“Well, sir, it was a bit rumpled, certainly, when I came back (ну, сэр, он, несомненно, был немного смят, когда я вернулся). You see, she fell on it (видите ли, она упала на него) and it lies on a polished floor with nothing to keep it in place (а он лежит на полированном полу, и ничто его не держит на месте). I straightened it out afterwards (я потом его расправил).”

ivy ['av], recovered [r'kvd], floor [fl:]

“Well, what happened then?”

“She wanted to see where the crime was done — had read about it in the papers, she said. She was a very respectable, well-spoken young woman, sir, and I saw no harm in letting her have a peep. When she saw that mark on the carpet, down she dropped on the floor, and lay as if she were dead. I ran to the back and got some water, but I could not bring her to. Then I went round the corner to the Ivy Plant for some brandy, and by the time I had brought it back the young woman had recovered and was off — ashamed of herself, I daresay, and dared not face me.”

“How about moving that drugget?”

“Well, sir, it was a bit rumpled, certainly, when I came back. You see, she fell on it and it lies on a polished floor with nothing to keep it in place. I straightened it out afterwards.”

“It’s a lesson to you that you can’t deceive me, Constable MacPherson (это вам урок, констебль Макферсон, — меня не обманешь),” said Lestrade, with dignity (гордо сказал Лестрейд; dignity — достоинство, гордость). “No doubt you thought that your breach of duty could never be discovered (несомненно, вы подумали, что ваше нарушение обязанностей никогда не откроется), and yet a mere glance at that drugget was enough to convince me (однако одного взгляда на этот ковер было достаточно, чтобы убедить меня = чтобы понять) that someone had been admitted to the room (что кого-то пускали в комнату). It’s lucky for you, my man, that nothing is missing (ваше счастье, голубчик, что ничего не пропало), or you would find yourself in Queer Street (иначе вам пришлось бы худо: «вы очутились бы на Квир-стрит»; Queer Street — неважные дела, трудности, неприятности /особенно финансовые/; по названию воображаемой улицы, населенной несостоятельными должниками; queer — странный, необычный, чудной; сомнительный; подозрительный). I’m sorry to have called you down over such a petty business, Mr. Holmes (мне жаль, что я вызвал вас из-за такого пустяка, мистер Холмс), but I thought the point of the second stain not corresponding with the first would interest you (но я думал, что второе пятно, не совпадающее с первым, заинтересует вас).”

“Certainly, it was most interesting (разумеется, это было очень интересно). Has this woman only been here once, constable (эта женщина только один раз была здесь, констебль)?”

“Yes, sir, only once (да, сэр, только один раз).”

“Who was she (кто это = как ее зовут)?”

deceive [d'si:v], convince [kn'vns], business ['bzns]

“It’s a lesson to you that you can’t deceive me, Constable MacPherson,” said Lestrade, with dignity. “No doubt you thought that your breach of duty could never be discovered, and yet a mere glance at that drugget was enough to convince me that someone had been admitted to the room. It’s lucky for you, my man, that nothing is missing, or you would find yourself in Queer Street. I’m sorry to have called you down over such a petty business, Mr. Holmes, but I thought the point of the second stain not corresponding with the first would interest you.”

“Certainly, it was most interesting. Has this woman only been here once, constable?”

“Yes, sir, only once.”

“Who was she?”