doubt [daut], extinguish [ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ], escapade [ˈeskǝpeɪd]
“I cannot, and I will not, believe it!” cried the banker with an ashen face.
“I will tell you, then, what occurred in your house last night. Your niece, when you had, as she thought, gone to your room, slipped down and talked to her lover through the window which leads into the stable lane. His footmarks had pressed right through the snow, so long had he stood there. She told him of the coronet. His wicked lust for gold kindled at the news, and he bent her to his will. I have no doubt that she loved you, but there are women in whom the love of a lover extinguishes all other loves, and I think that she must have been one. She had hardly listened to his instructions when she saw you coming downstairs, on which she closed the window rapidly and told you about one of the servants’ escapade with her wooden-legged lover, which was all perfectly true.
“Your boy, Arthur, went to bed after his interview with you (Артур после разговора с вами отправился спать) but he slept badly on account of his uneasiness about his club debts (но он спал плохо — его тревожили клубные долги; on account of — из-за, вследствие, по причине; uneasiness — неудобство; беспокойство, тревога). In the middle of the night he heard a soft tread pass his door (среди ночи он услышал тихие шаги мимо своей двери = как кто-то тихо прошел мимо его комнаты), so he rose and, looking out (тогда он встал, выглянул за дверь), was surprised to see his cousin walking very stealthily along the passage (и с изумлением увидел свою двоюродную сестру, которая крадущейся походкой шла по коридору; stealthily — втихомолку, тайно, украдкой) until she disappeared into your dressing-room (пока она /не/ исчезла в вашей гардеробной). Petrified with astonishment (оцепенев от изумления; petrified — окаменелый; застывший; оцепеневший, парализованный), the lad slipped on some clothes and waited there in the dark to see (юноша наскоро оделся: «накинул кое-какую одежду» и принялся ждать в темноте; to slip on — накинуть, надеть) what would come of this strange affair (как дальше станет развиваться это странное дело). Presently she emerged from the room again (вскоре она снова вышла из комнаты), and in the light of the passage-lamp your son saw (и в свете коридорной лампы ваш сын увидел) that she carried the precious coronet in her hands (что в руках у нее драгоценная диадема; to carry — нести). She passed down the stairs (Мэри спустилась вниз), and he, thrilling with horror, ran along and slipped behind the curtain near your door (а он, дрожа от ужаса, метнулся вперед и незаметно проскользнул за портьеру около вашей двери), whence he could see what passed in the hall beneath (откуда мог видеть, что происходит в гостиной внизу). He saw her stealthily open the window (он видел, как Мэри тихонько открыла окно), hand out the coronet to someone in the gloom (передала диадему кому-то в темноте), and then closing it once more hurry back to her room (и затем, снова закрыв окно, поспешила обратно в свою комнату), passing quite close to where he stood hid behind the curtain (пройдя совсем близко от Артура, спрятавшегося за портьерой; to hide).
debt [det], petrified [ˈpetrɪfaɪd], emerged [ɪˈmǝ:ʤd], curtain [kǝ:tn]
“Your boy, Arthur, went to bed after his interview with you but he slept badly on account of his uneasiness about his club debts. In the middle of the night he heard a soft tread pass his door, so he rose and, looking out, was surprised to see his cousin walking very stealthily along the passage until she disappeared into your dressing-room. Petrified with astonishment, the lad slipped on some clothes and waited there in the dark to see what would come of this strange affair. Presently she emerged from the room again, and in the light of the passage-lamp your son saw that she carried the precious coronet in her hands. She passed down the stairs, and he, thrilling with horror, ran along and slipped behind the curtain near your door, whence he could see what passed in the hall beneath. He saw her stealthily open the window, hand out the coronet to someone in the gloom, and then closing it once more hurry back to her room, passing quite close to where he stood hid behind the curtain.
“As long as she was on the scene (поскольку Мэри была на месте преступления = замешана в этом преступлении; scene — место действия /в пьесе, романе и т. п./; место происшествия, события; the scene of the crime — место преступления) he could not take any action without a horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved (Артур не мог ничего предпринять без ужасного разоблачения женщины = не разоблачив при этом женщину, которую любил; exposure — подвергание какому-л. воздействию; выставление, оставление /на солнце, под дождем и т. п./; разоблачение, выведение на чистую воду). But the instant that she was gone he realized (но в тот миг, как она ушла, он понял) how crushing a misfortune this would be for you (каким сокрушительным несчастьем будет для вас /пропажа диадемы/), and how all-important it was to set it right (и как важно исправить дело; all-important — имеющий первостепенное значение, крайне важный). He rushed down, just as he was, in his bare feet (он бросился вниз, в том виде, в каком был, босиком), opened the window (открыл окно), sprang out into the snow (выскочил на снег), and ran down the lane (и побежал по дорожке), where he could see a dark figure in the moonlight (где в лунном свете различил темную фигуру). Sir George Burnwell tried to get away, but Arthur caught him (сэр Джордж Бэрнвелл попытался бежать, но Артур догнал его), and there was a struggle between them (и между ними завязалась борьба), your lad tugging at one side of the coronet (ваш мальчик тянул диадему за один конец), and his opponent at the other (а его противник — за другой).
“In the scuffle, your son struck Sir George (в драке ваш сын ударил сэра Джорджа) and cut him over the eye (и рассек ему бровь). Then something suddenly snapped (затем что-то неожиданно хрустнуло), and your son, finding that he had the coronet in his hands (и ваш сын, почувствовав, что диадема у него в руках), rushed back (бросился назад), closed the window (закрыл окно), ascended to your room (поднялся в вашу комнату), and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted in the struggle (и только тут заметил, что диадема погнута во время борьбы) and was endeavoring to straighten it (и пытался распрямить ее) when you appeared upon the scene (когда появились вы).”
scene [si:n], exposure [ɪkˈspǝuʒǝ], opponent [ǝˈpǝunǝnt], ascended [ǝˈsendɪŋ]
“As long as she was on the scene he could not take any action without a horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved. But the instant that she was gone he realized how crushing a misfortune this would be for you, and how all-important it was to set it right. He rushed down, just as he was, in his bare feet, opened the window, sprang out into the snow, and ran down the lane, where he could see a dark figure in the moonlight. Sir George Burnwell tried to get away, but Arthur caught him, and there was a struggle between them, your lad tugging at one side of the coronet, and his opponent at the other.
“In the scuffle, your son struck Sir George and cut him over the eye. Then something suddenly snapped, and your son, finding that he had the coronet in his hands, rushed back, closed the window, ascended to your room, and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted in the struggle and was endeavoring to straighten it when you appeared upon the scene.”
“Is it possible (возможно ли это)?” gasped the banker (задыхаясь, воскликнул банкир).
“You then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment (затем вы разозлили его: «вызвали его гнев» своими оскорблениями в тот момент) when he felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks (когда он заслуживал ваших самых искренних/теплых благодарностей). He could not explain the true state of affairs without betraying one (он не мог объяснить истинное положение вещей, чтобы не выдать ту) who certainly deserved little enough consideration at his hands (которая, безусловно, не заслуживала снисхождения и защиты от него; consideration — внимание, предупредительность; уважение; благодарность). He took the more chivalrous view, however, and preserved her secret (Артур повел себя как рыцарь и сохранил ее тайну; chivalrous — рыцарский, благородный).”
“And that was why she shrieked and fainted when she saw the coronet (вот почему она вскрикнула и упала в обморок, когда увидела диадему),” cried Mr. Holder. “Oh, my God! what a blind fool I have been (Боже мой! каким же я был слепым глупцом)! And his asking to be allowed to go out for five minutes (а ведь он просил позволить ему выйти на пять минут)! The dear fellow wanted to see if the missing piece were at the scene of the struggle (мой дорогой мальчик хотел посмотреть, не осталось ли пропавшего куска на месте борьбы). How cruelly I have misjudged him (как жестоко я в нем ошибался; to misjudge — составить себе неправильное, ошибочное мнение)!’
roused [rauzd], chivalrous [ˈʃɪv(ǝ)lrǝs], misjudged [mɪsˈʤʌʤd]
“Is it possible?” gasped the banker.
“You then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment when he felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks. He could not explain the true state of affairs without betraying one who certainly deserved little enough consideration at his hands. He took the more chivalrous view, however, and preserved her secret.”
“And that was why she shrieked and fainted when she saw the coronet,” cried Mr. Holder. “Oh, my God! what a blind fool I have been! And his asking to be allowed to go out for five minutes! The dear fellow wanted to see if the missing piece were at the scene of the struggle. How cruelly I have misjudged him!’
“When I arrived at the house (когда я прибыл в этот дом),” continued Holmes (продолжал Холмс), “I at once went very carefully round it to observe (я сразу же очень тщательно его обошел = осмотрел его, чтобы проверить) if there were any traces in the snow which might help me (нет ли на снегу каких-либо следов, которые могут мне помочь). I knew that none had fallen since the evening before (я знал, что со вчерашнего вечера снега не выпадало; to fall-fell-fallen), and also that there had been a strong frost to preserve impressions (и что сильный мороз, должно быть, сохранил следы). I passed along the tradesmen’s path (я прошел по дорожке, по которой подвозят продукты), but found it all trampled down and indistinguishable (но она вся была утоптана, и /следы на ней/ были неразличимы; to distinguish — различать). Just beyond it, however, at the far side of the kitchen door (однако сразу за ней, на противоположной стороне от кухонной двери; far side — дальняя сторона: at the far side of the garden — в дальнем углу сада), a woman had stood and talked with a man (стояла женщина и разговаривала с мужчиной), whose round impressions on one side showed that he had a wooden leg (чьи круглые отпечатки с одной стороны показывали, что у него деревянная нога).
