Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Первый сборник рассказов (ASCII-IPA)

schoolmaster ['sku:lmA:st@], article ['A:tIkl], volunteered [vA.l@n'tI@d], amateur ['&m@t(S)@]

"God bless you!" cried the prisoner passionately. "I would have endured imprisonment, aye, even execution, rather than have left my miserable secret as a family blot to my children.

"You are the first who have ever heard my story. My father was a schoolmaster in Chesterfield, where I received an excellent education. I travelled in my youth, took to the stage, and finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London. One day my editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the metropolis, and I volunteered to supply them. There was the point from which all my adventures started. It was only by trying begging as an amateur that I could get the facts upon which to base my articles. When an actor I had, of course, learned all the secrets of making up, and had been famous in the greenroom for my skill. I took advantage now of my attainments. I painted my face, and to make myself as pitiable as possible I made a good scar and fixed one side of my lip in a twist by the aid of a small slip of flesh-colored plaster. Then with a red head of hair, and an appropriate dress, I took my station in the business part of the city, ostensibly as a match-seller but really as a beggar. For seven hours I plied my trade, and when I returned home in the evening I found, to my surprise, that I had received no less than 26 shillings and fourpence.

"I wrote my articles (написал статьи) and thought little more of the matter until (почти позабыл об этом, пока) , some time later (некоторое время спустя) , I backed a bill for a friend (поручился заплатить за приятеля: «поддержал счет»; bill — счет) and had a writ served upon me for 25 pounds (получил извещение, врученное мне на /уплату/ 25 фунтов) . I was at my wit's end (понятия не имел: «был на краю ума») where to get the money (где достать деньги) , but a sudden idea came to me (неожиданная идея пришла ко мне) . I begged a fortnight's grace from the creditor (попросил двухнедельную отсрочку у кредитора) , asked for a holiday from my employers (попросил об отпуске у работодателей) , and spent the time (провел это время) in begging in the City (нищенствуя в Сити) under my disguise (под маскировкой = переодетым; to disguise — переодевать, маскировать) . In ten days (за десять дней) I had the money and had paid the debt (уплатил долг) .

idea [aI'dI@], fortnight ['fO:tnaIt], employers [Im'plOI@z], debt [det]

"I wrote my articles and thought little more of the matter until, some time later, I backed a bill for a friend and had a writ served upon me for 25 pounds. I was at my wit's end where to get the money, but a sudden idea came to me. I begged a fortnight's grace from the creditor, asked for a holiday from my employers, and spent the time in begging in the City under my disguise. In ten days I had the money and had paid the debt.

"Well, you can imagine (можете представить) how hard it was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds a week (как трудно было засесть за тяжелую работу за два фунта в неделю) when I knew that I could earn as much in a day (мог бы заработать столько же за день) by smearing my face with a little paint (вымазав лицо небольшим количеством краски) , laying my cap on the ground (положив кепку на землю) , and sitting still (и сидя тихо) . It was a long fight (долгая борьба) between my pride and the money (между моей гордостью и деньгами) , but the dollars won at last (деньги: «доллары» победили в конце концов; to win) , and I threw up reporting (забросил репортерство) and sat day after day in the corner (сидел день за днем на углу) which I had first chosen (который я /с самого/ начала выбрал) , inspiring pity by my ghastly face (внушая жалость жутким/наводящим ужас лицом) and filling my pockets with coppers (и наполняя карманы медяками) . Only one man knew my secret (только один человек знал мою тайну) . He was the keeper of a low den (владелец низкопробного: «низкого» притона) in which I used to lodge (в котором я снимал комнату) in Swandam Lane, where I could every morning emerge as a squalid beggar (где я мог каждое утро появляться как грязный нищий) and in the evenings transform myself (по вечерам превращаться) into a well-dressed man about town (в хорошо одетого городского человека: «около города»; about town — известный; светский) . This fellow (этот парень) , a Lascar, was well paid by me for his rooms (хорошо получал от меня за свои комнаты) , so that I knew that my secret was safe in his possession (потому я знал, что моя тайна была в безопасности в его владении = он ничего никому не скажет) .

arduous ['A:dju@s], inspiring [In'spaI@rIN], possession [p@'zeSn]

"Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds a week when I knew that I could earn as much in a day by smearing my face with a little paint, laying my cap on the ground, and sitting still. It was a long fight between my pride and the money, but the dollars won at last, and I threw up reporting and sat day after day in the corner which I had first chosen, inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets with coppers. Only one man knew my secret. He was the keeper of a low den in which I used to lodge in Swandam Lane, where I could every morning emerge as a squalid beggar and in the evenings transform myself into a well-dressed man about town. This fellow, a Lascar, was well paid by me for his rooms, so that I knew that my secret was safe in his possession.

"Well, very soon I found (очень скоро я обнаружил) that I was saving considerable sums of money (что я откладывал значительные суммы денег; to save — спасать, сохранять; экономить) . I do not mean (не имею в виду = не думаю) that any beggar in the streets of London could earn (мог заработать) 700 pounds a year — which is less than my average takings (что меньше, чем мои средние сборы) — but I had exceptional advantages (исключительные преимущества) in my power of making up (в моем мастерстве гримирования) , and also in a facility of repartee (в способности остроумия) , which improved by practice (которое улучшилось практикой) and made me quite a recognized character in the City (сделало меня довольно узнаваемым персонажем в Сити) . All day a stream of pennies (весь день поток пенсов) , varied by silver (вперемешку с серебром) , poured in upon me (лился на меня) , and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take 2 pounds (и я считал неудачным тот день, в который я не мог собрать двух фунтов) .