speculation [ˌspekjuˈleɪʃ(ǝ)n], scheme [ski:m], column [ˈkɔlǝm]
"Sir Charles, as is well known, made large sums of money in South African speculation. More wise than those who go on until the wheel turns against them, he realized his gains and returned to England with them. It is only two years since he took up his residence at Baskerville Hall, and it is common talk how large were those schemes of reconstruction and improvement which have been interrupted by his death. Being himself childless, it was his openly-expressed desire that the whole countryside should, within his own lifetime, profit by his good fortune, and many will have personal reasons for bewailing his untimely end. His generous donations to local and county charities have been frequently chronicled in these columns.
"The circumstances connected with the death of Sir Charles cannot be said (нельзя сказать, что обстоятельства, связанные со смертью сэра Чарльза) to have been entirely cleared up by the inquest (полностью выяснены следствием), but at least enough has been done (но, по крайней мере, сделано достаточно) to dispose of those rumours to which local superstition has given rise (чтобы опровергнуть слухи, вызванные местными суевериями; to give rise to — давать начало; вызывать). There is no reason whatever to suspect foul play (нет никаких причин подозревать насильственную смерть; whatever — какой бы ни; любой; foul play — нечестная игра; убийство, насилие), or to imagine that death could be from any but natural causes (или полагать, что смерть наступила не от естественных причин). Sir Charles was a widower (сэр Чарльз был вдовец), and a man who may be said (и человек, о котором можно сказать) to have been in some ways of an eccentric habit of mind (с некоторого рода странностями: «эксцентричным складом ума»; in some ways — в некоторой степени). In spite of his considerable wealth (несмотря на свое значительное состояние) he was simple in his personal tastes (он был нетребователен: «прост» в своих личных пристрастиях), and his indoor servants at Baskerville Hall (и /вся/ его домашняя прислуга) consisted of a married couple named Barrymore (состояла из супружеской четы по фамилии Бэрримор), the husband acting as butler and the wife as housekeeper (/при том, что/ муж исполнял обязанности дворецкого, а жена — экономки; to act — действовать; служить /в качестве кого-либо/). Their evidence, corroborated by that of several friends (их показания, совпадающие с /показаниями/ нескольких друзей /покойного/; to corroborate — подтверждать; подкреплять), tends to show that Sir Charles's health has for some time been impaired (сводятся к тому, что здоровье сэра Чарльза за последнее время ухудшилось; to tend — иметь тенденцию; склоняться /к чему-либо/; to show — показывать, указывать; for some time — на некоторое время), and points especially to some affection of the heart (и особенно акцентируют внимание на болезни сердца), manifesting itself in changes of colour, breathlessness, and acute attacks of nervous depression (проявляющейся в изменении цвета /лица/, одышке и острых проявлениях: «приступах» нервного расстройства). Dr. James Mortimer, the friend and medical attendant of the deceased (доктор Джеймс Мортимер, друг и личный врач покойного), has given evidence to the same effect (засвидетельствовал то же самое: «тот же результат»).
circumstance [ˈsǝ:kǝmstǝns], wealth [welƟ], heart [hɑ:t]
"The circumstances connected with the death of Sir Charles cannot be said to have been entirely cleared up by the inquest, but at least enough has been done to dispose of those rumours to which local superstition has given rise. There is no reason whatever to suspect foul play, or to imagine that death could be from any but natural causes. Sir Charles was a widower, and a man who may be said to have been in some ways of an eccentric habit of mind. In spite of his considerable wealth he was simple in his personal tastes, and his indoor servants at Baskerville Hall consisted of a married couple named Barrymore, the husband acting as butler and the wife as housekeeper. Their evidence, corroborated by that of several friends, tends to show that Sir Charles's health has for some time been impaired, and points especially to some affection of the heart, manifesting itself in changes of colour, breathlessness, and acute attacks of nervous depression. Dr. James Mortimer, the friend and medical attendant of the deceased, has given evidence to the same effect.
"The facts of the case are simple (факты = обстоятельства этого дела просты). Sir Charles Baskerville was in the habit (сэр Чарльз Баскервиль имел обыкновение) every night before going to bed (каждый вечер, прежде чем отправиться спать) of walking down the famous Yew Alley of Baskerville Hall (прогуливаться по знаменитой тисовой аллее Баскервиль-холла). The evidence of the Barrymores shows that this had been his custom (по свидетельству Бэрриморов, это была его неизменная привычка: «традиция»). On the 4th of May Sir Charles had declared (четвертого мая сэр Чарльз объявил) his intention of starting next day for London (о своем намерении на следующий день уехать в Лондон), and had ordered Barrymore to prepare his luggage (и приказал Бэрримору приготовить его багаж). That night he went out as usual for his nocturnal walk (в тот вечер он, как обычно, вышел на свою ежевечернюю прогулку; nocturnal — ночной), in the course of which he was in the habit of smoking a cigar (во время которой он всегда выкуривал сигару; in the course of — в течение, в ходе /чего-либо/). He never returned (/домой/ он больше не вернулся). At twelve o'clock Barrymore, finding the hall door still open (в двенадцать часов = в полночь Бэрримор, обнаружив, что дверь в холл все еще открыта), became alarmed, and, lighting a lantern (встревожился: «стал встревоженным» и, зажегши фонарь), went in search of his master (бросился на поиски хозяина). The day had been wet (в тот день было сыро), and Sir Charles's footmarks were easily traced down the Alley (и следы сэра Чарльза без труда обнаружились на аллее; to trace — набрасывать/чертить план; разыскать, найти).
famous [ˈfeɪmǝs], luggage [ˈlʌɡɪdʒ], nocturnal [nɔkˈtǝ:n(ǝ)l]
"The facts of the case are simple. Sir Charles Baskerville was in the habit every night before going to bed of walking down the famous Yew Alley of Baskerville Hall. The evidence of the Barrymores shows that this had been his custom. On the 4th of May Sir Charles had declared his intention of starting next day for London, and had ordered Barrymore to prepare his luggage. That night he went out as usual for his nocturnal walk, in the course of which he was in the habit of smoking a cigar. He never returned. At twelve o'clock Barrymore, finding the hall door still open, became alarmed, and, lighting a lantern, went in search of his master. The day had been wet, and Sir Charles's footmarks were easily traced down the Alley.
"Half-way down this walk there is a gate (посередине аллеи есть калитка; walk — ходьба; тропа, аллея) which leads out on to the moor (которая ведет на болота). There were indications (там были признаки = кое-что указывало на то; indication — указание; признак) that Sir Charles had stood for some little time here (что сэр Чарльз стоял там некоторое время). He then proceeded down the Alley (затем он пошел дальше вниз по аллее), and it was at the far end of it that his body was discovered (где в /самом/ дальнем ее конце и было обнаружено его тело). One fact which has not been explained is the statement of Barrymore (одним невыясненным обстоятельством является утверждение Бэрримора) that his master's footprints altered their character from the time (что характер следов его хозяина изменился с того момента) that he passed the moor-gate (когда он прошел мимо калитки), and that he appeared from thence onwards to have been walking upon his toes (и похоже, что оттуда = с того места дальше он шел на цыпочках; toe — палец ноги; thence — оттуда). One Murphy, a gipsy horse-dealer (некий Мерфи, цыган, торговец лошадьми), was on the moor at no great distance at the time (переходил в это время через болота /и оказался/ неподалеку /от аллеи/), but he appears by his own confession (но, как оказалось, по его собственному признанию) to have been the worse for drink (он бы изрядно пьян; be the worse for drink — подвыпить, хватить лишку). He declares that he heard cries (он заявляет, что слышал крики), but is unable to state from what direction they came (но направление, откуда они доносились, определить не может; to state — заявлять; точно определять). No signs of violence were to be discovered upon Sir Charles's person (никаких признаков насилия на теле сэра Чарльза обнаружено не было; person — человек; внешность, облик), and though the doctor's evidence pointed to an almost incredible facial distortion (и хотя медицинское освидетельствование отмечает очень сильное: «почти невероятное» искажение лица; facial — лицевой, расположенный на лице) — so great that Dr. Mortimer refused at first to believe (настолько сильное, что доктор Мортимер сначала отказался верить) that it was indeed his friend and patient who lay before him (что тот, кто лежал перед ним, был действительно его другом и пациентом; to lie) — it was explained that that is a symptom (объяснили это тем, что этот симптом) which is not unusual in cases of dyspnoea (нередко /проявляется/ при болезнях дыхательных путей; case — случай; заболевание; dyspnoea — одышка) and death from cardiac exhaustion (и смерти от сердечной недостаточности).
character [ˈkærɪktǝ], gipsy [ˈdʒɪpsɪ], patient [ˈpeɪʃ(ǝ)nt]
"Half-way down this walk there is a gate which leads out on to the moor. There were indications that Sir Charles had stood for some little time here. He then proceeded down the Alley, and it was at the far end of it that his body was discovered. One fact which has not been explained is the statement of Barrymore that his master's footprints altered their character from the time that he passed the moor-gate, and that he appeared from thence onwards to have been walking upon his toes. One Murphy, a gipsy horse-dealer, was on the moor at no great distance at the time, but he appears by his own confession to have been the worse for drink. He declares that he heard cries, but is unable to state from what direction they came. No signs of violence were to be discovered upon Sir Charles's person, and though the doctor's evidence pointed to an almost incredible facial distortion — so great that Dr. Mortimer refused at first to believe that it was indeed his friend and patient who lay before him — it was explained that that is a symptom which is not unusual in cases of dyspnoea and death from cardiac exhaustion.
"This explanation was borne out by the post-mortem examination (это объяснение подтвердилось /последующим/ вскрытием; to bear out — подтверждать), which showed long-standing organic disease (которое показало застарелый порок сердца; organic disease — любое заболевание, при котором происходят физические изменения в структуре органа), and the coroner's jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence (и коллегия присяжных при коронере вынесла вердикт в соответствии с медицинским заключением; to return — возвращать/ся/; официально заявлять; coroner — коронер, следователь по убийствам). It is well that this is so (хорошо, что это так), for it is obviously of the utmost importance (поскольку крайне важно; obviously — явно, очевидно) that Sir Charles's heir should settle at the Hall (чтобы наследник сэра Чарльза поселился в /Баскервиль/-холле) and continue the good work which has been so sadly interrupted (и продолжал добрые начинания, которые были прерваны столь прискорбно). Had the prosaic finding of the coroner not finally put an end to the romantic stories (не положи прозаические заключения следователя конец фантастическим выдумкам; finally — в конце концов; romantic — романтический; фантастический; story — рассказ; сплетни, россказни) which have been whispered in connection with the affair (которые передавались из уст в уста в связи с этим делом; to whisper — шептать) it might have been difficult to find a tenant for Baskerville Hall (могли бы /возникнуть/ трудности с поиском нового хозяина для Баскервиль-холла). It is understood that the next-of-kin is Mr. Henry Baskerville (предполагается, что ближайшим родственником является мистер Генри Баскервиль; to understand — понимать; предполагать), if he be still alive (если он «все еще» жив), the son of Sir Charles Baskerville's younger brother (сын младшего брата сэра Чарльза Баскервиля). The young man when last heard of was in America (молодой человек, когда о нем слышали в последний раз, находился в Америке), and inquiries are being instituted (и /сейчас туда/ посылаются запросы; inquiry — запрос, наведение справок; to institute — устанавливать) with a view to informing him of his good fortune (с целью уведомить его о /получении/ большого наследства)."
