Английский с Уилки Коллинзом. Женщина из сна / Wilkie Collins. The Dream Woman

My presence of mind in emergencies is proverbial among those who know me (мое присутствие духа в критических положениях хорошо известно: «вошло в поговорку» среди тех, кто меня знает; emergency – непредвиденный случай; чрезвычайное происшествие). I tore open the cupboard in which he kept his linen (я распахнул шкаф, в котором он хранил свое белье; to tear – рвать/ся/, отрывать/ся/; выдергивать, вырывать; linen – полотно; белье /особ. постельное и столовое/) – seized a handful of his handkerchief’s (схватил несколько его платков; handful – горсть, пригоршня) – gagged him with one of them (одним заткнул ему рот; to gag – вставлять кляп; затыкать рот; gag – кляп, затычка), and secured his hands with the others (а другими связал руки; to secure – обеспечивать безопасность; закреплять, скреплять). There was now no danger of his alarming the servants (теперь не было опасности того, что он переполошит слуг; to alarm – поднять тревогу; встревожить, взволновать). After tying the last knot, I looked up (завязав последний узел, я поднял глаза).

 I turned to the door. When the mad wretch saw me leaving him he burst out into a screech of despair – so shrill that I feared it might awaken the sleeping servants.

My presence of mind in emergencies is proverbial among those who know me. I tore open the cupboard in which he kept his linen – seized a handful of his handkerchief’s – gagged him with one of them, and secured his hands with the others. There was now no danger of his alarming the servants. After tying the last knot, I looked up.

The door between the Englishman’s room and mine was open (дверь между комнатой англичанина и моей была открыта). My fair friend was standing on the threshold (моя прекрасная подруга стояла на пороге) – watching him as he lay helpless on the bed (глядя /то/ на него, беспомощно лежавшего на кровати); watching ME as I tied the last knot (/то/ на меня, завязывавшего последний узел).

“What are you doing there (что ты здесь делаешь)?” I asked. “Why did you open the door (зачем ты открыла дверь)?”

She stepped up to me, and whispered her answer in my ear (она шагнула ко мне и прошептала ответ мне на ухо), with her eyes all the time upon the man on the bed (все время не сводя глаз с человека на кровати):

“I heard him scream (я слышала, как он кричал).”

“Well (ну и что)?”

 The door between the Englishman’s room and mine was open. My fair friend was standing on the threshold – watching him as he lay helpless on the bed; watching ME as I tied the last knot.

“What are you doing there?” I asked. “Why did you open the door?”

She stepped up to me, and whispered her answer in my ear, with her eyes all the time upon the man on the bed:

“I heard him scream.”

“Well?”

“I thought you had killed him (я подумала, ты убил его).”