Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах (ASCII-IPA)

What was that? In the silence he heard a gentle scratching sound — low, but very distinct in the quiet of the night. It came from the door of the house. Ferrier crept into the hall and listened intently. There was a pause for a few moments, and then the low insidious sound was repeated. Someone was evidently tapping very gently upon one of the panels of the door. Was it some midnight assassin who had come to carry out the murderous orders of the secret tribunal? Or was it some agent who was marking up that the last day of grace had arrived? John Ferrier felt that instant death would be better than the suspense which shook his nerves and chilled his heart. Springing forward he drew the bolt and threw the door open.

Outside all was calm and quiet. The night was fine, and the stars were twinkling brightly overhead. The little front garden lay before the farmer's eyes bounded by the fence and gate, but neither there nor on the road was any human being to be seen. With a sigh of relief, Ferrier looked to right and to left, until happening to glance straight down at his own feet he saw to his astonishment a man lying flat upon his face upon the ground, with arms and legs all asprawl.

So unnerved was he at the sight (его так напугало это зрелище; to unnerve — лишать присутствия духа, лишать мужества) that he leaned up against the wall with his hand to his throat to stifle his inclination to call out (что он прислонился к стене с рукой к горлу, чтобы подавить готовый вырваться возглас; inclination — склонность; тенденция; to call out — воскликнуть, издать восклицание). His first thought was that the prostrate figure was that of some wounded or dying man (его первой мыслью было, что эта распростертая фигура — раненый или умирающий человек), but as he watched it he saw it writhe along the ground and into the hall (но на его глазах человек заскользил: «но пока он наблюдал за ней /фигурой/, он увидел, как она, извиваясь, поползла» по земле и в дом; to writhe — извиваться; изгибаться) with the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent (проворно и бесшумно, как змея: «с быстротой и бесшумностью змеи»). Once within the house the man sprang to his feet (оказавшись внутри, человек вскочил на ноги), closed the door (закрыл дверь), and revealed to the astonished farmer the fierce face and resolute expression of Jefferson Hope (и перед изумленным фермером предстало пылкое, решительное лицо Джефферсона Хоупа; to reveal — открывать; обнаруживать, показывать; expression — выражение лица; fierce — свирепый; пылкий).

"Good God!" gasped John Ferrier (Боже милостивый, — перевел дух Джон Феррьер; to gasp — дышать с трудом, задыхаться; ловить воздух). "How you scared me (как ты меня напугал)! Whatever made you come in like that (что это ты вздумал: «что это заставило тебя» пробираться в такой манере)."