"But the others say that he did not die at once (но другие говорят, что он не умер сразу)."
"Perhaps they don't know death as well as I do (возможно, они не знают смерть так хорошо, как я)."
"He was dead, of course (он был мертв, конечно), when the doctor arrived (когда приехал доктор). He told me that (он сказал мне это)."
"He was dead at once (он был мертв сразу). You can take the word of a man who knows (вы можете взять слово от человека = поверить человеку, который знает)."
"I think, Herr Koch, that you should have given evidence (я думаю, герр Кох, что вы должны были дать показания)."
"One must look after oneself, Herr Martins (человек должен приглядывать за собой = каждый должен заботиться о себе, герр Мартинс). I was not the only one (я не был единственным человеком) who should have been there (который должен был быть там)."
"How do you mean (что вы имеете в виду)?"
"There were three people (там было три человека) who helped to carry your friend to the house (которые помогли нести вашего друга к дому)."
"I know—two men and the driver (я знаю — двое мужчин и водитель)."
"The driver stayed where he was (водитель оставался там, где он был). He was very much shaken, poor man (он был очень сильно потрясен, бедняга; to shake — трясти)."
"Three men (три человека)..." It was as though suddenly fingering that bare wall (это было так, словно внезапно, ощупывая эту голую стену) his fingers had encountered not so much a crack perhaps (его пальцы встретили не то что бы трещину, возможно) but at least a roughness (но, по крайней мере, шероховатость/неровность; rough — грубый; неровный) that had not been smoothed away (которая не была разглажена) by the careful builders (внимательными/аккуратными строителями).
"Can you describe the men (вы можете описать этих людей)?"
But Herr Koch was not trained to observe the living (но герр Кох не был научен наблюдать живых): only the man with the toupee had attracted his eyes (только человек с хохолком привлек его глаза)—the other two were just men (другие двое были просто люди), neither tall nor short (ни высокие, ни низкие: «короткие»), thick nor thin (ни толстые, ни тонкие). He had seen them from far above foreshortened (он видел их из далеко наверху укороченными; to foreshorten — рисовать или чертить в перспективе или ракурсе; укорачивать), bent over their burden (склонившимися над их ношей; to bend — сгибать/ся/; гнуть/ся/): they had not looked up (они не взглянули вверх), and he had quickly looked away (и он быстро отвел взгляд: «глянул прочь») and closed the window (и закрыл окно), realising at once the wisdom of not being seen himself (осознав немедленно мудрость = благоразумность не быть увиденным самому; wise — мудрый; благоразумный).
"There was no evidence I could really give, Herr Martins (не было показания, которое я мог бы действительно дать, герр Мартинс)."
judgment ['GAGmqnt], great ['greIt], clerk ['klRk], mortuary ['mO:tSuqrI], describe [dIs'kraIb], observe [q'bsq:v], attract [q'trxkt], burden ['bq:dn], wisdom ['wIzd(q)m]
Herr Koch exchanged glances with his wife. "The inquest is over, Use. There is no harm. You can trust my judgment. The gentleman is a friend. Yes, I saw the accident, but you are the only one who knows. When I say that I saw it, perhaps I should say that I heard it. I heard the brakes put on and the sound of the skid, and I got to the window in time to see them carry the body to the house."
"But didn't you give evidence?"
"It is better not to be mixed up in such things. My office cannot spare me. We are short of staff, and of course I did not actually see ..."
"But you told me yesterday how it happened."
"That was how they described it in the papers."
"Was he in great pain?"
"He was dead. I looked right down from my window here and I saw his face. I know when a man is dead. You see, it is, in a way, my business. I am the head clerk at the mortuary."
"But the others say that he did not die at once."
"Perhaps they don't know death as well as I do."
"He was dead, of course, when the doctor arrived. He told me that."
"He was dead at once. You can take the word of a man who knows."
"I think, Herr Koch, that you should have given evidence."
"One must look after oneself, Herr Martins. I was not the only one who should have been there."
"How do you mean?"
"There were three people who helped to carry your friend to the house."
"I know—two men and the driver."
"The driver stayed where he was. He was very much shaken, poor man."
"Three men ..." It was as though suddenly fingering that bare wall his fingers had encountered not so much a crack perhaps but at least a roughness that had not been smoothed away by the careful builders.
"Can you describe the men?"
But Herr Koch was not trained to observe the living: only the man with the toupee had attracted his eyes—the other two were just men, neither tall nor short, thick nor thin. He had seen them from far above foreshortened, bent over their burden: they had not looked up, and he had quickly looked away and closed the window, realising at once the wisdom of not being seen himself.
"There was no evidence I could really give, Herr Martins."
No evidence (никаких данных), Martins thought (подумал Мартинс), no evidence! He no longer doubted that murder had been done (он больше не сомневался, что было совершено убийство). Why else had they lied about the moment of death (почему еще они лгали о моменте смерти = какая могла быть другая причина лгать…; to lie — лгать)? They wanted to quieten with their gifts of money (они хотели унять/заставить замолчать их денежными подарками: «дарами денег»; quiet — тихий, бесшумный, неслышный; молчащий; молчаливый; спокойный) and their plane ticket (и их самолетным билетом) the only two friends Harry had in Vienna (единственных двух друзей, (которые были у Гарри в Вене). And the third man (а третий человек)? Who was he (кто он был)?
He said, "Did you see Herr Lime go out (вы видели, как герр Лайм выходил)?"
"No."
"Did you hear a scream (вы слышали крик)?"
"Only the brakes, Herr Martins (только тормоза, герр Мартинс)."
It occurred to Martins (Мартинсу пришло в голову) that there was nothing (что не было ничего)—except the word of Kurtz and Cooler and the driver (кроме слов Куртца, Кулера и водителя)—to prove that in fact Harry had been killed at that precise moment (чтобы доказать, что в действительности Гарри был убит именно в этот момент; precise — точный). There was the medical evidence (были медицинские показания), but that could not prove more (но они не могли доказать больше) than that he had died say within a half hour (чем что он умер, скажем, в пределах получаса; within — внутри), and in any case (и, в любом случае) the medical evidence was only as strong as Dr. Winkler's word (медицинские показания были только так сильны, как слово доктора Винклера = были не более чем утверждение доктора Винклера): that clean controlled man creaking among his crucifixes (этого чистого, сдержанного: «контролируемого» человека, поскрипывающего среди своих распятий).
"Herr Martins, it just occurs to me (герр Мартинс, мне приходит в голову = я только сейчас подумал)—you are staying in Vienna (вы останетесь/пробудете /какое-то время/ в Вене; to stay — останавливаться, жить; гостить; оставаться, задержаться /где-л./)?"
"Yes."
"If you need accommodation and spoke to the authorities quickly (если вы нуждаетесь в жилье и поговорили бы с властями быстро; accommodation — помещение; жилье; стол и ночлег; приют, убежище), you might secure Herr Lime's flat (вы могли бы получить квартиру герра Лайма). It is a requisitioned property (это реквизированная собственность)."
"Who has the keys (у кого ключи)?"
"I have them (у меня)."
"Could I see the flat (я мог бы увидеть квартиру)?"
"Ilse, the keys (Илзе, ключи)."
Herr Koch led the way into the flat that had been Harry's (герр Кох указал путь в квартиру, которая когда-то была квартирой Гарри; to lead — вести). In the little dark hall (в маленькой темной прихожей) there was still the smell of cigarette smoke (все еще был запах сигаретного дыма)—the Turkish cigarettes that Harry always smoked (турецкие сигареты, которые всегда курил Гарри). It seemed odd that a man's smell should cling in the folds of curtains (казалось странным, что запах человека задерживается в складках занавесок) so long after the man himself had become dead matter (так долго после того, как сам человек стал мертвой материей), a gas, a decay (газом, распадом; gas — газ, что-л. газообразное). One light, in a heavily beaded shade (один светильник в сильно: «тяжело» украшенном бусинами абажуре; heavily — тяжело; громоздко; весьма, очень, в большой степени), left them in semi-darkness (оставлял их в полутьме), fumbling for door handles (нащупывающих = заставляя нащупывать дверные ручки; to fumble — нащупывать).
The living room was completely bare (гостиная была совершенно пустой; bare — голый, обнаженный; пустой; лишенный, бедный /об обстановке, ресурсах и т. п. /)—it seemed to Martins too bare (она показалось Мартинсу слишком пустой). The chairs had been pushed up against the walls (стулья были пододвинуты к стенам; against — против): the desk at which Harry must have written (письменный стол, за которым Гарри, видимо, писал: «должен был писать»; to write — писать) was free from dust or any papers (был свободен от пыли или любых бумаг). The parquet reflected the light like a mirror (паркет отражал свет, как зеркало). Herr Koch opened a door and showed the bedroom (герр Кох открыл дверь и показал спальню): the bed neatly made with clean sheets (кровать опрятно застелена чистыми простынями). In the bathroom not even a used razor blade indicated (в ванной даже /ни одна/ использованная бритва не указывала) that a few days ago a living man had occupied it (что несколько дней назад ее занимал живой человек; living — живой; живущий, существующий). Only the dark hall and the cigarette smell gave a sense of occupation (только темная прихожая и сигаретный запах давали чувство жилья; occupation — занятие, дело; временное пользование /домом и т. п./, временная аренда; период проживания).
ticket ['tIkIt], except [Ik'sept], precise [prI'saIz], medical ['medIk(q)l], authority [O:'TOrItI], property ['prOpqtI], indicate ['IndIkeIt], occupy ['OkjupaI], occupation ["Okju'peIS(q)n]
No evidence, Martins thought, no evidence! He no longer doubted that murder had been done. Why else had they lied about the moment of death? They wanted to quieten with their gifts of money and their plane ticket the only two friends Harry had in Vienna. And the third man? Who was he?
He said, "Did you see Herr Lime go out?"
"No."
"Did you hear a scream?"
"Only the brakes, Herr Martins."
It occurred to Martins that there was nothing—except the word of Kurtz and Cooler and the driver—to prove that in fact Harry had been killed at that precise moment. There was the medical evidence, but that could not prove more than that he had died say within a half hour, and in any case the medical evidence was only as strong as Dr. Winkler's word: that clean controlled man creaking among his crucifixes.
"Herr Martins, it just occurs to me—you are staying in Vienna?"
"Yes."
"If you need accommodation and spoke to the authorities quickly, you might secure Herr Lime's flat. It is a requisitioned property."
"Who has the keys?"
"I have them."
"Could I see the flat?"
"Ilse, the keys."
Herr Koch led the way into the flat that had been Harry's. In the little dark hall there was still the smell of cigarette smoke—the Turkish cigarettes that Harry always smoked. It seemed odd that a man's smell should cling in the folds of curtains so long after the man himself had become dead matter, a gas, a decay. One light, in a heavily beaded shade, left them in semi-darkness, fumbling for door handles.
