errand ['er(@)nd], guess [ges], occasion [@'keIZ(@)n]
"Well! Am I right?"
"Certainly, there is a boy who seems to have some secret errand."
"And what the errand is even a county constable could guess. But not one word shall they have from me, and I bind you to secrecy also, Dr. Watson. Not a word! You understand?"
"Just as you wish."
"They have treated me shamefully — shamefully. When the facts come out in Frankland v. Regina I venture to think that a thrill of indignation will run through the country. Nothing would induce me to help the police in any way. For all they cared it might have been me, instead of my effigy, which these rascals burned at the stake. Surely you are not going! You will help me to empty the decanter in honour of this great occasion!"
But I resisted all his solicitations (но я не поддался на все его настойчивые просьбы) and succeeded in dissuading him from his announced intention (и успешно отговорил его от заявленного /им/ намерения; to succeed — следовать /за кем-либо/; иметь успех; to dissuade — отговаривать) of walking home with me (пройтись со мною до дома). I kept the road (я следовал по дороге; to keep — хранить; придерживаться, следовать) as long as his eye was on me (до тех пор, пока он мог меня видеть: «пока его взгляд был на мне»), and then I struck off across the moor (а затем свернул на болота; to strike off — свернуть) and made for the stony hill (и направился к каменистому холму; to make for — направляться к) over which the boy had disappeared (за которым исчез мальчик). Everything was working in my favour (все складывалось: «работало» в мою пользу), and I swore (и я поклялся; to swear) that it should not be through lack of energy or perseverance (что это случится не из-за нехватки энергичности или настойчивости) that I should miss the chance (если я упущу случай) which Fortune had thrown in my way (который судьба послала мне: «бросила на моем пути»; to throw — бросать; посылать).
The sun was already sinking (солнце уже садилось) when I reached the summit of the hill (когда я достиг вершины холма), and the long slopes beneath me (и длинные склоны подо мной) were all golden-green on one side (были все золотисто-зелеными с одной стороны) and grey shadow on the other (а другую /уже накрыла/ серая тень).
solicitation [ [email protected],lIsI'teIS(@)n], dissuade [dI'sweId], perseverance [, [email protected]:sI' [email protected](@)ns]
But I resisted all his solicitations and succeeded in dissuading him from his announced intention of walking home with me. I kept the road as long as his eye was on me, and then I struck off across the moor and made for the stony hill over which the boy had disappeared. Everything was working in my favour, and I swore that it should not be through lack of energy or perseverance that I should miss the chance which Fortune had thrown in my way.
The sun was already sinking when I reached the summit of the hill, and the long slopes beneath me were all golden-green on one side and grey shadow on the other.
A haze lay low upon the farthest sky-line (легкая дымка лежала низко над горизонтом), out of which jutted the fantastic shapes of Belliver and Vixen Tor (из которого выступали причудливые формы скалы Белливера и Лисьей скалы). Over the wide expanse there was no sound and no movement (по /всему/ обширному пространству не было ни звука, ни движения). One great grey bird, a gull or curlew (одна большая серая птица, чайка или кроншнеп), soared aloft in the blue heaven (высоко парила в голубом небе). He and I seemed to be the only living things (мы с ней, казалось, были единственными живыми существами) between the huge arch of the sky and the desert beneath it (между громадным сводом небес и пустыней под ним). The barren scene, the sense of loneliness (бесплодное место, чувство одиночества), and the mystery and urgency of my task (тайна и крайняя необходимость /выполнить/ мою задачу) all struck a chill into my heart (все /это/ наполняло: «пронзало» холодом мое сердце; to strike — ударять/ся/; вонзать). The boy was nowhere to be seen (мальчишки нигде не было видно). But down beneath me in a cleft of the hills (но внизу подо мной в расселине /между/ холмами) there was a circle of the old stone huts (был круг, /образованный/ древними каменными хижинами), and in the middle of them there was one (и в середине их находилась одна) which retained sufficient roof to act as a screen against the weather (достаточно сохранившаяся крыша которой /могла/ служить защитой: «щитом» от /не/погоды). My heart leaped within me (сердце во мне подпрыгнуло) as I saw it (когда я ее увидел). This must be the burrow (она должна была быть той норой) where the stranger lurked (где укрывался незнакомец). At last my foot was on the threshold of his hiding-place (наконец-то моя нога была на пороге его убежища) — his secret was within my grasp (его тайна /теперь/ в моих руках; grasp — хватка; власть, контроль).
desert [' [email protected]], urgency ['@:dZ(@)nsI], sufficient [ [email protected]'fIS(@)nt]
A haze lay low upon the farthest sky-line, out of which jutted the fantastic shapes of Belliver and Vixen Tor. Over the wide expanse there was no sound and no movement. One great grey bird, a gull or curlew, soared aloft in the blue heaven. He and I seemed to be the only living things between the huge arch of the sky and the desert beneath it. The barren scene, the sense of loneliness, and the mystery and urgency of my task all struck a chill into my heart. The boy was nowhere to be seen. But down beneath me in a cleft of the hills there was a circle of the old stone huts, and in the middle of them there was one which retained sufficient roof to act as a screen against the weather. My heart leaped within me as I saw it. This must be the burrow where the stranger lurked. At last my foot was on the threshold of his hiding-place — his secret was within my grasp.
As I approached the hut (когда я приблизился к хижине), walking as warily as Stapleton would do (ступая так же осторожно, как /это/ делал бы Стэплтон) when with poised net he drew near the settled butterfly (когда с сачком наготове подкрадывался к севшей бабочке; to draw near — приближаться), I satisfied myself that the place had indeed been used as a habitation (я убедился, что это место действительно использовалось в качестве жилья; to satisfy oneself — удовлетворяться; убеждаться). A vague pathway among the boulders (едва заметная тропка среди камней) led to the dilapidated opening (вела к наполовину осыпавшемуся отверстию; dilapidated — полуразрушенный) which served as a door (которое служило входом). All was silent within (внутри все было тихо). The unknown might be lurking there (неизвестный мог прятаться там), or he might be prowling on the moor (или мог бродить по болотам). My nerves tingled with the sense of adventure (мои нервы трепетали от чувства риска). Throwing aside my cigarette (отбросив в сторону папиросу) I closed my hand upon the butt of my revolver (я сжал в ладони рукоятку своего револьвера; butt — толстый конец /инструмента, оружия/; приклад, рукоятка) and, walking swiftly up to the door, I looked in (и, быстро подойдя к двери, заглянул внутрь). The place was empty (внутри было пусто; place — место; помещение).
warily [' [email protected]], habitation [,h&bI'teIS(@)n], revolver [rI' [email protected]]
As I approached the hut, walking as warily as Stapleton would do when with poised net he drew near the settled butterfly, I satisfied myself that the place had indeed been used as a habitation. A vague pathway among the boulders led to the dilapidated opening which served as a door. All was silent within. The unknown might be lurking there, or he might be prowling on the moor. My nerves tingled with the sense of adventure. Throwing aside my cigarette I closed my hand upon the butt of my revolver and, walking swiftly up to the door, I looked in. The place was empty.
But there were ample signs (но там было достаточно признаков, /свидетельствовавших о том/) that I had not come upon a false scent (что я не пошел по ложному следу; scent — запах; след). This was certainly where the man lived (здесь определенно жил человек). Some blankets rolled in a waterproof (несколько одеял, завернутых в непромокаемый плащ) lay upon that very stone slab (лежали на той самой каменной плите) upon which neolithic man had once slumbered (на которой некогда спал неолитический человек; once — один раз; когда-то, некогда). The ashes of a fire were heaped in a rude grate (зола от костра кучей лежала в грубом очаге). Beside it lay some cooking utensils (рядом располагались какая-то кухонная утварь) and a bucket half-full of water (и бадья, наполовину наполненная водой). A litter of empty tins (разбросанные в беспорядке пустые консервные банки; litter — разбросанные вещи) showed that the place had been occupied for some time (показывали, что в этом месте некоторое время /кто-то/ жил), and I saw, as my eyes became accustomed to the chequered light (и я увидел, когда глаза мои привыкли к изменчивому свету), a pannikin and a half-full bottle of spirits standing in the corner (кружку и наполовину полную бутылку вина, стоящие в углу; spirits — алкогольный напиток). In the middle of the hut (в середине хижины) a flat stone served the purpose of a table (/располагался/ плоский камень, служивший в качестве стола), and upon this stood a small cloth bundle (а на нем стоял маленький узелок из сукна) — the same, no doubt (без сомнения, тот), which I had seen through the telescope upon the shoulder of the boy (который я видел в телескоп на плече у мальчишки). It contained a loaf of bread (в нем была: «он содержал» буханку хлеба), a tinned tongue (консервированный /говяжий/ язык), and two tins of preserved peaches (и две банки консервированных персиков). As I set it down again (когда я поставил это назад), after having examined it (после того как осмотрел), my heart leaped to see (мое сердце подпрыгнуло, /когда я/ заметил) that beneath it there lay a sheet of paper with writing upon it (что под этим лежал листок бумаги с /какой-то/ надписью на нем). I raised it, and this was what I read (я поднял его, и вот, что я прочел), roughly scrawled in pencil (небрежно и неразборчиво написанное карандашом; roughly — грубо; небрежно; to scrawl — писать неразборчиво):—
"Dr. Watson has gone to Coombe Tracey (доктор Ватсон поехал в Кум-Трэйси)."
slumber [' [email protected]], accustom [@' [email protected]], tongue [tVN]
But there were ample signs that I had not come upon a false scent. This was certainly where the man lived. Some blankets rolled in a waterproof lay upon that very stone slab upon which neolithic man had once slumbered. The ashes of a fire were heaped in a rude grate. Beside it lay some cooking utensils and a bucket half-full of water. A litter of empty tins showed that the place had been occupied for some time, and I saw, as my eyes became accustomed to the chequered light, a pannikin and a half-full bottle of spirits standing in the corner. In the middle of the hut a flat stone served the purpose of a table, and upon this stood a small cloth bundle — the same, no doubt, which I had seen through the telescope upon the shoulder of the boy. It contained a loaf of bread, a tinned tongue, and two tins of preserved peaches. As I set it down again, after having examined it, my heart leaped to see that beneath it there lay a sheet of paper with writing upon it. I raised it, and this was what I read, roughly scrawled in pencil:—
