Читаем Английский язык с Грэмом Грином. Третий человек полностью

The car drew up (машина остановилась; to draw up — останавливаться) and the driver led the way up two flights of stairs (и водитель указал путь вверх по двум пролетам лестницы = провел на два этажа выше; to lead — вести): he rang the bell of a great double door (он позвонил в колокольчик большой двойной двери), and Martins was aware beyond it of many voices (и Мартинс услышал за ней много голосов: «был осознающий/замечающий…»). He turned sharply to the driver and said (он резко повернулся к водителю и сказал), "Where the hell (где, черт возьми; hell — ад)...?" but the driver was already halfway down the stairs (но водитель был уже на полпути вниз по лестнице), and already the door was opening (и дверь уже открывалась). His eyes were dazzled from the darkness by the lights inside (его глаза были ослеплены из-за темноты лампами /находящимися/ внутри /помещения/): he heard but he could hardly see the advance of Crabbin (он услышал, но мог едва видеть приближение Крэббина). "Oh, Mr. Dexter (о, мистер Декстер), we have been so anxious (мы были так обеспокоены = так волновались), but better late than never (но лучше поздно, чем никогда). Let me introduce you to Miss Wilbraham and the Gr"afin von Meyersdorf (позвольте мне представить вас мисс Уилбрахам и графине фон Майерсдорф)."

A buffet laden with coffee cups (буфет, уставленный кофейными чашками; laden — груженый, нагруженный /with/): an urn steamed (электрический самовар выпускал пар): a woman's face shiny with exertion (женское лицо, сияющее от напряжения): two young men with the happy intelligent faces of sixth formers (два молодых человека со счастливыми, умными лицами шестиклассников; sixth — шестой; form — класс), and huddled in the background (и скучившиеся сзади: «на заднем плане»), like faces in a family album (как лица в семейном альбоме), a multitude of the old-fashioned (множество старомодных), the dingy (выцветших; dingy — выцветший, тусклый, мрачный /о цвете/; поношенный, потрепанный; неопрятный, неряшливый), the earnest and cheery features of constant readers (серьезных и радостных черт постоянных читателей). Martins looked behind him (Мартинс посмотрел за собой = оглянулся), but the door had closed (но дверь /уже/ закрылась).

protect [prq'tekt], ruthless ['ru:TlIs], executioner ["eksI'kju:S(q)nq], peasant ['pez(q)nt], Mongol ['mONgql], khaki ['kRkI], union ['ju:njqn], surrender [sq'rendq], sure ['Suq], inquiry [In'kwaIqrI], sentence ['sentqns], Titan ['taIt(q)n], above [q'bAv], attention [q'tenS(q)n], buffet ['bufeI], exertion [Ig'zq:S(q)n], intelligent [In'telIG(q)nt], earnest ['q:nIst], feature ['fi:tSq], constant ['kOnstqnt]

Before she left him, she said, "Be careful. Koch knew so very little and they murdered him. You know as much as Koch."

The warning stayed in his brain all the way to Sacher's: after nine o'clock the streets are very empty, and he would turn his head at every padding step coming up the street behind him, as though that third man whom they had protected so ruthlessly was following him like an executioner. The Russian sentry outside the Grand Hotel looked rigid with the cold, but he was human, he had a face, an honest peasant face with Mongol eyes. The third man had no face: only the top of a head seen from a window. At Sacher's Mr. Schmidt said, "Colonel Calloway has been in, asking after you, sir. I think you'll find him in the bar."

"Back in a moment," Martins said and walked straight out of the hotel again: he wanted time to think. But immediately he stepped outside a man came forward, touched his cap and said firmly, "Please, sir." He flung open the door of a khaki painted truck with a union jack on the windscreen and firmly urged Martins within. He surrendered without protest; sooner or later he felt sure inquiries would be made: he had only pretended optimism to Anna Schmidt.

The driver drove too fast for safety on the frozen road, and Martins protested. All he got in reply was a sullen grunt and a muttered sentence containing the word "orders." "Gave you orders to kill me?" Martins said and got no reply at all. He caught sight of the Titans on the Hofburg balancing great globes of snow above their heads, and then they plunged into ill-lit streets beyond where he lost all sense of direction.

"Is it far?" But the driver paid him no attention at all. At least, Martins thought, I am not under arrest: they have not sent a guard; I am being invited, wasn't that the word they used? to visit the station to make a statement.

Перейти на страницу:
Нет соединения с сервером, попробуйте зайти чуть позже