incoherent [ˌɪnkǝuˈhɪǝr(ǝ)nt], terrify [ˈterɪfaɪ], trouble [trʌbl]
" ‘My heart grew light when I saw him drive away. My son is on leave just now, but I did not tell him anything of all this, for his temper is violent, and he is passionately fond of his sister. When I closed the door behind them a load seemed to be lifted from my mind. Alas, in less than an hour there was a ring at the bell, and I learned that Mr. Drebber had returned. He was much excited, and evidently the worse for drink. He forced his way into the room, where I was sitting with my daughter, and made some incoherent remark about having missed his train. He then turned to Alice, and before my very face, proposed to her that she should fly with him. "You are of age," he said, "and there is no law to stop you. I have money enough and to spare. Never mind the old girl here, but come along with me now straight away. You shall live like a princess." Poor Alice was so frightened that she shrunk away from him, but he caught her by the wrist and endeavoured to draw her towards the door. I screamed, and at that moment my son Arthur came into the room. What happened then I do not know. I heard oaths and the confused sounds of a scuffle. I was too terrified to raise my head. When I did look up I saw Arthur standing in the doorway laughing, with a stick in his hand. "I don't think that fine fellow will trouble us again," he said. "I will just go after him and see what he does with himself." With those words he took his hat and started off down the street. The next morning we heard of Mr. Drebber's mysterious death.’
"This statement came from Mrs. Charpentier's lips with many gasps and pauses (это признание прозвучало с губ миссис Шарпентье со многим вздохами и паузами; statement — показания; дача показаний; gasp — судорожный вдох). At times she spoke so low that I could hardly catch the words (временами она говорила так тихо, что я едва мог разобрать ее слова; to catch — уловить, схватить, понять). I made shorthand notes of all that she said, however (однако я делал стенографические заметки того, что она говорила), so that there should be no possibility of a mistake (так что вряд ли тут возможна ошибка)."
"It's quite exciting," said Sherlock Holmes, with a yawn (захватывающий рассказ: «это совершенно захватывающе», — зевнув, сказал Шерлок Холмс). "What happened next (что случилось дальше)?"
"When Mrs. Charpentier paused," the detective continued (когда миссис Шарпентье замолчала, — продолжал детектив; to pause — делать паузу, останавливаться), "I saw that the whole case hung upon one point (я понял, что все дело зависело от одного обстоятельства; to hang on — зависеть от; point — пункт, момент). Fixing her with my eye in a way (пристально посмотрев ей в глаза тем особенным манером; to fix — фиксировать; устремлять /взгляд/) which I always found effective with women (который, я всегда считал, безотказно действует на женщин: «я всегда находил эффективным с женщинами»), I asked her at what hour her son returned (я спросил ее, в каком часу вернулся ее сын).
" ‘I do not know,’ she answered (я не знаю, — ответила она).
" ‘Not know (не знаете)?’
gasp [ɡɑ:sp], pause [pɔ:z], effective [ɪˈfektɪv], women [ˈwɪmɪn]
"This statement came from Mrs. Charpentier's lips with many gasps and pauses. At times she spoke so low that I could hardly catch the words. I made shorthand notes of all that she said, however, so that there should be no possibility of a mistake."
"It's quite exciting," said Sherlock Holmes, with a yawn. "What happened next?"
"When Mrs. Charpentier paused," the detective continued, "I saw that the whole case hung upon one point. Fixing her with my eye in a way which I always found effective with women, I asked her at what hour her son returned.
"`I do not know,' she answered.
"`Not know?'
" ‘No; he has a latch-key, and he let himself in (нет, у него свой ключ, он сам отпер дверь; to let in — допускать, впускать; latch-key — ключ от американского замка; latch — щеколда, засов, защелка, задвижка, шпингалет; дверной замок /с задвижкой и защелкой/)).’
" ‘After you went to bed (после того, как вы легли спать)?’
" ‘Yes (да).’
" ‘When did you go to bed (когда вы легли спать)?’
" ‘About eleven (около одиннадцати).’
" ‘So your son was gone at least two hours (таким образом, ваш сын отсутствовал по крайней мере два часа)?’
" ‘Yes (да).’
" ‘Possibly four or five (а возможно, четыре или пять)?’
" ‘Yes (да).’
" ‘What was he doing during that time (что он делал все это время)?’
" ‘I do not know,’ she answered, turning white to her very lips (я не знаю, — ответила она, побледнев так, что даже губы побелели: «побледнев до самых своих губ»).
hour [auǝ], four [fɔ:]
" ‘No; he has a latch-key, and he let himself in.’
" ‘After you went to bed?’
" ‘Yes.’
" ‘When did you go to bed?’
" ‘About eleven.’
" ‘So your son was gone at least two hours?’
" ‘Yes.’
" ‘Possibly four or five?'
" ‘Yes.’
" ‘What was he doing during that time?’
" ‘I do not know,’ she answered, turning white to her very lips.
"Of course after that there was nothing more to be done (конечно, после этого делать там было больше нечего). I found out where Lieutenant Charpentier was (я узнал, где находился лейтенант Шарпентье), took two officers with me, and arrested him (взял с собой двоих полицейских и арестовал его; officer — должностное лицо; служащий; officer = police officer — полицейский, служащий полиции). When I touched him on the shoulder and warned him to come quietly with us (когда я тронул его за плечо и предложил тихо пройти с нами; to warn — предупреждать; извещать, оповещать), he answered us as bold as brass (он смело/нагло заявил; as bold as brass — смелый, бесстрашный; наглый, напористый: «столь же наглый, как медь»), ‘I suppose you are arresting me for being concerned in the death of that scoundrel Drebber,’ he said (я полагаю, что вы арестовываете меня по обвинению в причастности к смерти этого негодяя Дреббера, — сказал он). We had said nothing to him about it (мы ничего ему об этом не сказали), so that his alluding to it had a most suspicious aspect (так что то, что он сам об этом упомянул, выглядит очень подозрительно: «его упоминание об этом имело самый подозрительный вид»)."
"Very (очень)," said Holmes.
"He still carried the heavy stick which the mother described him as having with him when he followed Drebber (с ним по-прежнему была тяжелая трость, которую упомянула его мать, сказав, что он отправился вслед за Дреббером; to carry — носить; to describe — описывать, рассказывать). It was a stout oak cudgel (прочная толстая дубовая палка; cudgel — дубина, толстая деревянная палка)."
"What is your theory, then (и какова же ваша теория тогда)?"
touch [tʌʧ], warn [wɔ:n], bold [bǝuld]
"Of course after that there was nothing more to be done. I found out where Lieutenant Charpentier was, took two officers with me, and arrested him. When I touched him on the shoulder and warned him to come quietly with us, he answered us as bold as brass, ‘I suppose you are arresting me for being concerned in the death of that scoundrel Drebber,’ he said. We had said nothing to him about it, so that his alluding to it had a most suspicious aspect."
"Very," said Holmes.
"He still carried the heavy stick which the mother described him as having with him when he followed Drebber. It was a stout oak cudgel."
"What is your theory, then?"
"Well, my theory is that he followed Drebber as far as the Brixton Road (ну, моя теория заключается в том, что он последовал за Дреббером до Брикстон-роуд). When there, a fresh altercation arose between them (оказавшись там, между ними вспыхнула новая ссора; fresh — свежий; to arise — возникать; происходить), in the course of which Drebber received a blow from the stick (в ходе которой Дреббер получил удар палкой), in the pit of the stomach, perhaps (в солнечное сплетение, возможно; pit — яма, углубление; stomach — желудок; pit of the stomach — надчревье, надчревный отдел, эпигастральная область), which killed him without leaving any mark (что и убило его, не оставив следов). The night was so wet that no one was about (ночь была такой ненастной, что никого поблизости не было; wet — дождливый, сырой), so Charpentier dragged the body of his victim into the empty house (так что Шарпентье втащил тело своей жертвы в пустой дом). As to the candle (что же касается свечи), and the blood (крови), and the writing on the wall (надписи на стене), and the ring (и кольца), they may all be so many tricks to throw the police on to the wrong scent (они все, возможно, просто трюки, чтобы направить полицию по ложному следу; to throw — бросать, отбрасывать)."
"Well done!" said Holmes in an encouraging voice (превосходная работа: «хорошо сделано»! — одобрительно сказал Холмс: «одобряющим голосом»; to encourage — ободрять; поощрять, поддерживать; courage — смелость). "Really, Gregson, you are getting along (правда, Грегсон, вы делаете успехи; to get along — справляться с делом; преуспевать). We shall make something of you yet (мы сделаем из вас настоящего профессионала: «мы еще сделаем из вас нечто»)."
altercation [ˌɔ:ltǝˈkeɪʃ(ǝ)n], stomach [ˈstʌmǝk], wrong [rɔŋ], scent [sent]
"Well, my theory is that he followed Drebber as far as the Brixton Road. When there, a fresh altercation arose between them, in the course of which Drebber received a blow from the stick, in the pit of the stomach, perhaps, which killed him without leaving any mark. The night was so wet that no one was about, so Charpentier dragged the body of his victim into the empty house. As to the candle, and the blood, and the writing on the wall, and the ring, they may all be so many tricks to throw the police on to the wrong scent."
"Well done!" said Holmes in an encouraging voice. "Really, Gregson, you are getting along. We shall make something of you yet."
"I flatter myself that I have managed it rather neatly," the detective answered proudly (льщу себя мыслью, что я умело это провернул, — гордо ответил детектив; to flatter — тешить, льстить себя; to manage — ухитриться, умудриться, суметь сделать; neatly — ловко, искусно, умело). "The young man volunteered a statement (молодой человек сделал добровольное заявление; to volunteer — вызваться добровольно), in which he said that after following Drebber some time (в котором он сказал, что, после того как он следовал за Дреббером некоторое время), the latter perceived him (тот его заметил; latter — последний из двух названных; to perceive — ощущать, чувствовать), and took a cab in order to get away from him (и подозвал кеб, чтобы улизнуть от него). On his way home he met an old shipmate, and took a long walk with him (по дороге домой он встретил старого товарища по службе и совершил с ним долгую прогулку; shipmate — товарищ по плаванию). On being asked where this old shipmate lived (будучи спрошен, где жил этот старый товарищ по службе), he was unable to give any satisfactory reply (он был не в состоянии дать удовлетворительный ответ). I think the whole case fits together uncommonly well (я думаю, что все дело состыковывается на редкость хорошо). What amuses me is to think of Lestrade (больше всего меня забавит мысль о Лестрейде), who had started off upon the wrong scent (который отправился по совершенно ложному следу; to start off — начинать путешествие). I am afraid he won't make much of (боюсь, он не особенно: «он не сделает много из…»)—— Why, by Jove, here's the very man himself (о, смотрите-ка: «клянусь Юпитером», да вот и он сам)!"
