Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов (ASCII-IPA)

sequence ['si:kw@ns], confederate [k@n'fed(@)rIt], pursued [p@'sju:d]

“Now you clearly see the sequence of events, though you see them, of course, in the inverse order to the way in which they presented themselves to me. Beppo had the pearl in his possession. He may have stolen it from Pietro, he may have been Pietro’s confederate, he may have been the go‑between of Pietro and his sister. It is of no consequence to us which is the correct solution.

“The main fact is that he had the pearl, and at that moment, when it was on his person, he was pursued by the police. He made for the factory in which he worked, and he knew that he had only a few minutes in which to conceal this enormously valuable prize, which would otherwise be found on him when he was searched. Six plaster casts of Napoleon were drying in the passage. One of them was still soft.

“In an instant Beppo, a skilful workman (в одно мгновение Беппо, искусный работник) , made a small hole in the wet plaster (проделал маленькое отверстие во влажном гипсе) , dropped in the pearl (сунул жемчужину; to drop — ронять, бросать; опускать/ся/) , and with a few touches covered over the aperture once more (и несколькими быстрыми движениями снова заделал отверстие; to touch — /при/касаться, трогать; touch — прикосновение, касание; мазок) . It was an admirable hiding-place (это был превосходный тайник; to hide — прятать/ся/, скрывать/ся/) . No one could possibly find it (никто бы не нашел жемчужину; possibly — возможно, вероятно) . But Beppo was condemned to a year’s imprisonment (но Беппо приговорили к году тюремного заключения; to condemn — осуждать, порицать; приговаривать) , and in the meanwhile his six busts were scattered over London (а тем временем его шесть бюстов оказались в разных концах Лондона; to scatter — разбрасывать, рассеивать; размещать /в разных местах/) . He could not tell which contained his treasure (он не мог определить, в котором /из них/ находится его сокровище; to contain — содержать в себе, включать, вмещать) . Only by breaking them could he see (только разбив их, он мог узнать /это/) . Even shaking would tell him nothing (даже встряхивание ни о чем бы не сказало ему) , for as the plaster was wet (поскольку, когда гипс был влажным) it was probable that the pearl would adhere to it (вероятно, что жемчужина могла прилипнуть к нему) — as, in fact, it has done (что фактически и произошло) .

“Beppo did not despair (Беппо не отчаивался) , and he conducted his search with considerable ingenuity and perseverance (он вел поиски с большими изобретательностью/находчивостью и упорством) . Through a cousin who works with Gelder (через двоюродного брата, работавшего у Гельдера) , he found out the retail firms who had bought the busts (он узнал, какие фирмы розничной торговли купили эти бюсты; to find out; to buy) . He managed to find employment with Morse Hudson (ему удалось найти работу у Морза Хадсона) , and in that way tracked down three of them (и таким образом выследить три из них) . The pearl was not there (жемчужины в них не оказалось) .

touch [tVtS], aperture ['&p@tS@], condemned [k@n'demd], adhere [@d'hI@], ingenuity [,IndZI'nju@tI], perseverance [,p@:sI'vI@r(@)ns]

“In an instant Beppo, a skilful workman, made a small hole in the wet plaster, dropped in the pearl, and with a few touches covered over the aperture once more. It was an admirable hiding-place. No one could possibly find it. But Beppo was condemned to a year’s imprisonment, and in the meanwhile his six busts were scattered over London. He could not tell which contained his treasure. Only by breaking them could he see. Even shaking would tell him nothing, for as the plaster was wet it was probable that the pearl would adhere to it — as, in fact, it has done.

“Beppo did not despair, and he conducted his search with considerable ingenuity and perseverance. Through a cousin who works with Gelder, he found out the retail firms who had bought the busts. He managed to find employment with Morse Hudson, and in that way tracked down three of them. The pearl was not there.

“Then, with the help of some Italian employee (затем, с помощью итальянских работников; employee — служащий; работающий по найму) , he succeeded in finding out (он сумел узнать) where the other three busts had gone (куда отправились остальные три бюста) . The first was at Harker’s (первый находился у Харкера) . There he was dogged by his confederate (там он /Беппо/ был выслежен своим сообщником) , who held Beppo responsible for the loss of the pearl (который считал Беппо ответственным за пропажу жемчужины; to hold — держать) , and he stabbed him in the scuffle which followed (и он /Беппо/ пырнул его ножом в драке, которая последовала) .”

“If he was his confederate (если Пьетро был его сообщником) , why should he carry his photograph (для чего он носил с собой его фотографию) ?” I asked.

“As a means of tracing him (чтобы найти его; means — средство; способ, метод) , if he wished to inquire about him from any third person (если бы он захотел спросить о нем у постороннего человека: «третьего лица») . That was the obvious reason (это очевидная причина) . Well, after the murder I calculated (итак, после убийства я вычислил) that Beppo would probably hurry (что Беппо, вероятно, поторопится) rather than delay his movements (а не отложит свои поиски: «шаги»; rather than — скорее…, а не…) . He would fear that the police would read his secret (он опасается, что полиция раскроет его тайну; to read — читать; разгадывать) , and so he hastened on before they should get ahead of him (поэтому он ускорит /поиски/ прежде, чем они опередят его; haste — торопливость; спешка: to be in haste — спешить; to get ahead of — быть впереди; обогнать; преуспевать) . Of course, I could not say (конечно, я не мог утверждать) that he had not found the pearl in Harker’s bust (что он не нашел жемчужину в бюсте, /принадлежавшем/ Харкеру) .