The sitting‑room of our client opened by a long, low, latticed window on to the ancient lichen-tinted court of the old college. A Gothic arched door led to a worn stone staircase. On the ground floor was the tutor’s room. Above were three students, one on each storey. It was already twilight when we reached the scene of our problem. Holmes halted and looked earnestly at the window. Then he approached it, and, standing on tiptoe with his neck craned, he looked into the room.
“He must have entered through the door. There is no opening except the one pane,” said our learned guide.
“Dear me!” said Holmes, and he smiled in a singular way as he glanced at our companion. “Well, if there is nothing to be learned here, we had best go inside.”
The lecturer unlocked the outer door (преподаватель отпер наружную дверь)
and ushered us into his room (и провел нас в свою комнату). We stood at the entrance (мы стояли на пороге; entrance — вход) while Holmes made an examination of the carpet (в то время как Холмс осматривал ковер: «провел осмотр ковра»).“I am afraid there are no signs here (боюсь, здесь нет никаких следов)
,” said he. “One could hardly hope for any upon so dry a day (едва ли можно было надеяться на какие-либо /следы/ в такой сухой день). Your servant seems to have quite recovered (думается, ваш слуга вполне пришел в себя). You left him in a chair, you say (вы говорите, он остался /сидеть/ в кресле: «вы оставили его в кресле»). Which chair (в каком /кресле/)?”“By the window there (вон там, у окна)
.”“I see (понятно)
. Near this little table (возле этого маленького столика). You can come in now (теперь можете войти). I have finished with the carpet (я закончил с ковром). Let us take the little table first (/теперь/ первым делом примемся за столик). Of course, what has happened is very clear (ну конечно, совершенно ясно, что произошло). The man entered and took the papers, sheet by sheet (человек вошел и /стал/ брать бумаги, лист за листом), from the central table (с центрального = письменного стола). He carried them over to the window table (он переносил их на столик у окна), because from there he could see (поскольку оттуда он мог увидеть) if you came across the courtyard (если бы вы появились во внутреннем дворе: «шли через двор»), and so could effect an escape (и таким образом совершить побег = /вовремя/ скрыться; to effect — осуществлять, совершать).”entrance ['entr@ns], carpet ['kA:pIt], courtyard ['kO:tjA:d]
The lecturer unlocked the outer door and ushered us into his room. We stood at the entrance while Holmes made an examination of the carpet.
“I am afraid there are no signs here,” said he. “One could hardly hope for any upon so dry a day. Your servant seems to have quite recovered. You left him in a chair, you say. Which chair?”
“By the window there.”
“I see. Near this little table. You can come in now. I have finished with the carpet. Let us take the little table first. Of course, what has happened is very clear. The man entered and took the papers, sheet by sheet, from the central table. He carried them over to the window table, because from there he could see if you came across the courtyard, and so could effect an escape.”
“As a matter of fact, he could not (на самом деле, он не мог /увидеть меня/)
,” said Soames, “for I entered by the side door (потому что я вошел через черный ход; side door — боковая дверь; черный ход).”