Английский для смелых. Истории о духах и привидениях

 I jumped forward, waved my hat, and shouted. The mail came down at full speed, and passed me. For a moment I feared that I had not been seen or heard, but it was only for a moment. The coachman pulled up; the guard, muffled to the eyes in capes and comforters, and apparently sound asleep in the rumble, neither answered my hail nor made the slightest effort to dismount; the outside passenger did not even turn his head. I opened the door for myself, and looked in. There were but three travellers inside, so I stepped in, shut the door, slipped into the vacant corner, and congratulated myself on my good fortune.

The atmosphere of the coach seemed, if possible, colder than that of the outer air, and was pervaded by a singularly damp and disagreeable smell. I looked round at my fellow-passengers. They were all three, men, and all silent. They did not seem to be asleep, but each leaned back in his corner of the vehicle, as if absorbed in his own reflections. I attempted to open a conversation.

‘How intensely cold it is tonight (ужасный холод сегодня; intensely – очень, чрезвычайно, крайне; cold – холодно; tonight – сегодня вечером, сегодня ночью),’ I said, addressing my opposite neighbour (сказал я, обращаясь к человеку напротив; neighbour – сосед).

He lifted his head, looked at me, but made no reply (он поднял голову, посмотрел на меня, но ничего не ответил: «не сделал никакого ответа»).

‘The winter,’ I added, ‘seems to have begun in earnest (зима, – добавил я, кажется, началась всерьез).’

Although the corner in which he sat was so dim that I could distinguish none of his features very clearly (хотя тот угол, в котором он сидел, был настолько темным, что я не мог ясно видеть черты его лица; dim – полутемный; to distinguish – различить; разглядеть; none of – ни один из /общего числа/), I saw that his eyes were still turned full upon me (я видел, что его глаза были по-прежнему обращены ко мне; full – полностью). And yet he answered never a word (и все же он не отвечал ни слова; never – никогда; зд. употреблено в усилит. значении).