Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах (ASCII-IPA)

absentee [,&bs(@)n'ti:], frequent [fri:'kwent], impotence ['Imp@t@ns]

Twenty had changed to fifteen and fifteen to ten, but there was no news of the absentee. One by one the numbers dwindled down, and still there came no sign of him. Whenever a horseman clattered down the road, or a driver shouted at his team, the old farmer hurried to the gate thinking that help had arrived at last. At last, when he saw five give way to four and that again to three, he lost heart, and abandoned all hope of escape. Single-handed, and with his limited knowledge of the mountains which surrounded the settlement, he knew that he was powerless. The more-frequented roads were strictly watched and guarded, and none could pass along them without an order from the Council. Turn which way he would, there appeared to be no avoiding the blow which hung over him. Yet the old man never wavered in his resolution to part with life itself before he consented to what he regarded as his daughter's dishonour.

He was sitting alone one evening pondering deeply over his troubles, and searching vainly for some way out of them. That morning had shown the figure 2 upon the wall of his house, and the next day would be the last of the allotted time. What was to happen then? All manner of vague and terrible fancies filled his imagination. And his daughter — what was to become of her after he was gone? Was there no escape from the invisible network which was drawn all round them? He sank his head upon the table and sobbed at the thought of his own impotence.

What was that (но что это) ? In the silence he heard a gentle scratching sound (в тишине он услышал легкий скребущий звук; gentle — тихий, слабый) — low, but very distinct in the quiet of the night (тихий, но явственно различимый в тишине ночи) . It came from the door of the house (он доносился от дверей дома) . Ferrier crept into the hall and listened intently (Феррьер осторожно пробрался в холл и внимательно прислушался; to creep — ползти, медленно продвигаться; красться) . There was a pause for a few moments (на несколько мгновений все стихло) , and then the low insidious sound was repeated (а затем тихий вкрадчивый звук повторился; insidious — коварный; действующий тайно) . Someone was evidently tapping very gently upon one of the panels of the door (по-видимому, кто-то совсем тихонько стучал по филенке двери) . Was it some midnight assassin who had come to carry out the murderous orders of the secret tribunal (может, это ночной убийца, пришедший привести в исполнение приговор секретного трибунала; midnight — полуночный, полночный; murderous — смертоносный; смертельный; order — приказ) ? Or was it some agent who was marking up that the last day of grace had arrived (или агент невидимой силы, отмечавший, что наступил последний день срока) ? John Ferrier felt that instant death would be better (Джон Феррьер почувствовал, что моментальная смерть будет лучше) than the suspense which shook his nerves and chilled his heart (чем эта неизвестность, которая заставляла трепетать нервы и холодом сковывала сердце) . Springing forward he drew the bolt and threw the door open (бросившись вперед, он отодвинул задвижку и распахнул дверь) .

Outside all was calm and quiet (снаружи все было тихо и спокойно) . The night was fine (была ясная ночь) , and the stars were twinkling brightly overhead (и звезды ярко мерцали над головой) . The little front garden lay before the farmer's eyes bounded by the fence and gate (перед его глазами был маленький огороженный садик перед домом и калитка; to bound — ограничивать; fence — забор, изгородь) , but neither there nor on the road was any human being to be seen (но ни там, ни на дороге не было видно ни одной живой души) . With a sigh of relief, Ferrier looked to right and to left (облегченно вздохнув: «со вздохом облегчения», Феррьер посмотрел направо и налево) , until happening to glance straight down at his own feet he saw to his astonishment a man (пока, не глянув случайно прямо вниз, он к удивлению своему обнаружил у самых своих ног человека) lying flat upon his face upon the ground, with arms and legs all asprawl (распластавшегося лицом к земле, раскинув руки и ноги; to lie — лежать; flat — распростертый, растянувшийся во всю длину; asprawl = sprawled out; to sprawl out — разбрасывать, раскидывать; вытягивать) .

distinct [dI'stINkt], insidious [In'sIdI@s], assassin [@'s&sIn], relief [rI'li:f]

What was that? In the silence he heard a gentle scratching sound — low, but very distinct in the quiet of the night. It came from the door of the house. Ferrier crept into the hall and listened intently. There was a pause for a few moments, and then the low insidious sound was repeated. Someone was evidently tapping very gently upon one of the panels of the door. Was it some midnight assassin who had come to carry out the murderous orders of the secret tribunal? Or was it some agent who was marking up that the last day of grace had arrived? John Ferrier felt that instant death would be better than the suspense which shook his nerves and chilled his heart. Springing forward he drew the bolt and threw the door open.

Outside all was calm and quiet. The night was fine, and the stars were twinkling brightly overhead. The little front garden lay before the farmer's eyes bounded by the fence and gate, but neither there nor on the road was any human being to be seen. With a sigh of relief, Ferrier looked to right and to left, until happening to glance straight down at his own feet he saw to his astonishment a man lying flat upon his face upon the ground, with arms and legs all asprawl.

So unnerved was he at the sight (его так напугало это зрелище; to unnerve — лишать присутствия духа, лишать мужества) that he leaned up against the wall with his hand to his throat to stifle his inclination to call out (что он прислонился к стене с рукой к горлу, чтобы подавить готовый вырваться возглас; inclination — склонность; тенденция; to call out — воскликнуть, издать восклицание) . His first thought was that the prostrate figure was that of some wounded or dying man (его первой мыслью было, что эта распростертая фигура — раненый или умирающий человек) , but as he watched it he saw it writhe along the ground and into the hall (но на его глазах человек заскользил: «но пока он наблюдал за ней /фигурой/, он увидел, как она, извиваясь, поползла» по земле и в дом; to writhe — извиваться; изгибаться) with the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent (проворно и бесшумно, как змея: «с быстротой и бесшумностью змеи») . Once within the house the man sprang to his feet (оказавшись внутри, человек вскочил на ноги) , closed the door (закрыл дверь) , and revealed to the astonished farmer the fierce face and resolute expression of Jefferson Hope (и перед изумленным фермером предстало пылкое, решительное лицо Джефферсона Хоупа; to reveal — открывать; обнаруживать, показывать; expression — выражение лица; fierce — свирепый; пылкий) .