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

But, by Jove, every blessed inch of the whole ship – from the screw to the bowsprit – had something to say, and the bad language used by the garboard strake when the ship rolled was something too awful! You don’t happen to know what the garboard strake is, do you?”

“No,” I replied.

“No more do I. That’s the dreadful thing about it. You’ve got to listen to chaps that you don’t know.

Why, coming home on my bicycle the other day (ну и как-то я ехал домой на велосипеде; the other day – недавно, на днях) there was an awful row between some infernal ‘sprocket’ and the ‘ball bearings’ of the machine (и разгорелась страшная ссора между черт /знает/ какой цепной звездочкой велосипеда и шарикоподшипниками; infernal – относящийся к аду, преисподней; чертовский, адский), and I never knew before there were such things in the whole concern (а я никогда раньше и вообще не знал, что существуют такие детали; whole – весь, целый; concern – /разг./ штука, приспособление).”

I thought I had got at his secret, and said carelessly (я подумал, что проник в его тайну, и небрежно сказал; to get at smth. – понять, постичь что-л.): “Then I suppose this was the reason (значит, как я полагаю, это стало причиной) why you broke off your engagement with Miss Millikens (почему вы разорвали помолвку с мисс Миликенз)?”

“Not at all,” he said coolly (ничуть, – сказал он спокойно; coolly – свежо, прохладно; спокойно, невозмутимо). “Nothing to do with it (это не имеет к тому никакого отношения; to have nothing to do with smth. – не иметь никакой связи с /чем-л./). That is quite another affair (это дело совсем другое). It’s a very queer story; would you like to hear it (это очень странная история; вы бы хотели ее услышать)?”

Why, coming home on my bicycle the other day there was an awful row between some infernal ’sprocket’ and the ’ball bearings’ of the machine, and I never knew before there were such things in the whole concern.”

I thought I had got at his secret, and said carelessly: “Then I suppose this was the reason why you broke off your engagement with Miss Millikens?”

“Not at all,” he said coolly. “Nothing to do with it. That is quite another affair. It’s a very queer story; would you like to hear it?”

“By all means (непременно; by all means – любым способом; конечно, пожалуйста).” I took out my notebook (я вынул свой блокнот; to take out – вынимать).

“You remember that night of the Amateur Theatricals, got up by the White Hussars (вы помните ту ночь, /когда/ Белые гусары устраивали Любительский спектакль; to get up – организовывать, устраивать), when the lights suddenly went out all over the house (и когда огни внезапно погасли по всему дому; to go out – догореть, погаснуть)?”

“Yes,” I replied, “I heard about it (да, – отвечал я, – я слышал об этом).”