rather his ally, was seen by peasants, and that the legend of the demon dog received a new confirmation. He had hoped that his wife might lure Sir Charles to his ruin, but here she proved unexpectedly independent. She would not endeavour to entangle the old gentleman in a sentimental attachment which might deliver him over to his enemy. Threats and even, I am sorry to say, blows refused to move her. She would have nothing to do with it, and for a time Stapleton was at a deadlock.

"He found a way out of his difficulties through the chance (он нашел выход из своих трудностей благодаря случаю) that Sir Charles, who had conceived a friendship for him (когда сэр Чарльз, который испытывал к нему дружеские /чувства/) , made him the minister of his charity (сделал его своим поверенным: «исполнителем своей благотворительности») in the case of this unfortunate woman, Mrs. Laura Lyons (в деле этой несчастной женщины, миссис Лоры Лайонс) . By representing himself as a single man (представившись холостяком) he acquired complete influence over her (он приобрел полное влияние над ней) , and he gave her to understand (и дал ей понять) that in the event of her obtaining a divorce from her husband (что в случае получения ею развода у ее мужа) he would marry her (он на ней женится) . His plans were suddenly brought to a head by his knowledge (его планы сразу же окончательно созрели, когда он узнал; to bring to a head — доводить что-либо до конца, заканчивать что-либо) that Sir Charles was about to leave the Hall (что сэр Чарльз собирается покинуть Баскервиль-холл) on the advice of Dr. Mortimer (по совету доктора Мортимера) , with whose opinion he himself pretended to coincide (с чьим мнением он сам притворно соглашался; to coincide — совпадать; соглашаться) . He must act at once (он должен был действовать немедленно) , or his victim might get beyond his power (иначе его жертва могла выйти за пределы его влияния) .

friendship [ˈfrendʃɪp], minister [ˈmɪnɪstǝ], charity [ˈtʃærɪtɪ]

"He found a way out of his difficulties through the chance that Sir Charles, who had conceived a friendship for him, made him the minister of his charity in the case of this unfortunate woman, Mrs. Laura Lyons. By representing himself as a single man he acquired complete influence over her, and he gave her to understand that in the event of her obtaining a divorce from her husband he would marry her. His plans were suddenly brought to a head by his knowledge that Sir Charles was about to leave the Hall on the advice of Dr. Mortimer, with whose opinion he himself pretended to coincide. He must act at once, or his victim might get beyond his power.

"He therefore put pressure upon Mrs. Lyons to write this letter (поэтому он заставил миссис Лору Лайонс написать это письмо; to put pressure upon smb. — оказывать нажим/давление на кого-либо) , imploring the old man to give her an interview on the evening (умоляя старика встретиться с ней вечером) before his departure for London (перед его отъездом в Лондон) . He then, by a specious argument (затем он под благовидным предлогом: «правдоподобным доводом») , prevented her from going (отговорил ее идти; to prevent — предотвращать) , and so had the chance for which he had waited (и таким образом получил возможность, которой он дожидался) .