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

observe [@b'z@:v], curb [k@:b], clay [kleI], eye [aI]

"There's no room for a mistake," he answered. "The very first thing which I observed on arriving there was that a cab had made two ruts with its wheels close to the curb. Now, up to last night, we have had no rain for a week, so that those wheels which left such a deep impression must have been there during the night. There were the marks of the horse's hoofs, too, the outline of one of which was far more clearly cut than that of the other three, showing that that was a new shoe. Since the cab was there after the rain began, and was not there at any time during the morning — I have Gregson's word for that — it follows that it must have been there during the night, and, therefore, that it brought those two individuals to the house."

"That seems simple enough," said I; "but how about the other man's height?"

"Why, the height of a man, in nine cases out of ten, can be told from the length of his stride. It is a simple calculation enough, though there is no use my boring you with figures. I had this fellow's stride both on the clay outside and on the dust within. Then I had a way of checking my calculation. When a man writes on a wall, his instinct leads him to write about the level of his own eyes. Now that writing was just over six feet from the ground. It was child's play."

"And his age (а его возраст) ?" I asked.

"Well, if a man can stride four and a-half feet without the smallest effort (ну, если человек без малейшего труда шагает на четыре с половиной фута; effort — усилие) , he can't be quite in the sere and yellow (он не может быть так уж стар; sere = sear — сухой; иссохший; увядший; in the sere and yellow — старость: «увядший и пожелтевший»; аллюзия на «Макбета» Шекспира: "…I have liv'd long enough: my way of life Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf…" — …Я жил достаточно. Мой путь земной Сошел под сень сухих и желтых листьев /перевод М. Лозинского/) . That was the breadth of a puddle on the garden walk which he had evidently walked across (это ширина лужи посреди дорожки к дому: «на садовой дорожке», которую он, очевидно, перешагнул) . Patent-leather boots had gone round, and Square-toes had hopped over (Лакированные ботинки обошли ее, а Квадратные носки перепрыгнули) . There is no mystery about it at all (ничего загадочного) . I am simply applying to ordinary life a few of those precepts of observation and deduction (я просто применяю в обыденной жизни некоторые из тех рецептов по умению наблюдать и делать выводы) which I advocated in that article (которые я пропагандировал в той статье) . Is there anything else that puzzles you (вас еще что-нибудь озадачивает) ?"

"The finger nails and the Trichinopoly," I suggested (ногти и трихинопольский табак, — предложил я) .

sere [sI@], breadth [bredT], precept ['pri:sept]

"And his age?" I asked.

"Well, if a man can stride four and a-half feet without the smallest effort, he can't be quite in the sere and yellow. That was the breadth of a puddle on the garden walk which he had evidently walked across. Patent-leather boots had gone round, and Square-toes had hopped over. There is no mystery about it at all. I am simply applying to ordinary life a few of those precepts of observation and deduction which I advocated in that article. Is there anything else that puzzles you?"

"The finger nails and the Trichinopoly," I suggested.

"The writing on the wall was done with a man's forefinger dipped in blood (надпись на стене сделана указательным пальцем, который окунули в кровь) . My glass allowed me to observe that the plaster was slightly scratched in doing it (моя лупа позволила мне заметить, что штукатурка была слегка поцарапана при ее нанесении: «при совершении этого») , which would not have been the case if the man's nail had been trimmed (чего бы не случилось: «что не было бы этим случаем», если бы ногти человека были коротко острижены; to trim — подрезать, подстригать) . I gathered up some scattered ash from the floor (я собрал немного пепла с пола; to scatter — разбрасывать, рассыпать) . It was dark in colour and flakey (он был темного цвета и хлопьями; flakes — хлопья) — such an ash as is only made by a Trichinopoly (такой пепел оставляет только трихинопольский табак) . I have made a special study of cigar ashes (я специально изучал сигарный пепел) — in fact, I have written a monograph upon the subject (вообще-то, я написал монографию на эту тему) . I flatter myself that I can distinguish at a glance the ash of any known brand (я льщу себя, что я могу с первого взгляда определить пепел табака любой распространенной: «известной» марки; to distinguish — находить отличия; различать, распознавать) , either of cigar or of tobacco (как сигарного, так и трубочного; tobacco — табак) . It is just in such details that the skilled detective differs from the Gregson and Lestrade type (как раз такими мелочами квалифицированный детектив отличается от детективов типа Грегсона и Лестрейда; skill — искусство, мастерство, умение; ловкость, сноровка) ."

"And the florid face?" I asked (а налитое кровью лицо, — спросил я) .

"Ah, that was a more daring shot (а, это было более смелое предположение; to dare — отваживаться, осмеливаться; daring — смелый; дерзкий; shot — предположение, догадка) , though I have no doubt that I was right (хотя у меня нет сомнений, что я прав) . You must not ask me that at the present state of the affair (не спрашиваете меня: «вам не следует спрашивать меня» об этом на текущей стадии дела) ."

special ['speS(@)l], cigar [sI'gA:], tobacco [t@'b&k@u]

"The writing on the wall was done with a man's forefinger dipped in blood. My glass allowed me to observe that the plaster was slightly scratched in doing it, which would not have been the case if the man's nail had been trimmed. I gathered up some scattered ash from the floor. It was dark in colour and flakey — such an ash as is only made by a Trichinopoly. I have made a special study of cigar ashes — in fact, I have written a monograph upon the subject. I flatter myself that I can distinguish at a glance the ash of any known brand, either of cigar or of tobacco. It is just in such details that the skilled detective differs from the Gregson and Lestrade type."