Читать онлайн «Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Собака Баскервилей (ASCII-IPA)». Страница 79

dare [ [email protected]], visible [' [email protected]], villain [' [email protected]]

When they were gone we looked out of the window again. Sir Henry had flung it open, and the cold night wind beat in upon our faces. Far away in the black distance there still glowed that one tiny point of yellow light.

"I wonder he dares," said Sir Henry.

"It may be so placed as to be only visible from here."

"Very likely. How far do you think it is?"

"Out by the Cleft Tor, I think."

"Not more than a mile or two off."

"Hardly that."

"Well, it cannot be far if Barrymore had to carry out the food to it. And he is waiting, this villain, beside that candle. By thunder, Watson, I am going out to take that man!"

The same thought had crossed my own mind (та же мысль мелькнула и у меня; to cross one’s mind — внезапно прийти в голову, осенить /кого-либо/). It was not as if the Barrymores had taken us into their confidence (Бэрриморы же не доверились нам; to take smb. into one’s confidence — поведать кому-либо свои тайны, довериться кому-л). Their secret had been forced from them (/мы/ их заставили /раскрыть/ свою тайну). The man was a danger to the community (этот человек был угрозой для общества), an unmitigated scoundrel for whom there was neither pity nor excuse (законченным негодяем, для которого не было ни жалости, ни прощения; unmitigated — несмягченный; полный, абсолютный; to mitigate — смягчать, уменьшать /строгость, суровость; наказание/; умерять, сдерживать /жар, пыл/). We were only doing our duty (мы только выполнили /бы/ свой долг) in taking this chance of putting him back (воспользовавшись возможностью вернуть его /туда/) where he could do no harm (где он не мог причинить никакого вреда). With his brutal and violent nature (из-за его жестокого и зверского нрава), others would have to pay the price (другим бы пришлось расплачиваться) if we held our hands (если бы мы /сидели/, сложа руки). Any night, for example, our neighbours the Stapletons might be attacked by him (в любую ночь он мог бы напасть на наших соседей, к примеру, на Стэплтонов), and it may have been the thought of this (и, может быть, /именно/ эта мысль) which made Sir Henry so keen upon the adventure (заставила сэра Генри так загореться этой авантюрой; keen — острый; увлеченный, пылкий).

"I will come (я /тоже/ пойду)," said I.

"Then get your revolver and put on your boots (тогда возьмите свой револьвер и наденьте ботинки). The sooner we start the better (чем скорее мы отправимся, тем лучше), as the fellow may put out his light and be off (так как парень может погасить свечу и убраться /оттуда/; to put out — выгонять; тушить, гасить)."

confidence ['kOnfId(@)ns], scoundrel ['skaundr(@)l], start [stA:t]

The same thought had crossed my own mind. It was not as if the Barrymores had taken us into their confidence. Their secret had been forced from them. The man was a danger to the community, an unmitigated scoundrel for whom there was neither pity nor excuse. We were only doing our duty in taking this chance of putting him back where he could do no harm. With his brutal and violent nature, others would have to pay the price if we held our hands. Any night, for example, our neighbours the Stapletons might be attacked by him, and it may have been the thought of this which made Sir Henry so keen upon the adventure.

"I will come," said I.

"Then get your revolver and put on your boots. The sooner we start the better, as the fellow may put out his light and be off."

In five minutes we were outside the door (через пять минут мы были уже снаружи), starting upon our expedition (отправляясь в нашу экспедицию). We hurried through the dark shrubbery (мы поспешно пробирались через темный кустарник), amid the dull moaning of the autumn wind (под заунывные стоны осеннего ветра) and the rustle of the falling leaves (и шелест опадающих листьев). The night air was heavy with the smell of damp and decay (ночной воздух был насыщен запахами сырости и гниения; heavy — тяжелый; насыщенный). Now and again the moon peeped out for an instant (иногда на секунду выглядывала луна), but clouds were driving over the face of the sky (но по небу мчались тучи) and just as we came out on the moor (и как только мы вышли на болота) a thin rain began to fall (начал моросить: «падать» мелкий дождик). The light still burned steadily in front (свет все еще равномерно горел впереди).

"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 [' [email protected]], rustle [rVsl], mercy [' [email protected]:sI]

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 [kraI], border['bO: [email protected]], strident [straIdnt]

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)."