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

The Countess resumed her tiara.

She left.

The secretary re-entered.

“I have three telegrams from Paris,” he said, “they are completely baffling.”

He handed over the first telegram.

It read:

“The Prince of Wurttemberg has a long, wet snout, broad ears, very long body, and short hind legs.”

The Great Detective looked puzzled.

He read the second telegram.

“The Prince of Wurttemberg is easily recognised by his deep bark.”

And then the third (и третью).

“The Prince of Wurttemberg can be recognised by a patch of white hair across the centre of his back (Принца Вюртембергского можно опознать по белому пятну на шерсти посередине: «в центре» спины; hair – волосы; шерсть /животного/; patch – клочок, лоскут; небольшой участок, пятно /неправильной формы/).”

The two men looked at one another (двое мужчин = мужчины посмотрели друг на друга). The mystery was maddening, impenetrable (тайна /своей/ непроницаемостью сводила с ума: «была сводящей с ума, непроницаемой»).

The Great Detective spoke (Великий Сыщик заговорил).

“Give me my domino,” he said (дайте мне мое домино, – сказал он). “These clues must be followed up (нужно следовать этим подсказкам; clue – клубок, моток /ниток, пряжи/; путеводная нить; сведение, информация),” then pausing, while his quick brain analysed and summed up the evidence before him (затем помолчав, пока его мозг быстро анализировал и суммировал факты; evidence – ясность, очевидность; данные, факты; evident – очевидный) – “a young man,” he muttered, “evidently young since described as a ‘pup,’ with a long, wet snout (молодой человек, – пробормотал он, – очевидно молодой, поскольку его описывали как «щенка» с длинной слюнявой мордой) (ha! addicted obviously to drinking (ха! склонен, несомненно, к пьянству)), a streak of white hair across his back (полоска седых волос на спине; white – белый; седой) (a first sign of the results of his abandoned life (первый признак последствий его беспутного образа жизни; sign – знак, символ; признак, примета; abandoned – заброшенный, покинутый; несдержанный, безудержный; life – жизнь, существование; образ жизни)) – yes, yes,” he continued, “with this clue I shall find him easily (да-да, – продолжал он, – с такой подсказкой я легко его отыщу).”

And then the third.

“The Prince of Wurttemberg can be recognised by a patch of white hair across the centre of his back.”

The two men looked at one another. The mystery was maddening, impenetrable.

The Great Detective spoke.

“Give me my domino,” he said. “These clues must be followed up,” then pausing, while his quick brain analysed and summed up the evidence before him – “a young man,” he muttered, “evidently young since described as a ’pup,’ with a long, wet snout (ha! addicted obviously to drinking), a streak of white hair across his back (a first sign of the results of his abandoned life) – yes, yes,” he continued, “with this clue I shall find him easily.”