The Count shrugged his broad shoulders (граф пожал своими широкими плечами). "Then I must begin (тогда я должен начать)," said he, "by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years (связывая вас обоих абсолютной тайной = обязуя вас обоих сохранять абсолютную тайну два года); at the end of that time (по прошествии этого времени) the matter will be of no importance (дело будет никакой важности = не будет иметь значения). At present it is not too much to say (в настоящее время это не слишком много сказать = я могу без преувеличения сказать) that it is of such weight (что это /дело/ такого веса = настолько серьезно) it may have an influence upon European history (что может иметь влияние = повлиять на историю Европы)."
"I promise (я обещаю)," said Holmes.
"And I."
caught [kɔ:t], wrist [rɪst], shoulders [ˈʃǝuldǝz], secrecy [ˈsi:krɪsɪ], influence [ˈɪnfluǝns]
I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into my chair. "It is both, or none," said he. "You may say before this gentleman anything which you may say to me."
The Count shrugged his broad shoulders. "Then I must begin," said he, "by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years; at the end of that time the matter will be of no importance. At present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence upon European history."
"I promise," said Holmes.
"And I."
"You will excuse this mask (извините эту маску)," continued our strange visitor (продолжал наш странный посетитель). "The august person who employs me (августейшее лицо, у которого я на службе; to employ — нанимать) wishes his agent to be unknown to you (желает, чтобы его представитель был неизвестен для вас), and I may confess at once (и я могу признаться вместе с тем; to confess — исповедаться) that the title by which I have just called myself is not exactly my own (что титул, которым я себя только что назвал, не совсем точно мой собственный)."
excuse [ɪkˈskju:s], agent [eɪʤnt], title [taɪtl]
"I was aware of it (я знал об этом; to be aware of — осознавать)," said Holmes drily (сказал Холмс сухо).
"The circumstances are of great delicacy (обстоятельства очень щекотливые; great — великий), and every precaution has to be taken (и каждая предосторожность должна быть принята = необходимо принять все меры) to quench what might grow to be an immense scandal (чтобы подавить /то/ что может разрастись до огромного скандала; to grow — расти) and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of Europe (и серьезно скомпрометировать одну из царствующих династий Европы; family — семья). To speak plainly (говоря проще; plain — явный, прямой), the matter implicates the great House of Ormstein (это дело касается царствующего дома Ормштейнов; to implicate — вовлекать), hereditary kings of Bohemia (наследственных королей Богемии)."
circumstance [ˈsǝ:kǝmstæns], delicacy [ˈdelɪkǝsɪ], reigning [ˈreɪnɪŋ]
"You will excuse this mask," continued our strange visitor. "The august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to you, and I may confess at once that the title by which I have just called myself is not exactly my own."
"I was aware of it," said Holmes drily.
"The circumstances are of great delicacy, and every precaution has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense scandal and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of Europe. To speak plainly, the matter implicates the great House of Ormstein, hereditary kings of Bohemia."
"I was also aware of that (об этом я тоже знал)," murmured Holmes (пробормотал Холмс), settling himself down in his armchair and closing his eyes (устраиваясь /поудобнее/ в кресле и закрывая глаза).
aware [ǝˈwɛǝ], murmured [ˈmɜ:mǝd]
Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise (наш посетитель взглянул с видимым удивлением; apparent — явный) at the languid, lounging figure of the man (на вялую, развалившуюся фигуру человека; to lounge — сидеть развалясь) who had been no doubt depicted to him (который был, без сомнения, описан ему; to depict — изображать) as the most incisive reasoner (как самый проницательный мыслитель; incisive — острый, точный) and most energetic agent in Europe (и самый энергичный сыщик в Европе). Holmes slowly reopened his eyes (Холмс медленно снова открыл глаза; slow — медленный) and looked impatiently at his gigantic client (и посмотрел нетерпеливо на своего огромного клиента; patient — терпеливый).
apparent [ǝˈpærǝnt], languid [ˈlæŋɡwɪd], lounging [ˈlaunʤɪŋ], doubt [daut]
"If your Majesty would condescend to state your case (если ваше величество соизволит изложить свое дело)," he remarked (заметил он), "I should be better able to advise you (мне легче будет дать вам совет; to be able /to do something/ — быть способным /сделать что-либо/)."
condescend [kɔndɪˈsend], able [eɪbl]
"I was also aware of that," murmured Holmes, settling himself down in his armchair and closing his eyes.
Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid, lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him as the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe. Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his gigantic client.
"If your Majesty would condescend to state your case," he remarked, "I should be better able to advise you."
The man sprang from his chair (человек вскочил со стула; to spring — прыгать, вскакивать) and paced up and down the room (и зашагал по комнате; to pace — расхаживать) in uncontrollable agitation (в неконтролируемом возбуждении; to control — управлять). Then, with a gesture of desperation (затем, с жестом отчаяния), he tore the mask from his face (он сорвал маску со своего лица; to tear — рвать, срывать) and hurled it upon the ground (и швырнул ее на пол; ground — поверхность, основание). "You are right (вы правы)," he cried (вскричал он; to cry — плакать, кричать); "I am the King (я король). Why should I attempt to conceal it (почему я должен пытаться скрывать это; to attempt — делать попытку)?"
agitation [æʤɪˈteɪʃn], gesture [ˈʤestʃǝ], conceal [kǝnˈsi:l]
"Why, indeed (зачем, действительно)?" murmured Holmes (пробормотал Холмс). "Your Majesty had not spoken (ваше величество не заговорило) before I was aware that I was addressing (как я уже знал, что обращаюсь к; before — прежде чем) Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein (великому князю Кассель-Фельштейнскому), and hereditary King of Bohemia (и наследственному королю Богемии)."
majesty [ˈmæʤɪstɪ], hereditary [hɪˈredɪtǝrɪ]
The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in uncontrollable agitation. Then, with a gesture of desperation, he tore the mask from his face and hurled it upon the ground. "You are right," he cried; "I am the King. Why should I attempt to conceal it?"
"Why, indeed?" murmured Holmes. "Your Majesty had not spoken before I was aware that I was addressing Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein, and hereditary King of Bohemia."
"But you can understand (но вы можете понять = понимаете)," said our strange visitor (сказал наш странный посетитель), sitting down once more (снова садясь; to sit down — садиться) and passing his hand over his high white forehead (и проводя рукой по своему высокому белому лбу; forehead: fore- — пред-, head — голова), "you can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in my own person (что я не привык заниматься такими делами лично: «в моей личной персоне»; accustomed — привычный). Yet the matter was so delicate (однако дело было настолько щекотливым) that I could not confide it to an agent (что я не мог доверить его агенту) without putting myself in his power (без помещения самого себя в его власть = не рискуя оказаться в его власти). I have come incognito from Prague (я прибыл инкогнито из Праги) for the purpose of consulting you (чтобы посоветоваться с вами; for the purpose of — с целью)."
forehead [ˈfɒrɪd], confide [kǝnˈfaɪd], Prague [prɑ:ɡ]
"Then, pray consult (тогда, пожалуйста, советуйтесь)," said Holmes, shutting his eyes once more (закрывая глаза снова).
"The facts are briefly these (факты вкратце таковы; brief — короткий): Some five years ago (примерно пять лет назад), during a lengthy visit to Warsaw (во время продолжительного посещения Варшавы; length — длительность), I made the acquaintance of the well-known adventuress, Irene Adler (я сделал знакомство = познакомился с хорошо известной авантюристкой Ирэн Адлер; adventure — приключение, похождение). The name is no doubt familiar to you (имя, без сомнения, знакомо вам)."
briefly [ˈbri:flɪ], acquaintance [ǝˈkweɪntǝns], adventuress [ǝdˈventʃǝrɪs]
"But you can understand," said our strange visitor, sitting down once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead, "you can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in my own person. Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not confide it to an agent without putting myself in his power. I have come incognito from Prague for the purpose of consulting you."
"Then, pray consult," said Holmes, shutting his eyes once more.
"The facts are briefly these: Some five years ago, during a lengthy visit to Warsaw, I made the acquaintance of the well-known adventuress, Irene Adler. The name is no doubt familiar to you."
"Kindly look her up in my index, Doctor (будьте любезны, посмотрите ее в моем каталоге, доктор; kind — добрый)," murmured Holmes without opening his eyes (пробормотал Холмс, не открывая глаз: «без открывания своих глаз»). For many years he had adopted a system of docketing all paragraphs (много лет назад он завел систему написания всех заметок; to adopt — усыновлять, принимать; to docket — делать надпись на документе) concerning men and things (касающихся людей и вещей), so that it was difficult to name a subject or a person (поэтому было трудно назвать объект или лицо) on which he could not at once furnish information (о которых он не мог сразу же предоставить информацию). In this case I found her biography (в данном случае я нашел ее биографию) sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a staff-commander (помещенную между той = биографией еврейского раввина и той = биографией начальника штаба; staff-commander: staff — штаб, commander — командир, начальник) who had written a monograph upon the deep-sea fishes (который написал монографию о глубоководных рыбах; deep — глубокий; sea — море).
