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

“‘But this paragon has one fault. He is a bit of a Don Juan, and you can imagine that for a man like him it is not a very difficult part to play in a quiet country district. When he was married it was all right, but since he has been a widower we have had no end of trouble with him. A few months ago we were in hopes that he was about to settle down again for he became engaged to Rachel Howells, our second house-maid; but he has thrown her over since then and taken up with Janet Tregellis, the daughter of the head game-keeper. Rachel — who is a very good girl, but of an excitable Welsh temperament — had a sharp touch of brain-fever, and goes about the house now — or did until yesterday — like a black-eyed shadow of her former self.

“‘That was our first drama at Hurlstone (такова была наша первая драма в Херлстоне) ; but a second one came to drive it from our minds (но вторая стерла ее из нашей памяти; to drive — гнать, прогонять) , and it was prefaced by the disgrace and dismissal of butler Brunton (и ей предшествовали позор и увольнение дворецкого Брантона; preface — предисловие; вступление; пролог) .

“‘This was how it came about (вот как это произошло) . I have said that the man was intelligent (я уже говорил, что этот человек очень умен) , and this very intelligence has caused his ruin (и именно его ум стал причиной его гибели) , for it seems to have led to an insatiable curiosity about things (так как, видимо, вызвал жадное любопытство к вещам; insatiable — ненасытный, жадный; неутолимый) which did not in the least concern him (которые не имели к нему ни малейшего отношения) . I had no idea of the lengths to which this would carry him (я и понятия не имел о том, как далеко это могло завести его; length — длина, расстояние) , until the merest accident opened my eyes to it (пока чистый случай не открыл мне глаза /на это/) .

“‘I have said that the house is a rambling one (я говорил, что дом построен бестолково) . One day last week (в один день на прошлой неделе) — on Thursday night, to be more exact (точнее, в четверг ночью) — I found that I could not sleep (я понял, что не могу уснуть) , having foolishly taken a cup of strong café noir after my dinner (потому что по глупости выпил чашку крепкого черного кофе /франц./ после ужина) . After struggling against it until two in the morning (промучившись: «проборовшись против него» до двух часов ночи: «утра»; to struggle — бороться) , I felt that it was quite hopeless (я почувствовал, что это безнадежно) , so I rose and lit the candle (и потому поднялся и зажег свечу) with the intention of continuing a novel which I was reading (с намерением продолжить роман, который я читал = намереваясь продолжить чтение романа) . The book, however, had been left in the billiard-room (однако я забыл книгу в бильярдной) , so I pulled on my dressing-gown and started off to get it (поэтому я надел халат и отправился за ней; to pull on — натягивать) .

prefaced ['prefIst], insatiable [In'seIS@blI], gown [gaun]

“‘That was our first drama at Hurlstone; but a second one came to drive it from our minds, and it was prefaced by the disgrace and dismissal of butler Brunton.

“‘This was how it came about. I have said that the man was intelligent, and this very intelligence has caused his ruin, for it seems to have led to an insatiable curiosity about things which did not in the least concern him. I had no idea of the lengths to which this would carry him, until the merest accident opened my eyes to it.

“‘I have said that the house is a rambling one. One day last week — on Thursday night, to be more exact — I found that I could not sleep, having foolishly taken a cup of strong café noir after my dinner. After struggling against it until two in the morning, I felt that it was quite hopeless, so I rose and lit the candle with the intention of continuing a novel which I was reading. The book, however, had been left in the billiard-room, so I pulled on my dressing-gown and started off to get it.

“‘In order to reach the billiard-room (чтобы добраться до бильярдной) I had to descend a flight of stairs (мне нужно было спуститься на один лестничный пролет) and then to cross the head of a passage (и затем пересечь переднюю часть коридора; passage — коридор; проход; переход) which led to the library and the gun-room (ведущего в библиотеку и в комнату для ружей; gun-room — комната для хранения охотничьих ружей) . You can imagine my surprise (можете представить мое изумление) when, as I looked down this corridor (когда, заглянув в коридор) , I saw a glimmer of light coming from the open door of the library (я увидел тусклый свет, исходивший из открытой двери библиотеки) . I had myself extinguished the lamp (я сам погасил лампу) and closed the door before coming to bed (и закрыл дверь, прежде чем отправиться спать) . Naturally my first thought was of burglars (разумеется, первой моей мыслью была /мысль/ о грабителях; burglar — ночной грабитель, взломщик) . The corridors at Hurlstone have their walls largely decorated with trophies of old weapons (стены коридоров в Херлстоне щедро украшены трофейным старинным оружием; largely — в значительной степени, щедро, обильно) . From one of these I picked a battle-axe (с одной из них я схватил боевой топор) , and then, leaving my candle behind me (и, оставив свечу) , I crept on tiptoe down the passage (я прокрался на цыпочках по коридору; to creep — ползать; красться) and peeped in at the open door (и заглянул в открытую дверь) .

“‘Brunton, the butler, was in the library (Брантон, дворецкий, был в библиотеке) . He was sitting, fully dressed, in an easy-chair (он сидел, совершенно одетый, в мягком кресле) , with a slip of paper which looked like a map upon his knee (с листом бумаги на колене, похожим на какую-то карту) , and his forehead sunk forward upon his hand in deep thought (лоб он опер: «опустил» на руку в глубокой задумчивости) . I stood dumb with astonishment (я стоял, онемев от изумления; dumb — немой; онемевший /от внезапных чувств/) , watching him from the darkness (и наблюдал за ним из темноты) .