“There are no limits to the possibilities of monomania (не существует пределов вероятностям мономании; limits — границы; рамки; пределы; monomania — мономания /болезненное состояние, проявляющееся в аномальной концентрации внимания на одной какой-либо мысли, идее/),” I answered (ответил я). “There is the condition (существует такое состояние; condition — условие; состояние; нарушение, расстройство, болезненное состояние) which the modern French psychologists have called the ‘Id'ee fixe (которое современные французские психологи назвали «навязчивая идея»),’ which may be trifling in character (которая может быть по сути пустячной; trifle — мелочь, пустяк; character — характер, нрав; личность; характерная черта; признак; особенность), and accompanied by complete sanity in every other way (и сопровождаться полной вменяемостью во всех других отношениях; sanity — нормальная психика; здравый ум, рассудок; sane — здравый, находящийся в здравом уме; way — путь; способ, образ действия; отношение, аспект). A man who had read deeply about Napoleon (у человека, который много читал о Наполеоне; to read [ri:d]-read [red]-read [red]; deeply — глубоко; серьезно), or who had possibly received some hereditary family injury through the great war (или /который/, возможно, получил наследственное семейное оскорбление, нанесенное = узнал о какой-нибудь обиде, нанесенной его предкам во время наполеоновских войн: «великой войны»; to receive — получать; подвергаться; hereditary — наследственный, передаваемый по наследству; family — семья, род; семейный, фамильный; injury — вред, рана; оскорбление, обида), might conceivably form such an id'ee fixe (возможно, могла сформироваться такая «навязчивая идея»; to form — принимать или придавать форму; приобретать) and under its influence be capable of any fantastic outrage (и под ее влиянием он способен на любые фантастические/причудливые выходки; outrage — грубое нарушение /закона, прав, приличий/; произвол; бесчинство).”

purveyor [p(:)'ve], limit ['lmt], answered [':nsd], psychologist [sa'klst], hereditary [h'redtr], conceivably [kn'si:vbl], outrage ['autre]

“Well, I thought as you do,” said Lestrade. “On the other hand, this Morse Hudson is the purveyor of busts in that part of London, and these three were the only ones which had been in his shop for years. So, although, as you say, there are many hundreds of statues in London, it is very probable that these three were the only ones in that district. Therefore, a local fanatic would begin with them. What do you think, Dr. Watson?”

“There are no limits to the possibilities of monomania,” I answered. “There is the condition which the modern French psychologists have called the ‘Id'ee fixe,’ which may be trifling in character, and accompanied by complete sanity in every other way. A man who had read deeply about Napoleon, or who had possibly received some hereditary family injury through the great war, might conceivably form such an id'ee fixe and under its influence be capable of any fantastic outrage.”