Английский с улыбкой. Брет Гарт, Стивен Ликок. Дефективный детектив

The man was evidently stark, staring mad (этот человек явно рехнулся; stark staring mad – сумасшедший, помешанный; stark – совершенно, абсолютно; to stare – пристально смотреть; mad – сумасшедший, безумный). I still affected not to observe it (я по-прежнему делал вид, что не замечаю этого), and asked him if that was why he left Simla (и спросил его, не потому ли он покинул Шимлу).

It was an ordinary bamboo armchair, and had creaked after the usual fashion of bamboo chairs. I said so.

He cast his eyes to the ceiling. “He calls it ’creaking,’” he murmured. “No matter,” he continued aloud, “its remark was not of a complimentary nature. It’s very difficult to get really polite furniture.”

The man was evidently stark, staring mad. I still affected not to observe it, and asked him if that was why he left Simla.

“There were Simla reasons, certainly,” he replied (причины крылись и в Шимле, конечно, – отвечал он). “But you think I came here for solitude (но вы полагаете, я прибыл сюда ради одиночества)! SOLITUDE!” he repeated, with a laugh (одиночества! – повторил он со смехом). “Why, I hold daily conversations with any blessed thing in this house (что ж, я ежедневно беседую с каждой частью этого чертового дома; to hold a conversation – вести разговор; blessed – благословенный; проклятый, чертов /эмоц. – усил./; thing – предмет, вещь), from the veranda to the chimney-stack (от веранды до дымохода), with any stick of furniture, from the footstool to the towel-horse (с каждым предметом мебели, от скамейки для ног до вешалки для полотенец; stick – палка, прут; предмет домашней обстановки). I get more out of it than the gabble at the Club (я получаю от этого больше, нежели от трепотни в «Клубе»). You look surprised (вы удивлены: «выглядите удивленным»). Listen (послушайте)! I took this thing up in my leisure hours in the Department (я занимался этим делом в свободные часы в Министерстве; to take up – заниматься /чем-л./). I had read much about the conversation of animals (я много прочел о разговорах животных).

“There were Simla reasons, certainly,” he replied. “But you think I came here for solitude! SOLITUDE!” he repeated, with a laugh. “Why, I hold daily conversations with any blessed thing in this house, from the veranda to the chimney-stack, with any stick of furniture, from the footstool to the towel-horse. I get more out of it than the gabble at the Club. You look surprised. Listen! I took this thing up in my leisure hours in the Department. I had read much about the conversation of animals.