"Well forget that bit (ну, забудь этот кусочек/отрывок = а об этой детали лучше забыть)," I said.
Martins said, "I never shall (я никогда не смогу /забыть это/)."
command [kq'mRnd], inaccurately [In'xkjurItlI], tear /рвать/ ['teq], calico ['kxlIkqu], cavern ['kxv(q)n], reproach [rI'prqutS], entreaty [In'tri:tI], confusion [kqn'fju:Z(q)n], suppose [sq'pquz], succeed [sqk'si:d], animal ['xnIm(q)l], purpose ['pq:pqs], swivel [swIvl]
Martins stood at the outer edge of the searchlight beam, staring down stream: he had his gun in his hand now, and he was the only one of us who could fire with safety. I thought I saw a movement and called out to him, "There. There. Shoot." He lifted his gun and fired, just as he had fired at the same command all those years ago on Brickworth Common, fired as he did then inaccurately. A cry of pain came tearing back like calico down the cavern: a reproach, an entreaty. "Well done," I called and halted by Bates' body. He was dead. His eyes remained blankly open as we turned the searchlight on him: somebody stooped and dislodged the carton and threw it in the river which whirled it on—a scrap of yellow Gold Flake: he was certainly a long way from the Tottenham Court Road.
I looked up and Martins was out of sight in the darkness: I called his name and it was lost in a confusion of echoes, in the rush and the roar of the underground river. Then I heard a third shot.
Martins told me later: "I walked upstream to find Harry, but I must have missed him in the dark. I was afraid to lift the torch: I didn't want to tempt him to shoot again. He must have been struck by my bullet just at the entrance of a side passage. Then I suppose he crawled up the passage to the foot of the iron stairs. Thirty feet above his head was the manhole, but he wouldn't have had the strength to lift it, and even if he had succeeded the police were waiting above. He must have known all that, but he was in great pain, and just as an animal creeps into the dark to die, so I suppose a man makes for the light. He wants to die at home, and the darkness is never home to us. He began to pull himself up the stairs, but then the pain took him and he couldn't go on. What made him whistle that absurd scrap of a tune I'd been fool enough to believe he had written himself? Was he trying to attract attention, did he want a friend with him, even the friend who had trapped him, or was he delirious and had he no purpose at all? Anyway I heard his whistle and came back along the edge of the stream, and felt the wall end and found my way up the passage where he lay. I said, 'Harry,' and the whistling stopped, just above my head. I put my hand on an iron handrail and climbed: I was still afraid he might shoot. Then, only three steps up, my foot stamped down on his hand, and he was there. I shone my torch on him: he hadn't got a gun: he must have dropped it when my bullet hit him. For a moment I thought he was dead, but then he whispered with pain. I said, 'Harry,' and he swivelled his eyes with a great effort to my face. He was trying to speak, and I bent down to listen. 'Bloody fool,' he said— that was all: I don't know whether he meant that for himself—some sort of act of contrition however inadequate (he was a Catholic)—or was it for me—with my thousand a year taxed and my imaginary cattle rustlers who couldn't even shoot a rabbit clean. Then he began to whimper again. I couldn't bear it any more and I put a bullet through him."
"Well forget that bit," I said.
Martins said, "I never shall."
17
A THAW SET IN that night (оттепель началась той ночью; to set in — вставлять, вкладывать /что-л. во что-л./; начинаться, наступать, устанавливаться), and all over Vienna the snow melted (и повсюду в Вене снег растаял), and the ugly ruins came to light again (и уродливые развалины появились на свет снова): steel rods hanging like stalactites (стальные брусья, висящие, как сталактиты) and rusty girders thrusting like bones through the grey slush (и ржавые балки, торчащие, как кости, сквозь серую слякоть; to thrust — пронзать). Burials were much simpler (погребение было много проще) than they had been a week before (чем оно было неделей раньше) when electric drills had been needed (когда были нужны электрические дрели) to break the frozen ground (чтобы пробить замерзшую землю). It was almost as warm as a spring day (было почти так тепло, как /в/ весенний день) when Harry Lime had his second funeral (когда Гарри Лайм получил свои вторые похороны). I was glad to get him under earth again (я был рад загнать его снова под землю): but it had taken two men's deaths (но это потребовало: «взяло» смерти двух человек). The group by the grave was smaller now (группа у могилы была меньше теперь): Kurtz wasn't there (Куртца не было там), nor Winkler (не было и Винклера)—only the girl and Rollo Martins and myself (только девушка, Ролло Мартинс и я сам). And there weren't any tears (и не было никаких слез).
After it was over (после того, как это было закончено) the girl walked away without a word to either of us (девушка ушла прочь без единого слова к кому-либо из нас = не сказав…) down the long avenue of trees (по длинной аллее деревьев) that led to the main entrance and the tram stop (которая вела к главному входу и трамвайной остановке), splashing through the melted snow (шлепая через растаявший снег). I said to Martins, "I've got transport (у меня есть транспорт = машина). Can I give you a lift (могу я подвезти вас; lift — поднятие, подъем; услуга, состоящая в том, что какого-л. пешехода подвозят на короткое расстояние)?"
"No," he said, "I’ll take a tram back (я возьму трамвай назад = поеду обратно на трамвае)."
"You win (вы выигрываете = выиграли), you've proved me a bloody fool (вы выставили меня чертовым дураком; to prove — доказывать, подтвердить)."
"I haven't won (я не выиграл)," he said. "I've lost (я проиграл; to lose — терять; проигрывать)." I watched him striding off on his overgrown legs after the girl (я наблюдал, как он шагал прочь на своих непомерно длинных ногах за девушкой; overgrown — переросший, выросший очень большим). He caught her up (он догнал ее; to catch up — догнать, нагнать) and they walked side by side (и они пошли бок о бок). I don't think he said a word to her (я не думаю, что он ей что-то сказал): it was like the end of a story (это было как конец истории = похоже на конец истории). He was a very bad shot (он был очень плохой стрелок) and a very bad judge of character (и очень плохой знаток характеров: «судья характера»), but he had a way with Westerns (но ему удавались вестерны: «он имел некий путь/способ с вестернами») (a trick of tension (трюк напряжения)) and with girls (и с девушками) (I wouldn't know what (я не знал бы что = даже не знаю, в чем тут было дело)). And Crabbin (а Крэббин)? Oh, Crabbin is still arguing with the British Cultural Relation Society (о, Крэббин все еще спорит с Обществом Британских Культурных Связей) about Dexter's expenses (насчет расходов Декстера). They say they can't pass simultaneous payments in Stockholm and Vienna (они говорят, что они не могут проводить одновременные платежи в Стокгольме и Вене). Poor Crabbin (бедный Крэббин)... Poor all of us (бедные все мы) when you come to think of it (если задуматься).
thaw [TO:], stalactite ['stxlqktaIt], electric [I'lektrIk], character ['kxrIktq], tension ['tenS(q)n], argue ['Rgju:], cultural ['kAltS(q)r(q)l], expenses [Ik'spensIz]
A THAW SET IN that night, and all over Vienna the snow melted, and the ugly ruins came to light again: steel rods hanging like stalactites and rusty girders thrusting like bones through the grey slush. Burials were much simpler than they had been a week before when electric drills had been needed to break the frozen ground. It was almost as warm as a spring day when Harry Lime had his second funeral. I was glad to get him under earth again: but it had taken two men's deaths. The group by the grave was smaller now: Kurtz wasn't there, nor Winkler—only the girl and Rollo Martins and myself. And there weren't any tears.
After it was over the girl walked away without a word to either of us down the long avenue of trees that led to the main entrance and the tram stop, splashing through the melted snow. I said to Martins, "I've got transport. Can I give you a lift?"
"No," he said, "I’ll take a tram back."
"You win, you've proved me a bloody fool."
"I haven't won," he said. "I've lost." I watched him striding off on his overgrown legs after the girl. He caught her up and they walked side by side. I don't think he said a word to her: it was like the end of a story. He was a very bad shot and a very bad judge of character, but he had a way with Westerns (a trick of tension) and with girls (I wouldn't know what). And Crabbin? Oh, Crabbin is still arguing with the British Cultural Relation Society about Dexter's expenses. They say they can't pass simultaneous payments in Stockholm and Vienna. Poor Crabbin ... Poor all of us when you come to think of it.
1
Пратер— знаменитый парк в Вене между Дунаем и Дунайским каналом, протяженность 5 км. Большую часть занимает т.н. "зелёный Пратер", где находится главная аллея, территория Венской международной ярмарки, ипподром, стадион, велодром, спортивные площадки. Впервые упоминается в 1162. Был излюбленным местом охоты императорской семьи. В 1766 открыт для посетителей [название от испанского prado — " луг"]
2
Кристофер Марлоу (1564—1593), английский драматург, автор «Истории доктора Фауста».
