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

"The surgeon, Dr. Somerton, was a fast, sporting young chap, and the other young officers would meet in his rooms of an evening and play cards. The surgery, where I used to make up my drugs, was next to his sitting-room, with a small window between us. Often, if I felt lonesome, I used to turn out the lamp in the surgery, and then, standing there, I could hear their talk and watch their play. I am fond of a hand at cards myself, and it was almost as good as having one to watch the others. There was Major Sholto, Captain Morstan, and Lieutenant Bromley Brown, who were in command of the native troops, and there was the surgeon himself, and two or three prison-officials, crafty old hands who played a nice sly safe game. A very snug little party they used to make.

"Well, there was one thing which very soon struck me, and that was that the soldiers used always to lose and the civilians to win. Mind, I don't say that there was anything unfair, but so it was. These prison-chaps had done little else than play cards ever since they had been at the Andamans, and they knew each other's game to a point, while the others just played to pass the time and threw their cards down anyhow. Night after night the soldiers got up poorer men, and the poorer they got the more keen they were to play. Major Sholto was the hardest hit. He used to pay in notes and gold at first, but soon it came to notes of hand and for big sums. He sometimes would win for a few deals, just to give him heart, and then the luck would set in against him worse than ever. All day he would wander about as black as thunder, and he took to drinking a deal more than was good for him.

"One night he lost even more heavily than usual (однажды вечером он проигрался еще хуже, чем обычно). I was sitting in my hut (я сидел в своей хижине) when he and Captain Morstan came stumbling along on the way to their quarters (когда он и капитан Морстен возвращались неровной походкой к себе; to stumble — спотыкаться, оступаться; quarter — четверть, четвертая часть; quarters — жилище, квартира). They were bosom friends, those two, and never far apart (они были закадычные приятели, эти два, где один, там и другой: «никогда далеко друг от друга»; bosom — грудь; пазуха; душа, сердце; bosom friend — близкий друг; apart — в стороне, обособленно; врозь, порознь). The major was raving about his losses (майор бесновался из-за своих проигрышей; to rave — бредить, говорить бессвязно; говорить слишком возбужденно; неистовствовать, бесноваться; loss — потеря; проигрыш).

"'It's all up, Morstan,' he was saying, as they passed my hut (все кончено, Морстен, — говорил он, когда они проходили мимо моей хижины; to be up — встать, проснуться; закончиться, подойти к концу). 'I shall have to send in my papers (мне придется подать рапорт о выходе в отставку; to send in one's papers — подать рапорт о выходе в отставку). I am a ruined man (я разорен; to ruin — разрушать; разорять).'

"'Nonsense, old chap!' said the other, slapping him upon the shoulder (чепуха, старина! — сказал другой, хлопнув его по плечу; to slap — хлопать, шлепать). 'I've had a nasty facer myself, but (я и сам оказался в затруднительном положении, но; nasty — отвратительный; неприятный, плохой; facer — непредвиденные трудности) —' That was all I could hear, but it was enough to set me thinking (это все, что я услышал, но этого было достаточно, чтобы заставить меня задуматься).