Phelps and I talked it over on our journey, but neither of us could devise a satisfactory reason for this new development.

"I suppose he wants to find out some clue as to the burglary last night, if a burglar it was. For myself, I don't believe it was an ordinary thief."

"What is your own idea, then?"

"Upon my word, you may put it down to my weak nerves or not, but I believe there is some deep political intrigue going on around me, and that for some reason that passes my understanding my life is aimed at by the conspirators. It sounds high-flown and absurd, but consider the facts! Why should a thief try to break in at a bedroom window, where there could be no hope of any plunder, and why should he come with a long knife in his hand?"

 

 

"You are sure it was not a house-breaker's jimmy (Вы уверены, что это не фомка домашнего взломщика; jimmy — воровской лом "фомка")?"

 

"Oh, no, it was a knife (О, нет, это был нож). I saw the flash of the blade quite distinctly (Я видел блеск клинка совершенно отчетливо; blade — лезвие, клинок)."

 

"But why on earth should you be pursued with such animosity (Но зачем же вас преследуют с такой злобой; on earth — же, просто, только, все-таки употр. после вопросит. местоимений how, why, where и пр.; to pursue — преследовать, гнаться; animosity — враждебность, злоба)?"

 

"Ah, that is the question (А в этом и вопрос)."

 

"Well, if Holmes takes the same view (Ну, если Холмс придерживается такого же мнения), that would account for his action, would it not (то это и есть причина его действий, не так ли; account — основание, причина)? Presuming that your theory is correct (Полагая, что ваша теория верна; to presume — предполагать, полагать, допускать), if he can lay his hands upon the man (если он сможет схватить человека) who threatened you last night (который угрожал вам прошлой ночью; to threaten — грозить, угрожать) he will have gone a long way (то проделает большой путь) towards finding who took the naval treaty (к нахождению того, кто взял морской договор). It is absurd to suppose that you have two enemies (Абсурдно полагать, что у тебя есть два врага), one of whom robs you, while the other threatens your life (один из которых грабит тебя, а второй — угрожает твоей жизни; to rob — грабить, воровать, красть)."

 

 

"You are sure it was not a house-breaker's jimmy?"

"Oh, no, it was a knife. I saw the flash of the blade quite distinctly."

"But why on earth should you be pursued with such animosity?"

"Ah, that is the question."

"Well, if Holmes takes the same view, that would account for his action, would it not? Presuming that your theory is correct, if he can lay his hands upon the man who threatened you last night he will have gone a long way towards finding who took the naval treaty. It is absurd to suppose that you have two enemies, one of whom robs you, while the other threatens your life."

 

 

"But Holmes said that he was not going to Briarbrae (Но Холмс сказал, что он не собирается в Брайабре)."

 

"I have known him for some time," said I (“Я знаю его определенное время”, — сказал я), "but I never knew (но я никогда не видел: «знал») him do anything yet without a very good reason (чтобы он делал что-нибудь без сильного основания)," and with that our conversation drifted off on to other topics (и после этого наш разговор перешел на другие темы; to drift — дрейфовать, смещаться).

 

But it was a weary day for me (Но это был утомительный день для меня; weary — утомительный, скучный). Phelps was still weak after his long illness (Фелпс был все еще слаб после долгой болезни), and his misfortune made him querulous and nervous (и его неудача сделала его раздражительным и нервным; querulous — жалующийся, ворчливый, недовольный, раздражительный). In vain I endeavored to interest him in Afghanistan (Напрасно я пытался заинтересовать его Афганистаном), in India, in social questions (Индией, социальными вопросами), in anything which might take his mind out of the groove (всем, что могло отвлечь его от привычных мыслей; groove — желобок, паз, рутина, привычка, что-л. обычное, привычное). He would always come back to his lost treaty (Он всегда возвращался к своему потерянному договору), wondering, guessing, speculating, as to what Holmes was doing (интересуясь, гадая, предполагая, что делает Холмс; to speculate — обдумывать, размышлять, предполагать), what steps Lord Holdhurst was taking (какие шаги предпримет лорд Холдхэрст), what news we should have in the morning (какие новости мы получим утром). As the evening wore on his excitement became quite painful (К вечеру его возбуждение стало достаточно тягостным).

 

"But Holmes said that he was not going to Briarbrae."

"I have known him for some time," said I, "but I never knew him do anything yet without a very good reason," and with that our conversation drifted off on to other topics.

But it was a weary day for me. Phelps was still weak after his long illness, and his misfortune made him querulous and nervous. In vain I endeavored to interest him in Afghanistan, in India, in social questions, in anything which might take his mind out of the groove. He would always come back to his lost treaty, wondering, guessing, speculating, as to what Holmes was doing, what steps Lord Holdhurst was taking, what news we should have in the morning. As the evening wore on his excitement became quite painful.

 

"You have implicit faith in Holmes?" he asked (“Вы безоговорочно верите в Холмса?” — спросил он; implicit — безоговорочный, безусловный).

"I have seen him do some remarkable things (Я видел, как он делает замечательные вещи)."

"But he never brought light into anything quite so dark as this (Но он никогда не распутывал таких темных дел, как это)?"

"Oh, yes; I have known him solve questions (О, да, я видел, как он решал задачи) which presented fewer clues than yours (в которых было меньше улик, чем в вашей)."

"But not where such large interests are at stake (Но не такие, в которых на карту ставились такие крупные интересы)?"

"I don't know that (Я не знаю). To my certain knowledge he has acted (Мне достоверно известно, что он действовал) on behalf of three of the reigning houses of Europe in very vital matters (по поручению трех правящих домов Европы в очень важных делах; on behalf — по чьему-л. поручению, от чьего-л. имени; vital — жизненно важный, насущный, существенный)."

"But you know him well, Watson (Но вы хорошо его знаете, Уотсон). He is such an inscrutable fellow (Он такой загадочный человек; inscrutable — загадочный, необъяснимый, непонятный, непостижимый) that I never quite know what to make of him (что я никогда не знаю, чего от него ждать). Do you think he is hopeful (Вы думаете, на него можно надеяться)? Do you think he expects to make a success of it (Вы думаете, он надеется на успешное завершение дела)?"

"He has said nothing (Он ничего не сказал)."

"That is a bad sign (Это плохой знак)."

"On the contrary, I have noticed that when (Наоборот, я заметил, что когда) he is off the trail he generally says so (он сбивается со следа, он обычно говорит об этом). It is when he is on a scent (А когда он идет по следу) and is not quite absolutely sure yet that it is the right one (и еще не совсем уверен, что он ведет его правильно) that he is most taciturn (тогда он особенно молчалив; taciturn — молчаливый, неразговорчивый). Now, my dear fellow (Теперь, мой дорогой друг), we can't help matters by making ourselves nervous about them (мы не поможем делу, переживая о нем), so let me implore you to go to bed and so be fresh (так что прошу вас лечь в постель, чтобы быть свежим; to implore — умолять, заклинать, просить, упрашивать) for whatever may await us to-morrow (что бы ни ожидало нас завтра)."

 

"You have implicit faith in Holmes?" he asked.

"I have seen him do some remarkable things."

"But he never brought light into anything quite so dark as this?"

"Oh, yes; I have known him solve questions which presented fewer clues than yours."

"But not where such large interests are at stake?"

"I don't know that. To my certain knowledge he has acted on behalf of three of the reigning houses of Europe in very vital matters."

"But you know him well, Watson. He is such an inscrutable fellow that I never quite know what to make of him. Do you think he is hopeful? Do you think he expects to make a success of it?"

"He has said nothing."

"That is a bad sign."

"On the contrary, I have noticed that when he is off the trail he generally says so. It is when he is on a scent and is not quite absolutely sure yet that it is the right one that he is most taciturn. Now, my dear fellow, we can't help matters by making ourselves nervous about them, so let me implore you to go to bed and so be fresh for whatever may await us to-morrow."

 

I was able at last to persuade my companion (Наконец мне удалось убедить моего товарища; to persuade — убеждать) to take my advice (последовать моему совету), though I knew from his excited manner (хотя я понимал по его возбужденному поведению) that there was not much hope of sleep for him (что не было большой надежды, что он заснет). Indeed, his mood was infectious (На самом деле, его настроение оказалось заразительным; mood — настроение; infectious — заразный, инфекционный, заразительный), for I lay tossing half the night myself (потому что я сам лежал, ворочаясь полночи; to toss — бросать, кидать, метать, швырять), brooding over this strange problem, and inventing a hundred theories (обдумывая этот странный случай и сочиняя сотню теорий; to brood — размышлять), each of which was more impossible than the last (каждая из которые была более неправдоподобной, чем предыдущая). Why had Holmes remained at Woking (Зачем Холмс остался в Уокинге)? Why had he asked Miss Harrison to remain in the sick-room all day (Зачем он попросил мисс Харрисон оставаться в палате весь день)? Why had he been so careful not to inform the people at Briarbrae (Почему он так старался не рассказать людям в Брайабре) that he intended to remain near them (что он собирается остаться рядом с ними; to intend — намереваться)? I cudgelled my brains until I fell asleep (Я ломал себе голову, пока не заснул; cudgel — дубина, толстая деревянная палка; to cudgel one's brains — усердно над чем-то думать) in the endeavor to find some explanation which would cover all these facts (пытаясь найти какое-нибудь объяснение всем этим фактам; endeavor — попытка).

It was seven o'clock when I awoke (Было семь часов, когда я проснулся), and I set off at once for Phelps's room (и я сразу прошел в комнату Фелпса), to find him haggard and spent after a sleepless night (где нашел его измученного и истощенного после бессонной ночи; haggard — изможденный, измученный, изнуренный; to spend — истощать, ослаблять). His first question was whether Holmes had arrived yet (Его первый вопрос был о том, прибыл ли Холмс).

 

I was able at last to persuade my companion to take my advice, though I knew from his excited manner that there was not much hope of sleep for him. Indeed, his mood was infectious, for I lay tossing half the night myself, brooding over this strange problem, and inventing a hundred theories, each of which was more impossible than the last. Why had Holmes remained at Woking? Why had he asked Miss Harrison to remain in the sick-room all day? Why had he been so careful not to inform the people at Briarbrae that he intended to remain near them? I cudgelled my brains until I fell asleep in the endeavor to find some explanation which would cover all these facts.