Английский детектив. Джон Бакен. Тридцать девять ступеней / John Buchan. The Thirty-Nine Steps

I made him up a bed in my smoking-room and sought my own couch, more cheerful than I had been for the past month. Things did happen occasionally, even in this God-forgotten metropolis.

I woke next morning to hear my man, Paddock (я проснулся на следующее утро /и/ услышал, /как/ мой слуга, Пэддок; to wake), making the deuce of a row at the smoking-room door (устраивает ужасный скандал у двери курительной комнаты; deuce – черт, дьявол). Paddock was a fellow I had done a good turn to out on the Selakwe (Пэддок был одним малым, которому я оказал добрую услугу в Селакве), and I had inspanned him as my servant as soon as I got to England (и я припряг его в качестве своего слуги, как только я прибыл в Лондон; to inspan – /южно-афр./ впрягать /лошадей, волов и т. п./). He had about as much gift of the gab as a hippopotamus (он обладал такой же бойкостью речи, как гиппопотам; gift – подарок, дар; талант, способность; gab – болтливость, разговорчивость; to have the gift of the gab – за словом в карман не лезть), and was not a great hand at valeting (и был не очень-то умелым по части обслуживания; hand – рука, кисть руки; мастер своего дела, умелец), but I knew I could count on his loyalty (но я знал, что могу рассчитывать на его преданность).

‘Stop that row, Paddock (прекратите этот скандал, Пэддок),’ I said. ‘There’s a friend of mine, Captain – Captain (это мой друг, капитан – капитан…)’ (I couldn’t remember the name (я не мог припомнить имя)) ‘dossing down in there (он там спит; doss – койка; to doss – спать). Get breakfast for two and then come and speak to me (принесите завтрак на двоих и затем приходите, чтобы поговорить со мной).’

 I woke next morning to hear my man, Paddock, making the deuce of a row at the smoking-room door. Paddock was a fellow I had done a good turn to out on the Selakwe, and I had inspanned him as my servant as soon as I got to England. He had about as much gift of the gab as a hippopotamus, and was not a great hand at valeting, but I knew I could count on his loyalty.

‘Stop that row, Paddock,’ I said. ‘There’s a friend of mine, Captain – Captain’ (I couldn’t remember the name) ‘dossing down in there. Get breakfast for two and then come and speak to me.’