Английский язык с Шерлоком Холмсом. Знак четырех (ASCII-IPA)

assort [@'sO:t], villainous ['vIl@n@s], pursue [p@'sju:], bizarre [bI'zA:]

It was a long day. Every time that a knock came to the door, or a sharp step passed in the street, I imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. I tried to read, but my thoughts would wander off to our strange quest and to the ill-assorted and villainous pair whom we were pursuing. Could there be, I wondered, some radical flaw in my companion's reasoning? Might he be suffering from some huge self-deception? Was it not possible that his nimble and speculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty premises? I had never known him to be wrong; and yet the keenest reasoner may occasionally be deceived. He was likely, I thought, to fall into error through the over-refinement of his logic, — his preference for a subtle and bizarre explanation when a plainer and more commonplace one lay ready to his hand. Yet, on the other hand, I had myself seen the evidence, and I had heard the reasons for his deductions. When I looked back on the long chain of curious circumstances, many of them trivial in themselves, but all tending in the same direction, I could not disguise from myself that even if Holmes's explanation were incorrect the true theory must be equally outré and startling.

At three o'clock in the afternoon there was a loud peal at the bell (в три часа дня дверной колокольчик настойчиво зазвенел; peal — звон колоколов), an authoritative voice in the hall (в холле раздался властный голос), and, to my surprise, no less a person than Mr. Athelney Jones was shown up to me (и, к моему удивлению не кто иной, как мистер Этелни Джонс появился у меня в комнате: «был проведен наверх в мою комнату»; to show — показывать; показывать путь, провожать). Very different was he, however, from the brusque and masterful professor of common sense (однако он сильно отличался от того бесцеремонного проповедника здравого смысла; different — непохожий, отличный; brusque — отрывистый; бесцеремонный; masterful — своевольный, повелительный, властный; мастерский) who had taken over the case so confidently at Upper Norwood (который так уверенно взял в свои руки дело в Верхнем Норвуде; to take over — принимать полномочия от другого). His expression was downcast (выражение его лица было унылым; downcast — нисходящий; грустный, подавленный), and his bearing meek and even apologetic (а его поведение робким и даже заискивающим; bearing — поведение, манера держать себя; apologetic — извиняющийся; примирительный).

"Good-day, sir; good-day," said he (добрый день, сэр, добрый день, — сказал он). "Mr. Sherlock Holmes is out, I understand (мистера Шерлока Холмса нет, насколько я понимаю)."

"Yes, and I cannot be sure when he will be back (да, и я не могу точно сказать: «и я не могу быть уверенным», когда он вернется). But perhaps you would care to wait (но, возможно, вы не против подождать; to care — беспокоиться; иметь желание). Take that chair and try one of these cigars (садитесь в то кресло и попробуйте одну из этих сигар)."

"Thank you; I don't mind if I do," said he (спасибо, не откажусь, — сказал он; I don't mind if I do — я, пожалуй, не откажусь; я не прочь), mopping his face with a red bandanna handkerchief (вытирая лицо красным шелковым платком; to mop — мыть, протирать шваброй; вытирать; mop — швабра; bandanna — большой шелковый или хлопчатобумажный платок).

authoritative [O:'TOrIt@tIv], apologetic [@,pOl@'dZetIk], cigar [sI'gA:]