Английский для смелых. Истории о духах и привидениях

 ‘Who are you?’ asked Dr Teesdale suddenly.

‘Charles Linkworth. I thought you knew. I am very miserable. I can’t leave the prison – and it is cold. Will you send for the other gentleman?’

‘Do you mean the chaplain?’ asked Dr Teesdale.

‘Yes, the chaplain. He read the service when I went across the yard yesterday. I shan’t be so miserable when I have told.’

The doctor hesitated a moment. This was a strange story that he would have to tell Mr Dawkins, the prison chaplain, that at the other end of the telephone was the spirit of the man executed yesterday. And yet he soberly believed that it was so, that this unhappy spirit was in misery and wanted to ‘tell’. There was no need to ask what he wanted to tell.

‘Yes, I will ask him to come here,’ he said at length (да, я попрошу его прийти сюда, – наконец сказал он).

‘Thank you, sir, a thousand times (спасибо, сэр, тысячу раз). You will make him come, won’t you (вы заставите его прийти, да ведь)?’

The voice was growing fainter (голос становился слабее).

‘It must be tomorrow night (это должно произойти завтра вечером),’ it said. ‘I can’t speak longer now (я теперь больше: «дольше» не могу говорить). I have to go to see – oh, my God, my God (я должен уйти, чтобы увидеть… о, мой Бог, мой Бог = боже мой, боже мой).’

The sobs broke out afresh, sounding fainter and fainter (рыдания вновь возобновились, постепенно становясь тише и тише; to break out – разразиться, внезапно начаться; to sound – звучать). But it was in a frenzy of terrified interest that Dr Teesdale spoke (но, охваченный неистовым интересом /пополам/ со страхом, доктор Тисдейл заговорил опять; frenzy – безумие, неистовство; to terrify – ужасать; внушать ужас).

‘To see what?’ he cried (увидеть что? – вскричал он). ‘Tell me what you are doing, what is happening to you (скажите мне, что вы сейчас делаете, что с вами происходит)?’

‘I can’t tell you; I mayn’t tell you,’ said the voice very faint (я не могу вам рассказать; мне не разрешено вам рассказывать, – очень слабо произнес голос). ‘That is part —’ and it died away altogether (это часть… – и он затих совсем).

 ‘Yes, I will ask him to come here,’ he said at length.

‘Thank you, sir, a thousand times. You will make him come, won’t you?’

The voice was growing fainter.

‘It must be tomorrow night,’ it said. ‘I can’t speak longer now. I have to go to see – oh, my God, my God.’

The sobs broke out afresh, sounding fainter and fainter. But it was in a frenzy of terrified interest that Dr Teesdale spoke.

‘To see what?’ he cried. ‘Tell me what you are doing, what is happening to you?’

‘I can’t tell you; I mayn’t tell you,’ said the voice very faint. ‘That is part —’ and it died away altogether.