“‘You also,’ said a voice, and suddenly I was being forced towards the grave. I struggled, shouted, appealed to the mourners, but they continued stonily following the service; the old clergyman, too, never faltered droning and sniffing through the ritual. I realised I was invisible and inaudible, that overwhelming forces had their grip on me. I struggled in vain, I was forced over the brink, the coffin rang hollow as I fell upon it, and the gravel came flying after me in spadefuls. Nobody heeded me, nobody was aware of me. I made convulsive struggles and awoke.
“The pale London dawn had come (бледная лондонская заря уже занялась), the place was full of a chilly grey light (магазин наполнился холодным серым светом; chill — холод, холодная погода) that filtered round the edges of the window blinds (проникавшим сквозь щели между оконными шторами; to filter —фильтровать; проникать, просачиваться; edge — кромка, край). I sat up, and for a time I could not think (я сел и некоторое время не мог сообразить) where this ample apartment (где может быть это = чтоэтоза просторное помещение), with its counters (с прилавками), its piles of rolled stuff (штабелями свернутых тканей), its heap of quilts and cushions (с грудой пуховых одеял и диванных подушек), its iron pillars, might be (и железными столбами). Then, as recollection came back to me (затем, когда память вернулась ко мне = вспомнив все; recollection — воспоминание; память), I heard voices in conversation (я услышал голоса; conversation — разговор, беседа).
“Then far down the place, in the brighter light of some department (затем далеко, в более освещенном отделе) which had already raised its blinds (где уже подняли шторы), I saw two men approaching (я увидел двоих людей, приближавшихся /ко мне/). I scrambled to my feet, looking about me for some way of escape (я вскочил на ноги, оглядываясь в поисках пути для бегства), and even as I did so the sound of my movement made them aware of me (и как только я это сделал, звук моего движения выдал им мое присутствие; aware — осведомленный, знающий). I suppose they saw merely a figure moving quietly and quickly away (думаю, они увидели только проворно и тихо удалявшуюся фигуру; to move away — удаляться, уезжать).
cushion [`kuS(q)n], already [Ll`redI], merely [`mIqlI]
“The pale London dawn had come, the place was full of a chilly grey light that filtered round the edges of the window blinds. I sat up, and for a time I could not think where this ample apartment, with its counters, its piles of rolled stuff, its heap of quilts and cushions, its iron pillars, might be. Then, as recollection came back to me, I heard voices in conversation.
“Then far down the place, in the brighter light of some department which had already raised its blinds, I saw two men approaching. I scrambled to my feet, looking about me for some way of escape, and even as I did so the sound of my movement made them aware of me. I suppose they saw merely a figure moving quietly and quickly away.
‘Who’s that (кто там)?’ cried one (крикнул один), and ‘Stop, there (а ну стой)!’ shouted the other (закричал другой). I dashed around a corner and came full tilt (я бросился за угол и налетел; full tilt — вовесьопор, изовсехсил) — a faceless figure, mind you (не забывайте, /я был/ безликой фигурой)! — on a lanky lad of fifteen (на долговязого паренька лет пятнадцати). He yelled and I bowled him over, rushed past him (он пронзительно вскрикнул, я сбил его с ног, понесся мимо), turned another corner, and by a happy inspiration threw myself behind a counter (свернул еще за угол и, осененный блестящей идеей, кинулся за прилавок; inspiration — вдохновение, воодушевление; вдохновляющаяидея). In another moment feet went running past and I heard voices shouting (через минуту раздались шаги бежавших мимо людей, и я услышал голоса, кричавшие), ‘All hands to the doors (все к дверям; hand — работник)!’ asking what was ‘up (спрашивавшие, в чем дело),’ and giving one another advice how to catch me (и дававшие друг другу советы, как меня поймать).
“Lying on the ground, I felt scared out of my wits (я лежал на полу, напуганный до смерти; outofone'swits— обезумевший, вне себя: «вне своего разума, вне своей способности соображать»). But — odd as it may seem (но, как это ни странно) — it did not occur to me at the moment to take off my clothes as I should have done (мне не пришло в голову в ту минуту снять одежду, как следовало бы сделать). I had made up my mind, I suppose, to get away in them, and that ruled me (я решил уйти в одежде, и эта мысль управляла = завладеламной; to make up one’s mind — принятьрешение, решиться). And then down the vista of the counters came a bawling of ‘Here he is (потом по проходу между прилавками разнесся крик во всю глотку: «Вот он»; vista — аллея, вереница)!’
occur [q`kq:], vista [`vIstq], bawling [`bLlIN]
‘Who’s that?’ cried one, and ‘Stop, there!’ shouted the other. I dashed around a corner and came full tilt — a faceless figure, mind you! — on a lanky lad of fifteen. He yelled and I bowled him over, rushed past him, turned another corner, and by a happy inspiration threw myself behind a counter. In another moment feet went running past and I heard voices shouting, ‘All hands to the doors!’ asking what was ‘up,’ and giving one another advice how to catch me.
“Lying on the ground, I felt scared out of my wits. But — odd as it may seem — it did not occur to me at the moment to take off my clothes as I should have done. I had made up my mind, I suppose, to get away in them, and that ruled me. And then down the vista of the counters came a bawling of ‘Here he is!’
“I sprang to my feet, whipped a chair off the counter (я вскочил на ноги, схватил с прилавка стул), and sent it whirling at the fool who had shouted (и запустил им в болвана, который крикнул /это/), turned, came into another round a corner (повернулся, наткнулся на другого за углом), sent him spinning, and rushed up the stairs (отшвырнул его и бросился вверх по лестнице; to spin — крутить/ся/, вертеть/ся/). He kept his footing, gave a view hallo (он устоял на ногах, улюлюкнул; view halloo — улюлю!, ату!), and came up the staircase hot after me (и яростно погнался за мной по лестнице; hot — горячий; пылкий, неистовый, разгоряченный). Up the staircase were piled a multitude of those bright-coloured pot things — what are they (на верху лестницы кучами стояли эти ярко раскрашенные посудины, как их там; multitude — большоечисло, множество; pot — горшок, котелок)?”
“Art pots (декоративные горшки; art— искусство, художество),” suggested Kemp (подсказал Кемп).
“That’s it (точно)! Art pots (декоративные горшки). Well, I turned at the top step and swung round (я обернулся на верхней ступеньке), plucked one out of a pile and smashed it on his silly head as he came at me (выхватил из кучи горшок и разбил его о его глупую голову, когда он подбежал ко мне; topluck— срывать /цветы/; вырывать, дергать). The whole pile of pots went headlong (вся куча горшков рухнула), and I heard shouting and footsteps running from all parts (и я услышал крики и шаги бежавших со всех сторон /служащих/). I made a mad rush for the refreshment place (я бросился со всех ног: «сделал сумасшедший рывок» в закусочную), and there was a man in white like a man cook, who took up the chase (и там был человек в белом, вроде повара, который присоединился к погоне; totakeup— браться за; подхватить).
multitude [`mAltItjHd], staircase [`steqkeIs], suggested [sq`GestId]
“I sprang to my feet, whipped a chair off the counter, and sent it whirling at the fool who had shouted, turned, came into another round a corner, sent him spinning, and rushed up the stairs. He kept his footing, gave a view hallo, and came up the staircase hot after me. Up the staircase were piled a multitude of those bright-coloured pot things — what are they?”
“Art pots,” suggested Kemp.
“That’s it! Art pots. Well, I turned at the top step and swung round, plucked one out of a pile and smashed it on his silly head as he came at me. The whole pile of pots went headlong, and I heard shouting and footsteps running from all parts. I made a mad rush for the refreshment place, and there was a man in white like a man cook, who took up the chase.
“I made one last desperate turn and found myself among lamps and ironmongery (я сделал последний отчаянный поворот и оказался среди ламп и скобяных изделий). I went behind the counter of this (я забежал за прилавок), and waited for my cook (подождал повара), and as he bolted in at the head of the chase (и, когда он стрелой ворвался, возглавляя погоню; to bolt — быстродвигаться; нестисьстрелой, убегать; bolt — арбалетная стрела; at the head of — воглаве), I doubled him up with a lamp (я пустил в него лампой, он скрючился; to double up — скрючить/ся/, складывать/ся/ вдвое). Down he went, and I crouched down behind the counter (он упал, а я согнулся за прилавком; to crouch — припадатькземле; сгибаться, сжиматься) and began whipping off my clothes as fast as I could (и начал как можно быстрее сбрасывать с себя одежду). Coat, jacket, trousers, shoes were all right (пальто, куртка, брюки и башмаки снялись быстро), but a lambswool vest fits a man like a skin (но шерстяная фуфайка сидит как кожа = словно прилипла ко мне). I heard more men coming (я услышал, как идут другие), my cook was lying quiet on the other side of the counter (повар лежал неподвижно по другую сторону прилавка), stunned or scared speechless (оглушенный или перепуганный до потери сознания: «до немоты»), and I had to make another dash for it (мне нужно было снова броситься к нему), like a rabbit hunted out of a wood-pile (как кролику, выгнанному из поленницы).
