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

When Gertrude was seventeen her aunt had died of hydrophobia (когда Гертруде было семнадцать, тетя умерла от водобоязни).

The circumstances were mysterious (обстоятельства /смерти/ были загадочными).

His only legacy to Gertrude had been a Russian grammar, a Roumanian phrase-book, a theodolite, and a work on mining engineering.

From her earliest infancy Gertrude had been brought up by her aunt. Her aunt had carefully instructed her in Christian principles. She had also taught her Mohammedanism to make sure.

When Gertrude was seventeen her aunt had died of hydrophobia.

The circumstances were mysterious.

There had called upon her that day a strange bearded man in the costume of the Russians (в тот день к ней заходил странный человек с бородой в одежде, /какую носят/ русские; to call /up/on – заходить ненадолго). After he had left, Gertrude had found her aunt in a syncope (после того, как он ушел, Гертруда обнаружила свою тетку в уменьшенном /состоянии/; syncope – стяжение, сокращение слова /лингв./; обморок /мед./) from which she passed into an apostrophe and never recovered (из которого она перешла в риторическое, /а от того так/ никогда и не оправилась; apostrophe – апострофа, риторическое обращение).

To avoid scandal it was called hydrophobia (чтобы избежать кривотолков, /причиной смерти/ объявили водобоязнь; scandal – позорный факт, постыдное происшествие; сплетни, злословие; to call – кричать, звать; объявлять). Gertrude was thus thrown upon the world (таким образом, Гертруда осталась одна на всем белом свете: «была брошена на мир»; to throw). What to do (что делать)? That was the problem that confronted her (вот вопрос, который встал перед нею).

It was while musing one day upon her fate that Gertrude’s eye was struck with an advertisement (однажды, когда Гертруда размышляла над своей /горькой/ долей, ей на глаза попалось объявление; fate – судьба, рок; участь, удел; to strike – наносить удар, бить; неожиданно найти, наткнуться на /что-л./).

There had called upon her that day a strange bearded man in the costume of the Russians. After he had left, Gertrude had found her aunt in a syncope from which she passed into an apostrophe and never recovered.

To avoid scandal it was called hydrophobia. Gertrude was thus thrown upon the world. What to do? That was the problem that confronted her.

It was while musing one day upon her fate that Gertrude’s eye was struck with an advertisement.