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

violin [,vaI@'lIn], piece [pi:s], request [rI'kwest], knee [ni:], chord ['kO:d], whim [wIm]

When I had got so far in my list I threw it into the fire in despair. "If I can only find what the fellow is driving at by reconciling all these accomplishments, and discovering a calling which needs them all," I said to myself, "I may as well give up the attempt at once."

I see that I have alluded above to his powers upon the violin. These were very remarkable, but as eccentric as all his other accomplishments. That he could play pieces, and difficult pieces, I knew well, because at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn's Lieder, and other favourites. When left to himself, however, he would seldom produce any music or attempt any recognized air. Leaning back in his arm-chair of an evening, he would close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle which was thrown across his knee. Sometimes the chords were sonorous and melancholy. Occasionally they were fantastic and cheerful. Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him, but whether the music aided those thoughts, or whether the playing was simply the result of a whim or fancy was more than I could determine. I might have rebelled against these exasperating solos had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession a whole series of my favourite airs as a slight compensation for the trial upon my patience.

During the first week or so we had no callers (на протяжении первой недели или около того посетителей у нас не было) , and I had begun to think that my companion was as friendless a man as I was myself (и я начал подумывать, что у моего компаньона, как и у меня, не было друзей) . Presently, however, I found that he had many acquaintances (вскоре, однако, я обнаружил, что у него было множество знакомых) , and those in the most different classes of society (причем из самых различных слоев общества; class — общественный класс) . There was one little sallow rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow (был один щуплый тип с землистым крысиным лицом и темными глазами; little — маленький, небольшой; sallow — желтоватый, болезненный, землистый) who was introduced to me as Mr. Lestrade, and who came three or four times in a single week (он был мне представлен как мистер Лестрейд и приходил за одну неделю три или четыре раза) . One morning a young girl called (однажды утром нанесла визит молодая девушка) , fashionably dressed, and stayed for half an hour or more (модно одетая, и задержалась не менее чем на полчаса: «на полчаса или больше») . The same afternoon brought a grey-headed, seedy visitor, looking like a Jew pedlar (тот же день привел к нам седого потрепанного посетителя, похожего на еврея-лоточника; seedy — изношенный, обветшалый; pedlar — торговец вразнос) , who appeared to me to be much excited (который показался мне сильно взволнованным) , and who was closely followed by a slip-shod elderly woman (по пятам за которым явилась неряшливая пожилая женщина; closely — тесно, непосредственно; to follow — следовать, идти за; slipshod — неаккуратный, неряшливый) . On another occasion an old white-haired gentleman had an interview with my companion (приходил также престарелый седой джентльмен и о чем-то беседовал: «в другом случае престарелый седой джентльмен имел интервью» с моим компаньоном; occasion — случай, событие) ; and on another a railway porter in his velveteen uniform (а еще железнодорожный носильщик в своей вельветовой униформе) . When any of these nondescript individuals put in an appearance (когда являлся любой из этих непонятных посетителей; nondescript — не поддающийся описанию или классификации, трудноопределимый; to put in — входить; появляться; appearance — появление) , Sherlock Holmes used to beg for the use of the sitting-room (Шерлок Холмс обычно просил позволения использовать гостиную) , and I would retire to my bed-room (и я удалялся в свою спальню) . He always apologized to me for putting me to this inconvenience (он всегда извинялся за то, что доставлял такое неудобство; to put — класть, ставить) . "I have to use this room as a place of business," he said (мне приходится использовать эту комнату как рабочий кабинет: «место бизнеса», — сказал он) , "and these people are my clients (а все эти люди — мои клиенты) ." Again I had an opportunity of asking him a point blank question (опять у меня была возможность задать прямой вопрос; point blank — напрямую; to point — направлять; целиться; blank — яблочко у мишени) , and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me (и снова моя деликатность не позволила мне вынудить другого человека раскрывать свои секреты: «доверять мне»; to prevent — мешать, препятствовать; to confide — верить, доверять) . I imagined at the time that he had some strong reason for not alluding to it (я считал тогда, что у него была какая-то убедительная причина не упоминать, чем он занимается; to imagine — полагать, думать; strong — сильный, значительный; to allude — упоминать) , but he soon dispelled the idea by coming round to the subject of his own accord (но он вскоре развеял это заблуждение, затронув эту тему по собственной инициативе; idea — идея; мысль; to come round — обращаться; of one's own accord — по собственной воле, без принуждения) .

acquaintance [@'kweInt(@)ns], occasion [@'keIZ(@)n], client ['klaI@nt], idea [aI'dI@]

During the first week or so we had no callers, and I had begun to think that my companion was as friendless a man as I was myself. Presently, however, I found that he had many acquaintances, and those in the most different classes of society. There was one little sallow rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow who was introduced to me as Mr. Lestrade, and who came three or four times in a single week. One morning a young girl called, fashionably dressed, and stayed for half an hour or more. The same afternoon brought a grey-headed, seedy visitor, looking like a Jew pedlar, who appeared to me to be much excited, and who was closely followed by a slip-shod elderly woman. On another occasion an old white-haired gentleman had an interview with my companion; and on another a railway porter in his velveteen uniform. When any of these nondescript individuals put in an appearance, Sherlock Holmes used to beg for the use of the sitting-room, and I would retire to my bed-room. He always apologized to me for putting me to this inconvenience. "I have to use this room as a place of business," he said, "and these people are my clients." Again I had an opportunity of asking him a point blank question, and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me. I imagined at the time that he had some strong reason for not alluding to it, but he soon dispelled the idea by coming round to the subject of his own accord.