There was a long silence, during which Holmes leaned his chin upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire.

"This is a very deep business," he said at last. "There are a thousand details which I should desire to know before I decide upon our course of action. Yet we have not a moment to lose. If we were to come to Stoke Moran today, would it be possible for us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your stepfather?"

 

"As it happens (между прочим: «как это случается»), he spoke of coming into town today upon some most important business (он говорил о поездке в город сегодня по какому-то очень важному делу). It is probable that he will be away all day (вероятно, что он будет отсутствовать весь день), and that there would be nothing to disturb you (там будет ничего, чтобы побеспокоить вас = вам ничего не помешает). We have a housekeeper now (у нас есть экономка сейчас), but she is old and foolish (но она старая и глупая), and I could easily get her out of the way (и я могла бы легко убрать ее с пути, /удалить/)."

town [taun] probable [`prPbqbl] disturb [dIs`tE:b]

"Excellent (превосходно). You are not averse to this trip (вы ничего не имеете против этой поездки; averse — нерасположенный, неохотный), Watson?"

 

"As it happens, he spoke of coming into town today upon some most important business. It is probable that he will be away all day, and that there would be nothing to disturb you. We have a housekeeper now, but she is old and foolish, and I could easily get her out of the way."

"Excellent. You are not averse to this trip, Watson?"

 

"By no means (ни в коей мере = совершенно ничего)."

"Then we shall both come (тогда мы оба приедем). What are you going to do yourself (что вы собираетесь делать сами)?"

"I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I am in town (у меня есть одно-два = кое-какие дела, которые мне хотелось бы сделать теперь, когда я в городе). But I shall return by the twelve o'clock train (но я вернусь двенадцатичасовым поездом), so as to be there in time for your coming (чтобы быть там вовремя к вашему приезду)."

averse [q`vE:s] both [bquT] train [treIn]

 

"By no means."

"Then we shall both come. What are you going to do yourself?"

"I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I am in town. But I shall return by the twelve o'clock train, so as to be there in time for your coming."

 

"And you may expect us early in the afternoon (можете ожидать нас в начале = вскоре после полудня). I have myself some small business matters to attend to (у меня самого есть кое-какие деловые вопросы = дела; to attend to — уделять внимание, заботиться). Will you not wait and breakfast (вы не подождете = останетесь и не позавтракаете /с нами/)?"

"No, I must go (нет, я должна идти). My heart is lightened already (мое сердце облегчено уже = камень с души свалился) since I have confided my trouble to you (после того, как я доверила свое горе вам). I shall look forward to seeing you again this afternoon (буду с нетерпением снова ждать встречи с вами после полудня)." She dropped her thick black veil over her face and glided from the room (она опустила густую черную вуаль на лицо и плавно вышла из комнаты; to drop — уронить, опустить, понизить; to glide — скользить, двигаться плавно).

breakfast [`brekfqst] heart [hRt] trouble [trAbl] forward [`fLwqd]

 

"And you may expect us early in the afternoon. I have myself some small business matters to attend to. Will you not wait and breakfast?"

"No, I must go. My heart is lightened already since I have confided my trouble to you. I shall look forward to seeing you again this afternoon." She dropped her thick black veil over her face and glided from the room.

 

"And what do you think of it all, Watson (и что же вы думаете обо всем этом, Ватсон)?" asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back in his chair (спросил Шерлок Холмс, откидываясь в своем кресле).

"It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business (это кажется мне в высшей степени темным и зловещим делом)."

"Dark enough and sinister enough (достаточно темное и достаточно зловещее)."

"Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls are sound (однако, если девушка права, говоря, что пол и стены крепки), and that the door, window, and chimney are impassable (и что через дверь, окно и печную трубу невозможно проникнуть; impassable — непроходимый, непреодолимый), then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone (тогда ее сестра должна была быть, несомненно, одна) when she met her mysterious end (когда она встретила свою таинственную смерть; end — конец, исход, смерть)."

enough [I`nAf] flooring [`flLrIN] undoubtedly [An`dautIdlI]

 

"And what do you think of it all, Watson?" asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back in his chair.

"It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business."

"Dark enough and sinister enough."

"Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls are sound, and that the door, window, and chimney are impassable, then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her mysterious end."

 

"What becomes, then, of these nocturnal whistles (что означают, в таком случае, эти ночные свисты; to become — становиться, случаться), and what of the very peculiar words of the dying woman (и что /значат/ очень странные слова умирающей женщины)?"

"I cannot think (не могу думать = представить)."

"When you combine the ideas of whistles at night, the presence of a band of gypsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor (когда вы объедините = сопоставите свисты ночью, присутствие банды цыган, которые в близких отношениях с этим старым доктором), the fact that we have every reason to believe (тот факт, что у нас есть все основания полагать) that the doctor has an interest in preventing his stepdaughter's marriage (что доктор имеет интерес = заинтересован в предотвращении свадьбы своей падчерицы), the dying allusion to a band (предсмертное упоминание о банде), and, finally, the fact that Miss Helen Stoner heard a metallic clang (и, наконец, факт, что мисс Хелен Стонер слышала металлический лязг), which might have been caused by one of those metal bars (который мог быть вызван одним из тех железных засовов) that secured the shutters (которые страховали ставни) falling back into its place (падающим обратно на свое место), I think that there is good ground to think that the mystery may be cleared along those lines (полагаю, что есть достаточное: «хорошее» основание считать, что тайна может быть прояснена вдоль = с помощью тех линий = следов)."

combine [`kPmbaIn] gypsies [`GipsIz] stepdaughter [`stepdLtq] allusion [q`lHZn]

 

"What becomes, then, of these nocturnal whistles, and what of the very peculiar words of the dying woman?"

"I cannot think."

"When you combine the ideas of whistles at night, the presence of a band of gypsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor, the fact that we have every reason to believe that the doctor has an interest in preventing his stepdaughter's marriage, the dying allusion to a band, and, finally, the fact that Miss Helen Stoner heard a metallic clang, which might have been caused by one of those metal bars that secured the shutters falling back into its place, I think that there is good ground to think that the mystery may be cleared along those lines."

 

"But what, then, did the gypsies do (но что же, тогда, делали цыгане)?"

"I cannot imagine (не могу представить)."

"I see many objections to any such theory (вижу много возражений /против/ любой подобной /вашей/ теории)."

"And so do I (и я тоже). It is precisely for that reason that we are going to Stoke Moran this day (именно по этой причине мы отправляемся в Сток-Морен сегодня же). I want to see whether the objections are fatal (я хочу посмотреть, /так/ ли неустранимы эти возражения; fatal — роковой, гибельный, неустранимый), or if they may be explained away (или они могут быть объяснены). But what in the name of the devil (что, черт возьми, /это значит/; in the name of — во имя, именем)!"

precisely [prI`saIslI] fatal [feItl] devil [devl]

 

"But what, then, did the gypsies do?"

"I cannot imagine."

"I see many objections to any such theory."

"And so do I. It is precisely for that reason that we are going to Stoke Moran this day. I want to see whether the objections are fatal, or if they may be explained away. But what in the name of the devil!"

 

The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion (/это/ восклицание вырвалось = так воскликнул мой товарищ) by the fact that our door had been suddenly dashed open (из-за того, что наша дверь была внезапно широко: «чертовски» распахнута), and that a huge man had framed himself in the aperture (огромный человек вставил себя = появился в проеме). His costume was a peculiar mixture of the professional and of the agricultural (его костюм был странной смесью профессионального и земледельческого = он был одет не то как врач, не то как помещик), having a black top-hat (носил черный цилиндр), a long frock-coat (длинный фрак) and a pair of high gaiters (и пару высоких гетр), with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand (с охотничьим хлыстом, качающимся в его руке). So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway (таким высоким он был, что его шляпа практически слегка касалась перекладины дверного проема; to brush — чистить /щеткой/, мести; задевать), and his breadth seemed to span it across from side to side (его ширина /плеч/, казалось, соединяла /проем/ в ширину из стороны в сторону = он едва проходил в дверной проем). A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles (крупное лицо, иссушенное = иссеченное тысячью морщин), burned yellow with the sun (загорелое /до/ желтого цвета /от солнца/), and marked with every evil passion (отмеченное = искаженное злобой: «каждой злой страстью» = всеми пороками; passion — страсть, гнев, пыл; evil — дурной, злой), was turned from one to the other of us (поворачивалось с одно из нас на другого), while his deep-set, bile-shot eyes (в то время как его глубоко сидящие, с желчными вкраплениями глаза), and his high, thin, fleshless nose (и его длинный тонкий костлявый: «безмясый» нос), gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey (давали ему какое-то сходство со свирепой старой хищной птицей).

ejaculation [IGxkju`leISn] huge [hjHG] breadth [bredT] wrinkles [`rINklz] fierce [fIqs]

 

The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by the fact that our door had been suddenly dashed open, and that a huge man had framed himself in the aperture. His costume was a peculiar mixture of the professional and of the agricultural, having a black top-hat, a long frock-coat and a pair of high gaiters, with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway, and his breadth seemed to span it across from side to side. A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles, burned yellow with the sun, and marked with every evil passion, was turned from one to the other of us, while his deep-set, bile-shot eyes, and his high, thin, fleshless nose, gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey.

 

"Which of you is Holmes (который из вас Холмс)?" asked this apparition (спросил этот призрак; appiration — видение, привидение, призрак).

"My name, sir; but you have the advantage of me (но вы имеете преимущество передо мной)," said my companion quietly (сказал мой товарищ спокойно).

"I am Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran."

"Indeed, Doctor (в самом деле, доктор)," said Holmes blandly (сказал Холмс вежливо). "Pray take a seat (пожалуйста, садитесь: «берите место»)."

"I will do nothing of the kind (я не сделаю ничего подобного = не стану садиться). My stepdaughter has been here (моя падчерица была здесь). I have traced her (я выследил ее). What has she been saying to you (что она вам говорила)?"

apparition [xpq`rISn] advantage [qd`vRntIG] quietly [`kwaIqtlI]

 

"Which of you is Holmes?" asked this apparition.

"My name, sir; but you have the advantage of me," said my companion quietly.

"I am Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran."

"Indeed, Doctor," said Holmes blandly. "Pray take a seat."

"I will do nothing of the kind. My stepdaughter has been here. I have traced her. What has she been saying to you?"

 

"It is a little cold for the time of the year (немного холодно для этого времени года)," said Holmes.

"What has she been saying to you?" screamed the old man furiously (вскричал старик яростно).

"But I have heard that the crocuses promise well (но я слышал,м что крокусы подают надежды = будут хорошо цвести)," continued my companion imperturbably (продолжил мой приятель невозмутимо).

"Ha! You put me off, do you (вы отделываетесь от меня, не так ли)?" said our new visitor (сказал наш новый посетитель), taking a step forward and shaking his hunting-crop (делая: «беря» шаг вперед и тряся охотничим хлыстом). "I know you, you scoundrel (я знаю вас, вы, подлец)! I have heard of you before (я слышал о вас раньше). You are Holmes, the meddler (вы Холмс, вмешивающийся во все = любитель соваться в чужие дела; to meddle — вмешиваться, лезть)."

furiously [`fjurIqslI] imperturbably [,Impq`tE:bqblI] scoundrel [`skaundrql]

 

"It is a little cold for the time of the year," said Holmes.

"What has she been saying to you?" screamed the old man furiously.

"But I have heard that the crocuses promise well," continued my companion imperturbably.

"Ha! You put me off, do you?" said our new visitor, taking a step forward and shaking his hunting-crop. "I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler."