Елизавета Хейнонен - The Mysterious Disappearance of the Chevalier Valmont

Странный посетитель вернул заплечный мешок под стол и поднялся. Чтобы пройти через дверь, ему пришлось согнуться пополам. За судьбу мешка он не опасался: там, где тот находился, ему ничего не грозило. Никто не посмеет к нему прикоснуться.

Оказавшись снаружи, он распрямился и зашагал по направлению к окутанной мраком большой дороге.

In the meantime, the carriage with a single passenger had reached the spot at which an invisible passage split off from the main road, leading to the inn. In his right hand, the passenger clutched a revolver. He knew better than to believe (12)that the mere sight of a weapon could scare off a band of robbers, but it did help ease his fears (13), nonetheless.

in the meantimeтем временем, между тем; carriageкарета; singleединственный; spotместо; invisibleневидимый, незаметный; passage здесь: дорожка, тропинка; split offотделяться; clutchсжимать; the mere sightодин только вид; weaponоружие; scare offотпугнуть, спугнуть; bandбанда, шайка; ease fearsунять страх, ослабить чувство страха; nonethelessтем не менее, всё же

Suddenly, the carriage stopped. The passenger stuck out his head to ask the driver what had happened, but the only thing he could see was a dark figure dashing away toward the forest.

A moment later, a black shadow appeared outside the window, blocking his view of the forest. Instead, the passenger saw a wide grin, aggressively bristling whiskers, and a black eye patch over the right eye of a terrible monster.

stick out(stuck; stuck) высунуть; dash awayмчаться, нестись прочь; shadowтень; block the viewзагораживать вид; insteadвместо этого ( здесь: вместо леса); grinухмылка, bristling whiskersощетинившиеся усы

The passenger felt his limbs become stiff with fear. For some time, he just sat there, unable to take his gaze off the terrible monster facing him. The monster, in turn, studied his victim with his only working eye, and grinned even wider – a sardonic, self-satisfied grin.

“I must run off! Flee this place!” the panic-stricken passenger thought to himself.

limbчлен, конечность (тела), рука или нога; become stiffцепенеть, деревенеть; unableне в состоянии; gazeпристальный взгляд ◊ take his gaze off sb/sthотвести взгляд от кого-либо или чего-либо; face sb здесь: стоять напротив кого-либо; in turnв свою очередь; victimжертва; self-satisfiedсамодовольный; run offбежать ( в спешке и без предупреждения ); flee(fled; fled) бежать ( от опасности ), спасаться бегством, драпать; panic-strickenохваченный паникой

He felt around for the door handle. As he did so, the revolver he had been holding in his hand fell to the floor, and went off.

“If you’re trying to scare me, forget it,” meowed the monster, showing his large teeth. “Your popgun won’t do you any good, pal. Better think of your immortal soul, for your last hour has come.”

feel around(felt; felt) искать ощупью, шарить; door handleдверная ручка; go off здесь: внезапно выстрелить; scareпугать, напугать; meowмяукать; popgunпугач; do good здесь: помогать; palприятель; immortalбессмертный; soulдуша; for здесь: потому что, ибо

“Please, have mercy!” the passenger begged. “Take whatever you want. (14)Here, take this ring. It is quite expensive!”

He started to take off the ring, but with little success.

“Don’t bother,” said the monster. “The robbers will take it off your finger. They will be here quite soon, I presume. But by that time, you will long be dead. As for me, I’m not interested in petty knick-knacks. It’s moments like this that add purpose to my life. To watch my victim tremble in fear – that’s what I live for. And, as much as I’d love to prolong this moment – beautiful as it is – I’m afraid that we may soon be interrupted by one of these vulgar creatures who make a living out of robbing others.”

mercyпощада, милосердие ◊ have mercyпощадить, смилостивиться; begмолить, умолять; bother здесь: суетиться; presumeполагать; pettyпустячный, незначительный ◊ petty knick-knacksфинтифлюшки; add purposeпридавать смысл; tremble in fearдрожать от страха; as much as I would loveкак бы мне не хотелось; prolongпродлевать; interruptперебить; vulgarвульгарный, плебейский; make a living out of sthзарабатывать на жизнь чем-либо

The passenger stopped fumbling with the ring. He just sat there, spellbound, listening to the monster.

Meanwhile, the cat continued:

“I will put my paw around your trembling body – like this. Then, I will put my other paw around your neck. One quick movement – and your squeaking will cease, forever. Just think about it: forever! It means that you will never get to taste new varieties of cheese, never get to kiss your little mouse wife…” (15)