Английский для смелых. Истории о духах и привидениях

 He reached the opposite end of the chamber and was in the act of turning, when again he heard the rustling of paper, and by the time he had faced round, saw the leaves of the book again turning over. In a moment the volume lay at rest, open in another place, and there was no further movement as he approached it. To make sure that he had not been deceived, he read again the words as they entered the page. The author was following a not uncommon practice of the time, and throwing common speech into forms suggested by Holy Writ: ‘So dig,’ it said, ‘that ye may obtain.’

This passage, which to Mr Batchel seemed reprehensible in its levity, excited at once his interest and his disapproval. He was prepared to read more, but this time was not allowed. Before his eye could pass beyond the passage already cited, the leaves of the book slowly turned again, and presented but a termination of five words and a colophon.

The words were (слова эти были), ‘to the North, an Ilex (к северу – падуб; ilex – /бот./ падуб, каменный дуб)’. These three passages, in which he saw no meaning and no connection, began to entangle themselves together in Mr Batchel’s mind (эти три отрывка, в которых он не видел ни смысла, ни связи, начали запутываться у него в голове; mind – разум; ум). He found himself repeating them in different orders (он вдруг заметил, что повторяет их в различном порядке), now beginning with one, and now with another (начиная то с одного, то с другого). Any further attempt at reading he felt to be impossible (он почувствовал, что дальнейшие попытки почитать просто невозможны), and he was in no mind for any more experiences of the unaccountable (и у него не было ни малейшего настроения вновь сталкиваться с необъяснимым; to be in no mind – быть в неподобающем настроении; experience – /жизненный/ опыт; впечатление, переживание). Sleep was, of course, further from him than ever, if that were conceivable (сон, конечно, был еще дальше от него, чем когда-либо, если это вообще было возможно; conceivable – мыслимый, вероятный, возможный). What he did, therefore, was to blow out the candle, to return to his moonlit bedroom, and put on more clothing (поэтому он задул свечу, вернулся в свою залитую лунным светом комнату и оделся поосновательнее: «что он сделал, следовательно, было задуть свечу, вернуться в свою залитую лунным светом комнату и надеть больше одежды»), and then to pass downstairs with the object of going out of doors (а затем спустился вниз, намереваясь выйти из дома: «выйти наружу из дверей»; to pass – идти; пересекать, переходить; object – предмет; вещь; цель; with the object – с целью).