"And this gentleman (а этот джентльмен)?" the policeman asked (спросил полицейский).
"It's Mr. Benjamin Dexter (это мистер Бенджамин Декстер)," the young man said (молодой человек сказал).
"Lavatory (туалет). Is there a lavatory (есть тут туалет)?" Martins said.
"I understood a Mr. Rollo Martins came here in one of your cars (я понял /так/ = насколько мне известно, некий мистер Ролло Мартинс приехал сюда в одной из ваших машин; to understand — понимать)."
"A mistake (ошибка). An obvious mistake (явная ошибка)."
"Second door on the left (вторая дверь налево)," the young man said (сказал молодой человек).
Martins grabbed his coat from the cloakroom as he went (Мартинс схватил в охапку свое пальто из гардероба пока он шел) and made down the stairs (и направился вниз по лестнице). On the first floor landing (на лестничной клетке второго: «первого» этажа) he heard someone mounting the stairs (он услышал, как кто-то взбирается по лестнице) and looking over saw Paine (и, глянув, увидел Пейна)—whom I had sent to identify him (которого я послал, чтобы опознать его). He opened a door at random (он открыл дверь наугад) and shut it behind him (и захлопнул ее за собой; to shut — закрывать, запирать, затворять). He could hear Paine going by (он мог слышать Пейна, проходящего мимо). The room where he stood (комната, где он стоял) was in darkness (была во тьме): a curious moaning sound made him turn and face whatever room it was (странный стонущий звук заставил его повернуться к комнате, какой бы они ни была = все же посмотреть вглубь этой неизвестной комнаты; to face — сталкиваться с чем-л., смотреть в лицо; face — лицо).
He could see nothing and the sound had stopped (он не мог ничего видеть, а звук прекратился). He made a tiny movement and once more it started (он сделал малейшее движение, и он возобновился: «снова начался»; tiny — очень маленький, крошечный; once more — еще раз), like an impeded breath (похожий на затрудненное дыхание; to impede — мешать, препятствовать, быть помехой чему-л., задерживать; затруднять). He remained still and the sound died away (он оставался спокоен, и звук замер). Outside somebody called "Mr. Dexter, Mr. Dexter." (снаружи кто-то позвал «мистер Декстер, мистер Декстер») Then a new sound started (тогда начался новый звук). It was like somebody whispering (это был похоже на то, словно кто-то шептал /что-то/)—a long continuous monologue in the darkness (долгий, продолжительный монолог в темноте). Martins said, "Is anybody there (тут есть кто-нибудь)?" and the sound stopped again (и звук снова прекратился). He could stand no more of it (он не мог больше выдержать этого). He took out his lighter (он достал свою зажигалку). Footsteps went by and down the stairs (шаги прошли мимо и вниз по лестнице). He scraped and scraped at the little wheel and no light came (он крутил и крутил: «скреб и скреб» маленькое колесико, и никакой свет не появился). Somebody shifted in the dark (кто-то двинулся в темноте; to shift — перемещать/ся/; передвигать/ся/) and something rattled in mid-air like a chain (и что-то прогремело в воздухе, похожее на цепь; to rattle — трещать, грохотать; греметь /посудой, ключами и т. п./; дребезжать; сильно стучать). He asked once more with the anger of fear (он спросил еще раз, с яростью страха), "Is anybody there (тут есть кто-нибудь)?" and only the click click of metal answered him (и только «клик-клик» /щелканье/ металла ответило ему; to click — щелкать, издавать щелкающий звук).
Martins felt desperately for a light switch (Мартинс пощупал отчаянно в поисках выключателя; to feel — чувствовать; щупать; light — свет; источник света) first to his right hand and then to his left (сперва по его правую руку и потом по его левую). He did not dare go farther (он не осмелился пойти дальше) because he could no longer locate his fellow occupant (потому что он не мог больше: «дольше» определять местонахождение своего соседа: «товарищеского обитателя»; fellow — приятель, товарищ, коллега, собрат; /прил./ принадлежащий к той же группе, имеющий нечто общее; occupant — житель; жилец; обитатель): the whisper, the moaning, the click had all stopped (шепот, стон, позвякивание все прекратились). Then he was afraid that he had lost the door (тогда он был испуган, что он потерял дверь; to lose) and felt wildly for the knob (и пощупал дико = нервно, быстро в поисках дверной ручки). He was far less afraid of the police than he was of the darkness (он был гораздо меньше боялся полиции, чем темноты), and he had no idea of the noise he was making (и он не имел представления о шуме, который производил).
Paine heard it from the bottom of the stairs and came back (Пейн услышал его /шум/ с нижней части лестницы и вернулся; bottom — низ, нижняя часть). He switched on the landing light (он включил на лестничной клетке свет; to switch on — включать), and the glow under the door gave Martins his direction (и отблеск под дверью дал = указал Мартинсу его направление). He opened the door (он открыл дверь) and was smiling weakly (и слабо улыбался) as Paine turned back to take a second look at the room (когда Пейн повернулся назад, чтобы второй раз посмотреть на комнату). The eyes of a parrot chained to a perch stared beadily back at him (глаза попугая, прикованного /цепочкой/ к жердочке, уставились, как бусины, назад на него = встретили его взгляд; bead — бусина). Paine said respectfully (Пейн сказал уважительно), "We were looking for you, sir (мы искали вас, сэр). Colonel Calloway wants a word with you (полковник Кэллоуэй хочет слово = поговорить с вами)."
"I lost my way (я заблудился: «потерял мой путь»; to lose — терять)," Martins said.
"Yes, sir. We thought that was what had happened (мы подумали, что случилось именно это; to think — думать)."
collect [kq'lekt], delight [dI'laIt], compliment ['kOmplImqnt], curtsey ['kq:tsI], distinct [dIs'tINkt], irritation ["IrI'teIS(q)n], complacent [kqm'pleIs(q)nt], speculative ['spekjulqtIv], argument ['Rgjumqnt], relic ['relIk], lavatory ['lxvqt(q)rI], impede [Im'pi:d], breath [breT], continuous [kqn'tInjuqs], monologue ['mOn(q)lOg]
Martins took his pen and wrote: "From B. Dexter, author of The Lone Rider of Santa Fé," and the young man read the sentence and blotted it with a puzzled expression. As Martins sat down and started signing Benjamin Dexter's title pages, he could see in a mirror the young man showing the inscription to Crabbin. Crabbin smiled weakly and stroked his chin, up and down, up and down. "B. Dexter, B. Dexter, B. Dexter." Martins wrote rapidly—it was not after all a lie. One by one the books were collected by their owners: little half sentences of delight and compliment were dropped like curtseys—was this what it was to be a writer? Martins began to feel distinct irritation towards Benjamin Dexter. The complacent tiring pompous ass, he thought, signing the twenty-seventh copy of The Curved Prow. Every time he looked up and took another book he saw Crabbin's worried speculative gaze. The members of the Institute were beginning to go home with their spoils: the room was emptying. Suddenly in the mirror Martins saw a military policeman. He seemed to be having an argument with one of Crabbin's young henchmen. Martins thought he caught the sound of his own name. It was then he lost his nerve and with it any relic of commonsense. There was only one book left to sign: he dashed off a last "B. Dexter" and made for the door. The young man, Crabbin and the policeman stood together at the entrance.
"And this gentleman?" the policeman asked.
"It's Mr. Benjamin Dexter," the young man said.
"Lavatory. Is there a lavatory?" Martins said.
"I understood a Mr. Rollo Martins came here in one of your cars."
"A mistake. An obvious mistake."
"Second door on the left," the young man said.
Martins grabbed his coat from the cloakroom as he went and made down the stairs. On the first floor landing he heard someone mounting the stairs and looking over saw Paine—whom I had sent to identify him. He opened a door at random and shut it behind him. He could hear Paine going by. The room where he stood was in darkness: a curious moaning sound made him turn and face whatever room it was.
He could see nothing and the sound had stopped. He made a tiny movement and once more it started, like an impeded breath. He remained still and the sound died away. Outside somebody called "Mr. Dexter, Mr. Dexter." Then a new sound started. It was like somebody whispering—a long continuous monologue in the darkness. Martins said, "Is anybody there?" and the sound stopped again. He could stand no more of it. He took out his lighter. Footsteps went by and down the stairs. He scraped and scraped at the little wheel and no light came. Somebody shifted in the dark and something rattled in mid-air like a chain. He asked once more with the anger of fear, "Is anybody there?" and only the click click of metal answered him.
Martins felt desperately for a light switch first to his right hand and then to his left. He did not dare go farther because he could no longer locate his fellow occupant: the whisper, the moaning, the click had all stopped. Then he was afraid that he had lost the door and felt wildly for the knob. He was far less afraid of the police than he was of the darkness, and he had no idea of the noise he was making.
Paine heard it from the bottom of the stairs and came back. He switched on the landing light, and the glow under the door gave Martins his direction. He opened the door and smiling weakly as Paine turned back to take a second look at the room. The eyes of a parrot chained to a perch stared beadily back at him. Paine said respectfully, "We were looking for you, sir. Colonel Calloway wants a word with you."
"I lost my way," Martins said.
"Yes, sir. We thought that was what had happened."
10
I HAD KEPT A very careful record of Martins' movements (я вел очень тщательную запись передвижений Мартинса; to keep — хранить) from the moment I knew (с того момента, как я узнал) that he had not caught the plane home (что он не сел на самолет домой; to catch — ловить; успеть, попасть /на поезд и т. п./). He had been seen with Kurtz (он был увиден = его видели с Куртцем), and at the Josefstadt Theatre (и в Йозефштадтском театре): I knew about his visit to Dr. Winkler and to Cooler (я знал о его визите к доктору Винклеру и к Кулеру), his first return to the block where Harry had lived (его первом возвращении к дому, где жил Гарри). For some reason my man lost him between Cooler's and Anna Schmidt's flats (по какой-то причине мой человек потерял его между квартирами Кулера и Анны Шмидт): he reported that Martins had wandered widely (он сообщил, что Мартинс бродил далеко: «широко»), and the impression we both got (и впечатление, которое мы оба получили; to get — получить) was that he had deliberately thrown off his shadower (было, что он нарочно оторвался от своего преследователя; to throw — бросать; to throw off — сбросить, отбросить). I tried to pick him up at Sacher's Hotel and just missed him (я старался подобрать его в Отеле Захера и только-только пропустил его = разминулся с ним на совсем небольшое время).
Events had taken a disquieting turn (события приняли тревожный поворот; to disquiet — беспокоить, волновать, тревожить; quiet — тихий, спокойный), and it seemed to me that the time had come for another interview (и мне показалось, что время пришло для еще одной: «другой» беседы). He had a lot to explain (ему надо было: «он имел» много объяснить).
I put a good wide desk between us (я поставил хороший широкий письменный стол между нами) and gave him a cigarette (и дал ему сигарету): I found him sullen but ready to talk (я нашел его угрюмым, но готовым разговаривать), within strict limits (внутри строгих пределов = не выходя за определенные рамки). I asked him about Kurtz (я спросил его о Куртце) and he seemed to me to answer satisfactorily (и он показался мне ответить удовлетворительно = кажется, он ответил удовлетворительно). I then asked him about Anna Schmidt (затем я спросил его об Анне Шмидт) and I gathered from his reply that he must have been with her after visiting Cooler (и я понял: «собрал» из его ответа, что он должен был быть с ней после посещения Кулера = должно быть, был…): that filled in one of the missing points (это заполнило одно из недостающих мест; point — точка). I tried him with Dr. Winkler (я попробовал его с доктором Винклером), and he answered readily enough (и он ответил достаточно охотно). "You've been getting around (вы слонялись вокруг)," I said, "quite a bit (довольно много). And have you found out anything about your friend (и обнаружили ли вы что-либо о вашем друге)?"
