Английский язык с О. Уайльдом. Кентервильское привидение / О. Wilde: The Canterville Ghost

The jewels are clearly hers, and, egad, I believe that if I were heartless enough to take them from her, the wicked old fellow would be out of his grave in a fortnight, leading me the devil of a life. As for their being heirlooms, nothing is an heirloom that is not so mentioned in a will or legal document, and the existence of these jewels has been quite unknown. I assure you I have no more claim on them than your butler, and when Miss Virginia grows up, I dare say she will be pleased to have pretty things to wear.

Besides, you forget (кроме того, вы забыли) Mr. Otis, that you took the furniture and the ghost at a valuation (что вы взяли привидение вместе с мебелью; valuation — оценка, определение ценности), and anything that belonged to the ghost (и все, что принадлежало призраку) passed at once into your possession (перешло сразу же в вашу собственность), as, whatever activity Sir Simon may have shown in the corridor at night (так как, какую бы деятельность сэр Саймон не проявлял в коридоре по ночам) in point of law he was really dead (с точки зрения закона он действительно мертв) and you acquired his property by purchase (и вы получили его собственность, купив ее; purchase — приобретение недвижимого имущества в собственность, покупка имущества)."

possession [pə`ze∫n] law [lo:] acquire [ə`kwαiə] purchase [`pə:t∫əs]

Besides, you forget, Mr. Otis, that you took the furniture and the ghost at a valuation, and anything that belonged to the ghost passed at once into your possession, as, whatever activity Sir Simon may have shown in the corridor at night, in point of law he was really dead, and you acquired his property by purchase."

Mr. Otis was a good deal distressed at Lord Canterville's refusal (был очень расстроен отказом лорда Кентервиля), and begged him to reconsider his decision (и умолял его изменить свое решение; to reconsider — пересматривать, обдумывать заново; to consider — рассматривать, обсуждать; взвешивать, обдумывать), but the good-natured peer was quite firm (но добродушный пэр был совершенно непоколебим; firm — крепкий, прочный, твердый), and finally induced the Minister to allow his daughter to retain the present the ghost had given her (и, наконец, заставил посла разрешить его дочери оставить себе подарок, который призрак дал ей), and when, in the spring of 1890 (и когда, весной 1890 года) , the young Duchess of Cheshire was presented at the Queen's first drawing-room (молодая герцогиня Чеширская была представлена в первой гостиной королевы), on the occasion of her marriage (по поводу ее вступления в брак), her jewels were the universal theme of admiration (ее драгоценности вызвали всеобщее восхищение; theme — тема).

decision [di`siζn] occasion [ə`keiζən] marriage [`mæridζ] theme [θi:m]