Английский язык с Грэмом Грином. Третий человек

"The trouble is I can see no motive for you to have done it. It's true you are already guilty of getting money on false pretences. You came out here to join Lime, perhaps to help him ..."

Martins said to me, "What was this precious racket you keep on hinting at?"

"I'd have told you all the facts when I first saw you if you hadn't lost your temper so damned quickly. Now I don't think I shall be acting wisely to tell you. It would be disclosing official information, and your contacts, you know, don't inspire confidence. A girl with phony papers supplied by Lime, this man Kurtz ..."

"Dr. Winkler ..."

"I've got nothing against Dr. Winkler. No, if you are phony, you don't need the information, but it might help you to learn exactly what we know. You see our facts are not complete."

"I bet they aren't. I could invent a better detective than you in my bath."

"Your literary style does not do your namesake justice." Whenever he was reminded of Mr. Crabbin, that poor harassed representative of the British Cultural Relations Society, Rollo Martins turned pink with annoyance, embarrassment, shame. That too inclined me to trust him.

He had certainly given Crabbin some uncomfortable hours. On returning to Sacher's Hotel after his interview with Herr Koch he had found a desperate note waiting for him from the representative.

"I have been trying to locate you all day," Crabbin wrote. "It is essential that we should get together and work out a proper programme for you. This morning by telephone I have arranged lectures at Innsbruck and Salzburg for next week, but I must have your consent to the subjects, so that proper programmes can be printed. I would suggest two lectures: "The Crisis of Faith in the Western World' (you are very respected here as a Christian writer, but this lecture should be quite unpolitical) and 'The Technique of the Contemporary Novel.' The same lectures would be given in Vienna. Apart from this there are a great many people here who would like to meet you, and I want to arrange a cocktail party for early next week. But for all this I must have a few words with you." The letter ended on a note of acute anxiety. "You will be at the discussion tomorrow night, won't you? We all expect you at 8:30 and, needless to say, look forward to your coming. I will send transport to the hotel at 8:15 sharp."

Rollo Martins read the letter and without bothering any further about Mr. Crabbin went to bed.

8

AFTER TWO DRINKS Rollo Martins' mind would always turn towards women (после двух рюмок мысли Ролло Мартинса всегда обращались к женщинам)—in a vague, sentimental, romantic way (туманным, сентиментальным, романтичным образом), as a Sex, in general (как к полу вообще). After three drinks (после трех рюмок), like a pilot who dives to find direction (подобно пилоту, который пикирует, чтобы найти направление; to dive — нырять, бросаться в воду; бросаться вниз; пикировать), he would begin to focus on one available girl (он начинал сосредоточиваться на одной девушке = которая была в наличии/поблизости; available — доступный; имеющийся в распоряжении, наличный). If he had not been offered a third drink by Cooler (если бы он не был угощен третьей рюмкой Кулером), he would probably have not gone quite so soon to Anna Schmidt's house (он бы, вероятно, не пошел совсем так скоро = настолько скоро к дому Анны Шмидт), and if (а если)... but there are too many "ifs" in my style of writing (но слишком много «если» в моем стиле письма), for it is my profession to balance possibilities (ибо это моя профессия — взвешивать возможности), human possibilities (человеческие возможности), and the drive of destiny can never find a place in my files (и сила судьбы никогда не может найти места в моих папках/досье; drive — побуждение, стимул, внутренний импульс; to drive — гнать; file — папка, скоросшиватель; дело; досье; архив, картотека).