The old woman smiled, and answered in the same low, mysterious voice, “It is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that very spot by her own husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575. Sir Simon survived her nine years, and disappeared suddenly under very mysterious circumstances. His body has never been discovered, but his guilty spirit still haunts the Chase. The blood-stain has been much admired by tourists and others, and cannot be removed.”
“That is all nonsense (это все чепуха),” cried Washington Otis; “Pinkerton’s Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent will clean it up in no time (первоклассный пятновыводитель Пинкертона и моющее средство «Идеал» отчистят его тотчас же; paragon – образец, совершенство),” and before the terrified housekeeper could interfere (и прежде чем ужаснувшаяся экономка смогла вмешаться), he had fallen upon his knees (он опустился на колени; to fall – падать, опускаться), and was rapidly scouring the floor (и /начал/ быстро очищать пол) with a small stick of what looked like a black cosmetic (/чем-то/ похожим на маленький черный косметический карандаш; a small stick – маленькая палочка; to look like – выглядеть как /что-либо, кто-либо/). In a few moments no trace of the blood-stain could be seen (через несколько секунд от пятна не осталось и следа; could be seen – можно было видеть).
“That is all nonsense,” cried Washington Otis; “Pinkerton’s Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent will clean it up in no time,” and before the terrified housekeeper could interfere, he had fallen upon his knees, and was rapidly scouring the floor with a small stick of what looked like a black cosmetic. In a few moments no trace of the blood-stain could be seen.
“I knew Pinkerton would do it (я знал, что Пинкертон справится /с ним/: «сделает это»),” he exclaimed, triumphantly (воскликнул он торжествующе), as he looked round at his admiring family (в то время как он обернулся к своей восхищенной семье); but no sooner had he said these words (но не успел он сказать эти слова), than a terrible flash of lightning lit up the sombre room (как ужасная вспышка молнии осветила мрачную комнату; to light up), a fearful peal of thunder made them all start to their feet (страшный раскат грома заставил их всех вскочить на ноги), and Mrs. Umney fainted (а миссис Амней упала в обморок).
“I knew Pinkerton would do it,” he exclaimed, triumphantly, as he looked round at his admiring family; but no sooner had he said these words than a terrible flash of lightning lit up the sombre room, a fearful peal of thunder made them all start to their feet, and Mrs. Umney fainted.
“What a monstrous climate (какой ужасный климат)!” said the American Minister, calmly (сказал американский посол спокойно), as he lit a long cheroot (в то время как он зажег длинную сигару; cheroot – сигара с обрезанным концом). “I guess the old country is so overpopulated (я думаю, эта старая страна так перенаселена), that they have not enough decent weather for everybody (что им не хватает приличной погоды на всех; not to have enough for everybody – не иметь достаточно для каждого). I have always been of opinion (я всегда придерживался мнения), that emigration is the only thing for England (что эмиграция – единственное /спасение/ для Англии; thing – вещь).”
“What a monstrous climate!” said the American Minister, calmly, as he lit a long cheroot. “I guess the old country is so overpopulated that they have not enough decent weather for everybody. I have always been of opinion that emigration is the only thing for England.”
“My dear Hiram (мой дорогой Хайрам),” cried Mrs. Otis, “what can we do with a woman who faints (что нам делать: «что мы можем сделать» с женщиной, которая падает в обморок)?”
“Charge it to her like breakages (удержи с нее за то, что она разбила; to charge – обвинять; назначать цену; breakage – поломка; нарушение, повреждение; убыток, причиненный поломкой; компенсация за поломку),” answered the Minister; “she won’t faint after that (она не будет падать в обморок после этого);” and in a few moments Mrs. Umney certainly came to (и через несколько секунд миссис Амней, конечно же, пришла в себя). There was no doubt, however (однако не было сомнения), that she was extremely upset (что она была исключительно расстроена), and she sternly warned Mr. Otis (и она строго предупредила мистера Отиса) to beware of some trouble coming to the house (остерегаться несчастья, нависшего над домом: «приближающегося к дому»).
“My dear Hiram,” cried Mrs. Otis, “what can we do with a woman who faints?”
“Charge it to her like breakages,” answered the Minister; “she won’t faint after that;” and in a few moments Mrs. Umney certainly came to. There was no doubt, however, that she was extremely upset, and she sternly warned Mr. Otis to beware of some trouble coming to the house.
“I have seen things with my own eyes, sir (я видела своими собственными глазами такие вещи, сэр),” she said, “that would make any Christian’s hair stand on end (которые заставили бы волосы любого христианина встать дыбом), and many and many a night I have not closed my eyes in sleep (и многие, многие ночи я не закрывала глаз; in sleep – во сне = заснув, спя) for the awful things that are done here (из-за тех ужасных вещей, которые происходят: «делаются» здесь).” Mr. Otis, however, and his wife warmly assured the honest soul (однако мистер Отис и его жена уверили простушку; honest soul – честная душа) that they were not afraid of ghosts (что они не боятся привидений), and, after invoking the blessings of Providence on her new master and mistress (и, призвав благословение /судьбы/ по отношению к ее новым хозяину и хозяйке), and making arrangements for an increase of salary (и договорившись об увеличении жалованья), the old housekeeper tottered off to her own room (старая экономка побрела в свою: «ее собственную» комнату).
“I have seen things with my own eyes, sir,” she said, “that would make any Christian’s hair stand on end, and many and many a night I have not closed my eyes in sleep for the awful things that are done here.” Mr. Otis, however, and his wife warmly assured the honest soul that they were not afraid of ghosts, and, after invoking the blessings of Providence on her new master and mistress, and making arrangements for an increase of salary, the old housekeeper tottered off to her own room.
The storm raged fiercely all that night (всю ту ночь шел проливной дождь; to rage – беситься, злиться; fierce – свирепый), but nothing of particular note occurred (но ничего особенного не произошло; particular – редкий, особенный; особый, исключительный, заслуживающий особого внимания; note – муз. нота; сигнал, знак, знамение). The next morning, however (однако на следующее утро), when they came down to breakfast (когда они спустились к завтраку; to come down), they found the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor (они вновь обнаружили ужасное пятно крови на полу). “I don’t think it can be the fault of the Paragon Detergent (я не думаю, что это вина моющего средства «Идеал»),” said Washington, “for I have tried it with everything (так как я пробовал его на всем). It must be the ghost (это, должно быть, привидение).” He accordingly rubbed out the stain a second time (соответственно, он снова стер пятно; to rub – тереть), but the second morning it appeared again (но на следующее утро оно появилось снова). The third morning also it was there (на третье утро оно снова было там), though the library had been locked up at night by Mr. Otis himself (хотя библиотека была заперта на ночь самим мистером Отисом), and the key carried upstairs (и ключ был унесен наверх).
The storm raged fiercely all that night, but nothing of particular note occurred. The next morning, however, when they came down to breakfast, they found the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor. “I don’t think it can be the fault of the Paragon Detergent,” said Washington, “for I have tried it with everything. It must be the ghost.” He accordingly rubbed out the stain a second time, but the second morning it appeared again. The third morning also it was there, though the library had been locked up at night by Mr. Otis himself, and the key carried upstairs.
The whole family were now quite interested (вся семья была теперь весьма заинтересована); Mr. Otis began to suspect (начал подозревать), that he had been too dogmatic in his denial of the existence of ghosts (что он был слишком догматичен в своем отрицании существования привидений), Mrs. Otis expressed her intention of joining the Psychical Society[7] (выразила /свое/ намерение вступить в Психологическое общество), and Washington prepared a long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore[8] (а Вашингтон приготовил длинное письмо господам Майерсу и Подмору) on the subject of the Permanence of Sanguineous Stains (на тему постоянства пятен крови) when connected with Crime (связанных с преступлением). That night all doubts about the objective existence of phantasmata were removed for ever (этой ночью все сомнения относительно существования призраков были уничтожены навсегда; objective – объективный).
The whole family were now quite interested; Mr. Otis began to suspect that he had been too dogmatic in his denial of the existence of ghosts, Mrs. Otis expressed her intention of joining the Psychical Society, and Washington prepared a long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore on the subject of the Permanence of Sanguineous Stains when connected with Crime. That night all doubts about the objective existence of phantasmata were removed for ever.
The day had been warm and sunny (день был теплый и солнечный); and, in the cool of the evening (и под прохладой вечера), the whole family went out to drive (вся семья отправилась прокатиться). They did not return home till nine o’clock (они не возвращались домой до девяти часов), when they had a light supper (когда у них был легкий ужин). The conversation in no way turned upon ghosts (разговор никоим образом не обращался к привидениям), so there were not even those primary conditions of receptive expectations (так что не существовало даже тех изначальных условий чувственного ожидания), which so often precede the presentation of psychical phenomena (которые столь часто предшествуют возникновению парапсихологических явлений).
The day had been warm and sunny; and, in the cool of the evening, the whole family went out to drive. They did not return home till nine o’clock, when they had a light supper. The conversation in no way turned upon ghosts, so there were not even those primary conditions of receptive expectations which so often precede the presentation of psychical phenomena.
