As the weeks went by, my interest in him and my curiosity as to his aims in life, gradually deepened and increased. His very person and appearance were such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, save during those intervals of torpor to which I have alluded; and his thin, hawk-like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision. His chin, too, had the prominence and squareness which mark the man of determination. His hands were invariably blotted with ink and stained with chemicals, yet he was possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I watched him manipulating his fragile philosophical instruments.

The reader may set me down as a hopeless busybody (читатель может заклеймить меня безнадежным охотником до чужих дел; to set down — принять за, посчитать кем-либо; busybody — человек, вмешивающийся не в свои дела), when I confess how much this man stimulated my curiosity (если я признаюсь, насколько этот человек подстрекал мое любопытство; to stimulate — возбуждать, стимулировать), and how often I endeavoured to break through the reticence (и как часто я пытался прорваться сквозь стену сдержанности; reticence — сдержанность; замкнутость) which he showed on all that concerned himself (которой он отгородил все, что касалось его; to show — показывать). Before pronouncing judgment, however, be it remembered (прежде чем произносить вердикт, следует однако вспомнить; judgment — приговор, решение суда), how objectless was my life (как бесцельна была моя жизнь), and how little there was to engage my attention (и как мало в ней было того, что могло бы привлечь мое внимание; to engage — привлекать, увлекать, занимать). My health forbade me from venturing out (мое здоровье не позволяло мне выходить; to forbid — запрещать; to venture — отважиться, решиться) unless the weather was exceptionally genial (если только не выпадала исключительно мягкая погода; genial — благоприятный; мягкий, умеренный), and I had no friends who would call upon me and break the monotony of my daily existence (и у меня не было друзей, которые могли бы навестить меня и скрасить монотонность моего существования; to break — сломать; daily — ежедневный; повседневный). Under these circumstances, I eagerly hailed the little mystery which hung around my companion (при таких обстоятельствах я с пылом приветствовал ту небольшую таинственность: «маленькую тайну», что окутывала моего компаньона; eagerly — горячо, пылко; to hang — висеть), and spent much of my time in endeavouring to unravel it (и проводил немало своего времени в попытках развеять ее; to unravel — раскрывать, разгадывать).

endeavour [n'dev], engage [n'e], genial ['i:nl]

The reader may set me down as a hopeless busybody, when I confess how much this man stimulated my curiosity, and how often I endeavoured to break through the reticence which he showed on all that concerned himself. Before pronouncing judgment, however, be it remembered, how objectless was my life, and how little there was to engage my attention. My health forbade me from venturing out unless the weather was exceptionally genial, and I had no friends who would call upon me and break the monotony of my daily existence. Under these circumstances, I eagerly hailed the little mystery which hung around my companion, and spent much of my time in endeavouring to unravel it.