air [ɛǝ], hurl [hǝ:l], far [fɑ:]
Holmes sank to his waist as he stepped from the path to seize it, and had we not been there to drag him out he could never have set his foot upon firm land again. He held an old black boot in the air. "Meyers, Toronto," was printed on the leather inside.
"It is worth a mud bath," said he. "It is our friend Sir Henry's missing boot."
"Thrown there by Stapleton in his flight."
"Exactly. He retained it in his hand after using it to set the hound upon his track. He fled when he knew the game was up, still clutching it. And he hurled it away at this point of his flight. We know at least that he came so far in safety."
But more than that we were never destined to know (но кроме этого: «больше, чем это» нам не суждено было узнать), though there was much which we might surmise (хотя было много чего, что мы могли бы предполагать). There was no chance of finding footsteps in the mire (не было никаких шансов /на то, чтобы/ найти следы в трясине), for the rising mud oozed swiftly in upon them (поскольку поднимающаяся грязь быстро /затягивала/ их; to ooze — выделяться, вытекать), but as we at last reached firmer ground beyond the morass (но когда мы наконец достигли твердой почвы позади трясины) we all looked eagerly for them (мы все настойчиво их искали). But no slightest sign of them ever met our eyes (но ни малейшего их признака не встретилось нашим взглядам). If the earth told a true story (если земля рассказывала правдивую историю), then Stapleton never reached that island of refuge (тогда Стэплтон не добрался до убежища на островке) towards which he struggled through the fog upon that last night (к которому он пробирался сквозь туман в ту последнюю ночь). Somewhere in the heart of the great Grimpen Mire (где-то в сердце большой Гримпенской трясины), down in the foul slime of the huge morass (на дне: «внизу» в вонючей тине огромного болота) which had sucked him in (которое засосало его), this cold and cruel-hearted man is for ever buried (этот холодный человек с жестоким сердцем похоронен навсегда).
surmise [sǝ:ˈmaɪz] /гл./ [ˈsǝ:maɪz] /сущ./, morass [mǝˈræs], cruel [kruǝl]
But more than that we were never destined to know, though there was much which we might surmise. There was no chance of finding footsteps in the mire, for the rising mud oozed swiftly in upon them, but as we at last reached firmer ground beyond the morass we all looked eagerly for them. But no slightest sign of them ever met our eyes. If the earth told a true story, then Stapleton never reached that island of refuge towards which he struggled through the fog upon that last night. Somewhere in the heart of the great Grimpen Mire, down in the foul slime of the huge morass which had sucked him in, this cold and cruel-hearted man is for ever buried.
Many traces we found of him in the bog-girt island (мы нашли много его следов на окруженном болотом островке; to gird — подпоясываться; окружать) where he had hid his savage ally (где он прятал своего свирепого друга; ally — союзник). A huge driving-wheel and a shaft half-filled with rubbish (громадное приводное колесо и ствол шахты, наполовину заполненный пустой породой; rubbish — хлам, мусор; пустая порода) showed the position of an abandoned mine (показывал расположение заброшенного рудника). Beside it were the crumbling remains of the cottages of the miners (рядом стояли осыпавшиеся останки хижин рудокопов), driven away no doubt by the foul reek of the surrounding swamp (которых несомненно разогнало страшное: «грязное» зловоние окружающих болот; to drive away — прогонять). In one of these a staple and chain with a quantity of gnawed bones (в одной из них скоба, цепь и большое количество обглоданных костей; quantity — количество; большое количество) showed where the animal had been confined (показывали, где держали собаку; to confine — ограничивать; держать взаперти). A skeleton with a tangle of brown hair adhering to it (скелет с комком коричневой шерсти, приставшей к нему) lay among the debris (лежал среди обломков).
ally [ˈælaɪ] /сущ./ [ǝˈlaɪ] /гл./, rubbish [ˈrʌbɪʃ], debris [ˈdebri:]
Many traces we found of him in the bog-girt island where he had hid his savage ally. A huge driving-wheel and a shaft half-filled with rubbish showed the position of an abandoned mine. Beside it were the crumbling remains of the cottages of the miners, driven away no doubt by the foul reek of the surrounding swamp. In one of these a staple and chain with a quantity of gnawed bones showed where the animal had been confined. A skeleton with a tangle of brown hair adhering to it lay among the debris.
"A dog!" said Holmes (собака! — сказал Холмс). "By Jove, a curly-haired spaniel (Господи, спаниель с курчавой шерстью; by Jove — восклицание удивления). Poor Mortimer will never see his pet again (бедняга Мортимер никогда больше не увидит своего питомца). Well, I do not know that this place contains any secret (ну, я не думаю, что этот островок содержит какие-то тайны) which we have not already fathomed (которые мы еще не раскрыли; to fathom — измерять глубину; разузнавать, выяснять; fathom — фатом, фадом, морская сажень /английская единица длины; = 6 футам = 182 см/). He could hide his hound (он смог спрятать свою собаку), but he could not hush its voice (но не мог заглушить ее голос; to hush — утихомиривать), and hence came those cries (и отсюда шел тот вой; cry — крик; вой, лай) which even in daylight were not pleasant to hear (который даже при дневном свете неприятно было слышать). On an emergency he could keep the hound in the out-house at Merripit (при крайней необходимости он мог держать собаку в сарае в Меррипит-хаус), but it was always a risk (но это всегда было рискованно), and it was only on the supreme day (и только в последний день), which he regarded as the end of all his efforts (который он считал завершением всех его усилий), that he dared to do it (он осмелился так поступить: «сделать это»). This paste in the tin is no doubt the luminous mixture (эта паста в жестянке — несомненно светящаяся смесь) with which the creature was daubed (которой /он/ намазывал животное; daub — штукатурка из строительного раствора с соломой, обмазка; to daub — мазать /глиной, известкой и т. п./, штукатурить). It was suggested, of course, by the story of the family hell-hound (конечно же, /его/ навели на мысль семейное предание о дьявольской собаке), and by the desire to frighten old Sir Charles to death (и желание напугать старого сэра Чарльза до смерти).
spaniel [ˈspænjǝl], luminous [ˈlu:mɪnǝs], daub [dɔ:b]
"A dog!" said Holmes. "By Jove, a curly-haired spaniel. Poor Mortimer will never see his pet again. Well, I do not know that this place contains any secret which we have not already fathomed. He could hide his hound, but he could not hush its voice, and hence came those cries which even in daylight were not pleasant to hear. On an emergency he could keep the hound in the out-house at Merripit, but it was always a risk, and it was only on the supreme day, which he regarded as the end of all his efforts, that he dared to do it. This paste in the tin is no doubt the luminous mixture with which the creature was daubed. It was suggested, of course, by the story of the family hell-hound, and by the desire to frighten old Sir Charles to death.
No wonder the poor wretch of a convict ran and screamed (неудивительно, что бедняга-каторжник бежал и кричал), even as our friend did, and as we ourselves might have done (точно так, как и наш друг, и как мы сами могли бы), when he saw such a creature (когда увидел такую тварь) bounding through the darkness of the moor upon his track (несущуюся: «прыгающую» сквозь темноту болот по его следу). It was a cunning device (это был хитрый план; device — устройство; план), for, apart from the chance of driving your victim to his death (поскольку, кроме возможности довести жертву до смерти), what peasant would venture to inquire too closely into such a creature (какой крестьянин рискнул бы выяснять слишком тщательно о такой твари; to inquire into smth. — выяснять/расследовать что-либо; to inquire — осведомляться, справляться, спрашивать, узнавать) should he get sight of it, as many have done, upon the moor (взгляни он на нее на болотах, как /это случалось/ со многими)? I said it in London, Watson (я говорил это в Лондоне, Ватсон), and I say it again now (и я говорю это сейчас снова), that never yet have we helped to hunt down a more dangerous man (что никогда еще мы не помогали ловить более опасного человека; to hunt down — выследить; поймать) than he who is lying yonder (чем того, который лежит вон там)" — he swept his long arm towards the huge mottled expanse of green-splotched bog (он указал своей длинной рукой в сторону огромного пестрого простора /покрытых/ зелеными пятнами болот; to sweep — мести; проводить /рукой/; to splotch — покрывать пятнами) which stretched away until it merged into the russet slopes of the moor (которые тянулись вдаль, пока не сливались с красновато-коричневыми склонами торфяников).
device [dɪˈvaɪs], inquire [ɪnˈkwaɪǝ], expanse [ɪksˈpæns]
No wonder the poor wretch of a convict ran and screamed, even as our friend did, and as we ourselves might have done, when he saw such a creature bounding through the darkness of the moor upon his track. It was a cunning device, for, apart from the chance of driving your victim to his death, what peasant would venture to inquire too closely into such a creature should he get sight of it, as many have done, upon the moor? I said it in London, Watson, and I say it again now, that never yet have we helped to hunt down a more dangerous man than he who is lying yonder" — he swept his long arm towards the huge mottled expanse of green-splotched bog which stretched away until it merged into the russet slopes of the moor.
CHAPTER XV. A RETROSPECTION
(Размышления о прошлом)
IT was the end of November (это был конец ноября), and Holmes and I sat, upon a raw and foggy night (и мы с Холмсом сидели сырой и туманной ночью), on either side of a blazing fire (по обе стороны пылающего камина: «огня») in our sitting-room in Baker Street (в нашей гостиной на Бейкер-стрит). Since the tragic upshot of our visit to Devonshire (со времени трагического завершения нашей поездки в Девоншир) he had been engaged in two affairs of the utmost importance (он был привлечен /к расследованию/ двух чрезвычайно важных дел; utmost — самый отдаленный; крайний, предельный), in the first of which he had exposed the atrocious conduct of Colonel Upwood (в первом из которых он сделал достоянием гласности отвратительное поведение полковника Апвуда; to expose — делать видимым; разоблачать; atrocious — злой, свирепый, чудовищный, жестокий, зверский, варварский; отталкивающий, противный, отвратительный, гнусный) in connection with the famous card scandal of the Nonpareil Club (в связи с известным карточным скандалом в клубе "Нонпарейль"), while in the second he had defended the unfortunate Mme. Montpensier (тогда как во втором защитил несчастную мадам Монпенсье) from the charge of murder, which hung over her (от обвинения в убийстве, которое грозило ей: «нависало над ней») in connection with the death of her step-daughter, Mlle. Carere (в связи со смертью ее падчерицы, мадемуазель Карэр), the young lady who, as it will be remembered (молодой леди, которая, как помнится), was found six months later alive and married in New York (полгода спустя была обнаружена живой и /уже/ замужней в Нью-Йорке).
