Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Второй сборник рассказов

incident [ˈɪnsɪd(ǝ)nt], pew [pju:], agitated [ˈæʤɪteɪtɪd]

“She was as bright as possible — at least until after the ceremony.”

“And did you observe any change in her then?”

“Well, to tell the truth, I saw then the first signs that I had ever seen that her temper was just a little sharp. The incident however, was too trivial to relate and can have no possible bearing upon the case.”

“Pray let us have it, for all that.”

“Oh, it is childish. She dropped her bouquet as we went towards the vestry. She was passing the front pew at the time, and it fell over into the pew. There was a moment’s delay, but the gentleman in the pew handed it up to her again, and it did not appear to be the worse for the fall. Yet when I spoke to her of the matter, she answered me abruptly; and in the carriage, on our way home, she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause.”

“Indeed! You say that there was a gentleman in the pew (говорите, на скамье сидел какой-то джентльмен) . Some of the general public were present, then (значит, там были посторонние; general public — широкая публика, общественность) ?”

“Oh, yes. It is impossible to exclude them when the church is open (невозможно не впускать их, когда церковь открыта) .”

“This gentleman was not one of your wife’s friends (этот джентльмен не был одним из знакомых вашей жены) ?”

“No, no; I call him a gentleman by courtesy (нет, нет, я называю его джентльменом /только/ из вежливости) , but he was quite a common-looking person (это был совершенно простой человек) . I hardly noticed his appearance (я почти и не заметил, как он выглядит; to notice — замечать, обращать внимание) . But really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point (но, право, думаю, мы уходим далеко от дела) .”

“Lady St. Simon, then, returned from the wedding in a less cheerful frame of mind (итак, леди Сент-Саймон вернулась с бракосочетания в менее радостном настроении; frame of mind — расположение духа, настроение; frame — скелет, костяк, каркас, остов; рама; строение) than she had gone to it (чем /то/, в котором она прибыла /в церковь/) . What did she do on re-entering her father’s house (что она делала, вернувшись в дом отца) ?”

“I saw her in conversation with her maid (я видел, как она разговаривала со своей горничной) .”

appearance [ǝˈpɪǝrǝns], re-entering [ri:ˈentǝrɪŋ], conversation [ˌkɔnvǝˈseɪʃ(ǝ)n]

“Indeed! You say that there was a gentleman in the pew. Some of the general public were present, then?”

“Oh, yes. It is impossible to exclude them when the church is open.”

“This gentleman was not one of your wife’s friends?”

“No, no; I call him a gentleman by courtesy, but he was quite a common-looking person. I hardly noticed his appearance. But really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point.”

“Lady St. Simon, then, returned from the wedding in a less cheerful frame of mind than she had gone to it. What did she do on re-entering her father’s house?”

“I saw her in conversation with her maid.”

“And who is her maid (кто это) ?”

“Alice is her name (ее зовут Элис) . She is an American and came from California with her (она американка, приехала из Калифорнии с моей женой) .”

“A confidential servant (она пользуется доверием /вашей жены/; confidential — надежный, пользующийся доверием) ?”

“A little too much so (немного слишком большим /доверием/) . It seemed to me that her mistress allowed her to take great liberties (мне казалось, что ее госпожа позволяет ей слишком много; to take liberties — позволять себе вольности, бесцеремонно обращаться /с кем-либо или чем-либо/) . Still, of course, in America they look upon these things in a different way (конечно, в Америке смотрят на эти вещи иначе: «отличным /от Европы/ способом») .”

“How long did she speak to this Alice (как долго она говорила с Элис) ?”

“Oh, a few minutes (несколько минут) . I had something else to think of (у меня были другие заботы: «у меня было кое-что другое, о чем нужно было думать») .”

“You did not overhear what they said (вы случайно не слышали, о чем они говорили; to overhear — подслушивать; нечаянно услышать) ?”

servant [ˈsǝ:v(ǝ)nt], minute [ˈmɪnɪt], overhear [ˌǝuvǝˈhɪǝ]

“And who is her maid?”

“Alice is her name. She is an American and came from California with her.”

“A confidential servant?”

“A little too much so. It seemed to me that her mistress allowed her to take great liberties. Still, of course, in America they look upon these things in a different way.”

“How long did she speak to this Alice?”

“Oh, a few minutes. I had something else to think of.”

“You did not overhear what they said?”

“Lady St. Simon said something about ‘jumping a claim’ (леди Сент-Саймон сказала что-то о «незаконном захвате чужого участка»; claim — требование; претензия, притязание) . She was accustomed to use slang of the kind (она привыкла использовать жаргон подобного рода; accustomed — привычный, обычный; custom — обычай; привычка, обыкновение /конкретного человека/) . I have no idea what she meant (понятия не имею, что она имела в виду; to mean) .”

“American slang is very expressive sometimes (американский жаргон очень выразителен иногда) . And what did your wife do when she finished speaking to her maid (а что делала ваша жена, закончив говорить с горничной) ?”

“She walked into the breakfast-room (она пошла в столовую) .”

“On your arm (под руку с вами) ?”

“No, alone (нет, одна) . She was very independent in little matters like that (она очень независима в таких мелочах; to depend /up/on — зависеть от) . Then, after we had sat down for ten minutes or so (минут через десять после того, как мы сели) , she rose hurriedly (она поспешно встала) , muttered some words of apology (пробормотала какие-то извинения) , and left the room (и вышла из комнаты) . She never came back (она так и не вернулась) .”