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inherited [In'herItId] affair [q'feq] preparatory [prI'pxrqtq(r)I]

Flitcraft had inherited seventy thousand dollars from his father, and, with his success in real estate, was worth something in the neighborhood of two hundred thousand dollars at the time he vanished. His affairs were in order, though there were enough loose ends to indicate that he had not been setting them in order preparatory to vanishing. A deal that would have brought him an attractive profit, for instance, was to have been concluded the day after the one on which he disappeared.

There was nothing to suggest (не было ничего, чтобы предположить) that he had more than fifty or sixty dollars (что он имел более пятидесяти или шестидесяти долларов) in his immediate possession (в своем непосредственном владении) at the time of his going (в момент, когда он ушел). His habits for months past (его привычки за прошедшие месяцы) could be accounted for too thoroughly (могли быть описаны очень/слишком тщательно; to account for — отвечать, нести ответственность, объяснять) to justify (чтобы оправдать) any suspicion of secret vices (любое подозрение в тайных пороках), or even of another woman in his life (или даже другой женщины в его жизни), though either was barely possible (хотя любое из этого было вряд ли возможно).

"He went like that (он исчез: «ушел» подобно тому)," Spade said, "like a fist when you open your hand (как /исчезает/ кулак, когда открываешь ладонь)."

When he had reached this point in his story (когда он достиг этого момента в своей истории) the telephone-bell rang (зазвенел звонок телефона).

immediate [I'mi:dIqt] thoroughly ['TArqlI] suspicion [sq'spIS(q)n]

There was nothing to suggest that he had more than fifty or sixty dollars in his immediate possession at the time of his going. His habits for months past could be accounted for too thoroughly to justify any suspicion of secret vices, or even of another woman in his life, though either was barely possible.

"He went like that," Spade said, "like a fist when you open your hand."

When he had reached this point in his story the telephone-bell rang.

"Hello (алло)," Spade said into the instrument (сказал Спейд в аппарат; instrument — орудие, инструмент, прибор). "Mr. Cairo (мистер Кейро)? This is Spade (Это Спейд). Can you come up to my place (вы можете прийти ко мне; place — место) — Post Street (Пост-стрит) — now (сейчас)? ... Yes, I think it is (да, я думаю, да)." He looked at the girl (он посмотрел на девушку), pursed his lips (поджал губы; purse — кошелек; to purse — морщить, сжимать), and then said rapidly (а потом быстро сказал): "Miss O'Shaughnessy is here and wants to see you (мисс О’Шонесси здесь и хочет вас видеть)."

Brigid O'Shaughnessy frowned (Бриджит О’Шонесси нахмурилась) and stirred in her chair (и пошевелилась в своем кресле), but did not say anything (но не сказала ничего).

Spade put the telephone down (Спейд положил трубку) and told her (и сказал ей): "He'll be up in a few minutes (он будет здесь через несколько минут).

instrument ['Instrqmqnt] place [pleIs] rapidly ['rxpIdlI]

"Hello," Spade said into the instrument. "Mr. Cairo? This is Spade. Can you come up to my place — Post Street — now? ... Yes, I think it is." He looked at the girl, pursed his lips, and then said rapidly: "Miss O'Shaughnessy is here and wants to see you."

Brigid O'Shaughnessy frowned and stirred in her chair, but did not say anything.

Spade put the telephone down and told her: "He'll be up in a few minutes.

Well, that was in 1922 (итак, это было в 1922 г.). In 1927 I was with one of the big detective agencies in Seattle (я работал: «был» с одним из больших детективных агентств в Сиэтле). Mrs. Flitcraft came in (миссис Флиткрафт пришла) and told us (и сказала нам) somebody had seen a man in Spokane (что кто-то видел мужчину в Спокане) who looked a lot like her husband (который выглядел совсем как ее муж). I went over there (я отправился туда). It was Flitcraft, all right (это был Флиткрафт, совершенно точно). He had been living in Spokane for a couple of years (он жил в Спокане пару лет) as Charles (как Чарльз) — that was his first name (это было его первое имя) — Pierce (Пирс). He had an automobile-business (у него был автомобильный бизнес) that was netting him twenty or twenty-five thousand a year (которой приносил ему чистой прибылью двадцать-двадцать пять тысяч в год), a wife, a baby son (жена, маленький сын), owned his home in a Spokane suburb (владел собственным домом в пригороде Спокана), and usually got away to play golf (и обычно ходил играть в гольф) after four in the afternoon (после четырех вечера) during the season (в течение всего сезона)."

agency ['eIdZ(q)nsI] husband ['hAzbqnd] usually ['ju:ZVqlI, 'ju:Z(q)lI] 

Well, that was in 1922. In 1927 I was with one of the big detective agencies in Seattle. Mrs. Flitcraft came in and told us somebody had seen a man in Spokane who looked a lot like her husband. I went over there. It was Flitcraft, all right. He had been living in Spokane for a couple of years as Charles — that was his first name — Pierce. He had an automobile-business that was netting him twenty or twenty-five thousand a year, a wife, a baby son, owned his home in a Spokane suburb, and usually got away to play golf after four in the afternoon during the season."

Spade had not been told very definitely (Спейду не сказали совершенно определенно) what to do (что делать) when he found Flitcraft (когда он найдет Флиткрафта). They talked in Spade's room at the Davenport (они поговорили в номере Спейда в Давенпорте). Flitcraft had no feeling of guilt (у Флиткрафта не было никакого чувства вины). He had left his first family well provided for (он оставил свою семью хорошо обеспеченной), and what he had done (и то что он сделал) seemed to him perfectly reasonable (казалось ему совершенно разумным). The only thing that bothered him (единственная вещь, которая беспокоила его) was a doubt (было сомнение) that he could make that reasonableness clear to Spade (что он сможет сделать эту разумность ясной Спейду). He had never told anybody (он никогда никому не рассказывал) his story before (свою историю прежде), and thus had not had to attempt (и поэтому не должен был пытаться) to make its reasonableness explicit (сделать эту разумность явной). He tried now (он попытался теперь).

guilt [gIlt] provided [prq'vaIdId] clear [klIq]

Spade had not been told very definitely what to do when he found Flitcraft. They talked in Spade's room at the Davenport. Flitcraft had no feeling of guilt. He had left his first family well provided for, and what he had done seemed to him perfectly reasonable. The only thing that bothered him was a doubt that he could make that reasonableness clear to Spade. He had never told anybody his story before, and thus had not had to attempt to make its reasonableness explicit. He tried now.

"I got it all right (я все хорошо понял)," Spade told Brigid O'Shaughnessy (сказал Спейд Бриджит О’Шонесси), "but Mrs. Flitcraft never did (но мисси Флиткрафт никогда /и не поняла/). She thought it was silly (она думала, что это глупо). Maybe it was (может быть так и было). Anyway (во всяком случае), it came out all right (закончилось все хорошо). She didn't want any scandal (она не хотела скандала), and, after the trick he had played on her (и, после той подлой шутки, которую он сыграл с ней; trick— хитрость, обман) — the way she looked at it (то, как она на это смотрела) — she didn't want him (она не захотела его). So they were divorced (итак, они развелись) on the quiet (по-тихому) and everything was swell all around (и все было отлично со всех сторон).

silly ['sIlI] anyway ['enIweI] scandal ['skxndl]

"I got it all right," Spade told Brigid O'Shaughnessy, "but Mrs. Flitcraft never did. She thought it was silly. Maybe it was. Anyway, it came out all right. She didn't want any scandal, and, after the trick he had played on her — the way she looked at it — she didn't want him. So they were divorced on the quiet and everything was swell all around.

"Here's what had happened to him (вот что случилось с ним). Going to lunch he passed (идя на обед, он проходил мимо) an office-building that was being put up (возводившегося офисного здания) — just the skeleton (только каркас: «скелет»). A beam or something (балка или что-то еще) fell eight or ten stories down (упала с восьмого или десятого этажа) and smacked the sidewalk (и шлепнулась на тротуар) alongside him (рядом с ним). It brushed pretty close to him (она прошлась совсем рядом с ним; to brush — зд. легко касаться, задевать), but didn't touch him (но не тронула его), though a piece of the sidewalk (хотя кусочек асфальта) was chipped off (был отколот) and flew up (взлетел) and hit his cheek (и ударил его щеку). It only took a piece of skin off (он только сорвал кусочек кожи), but he still had time scar (но у него все еще был временный шрам) when I saw him (когда я видел его). He rubbed it with his finger (он потирал его своим пальцем) — well, affectionately (ну, с любовью) — when he told me about it (когда он говорил мне о нем). He was scared stiff of course (он был, конечно, напуган до смерти; stiff — жесткий, окоченевший), he said (сказал он), but he was more shocked than really frightened (но он был больше шокирован, чем действительно испуган) He felt (он почувствовал) like somebody had taken the lid off life (словно кто-то открыл ему секрет жизни: «снял крышку с жизни») and let him look at the works (и дал ему посмотреть на механизм)."

passed [pQ:st] skeleton ['skelItn] sidewalk ['saIdwO:k]

"Here's what had happened to him. Going to lunch he passed an office-building that was being put up — just the skeleton. A beam or something fell eight or ten stories down and smacked the sidewalk alongside him. It brushed pretty close to him, but didn't touch him, though a piece of the sidewalk was chipped off and flew up and hit his cheek. It only took a piece of skin off, but he still had time scar when I saw him. He rubbed it with his finger — well, affectionately — when he told me about it. He was scared stiff of course, he said, but he was more shocked than really frightened He felt like somebody had taken the lid off life and let him look at the works."

Flitcraft had been a good citizen (Флиткрафт был хорошим гражданином) amid a good husband and father (хорошим мужем и отцом amid — среди, между; помимо), not by any outer compulsion (не по внешнему принуждению), but simply because he was a man (а просто потому, что он был человеком) who was most comfortable (который чувствовал себя наиболее удобно) in step with his surroundings (в соответствии со своим окружением; step — шаг, небольшое расстояние). He had been raised that way (он был воспитан таким образом; to raise— поднимать, повышать). The people he knew (люди, которых он знал) were like that (были такими же). The life he knew (жизнь, которую он знал) was a clean orderly sane responsible affair (была чистым, организованным, здравым, ответственным делом). Now a falling beam (теперь = и вот, падающая балка) had shown him (показала ему) that life was fundamentally none of these things (что жизнь не была, кардинальным образом, ни одном из таких явлений). He, the good citizen-husband-father (он, хороший гражданин-муж-отец), could be wiped out (мог быть уничтожен; to wipe— вытирать; стирать, уничтожать) between office and restaurant (между офисом и рестораном) by the accident of a falling beam (несчастным случаем с подающей балкой). He knew then (он тогда понял) that men died at haphazard like that (что люди гибли от случайности, подобной этой), and lived only while (и жили только пока) blind chance spared them (слепой случай щадил их).

citizen ['sItIz(q)n] compulsion [kqm'pAlS(q)n] haphazard ["hxp'hxzqd]

Flitcraft had been a good citizen amid a good husband and father, not by any outer compulsion, but simply because he was a man who was most comfortable in step with his surroundings. He had been raised that way. The people he knew were like that. The life he knew was a clean orderly sane responsible affair. Now a falling beam had shown him that life was fundamentally none of these things. He, the good citizen-husband-father, could be wiped out between office and restaurant by the accident of a falling beam. He knew then that men died at haphazard like that, and lived only while blind chance spared them.