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

“‘You should be in bed (вам следует оставаться в постели) ,’ I said. “Come back to your duties when you are stronger (вернитесь к исполнению своих обязанностей, когда будете сильнее = окрепнете) .’

“‘She looked at me with so strange an expression (она посмотрела на меня с таким странным выражением) that I began to suspect that her brain was affected (что я начал думать, не подействовала ли /болезнь/ на ее рассудок; to affect — оказывать воздействие, влияние; затрагивать; поражать /о болезни/) .

“‘I am strong enough, Mr. Musgrave (я вполне окрепла, мистер Месгрейв) ,’ said she.

assiduous [ǝˈsɪdjuǝs], recovered [rɪˈkʌvǝd], wretchedly [ˈreʧɪdlɪ]

“‘For two days after this Brunton was most assiduous in his attention to his duties. I made no allusion to what had passed, and waited with some curiosity to see how he would cover his disgrace. On the third morning, however he did not appear, as was his custom, after breakfast to receive my instructions for the day. As I left the dining-room I happened to meet Rachel Howells, the maid. I have told you that she had only recently recovered from an illness, and was looking so wretchedly pale and wan that I remonstrated with her for being at work.

“‘You should be in bed,’ I said. ‘Come back to your duties when you are stronger.’

“She looked at me with so strange an expression that I began to suspect that her brain was affected.

“‘I am strong enough, Mr. Musgrave,’ said she.

“‘We will see what the doctor says (посмотрим, что скажет врач) ,’ I answered (ответил я) . “You must stop work now (вы должны прекратить работать) , and when you go downstairs just say that I wish to see Brunton (а когда пойдете вниз, скажите, что я желаю видеть Брантона) .”

“‘The butler is gone (дворецкий пропал) ,’ said she.

“‘Gone! Gone where (куда пропал) ?”

“‘He is gone (он пропал) . No one has seen him (никто его не видел) . He is not in his room (в комнате его нет) . Oh, yes, he is gone, he is gone (о да, он пропал, пропал) !’ She fell back against the wall with shriek after shriek of laughter (она прислонилась к стене и начала истерически хохотать; to shriek — пронзительно кричать, орать; визжать; громко, истерически хохотать; laughter — cмех, хохот) , while I, horrified at this sudden hysterical attack (а я, напуганный этим внезапным истерическим припадком) , rushed to the bell to summon help (бросился к колокольчику, чтобы позвать на помощь; to summon — вызвать, позвать) . The girl was taken to her room (девушку увели в ее комнату) , still screaming and sobbing (все еще хохочущую и рыдающую) , while I made inquiries about Brunton (а я тем временем стал расспрашивать о Брантоне; to make inquiries about — расспрашивать, наводить справки) . There was no doubt about it that he had disappeared (несомненно, он исчез) . His bed had not been slept in (его постель оказалась нетронутой: «в постели никто не спал») , he had been seen by no one since he had retired to his room the night before (его никто не видел с тех пор, как он ушел к себе в комнату накануне вечером) , and yet it was difficult to see how he could have left the house (однако трудно было понять, как он вышел из дома) , as both windows and doors were found to be fastened in the morning (потому что как окна, так и двери оказались запертыми утром) .

laughter [ˈlɑ:ftǝ], hysterical [hɪˈsterɪk(ǝ)l], doubt [daut], fastened [ˈfɑ:s(ǝ)nd]

“‘We will see what the doctor says,’ I answered. “You must stop work now, and when you go downstairs just say that I wish to see Brunton.’

“‘The butler is gone,’ said she.

“‘Gone! Gone where?”

“‘He is gone. No one has seen him. He is not in his room. Oh, yes, he is gone, he is gone!’ She fell back against the wall with shriek after shriek of laughter, while I, horrified at this sudden hysterical attack, rushed to the bell to summon help. The girl was taken to her room, still screaming and sobbing, while I made inquiries about Brunton. There was no doubt about it that he had disappeared. His bed had not been slept in, he had been seen by no one since he had retired to his room the night before, and yet it was difficult to see how he could have left the house, as both windows and doors were found to be fastened in the morning.

“‘His clothes (его одежда) , his watch (часы) , and even his money were in his room (и даже деньги были в его комнате) , but the black suit which he usually wore was missing (но черного костюма, который он обычно носил, не было) . His slippers, too, were gone (его комнатные туфли тоже пропали) , but his boots were left behind (но ботинки остались: «были оставлены») . Where then could butler Brunton have gone in the night (куда же мог деться дворецкий Брантон ночью) , and what could have become of him now (и что с ним стало теперь) ?

“‘Of course we searched the house from cellar to garret (разумеется, мы обыскали /весь/ дом от подвала до чердака) , but there was no trace of him (но там не оказалось никаких его следов) . It is, as I have said, a labyrinth of an old house (как я говорил, этот старинный дом — /настоящий/ лабиринт) , especially the original wing (особенно самое старое крыло; original — первоначальный) , which is now practically uninhabited (которое теперь практически необитаемо) ; but we ransacked every room and cellar without discovering the least sign of the missing man (однако мы обыскали каждую комнату и подвал, но не обнаружили ни малейшего следа пропавшего человека; to ransack — обыскивать, обшаривать) . It was incredible to me (мне казалось немыслимым) that he could have gone away leaving all his property behind him (что он мог уйти, оставив все свое имущество) , and yet where could he be (и все-таки где он мог быть) ? I called in the local police, but without success (я вызвал местную полицию, но без результата) . Rain had fallen on the night before (дождь прошел накануне вечером) and we examined the lawn and the paths all round the house, but in vain (мы осмотрели лужайку и дорожки вокруг дома, но это ни к чему не привело; in vain — напрасно, тщетно, безуспешно) . Matters were in this state (дела находились в этом состоянии = так обстояло дело) , when a new development quite drew our attention away from the original mystery (когда новое событие отвлекло наше внимание от первоначальной загадки) .