"Are you armed (вы вооружены)?" I asked.
"I have a hunting-crop (у меня охотничий хлыст)."
"We must close in on him rapidly (мы должны быстро подойти к нему с двух сторон; to close in — окружать), for he is said to be a desperate fellow (потому как, говорят, он отчаянный парень). We shall take him by surprise (мы возьмем его неожиданно) and have him at our mercy (и он окажется у нас в руках; at smb.’s mercy — в чьей-либо милости) before he can resist (прежде чем сможет сопротивляться)."
"I say, Watson," said the baronet, "what would Holmes say to this (послушайте, Ватсон, а что бы Холмс сказал на это)? How about that hour of darkness (как насчет того ночного часа) in which the power of evil is exalted (когда царствуют силы зла)?"
shrubbery [ˈʃrʌbǝrɪ], rustle [rʌsl], mercy [ˈmǝ:sɪ]
In five minutes we were outside the door, starting upon our expedition. We hurried through the dark shrubbery, amid the dull moaning of the autumn wind and the rustle of the falling leaves. The night air was heavy with the smell of damp and decay. Now and again the moon peeped out for an instant, but clouds were driving over the face of the sky, and just as we came out on the moor a thin rain began to fall. The light still burned steadily in front.
"Are you armed?" I asked.
"I have a hunting-crop."
"We must close in on him rapidly, for he is said to be a desperate fellow. We shall take him by surprise and have him at our mercy before he can resist."
"I say, Watson," said the baronet, "what would Holmes say to this? How about that hour of darkness in which the power of evil is exalted?"
As if in answer to his words (как будто в ответ на его слова) there rose suddenly out of the vast gloom of the moor that strange cry (внезапно из безбрежного мрака болот возник тот странный вой; to rise — подниматься) which I had already heard upon the borders of the great Grimpen Mire (который я уже слышал на краю большой Гримпенской трясины). It came with the wind through the silence of the night (ветер пронес его сквозь тишину ночи), a long, deep mutter (долгое, низкое бормотание), then a rising howl (затем нарастающее завывание), and then the sad moan in which it died away (и затем тоскливый стон, на котором /этот вой/ затихал). Again and again it sounded (он звучал снова и снова), the whole air throbbing with it (от него дрожал весь воздух; to throb — биться, пульсировать; колыхаться), strident, wild, and menacing (резкий, дикий и зловещий; menacing — угрожающий; зловещий). The baronet caught my sleeve (баронет поймал меня за рукав; to catch) and his face glimmered white through the darkness (его лицо белым /пятном/ светилось в темноте).
cry [kraɪ], border[ˈbɔ:dǝ], strident [straɪdnt]
As if in answer to his words there rose suddenly out of the vast gloom of the moor that strange cry which I had already heard upon the borders of the great Grimpen Mire. It came with the wind through the silence of the night, a long, deep mutter, then a rising howl, and then the sad moan in which it died away. Again and again it sounded, the whole air throbbing with it, strident, wild, and menacing. The baronet caught my sleeve and his face glimmered white through the darkness.
"Good heavens, what's that, Watson (Боже мой, Ватсон, что это)?"
"I don't know (я не знаю). It's a sound they have on the moor (такое: «этот звук» /иногда/ случается на болотах). I heard it once before (я однажды его уже слышал)."
It died away (вой стих), and an absolute silence closed in upon us (и нас окружила полная тишина). We stood straining our ears (мы стояли, прислушиваясь; to strain one's ears — напрягать слух), but nothing came (но /больше/ ничего не было слышно).
"Watson," said the baronet, "it was the cry of a hound (это был вой собаки)."
My blood ran cold in my veins (кровь застыла у меня в жилах; to run cold — похолодеть), for there was a break in his voice (потому что его голос резко изменился; break — трещина; неожиданное изменение) which told of the sudden horror which had seized him (что говорило о внезапном ужасе, охватившем его).
"What do they call this sound (как они называют этот звук)?" he asked.
"Who (кто)?"
"The folk on the country-side (местные жители)."
"Oh, they are ignorant people (о, они люди невежественные). Why should you mind what they call it (что вам с того, как они это называют; to mind — заботиться; беспокоиться, тревожиться)?"
"Tell me, Watson. What do they say of it (скажите мне, Ватсон, что они говорят об этом)?"
I hesitated, but could not escape the question (я колебался, но не мог уклониться от ответа: «вопроса»).
"They say it is the cry of the Hound of the Baskervilles (они говорят, что так воет собака Баскервилей)."
absolute [ˈæbsǝlu:t], seize [si:z], hesitate [ˈhezɪteɪt]
"Good heavens, what's that, Watson?"
"I don't know. It's a sound they have on the moor. I heard it once before."
It died away, and an absolute silence closed in upon us. We stood straining our ears, but nothing came.
"Watson," said the baronet, "it was the cry of a hound."
My blood ran cold in my veins, for there was a break in his voice which told of the sudden horror which had seized him.
"What do they call this sound?" he asked.
"Who?"
"The folk on the country-side."
"Oh, they are ignorant people. Why should you mind what they call it?"
"Tell me, Watson. What do they say of it?"
I hesitated, but could not escape the question.
"They say it is the cry of the Hound of the Baskervilles."
He groaned, and was silent for a few moments (он застонал и несколько мгновений молчал).
"A hound it was," he said, at last (это была собака, — наконец сказал он), "but it seemed to come from miles away, over yonder, I think (но, кажется, он шел издалека, вон оттуда, я полагаю)."
"It was hard to say whence it came (трудно сказать, откуда он шел)."
"It rose and fell with the wind (он поднялся и затих вместе с ветром; to fall — падать; стихать). Isn't that the direction of the great Grimpen Mire (не в том ли направлении большая Гримпенская трясина)?"
"Yes, it is."
"Well, it was up there (значит, он шел оттуда). Come now, Watson (да ладно, Ватсон), didn't you think yourself (неужто вы сами не думаете) that it was the cry of a hound (что это был вой собаки)? I am not a child (я не ребенок). You need not fear to speak the truth (вам не нужно бояться сказать правду)."
"Stapleton was with me when I heard it last (со мной был Стэплтон, когда я слышал это в прошлый раз; last — последний; прошлый). He said that it might be the calling of a strange bird (он сказал, что, возможно, это кричит какая-то птица; strange — странный; незнакомый)."
"No, no, it was a hound (нет-нет, это была собака). My God, can there be some truth in all these stories (мой Бог, неужели есть какая-то правда во всех этих россказнях)? Is it possible that I am really in danger from so dark a cause (возможно ли, что я действительно в опасности = мне и правда угрожает такая темная сила)? You don't believe it, do you, Watson (вы в это не верите, Ватсон, не так ли)?"
"No, no."
mile [maɪl], whence [wens], truth [tru:Ɵ]
He groaned, and was silent for a few moments.
"A hound it was," he said, at last, "but it seemed to come from miles away, over yonder, I think."
"It was hard to say whence it came."
"It rose and fell with the wind. Isn't that the direction of the great Grimpen Mire?"
"Yes, it is."
"Well, it was up there. Come now, Watson, didn't you think yourself that it was the cry of a hound? I am not a child. You need not fear to speak the truth."
"Stapleton was with me when I heard it last. He said that it might be the calling of a strange bird."
"No, no, it was a hound. My God, can there be some truth in all these stories? Is it possible that I am really in danger from so dark a cause? You don't believe it, do you, Watson?"
"No, no."
"And yet it was one thing to laugh about it in London (и все же, одно дело смеяться над этим в Лондоне), and it is another to stand out here in the darkness of the moor (а другое — стоять здесь в темноте на болотах) and to hear such a cry as that (и слушать подобный вой). And my uncle (а мой дядя)! There was the footprint of the hound beside him as he lay (возле /места/, где он лежал, были отпечатки собачьих /лап/). It all fits together (все сходится: «все подходит друг к другу»). I don't think that I am a coward (я не думаю, что я трус = я не считаю себя трусом), Watson, but that sound seemed to freeze my very blood (но тот звук, казалось, заморозил мне всю кровь). Feel my hand (потрогайте мою руку)!"
It was as cold as a block of marble (она была холодна, как глыба мрамора; block — колода; глыба).
"You'll be all right to-morrow (завтра с вами будет все в порядке)."
"I don't think I'll get that cry out of my head (не думаю, что /смогу/ выбросить из головы этот вой). What do you advise that we do now (что вы посоветуете нам делать сейчас)?"
"Shall we turn back (/может быть/, нам стоит вернуться назад)?"
"No, by thunder (нет, черт возьми); we have come out to get our man (мы вышли, чтобы поймать нашего каторжника), and we will do it (и мы это сделаем). We after the convict (мы /охотимся/ за каторжником), and a hell-hound, as likely as not, after us (а тот цербер, по всей вероятности, за нами). Come on (вперед)! We'll see it through if all the fiends of the pit were loose upon the moor (поглядим, все ли черти преисподней разгуливают по болотам; to be loose — шататься; разгуливать; loose — свободный; непривязанный, неприкрепленный; спущенный с цепи, выпущенный из клетки и т. п.; pit — яма, углубление, впадина, лунка; /перен./ преисподняя)."
marble [mɑ:bl], coward [kauǝd], fiend [fi:nd]
"And yet it was one thing to laugh about it in London, and it is another to stand out here in the darkness of the moor and to hear such a cry as that. And my uncle! There was the footprint of the hound beside him as he lay. It all fits together. I don't think that I am a coward, Watson, but that sound seemed to freeze my very blood. Feel my hand!"
It was as cold as a block of marble.
"You'll be all right to-morrow."
"I don't think I'll get that cry out of my head. What do you advise that we do now?"
"Shall we turn back?"
"No, by thunder; we have come out to get our man, and we will do it. We after the convict, and a hell-hound, as likely as not, after us. Come on! We'll see it through if all the fiends of the pit were loose upon the moor."
We stumbled slowly along in the darkness (мы медленно двинулись в темноту; to stumble — спотыкаться; ковылять), with the black loom of the craggy hills around us (/при этом/ черные тени скалистых холмов окружали нас; loom — неясные очертания; тень), and the yellow speck of light burning steadily in front (и желтое пятнышко света постоянно горело впереди). There is nothing so deceptive (ничто так не обманчиво) as the distance of a light upon a pitch-dark night (как расстояние до /источника/ света в непроглядной ночи), and sometimes the glimmer seemed to be far away upon the horizon (временами казалось, огонек был далеко на горизонте) and sometimes it might have been within a few yards of us (а временами — в нескольких ярдах от нас). But at last we could see whence it came (но наконец мы смогли увидеть, откуда он идет), and then we knew that we were indeed very close (и тогда поняли, что мы находимся действительно очень близко). A guttering candle was stuck in a crevice of the rocks (угасающая свеча была воткнута в расщелину /между/ камнями; to gutter — вымывать канавки; угасать /о пламени/; to stick) which flanked it on each side (которые защищали ее со всех сторон; to flank — располагаться сбоку; защищать сбоку) so as to keep the wind from it (так чтобы уберечь ее от ветра), and also to prevent it from being visible (а также сделать ее невидимой /отовсюду/; to prevent — предотвращать; препятствовать; visible — видимый), save in the direction of Baskerville Hall (кроме как со стороны Баскервиль-холла). A boulder of granite concealed our approach (гранитная глыба скрывала наше приближение), and crouching behind it we gazed over it at the signal light (и, пригнувшись за ней, мы пристально смотрели на сигнальный огонек). It was strange to see this single candle (странно было видеть эту одинокую свечу) burning there in the middle of the moor (горящую там, посреди болот), with no sign of life near it (без признаков жизни вокруг нее) — just the one straight yellow flame (только одно ровное желтое пламя) and the gleam of the rock on each side of it (и отблески на камнях вокруг него).
