mischievous [ˈmɪsʧɪvǝs], society [sǝˈsaɪǝtɪ], disarm [dɪsˈɑ:m]
"The blood had been streaming from my nose, but I had taken no notice of it. I don't know what it was that put it into my head to write upon the wall with it. Perhaps it was some mischievous idea of setting the police upon a wrong track, for I felt light-hearted and cheerful. I remembered a German being found in New York with RACHE written up above him, and it was argued at the time in the newspapers that the secret societies must have done it. I guessed that what puzzled the New Yorkers would puzzle the Londoners, so I dipped my finger in my own blood and printed it on a convenient place on the wall. Then I walked down to my cab and found that there was nobody about, and that the night was still very wild. I had driven some distance when I put my hand into the pocket in which I usually kept Lucy's ring, and found that it was not there. I was thunderstruck at this, for it was the only memento that I had of her. Thinking that I might have dropped it when I stooped over Drebber's body, I drove back, and leaving my cab in a side street, I went boldly up to the house — for I was ready to dare anything rather than lose the ring. When I arrived there, I walked right into the arms of a police-officer who was coming out, and only managed to disarm his suspicions by pretending to be hopelessly drunk.
"That was how Enoch Drebber came to his end (вот как Инок Дреббер нашел свою смерть: «пришел к своему концу»). All I had to do then was to do as much for Stangerson (все, что мне оставалось сделать тогда — проделать то же самое со Стенджерсоном), and so pay off John Ferrier's debt (и таким образом расквитаться за Джона Феррьера: «отплатить долги Джона Феррьера»). I knew that he was staying at Halliday's Private Hotel (я знал, что он остановился в частной гостинице «Холидей»), and I hung about all day, but he never came out (и я болтался поблизости весь день, но он так и не вышел). I fancy that he suspected something (наверное, он заподозрил что-то) when Drebber failed to put in an appearance (когда Дреббер так и не появился; to fail — не исполнить, не сделать; to put in an appearance — показываться, появляться: «вставить появление»). He was cunning, was Stangerson (он был хитер, этот Стенджерсон), and always on his guard (и всегда начеку). If he thought he could keep me off by staying indoors (но если он думал, что сможет спрятаться от меня, оставаясь взаперти; to keep off — держать в отдалении; не подпускать; indoors — внутри дома, в помещении) he was very much mistaken (он очень сильно ошибался). I soon found out which was the window of his bedroom (я вскоре вычислил: «обнаружил» окно его спальни), and early next morning I took advantage of some ladders which were lying in the lane behind the hotel (и рано следующим утром я воспользовался лестницей, которая лежала в переулке за гостиницей), and so made my way into his room in the grey of the dawn (и с ее помощью забрался в комнату, едва лишь забрезжил свет: «в серости рассвета»). I woke him up and told him that the hour had come (я разбудил его и сказал ему, что наступил час) when he was to answer for the life he had taken so long before (когда ему придется отвечать за жизнь, которую он отнял так давно). I described Drebber's death to him (я описал ему, как умер Дреббер: «смерть Дреббера»), and I gave him the same choice of the poisoned pills (и предоставил ему тот же выбор отравленной пилюли). Instead of grasping at the chance of safety which that offered him (вместо того, чтобы ухватиться за шанс выжить: «безопасности», предложенный ему), he sprang from his bed and flew at my throat (он соскочил с постели и вцепился мне в горло; to fly at — нападать). In self-defence I stabbed him to the heart (защищаясь: «в самообороне», я ударил его ножом в сердце; to stab — колоть, ранить кинжалом, ножом). It would have been the same in any case (в любом случае произошло бы то же самое), for Providence would never have allowed his guilty hand to pick out anything but the poison (так как провидение никогда не позволило бы его виноватой руке выбрать что-то, кроме яда; guilt — вина).
debt [det], indoors [ˌɪnˈdɔ:z], dawn [dɔ:n]
"That was how Enoch Drebber came to his end. All I had to do then was to do as much for Stangerson, and so pay off John Ferrier's debt. I knew that he was staying at Halliday's Private Hotel, and I hung about all day, but he never came out. I fancy that he suspected something when Drebber failed to put in an appearance. He was cunning, was Stangerson, and always on his guard. If he thought he could keep me off by staying indoors he was very much mistaken. I soon found out which was the window of his bedroom, and early next morning I took advantage of some ladders which were lying in the lane behind the hotel, and so made my way into his room in the grey of the dawn. I woke him up and told him that the hour had come when he was to answer for the life he had taken so long before. I described Drebber's death to him, and I gave him the same choice of the poisoned pills. Instead of grasping at the chance of safety which that offered him, he sprang from his bed and flew at my throat. In self-defence I stabbed him to the heart. It would have been the same in any case, for Providence would never have allowed his guilty hand to pick out anything but the poison.
"I have little more to say (мне немногое осталось рассказать), and it's as well, for I am about done up (и хорошо, так как силы мои на исходе; done up — физически истощен). I went on cabbing it for a day or so (я продолжал заниматься извозом день-другой), intending to keep at it until I could save enough to take me back to America (намереваясь заниматься этим, пока я не накоплю достаточно денег, чтобы вернуться в Америку). I was standing in the yard when a ragged youngster asked (я стоял на хозяйском дворе, когда какой-то оборванец спросил; ragged — оборванный, одетый в лохмотья; youngster — юноша; ребенок) if there was a cabby there called Jefferson Hope (нет ли здесь кебмена по имени Джефферсон Хоуп), and said that his cab was wanted by a gentleman at 221B, Baker Street (и сказал, что его кеб нужен джентльмену по адресу Бейкер-стрит, 221Б). I went round, suspecting no harm (я отправился по вызову, ничего не подозревая), and the next thing I knew, this young man here had the bracelets on my wrists (и тут вдруг этот молодой человек надевает мне браслеты на запястья; next thing I knew — не успел я опомниться), and as neatly shackled as ever I saw in my life (да так ловко, что ловчее я и не видал в своей жизни; to shackle — заковывать в кандалы). That's the whole of my story, gentlemen (вот и вся моя история, джентльмены). You may consider me to be a murderer (вы можете считать меня убийцей); but I hold that I am just as much an officer of justice as you are (но я считаю, что я такой же служитель закона, как и вы; justice — справедливость; правосудие, юстиция)."
So thrilling had the man's narrative been (его повествование было столь захватывающим), and his manner was so impressive (а рассказывал он так выразительно: «а его манера /рассказывать/ столь впечатляющей») that we had sat silent and absorbed (что мы сидели молча, захваченные рассказом; absorbed — поглощенный, увлеченный; to absorb — всасывать, впитывать; абсорбировать; поглощать). Even the professional detectives (даже профессиональные сыщики), blasé as they were in every detail of crime (какими бы пресыщенными они ни были преступлениями во всех их видах; blasé — /фр./ пресыщенный; опытный, искушенный), appeared to be keenly interested in the man's story (казались глубоко заинтересованными рассказом). When he finished we sat for some minutes in a stillness (когда он закончил, мы некоторое время сидели в тишине) which was only broken by the scratching of Lestrade's pencil (которую нарушал лишь скрип карандаша Лестрейда) as he gave the finishing touches to his shorthand account (заканчивавшего свою стенографическую запись: «придававшего окончательную отделку своей стенографической записи»).
narrative [ˈnærǝtɪv], absorb [ǝbˈzɔ:b], detail [ˈdi:teɪl]
"I have little more to say, and it's as well, for I am about done up. I went on cabbing it for a day or so, intending to keep at it until I could save enough to take me back to America. I was standing in the yard when a ragged youngster asked if there was a cabby there called Jefferson Hope, and said that his cab was wanted by a gentleman at 221B, Baker Street. I went round, suspecting no harm, and the next thing I knew, this young man here had the bracelets on my wrists, and as neatly shackled as ever I saw in my life. That's the whole of my story, gentlemen. You may consider me to be a murderer; but I hold that I am just as much an officer of justice as you are."
So thrilling had the man's narrative been, and his manner was so impressive that we had sat silent and absorbed. Even the professional detectives, blasé as they were in every detail of crime, appeared to be keenly interested in the man's story. When he finished we sat for some minutes in a stillness which was only broken by the scratching of Lestrade's pencil as he gave the finishing touches to his shorthand account.
"There is only one point on which I should like a little more information (только по поводу одного момента мне бы хотелось /получить/ немного больше информации)," Sherlock Holmes said at last (сказал, наконец, Шерлок Холмс). "Who was your accomplice who came for the ring which I advertised (кто был ваш сообщник, который пришел за кольцом по объявлению; to advertise — помещать объявление)?"
The prisoner winked at my friend jocosely (пленник шутливо подмигнул моему другу). "I can tell my own secrets (я могу раскрыть: «рассказать» свои собственные секреты)," he said, "but I don't get other people into trouble (но я не вовлекаю в неприятности других). I saw your advertisement (я увидел ваше объявление), and I thought it might be a plant (и я подумал, что это может быть ловушкой), or it might be the ring which I wanted (или это может быть то кольцо, которое мне нужно). My friend volunteered to go and see (мой друг вызвался сходить и посмотреть). I think you'll own he did it smartly (я полагаю, вы признаете, что он ловко это сделал)."
"Not a doubt of that," said Holmes heartily (в этом нет ни малейшего сомнения, — искренне сказал Шерлок Холмс).
"Now, gentlemen," the Inspector remarked gravely (а теперь, джентльмены, — рассудительно заметил инспектор; gravely — серьезно, здраво, рассудительно; grave — серьезный), "the forms of the law must be complied with (надо соблюсти формальности закона). On Thursday the prisoner will be brought before the magistrates (в четверг пленник предстанет перед судьями), and your attendance will be required (и потребуется ваше присутствие; to attend — уделять внимание; посещать; присутствовать /на лекциях, собраниях и т. п./). Until then I will be responsible for him (до этого момента я отвечаю за него)." He rang the bell as he spoke (он позвонил в колокольчик при этих словах), and Jefferson Hope was led off by a couple of warders (и Джефферсона Хоупа вывели два тюремных надзирателя), while my friend and I made our way out of the Station and took a cab back to Baker Street (а мой друг и я покинули участок и взяли кеб, чтобы попасть обратно на Бейкер-стрит).
