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

A heavy step was heard ascending the stair, with a great wheezing and rattling as from a man who was sorely put to it for breath. Once or twice he stopped, as though the climb were too much for him, but at last he made his way to our door and entered. His appearance corresponded to the sounds which we had heard. He was an aged man, clad in seafaring garb, with an old pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat. His back was bowed, his knees were shaky, and his breathing was painfully asthmatic. As he leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel his shoulders heaved in the effort to draw the air into his lungs. He had a coloured scarf round his chin, and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes, overhung by bushy white brows, and long gray side-whiskers. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty.

"What is it, my man?" I asked (в чем дело, уважаемый? — спросил я).

He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age (он осмотрелся в степенной, методичной манере, свойственной его возрасту: «пожилого возраста»).

"Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?" said he (здесь мистер Шерлок Холмс? — спросил он).

"No; but I am acting for him (нет, но я выступаю от его лица; to act — действовать; представлять, действовать от лица). You can tell me any message you have for him (вы можете передать мне любое послание, которое у вас для него есть)."

"It was to him himself I was to tell it," said he (я должен сказать это ему лично, — сказал он).

"But I tell you that I am acting for him (но я ведь сказал вам, что действую от его имени). Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat (речь о лодке Мордекая Смита)?"

"Yes. I knows well where it is (я точно знаю, где она). An' I knows where the men he is after are (и я знаю, где те люди, которых он разыскивает; to be after — преследовать). An' I knows where the treasure is (и я знаю, где сокровища). I knows all about it (я все об этом знаю)."

"Then tell me, and I shall let him know (тогда скажите мне, и я ему передам)."

"It was to him I was to tell it," he repeated, with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man (я должен сказать это ему лично, — повторил он со вздорным упрямством очень старого человека; petulant — нетерпеливый; обидчивый, раздражительный, вздорный).

petulant ['petju:l@nt], obstinacy ['ObstIn@sI]

"What is it, my man?" I asked.

He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age.

"Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?" said he.

"No; but I am acting for him. You can tell me any message you have for him."

"It was to him himself I was to tell it," said he.

"But I tell you that I am acting for him. Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat?"

"Yes. I knows well where it is. An' I knows where the men he is after are. An' I knows where the treasure is. I knows all about it."

"Then tell me, and I shall let him know."

"It was to him I was to tell it," he repeated, with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man.

"Well, you must wait for him (ну, тогда вам придется его подождать)."

"No, no; I ain't goin' to lose a whole day to please no one (нет, нет, я не собираюсь потерять весь день, чтобы кого-то ублажить; to please — радовать, доставлять удовольствие; угождать). If Mr. Holmes ain't here, then Mr. Holmes must find it all out for himself (если мистера Холмса здесь нет, пусть мистер Холмс сам все разузнает). I don't care about the look of either of you, and I won't tell a word (ваш вид не внушает мне доверия, и я не скажу вам ни слова; to care — беспокоиться, тревожиться; испытывать любовь, привязанность к)."