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

“On entering the room their first proceeding must have been to gag Mr. Blessington (войдя в комнату, они первым делом, должно быть, вставили мистеру Блессингтону кляп в рот; proceeding — акт, действие, поступок) . He may have been asleep (возможно, он спал) , or he may have been so paralyzed with terror (или, быть может, был настолько поражен страхом) as to have been unable to cry out (что не смог закричать) . These walls are thick (стены здесь толстые) , and it is conceivable that his shriek (и, вероятно, его крик) , if he had time to utter one, was unheard (если он успел крикнуть, никто не услышал; to utter — издавать /звук/; произносить) .

drama [ˈdrɑ:mǝ], ejaculated [ɪˈʤækjuleɪtɪd], advantage [ǝdˈvɑ:ntɪʤ], terror [ˈterǝ]

“He has played a not unimportant part in this drama,” said he. “The three men having ascended the stairs, which they did on tiptoe, the elder man first, the younger man second, and the unknown man in the rear —”

“My dear Holmes!” I ejaculated.

“Oh, there could be no question as to the superimposing of the footmarks. I had the advantage of learning which was which last night. They ascended, then, to Mr. Blessington’s room, the door of which they found to be locked. With the help of a wire, however, they forced round the key. Even without the lens you will perceive, by the scratches on this ward, where the pressure was applied.

“On entering the room their first proceeding must have been to gag Mr. Blessington. He may have been asleep, or he may have been so paralyzed with terror as to have been unable to cry out. These walls are thick, and it is conceivable that his shriek, if he had time to utter one, was unheard.

“Having secured him (связав его; to secure — обеспечить безопасность; закреплять, прикреплять; перевязывать) , it is evident to me that a consultation of some sort was held (мне представляется очевидным, что они устроили нечто вроде совета; consultation — консультация; совещание: to hold a consultation — совещаться: «держать совещание») . Probably it was something in the nature of a judicial proceeding (возможно, что-то похожее на судебный процесс) . It must have lasted for some time (должно быть, он продолжался довольно долго) , for it was then that these cigars were smoke (поскольку именно тогда были выкурены эти /четыре/ сигары) . The older man sat in that wicker chair (старший сидел на том плетеном стуле) ; it was he who used the cigar-holder (это он использовал мундштук) . The younger man sat over yonder (молодой человек сидел вон там; yonder — вон там; в ту сторону) ; he knocked his ash off against the chest of drawers (он стряхивал пепел о комод; to knock — ударять, бить, колотить; стучать; drawer — /выдвижной/ ящик /стола, комода/; chest of drawers — комод; chest — ящик; коробка, сундук; вместилище) . The third fellow paced up and down (третий ходил взад-вперед) . Blessington, I think, sat upright in the bed (Блессингтон, полагаю, сидел прямо на кровати) , but of that I cannot be absolutely certain (но в этом я не могу быть совершенно уверен) .

“Well, it ended by their taking Blessington and hanging him (дело кончилось тем, что они схватили Блессингтона и повесили его) . The matter was so prearranged that it is my belief (преступление было настолько хорошо спланировано заранее, что я полагаю: «это мое убеждение/мнение»; to arrange — приводить в порядок, расставлять; устраивать, организовывать, подготавливать; to prearrange — подготавливать заранее) that they brought with them some sort of block or pulley (что они принесли с собой какой-то блок или шкив) which might serve as a gallows (который можно было использовать в качестве виселицы) . That screw-driver and those screws (эти отвертка и шурупы) were, as I conceive, for fixing it up (предназначались, как я полагаю, для крепления его /блока/ к потолку) . Seeing the hook, however they naturally saved themselves the trouble (однако, увидев крюк, они, естественно, избавили себя от /лишних/ хлопот) . Having finished their work they made off (покончив с делом, они убежали) , and the door was barred behind them by their confederate (а дверь была закрыта за ними на засов их сообщником; bar — брусок, блок, кусок; полено; to bar — запирать на засов) .”

judicial [ʤu:ˈdɪʃ(ǝ)l], drawer [ˈdrɔ:ǝ], conceive [kǝnˈsi:v]

“Having secured him, it is evident to me that a consultation of some sort was held. Probably it was something in the nature of a judicial proceeding. It must have lasted for some time, for it was then that these cigars were smoke. The older man sat in that wicker chair; it was he who used the cigar-holder. The younger man sat over yonder; he knocked his ash off against the chest of drawers. The third fellow paced up and down. Blessington, I think, sat upright in the bed, but of that I cannot be absolutely certain.

“Well, it ended by their taking Blessington and hanging him. The matter was so prearranged that it is my belief that they brought with them some sort of block or pulley which might serve as a gallows. That screw-driver and those screws were, as I conceive, for fixing it up. Seeing the hook, however they naturally saved themselves the trouble. Having finished their work they made off, and the door was barred behind them by their confederate.”

We had all listened with the deepest interest to this sketch of the night’s doings (мы все с огромным интересом слушали это описание ночных событий) , which Holmes had deduced from signs so subtle and minute (которое Холмс сумел сделать на основании столь мелких и незначительных фактов; subtle — неуловимый, тонкий; едва различимый; minute — мелкий, мельчайший) that, even when he had pointed them out to us (что, даже когда он указал нам на них) , we could scarcely follow him in his reasoning (мы с большим трудом могли следить за ходом его мысли) . The inspector hurried away on the instant to make inquiries about the page (инспектор тотчас же ушел наводить справки о мальчишке-слуге) , while Holmes and I returned to Baker Street for breakfast (а мы с Холмсом вернулись на Бейкер-стрит, чтобы позавтракать) .