routing [`rautIN], stealthy [`stelTI], revolver [rI`vOlvq]
“I resolved to explore the house, and spent some time in doing so as noiselessly as possible. The house was very old and tumble-down, damp so that the paper in the attics was peeling from the walls, and rat infested. Some of the door handles were stiff and I was afraid to turn them. Several rooms I did inspect were unfurnished, and others were littered with theatrical lumber, bought second-hand, I judged, from its appearance. In one room next to his I found a lot of old clothes. I began routing among these, and in my eagerness forgot again the evident sharpness of his ears. I heard a stealthy footstep and, looking up just in time, saw him peering in at the tumbled heap and holding an old-fashioned revolver in his hand. I stood perfectly still while he stared about open-mouthed and suspicious. ‘It must have been her,’ he said slowly. ‘Damn her!’
“He shut the door quietly, and immediately I heard the key turn in the lock (он тихо закрыл дверь и сразу же я услышал, как в замке повернулся ключ). Then his footsteps retreated (затем его шаги удалились). I realised abruptly that I was locked in (я вдруг понял, что заперт). For a minute I did not know what to do (с минуту я не знал, что делать). I walked from door to window and back, and stood perplexed (прошел от двери к окну и обратно, остановился в растерянности). A gust of anger came upon me (меня охватил гнев; gust — порыв/ветра/; вспышка, взрыв/эмоций/). But I decided to inspect the clothes before I did anything further (но я решил осмотреть одежду, прежде чем делать что-либо дальше), and my first attempt brought down a pile from an upper shelf (и первая моя попытка свалила кучу /одежды/ с верхней полки; to bring down — свалить, сбивать). This brought him back, more sinister than ever (это вернуло хозяина, он был еще мрачнее; sinister — зловещий, злой, мрачный, страшный). That time he actually touched me (на этот раз он действительно коснулся меня = получилосьтак, чтоонкоснулсяменя; actually — фактически, насамомделе, вдействительности), jumped back with amazement (отпрыгнул в изумлении) and stood astonished in the middle of the room (и остановился посреди комнаты, пораженный).
“Presently he calmed a little (вскоре он немного успокоился). ‘Rats,’ he said in an undertone, fingers on lips («Крысы», — вполголоса сказал он, приложив пальцы к губам = закрываяротрукой). He was evidently a little scared (он был явно несколько испуган; evident — очевидный). I edged quietly out of the room, but a plank creaked (я незаметно и тихо вышел из комнаты, но /при этом/ скрипнула половица; to edge — продвигаться незаметно, проползать, пролезать; edge — край, грань). Then the infernal little brute started going all over the house (тогда этот дьявол стал ходить по всему дому; infernal — адский, дьявольский; отвратительный), revolver in hand and locking door after door and pocketing the keys (с револьвером в руке, запирая дверь за дверью и кладя ключи в карман). When I realised what he was up to I had a fit of rage (когда я осознал, что он задумал, я впал в ярость) — I could hardly control myself sufficiently to watch my opportunity (я едва мог достаточно себя контролировать, чтобы выждать удобный момент). By this time I knew he was alone in the house (к этому времени я знал, что он один в доме), and so I made no more ado (и поэтому я не стал церемониться; ado — беспокойство, суета, хлопоты), but knocked him on the head (а ударил его по голове).”
sinister [`sInIstq], infernal [In`fq:n(q)l], key [kJ]
“He shut the door quietly, and immediately I heard the key turn in the lock. Then his footsteps retreated. I realised abruptly that I was locked in. For a minute I did not know what to do. I walked from door to window and back, and stood perplexed. A gust of anger came upon me. But I decided to inspect the clothes before I did anything further, and my first attempt brought down a pile from an upper shelf. This brought him back, more sinister than ever. That time he actually touched me, jumped back with amazement and stood astonished in the middle of the room.
“Presently he calmed a little. ‘Rats,’ he said in an undertone, fingers on lips. He was evidently a little scared. I edged quietly out of the room, but a plank creaked. Then the infernal little brute started going all over the house, revolver in hand and locking door after door and pocketing the keys. When I realised what he was up to I had a fit of rage — I could hardly control myself sufficiently to watch my opportunity. By this time I knew he was alone in the house, and so I made no more ado, but knocked him on the head.”
“Knocked him on the head (ударили его по голове)?” exclaimed Kemp (воскликнул Кемп).
“Yes — stunned him — as he was going downstairs (да, оглушил его, когда он спускался вниз). Hit him from behind with a stool that stood on the landing (ударил сзади стулом, который стоял на лестничной площадке). He went downstairs like a bag of old boots (он покатился вниз, как мешок со старыми башмаками).”
“But — I say! The common conventions of humanity — (но, позвольте, простая гуманность…; common convention — обычай; convention — собрание; договор; обычай, традиция)”
“Are all very well for common people (хороша для простых людей). But the point was, Kemp, that I had to get out of that house in a disguise without his seeing me (но дело в том, Кемп, что мне нужно было выбраться из этого дома в одежде, чтобы он меня не видел). I couldn’t think of any other way of doing it (я не смог придумать другого способа сделать это). And then I gagged him with a Louis Quatorze vest and tied him up in a sheet (затем я заткнул ему рот камзолом эпохи Людовика Четырнадцатого и завязал в простыню;Louis Quatorze — встилеЛюдовикаЧетырнадцатого/омебели, архитектуре/).”
“Tied him up in a sheet (завязали в простыню)!”
humanity [hju(:)`mxnItI], disguise [dIs`gaIz], Louis [`lHIs]
“Knocked him on the head?” exclaimed Kemp.
“Yes — stunned him — as he was going downstairs. Hit him from behind with a stool that stood on the landing. He went downstairs like a bag of old boots.”
“But — I say! The common conventions of humanity — ”
“Are all very well for common people. But the point was, Kemp, that I had to get out of that house in a disguise without his seeing me. I couldn’t think of any other way of doing it. And then I gagged him with a Louis Quatorze vest and tied him up in a sheet.”
“Tied him up in a sheet!”
“Made a sort of bag of it (сделал из нее что-то вроде узла/мешка). It was rather a good idea to keep the idiot scared and quiet (это было довольно хорошей идеей, чтобы напугать и утихомирить этого идиота), and a devilish hard thing to get out of (и выбраться из узла было чертовски трудно) — head away from the string (/при том, что он лежал/ головой от завязки = завязка была в ногах). My dear Kemp, it’s no good your sitting glaring as though I was a murderer (мой дорогой Кемп, нечего сидеть и глазеть на меня, будто я убийца). It had to be done (это было необходимо: «это должно было быть сделано»). He had his revolver (у него был револьвер). If once he saw me he would be able to describe me — (если бы он меня увидел, то сумел бы описать…)”
“But still (но все же),” said Kemp, “in England — to-day (в Англии, в наше время). And the man was in his own house, and you were — well, robbing (и человек был в своем собственном доме, а вы… э-э, совершили грабеж).”
“Robbing (грабеж)! Confound it (черт знает что)! You’ll call me a thief next (сейчас вы назовете меня вором)! Surely, Kemp, you’re not fool enough to dance on the old strings (несомненно, Кемп, вы не настолько глупы, чтобы плясать под старую дудку: «старые струны»; the strings — струнные (/инструменты/). Can’t you see my position (неужели вы не понимаете моего положения)?”
idiot [`IdIqt], England [`INglqnd], position [pq`zIS(q)n]
“Made a sort of bag of it. It was rather a good idea to keep the idiot scared and quiet, and a devilish hard thing to get out of — head away from the string. My dear Kemp, it’s no good your sitting glaring as though I was a murderer. It had to be done. He had his revolver. If once he saw me he would be able to describe me — ”
“But still,” said Kemp, “in England — to-day. And the man was in his own house, and you were — well, robbing.”
“Robbing! Confound it! You’ll call me a thief next! Surely, Kemp, you’re not fool enough to dance on the old strings. Can’t you see my position?”
“And his too (и его тоже),” said Kemp.
The Invisible Man stood up sharply (Невидимка резко встал).
“What do you mean to say (что вы имеете в виду)?”
Kemp’s face grew a trifle hard (лицо Кемпа стало немного суровее; trifle — пустяк; a trifle — чуточку). He was about to speak and checked himself (он хотел было заговорить, но сдержался).
