which made Sir Henry so keen upon the adventure (заставила сэра Генри так загореться этой авантюрой; keen — острый; увлеченный, пылкий).
"I will come (я /тоже/ пойду)," said I.
"Then get your revolver and put on your boots (тогда возьмите свой револьвер и наденьте ботинки). The sooner we start the better (чем скорее мы отправимся, тем лучше), as the fellow may put out his light and be off (так как парень может погасить свечу и убраться /оттуда/; to put out — выгонять; тушить, гасить)."
confidence ['kOnfId(@)ns], scoundrel ['skaundr(@)l], start [stA:t]
The same thought had crossed my own mind. It was not as if the Barrymores had taken us into their confidence. Their secret had been forced from them. The man was a danger to the community, an unmitigated scoundrel for whom there was neither pity nor excuse. We were only doing our duty in taking this chance of putting him back where he could do no harm. With his brutal and violent nature, others would have to pay the price if we held our hands. Any night, for example, our neighbours the Stapletons might be attacked by him, and it may have been the thought of this which made Sir Henry so keen upon the adventure.
"I will come," said I.
"Then get your revolver and put on your boots. The sooner we start the better, as the fellow may put out his light and be off."
In five minutes we were outside the door (через пять минут мы были уже снаружи), starting upon our expedition (отправляясь в нашу экспедицию). We hurried through the dark shrubbery (мы поспешно пробирались через темный кустарник), amid the dull moaning of the autumn wind (под заунывные стоны осеннего ветра) and the rustle of the falling leaves (и шелест опадающих листьев). The night air was heavy with the smell of damp and decay (ночной воздух был насыщен запахами сырости и гниения; heavy — тяжелый; насыщенный). Now and again the moon peeped out for an instant (иногда на секунду выглядывала луна), but clouds were driving over the face of the sky (но по небу мчались тучи) and just as we came out on the moor (и как только мы вышли на болота) a thin rain began to fall (начал моросить: «падать» мелкий дождик). The light still burned steadily in front (свет все еще равномерно горел впереди).
"Are you armed (вы вооружены)?" I asked.
"I have a hunting-crop (у меня охотничий хлыст)."
"We must close in on him rapidly (мы должны быстро подойти к нему с двух сторон; to close in — окружать), for he is said to be a desperate fellow (потому как, говорят, он отчаянный парень). We shall take him by surprise (мы возьмем его неожиданно) and have him at our mercy (и он окажется у нас в руках; at smb.’s mercy — в чьей-либо милости) before he can resist (прежде чем сможет сопротивляться)."
"I say, Watson," said the baronet, "what would Holmes say to this (послушайте, Ватсон, а что бы Холмс сказал на это)? How about that hour of darkness (как насчет того ночного часа) in which the power of evil is exalted (когда царствуют силы зла)?"
shrubbery ['SrVb@rI], rustle [rVsl], mercy ['m@:sI]
In five minutes we were outside the door, starting upon our expedition. We hurried through the dark shrubbery, amid the dull moaning of the autumn wind and the rustle of the falling leaves. The night air was heavy with the smell of damp and decay. Now and again the moon peeped out for an instant, but clouds were driving over the face of the sky, and just as we came out on the moor a thin rain began to fall. The light still burned steadily in front.
"Are you armed?" I asked.
"I have a hunting-crop."
"We must close in on him rapidly, for he is said to be a desperate fellow. We shall take him by surprise and have him at our mercy before he can resist."
"I say, Watson," said the baronet, "what would Holmes say to this? How about that hour of darkness in which the power of evil is exalted?"
As if in answer to his words (как будто в ответ на его слова) there rose suddenly out of the vast gloom of the moor that strange cry (внезапно из безбрежного мрака болот возник тот странный вой; to rise — подниматься) which I had already heard upon the borders of the great Grimpen Mire (который я уже слышал на краю большой Гримпенской трясины). It came with the wind through the silence of the night (ветер пронес его сквозь тишину ночи), a long, deep mutter (долгое, низкое бормотание), then a rising howl (затем нарастающее завывание), and then the sad moan in which it died away (и затем тоскливый стон, на котором /этот вой/ затихал). Again and again it sounded (он звучал снова и снова), the whole air throbbing with it (от него дрожал весь воздух; to throb — биться, пульсировать; колыхаться), strident, wild, and menacing (резкий, дикий и зловещий; menacing — угрожающий; зловещий). The baronet caught my sleeve (баронет поймал меня за рукав; to catch) and his face glimmered white through the darkness (его лицо белым /пятном/ светилось в темноте).
cry [kraI], border['bO:d@], strident [straIdnt]
As if in answer to his words there rose suddenly out of the vast gloom of the moor that strange cry which I had already heard upon the borders of the great Grimpen Mire. It came with the wind through the silence of the night, a long, deep mutter, then a rising howl, and then the sad moan in which it died away. Again and again it sounded, the whole air throbbing with it, strident, wild, and menacing. The baronet caught my sleeve and his face glimmered white through the darkness.
"Good heavens, what's that, Watson (Боже мой, Ватсон, что это)?"
"I don't know (я не знаю). It's a sound they have on the moor (такое: «этот звук» /иногда/ случается на болотах). I heard it once before (я однажды его уже слышал)."
It died away (вой стих), and an absolute silence closed in upon us (и нас окружила полная тишина). We stood straining our ears (мы стояли, прислушиваясь; to strain one's ears — напрягать слух), but nothing came (но /больше/ ничего не было слышно).
"Watson," said the baronet, "it was the cry of a hound (это был вой собаки)."
My blood ran cold in my veins (кровь застыла у меня в жилах; to run cold — похолодеть), for there was a break in his voice (потому что его голос резко изменился; break — трещина; неожиданное изменение) which told of the sudden horror which had seized him (что говорило о внезапном ужасе, охватившем его).
"What do they call this sound (как они называют этот звук)?" he asked.
"Who (кто)?"
"The folk on the country-side (местные жители)."
"Oh, they are ignorant people (о, они люди невежественные). Why should you mind what they call it (что вам с того, как они это называют; to mind — заботиться; беспокоиться, тревожиться)?"
"Tell me, Watson. What do they say of it (скажите мне, Ватсон, что они говорят об этом)?"
I hesitated, but could not escape the question (я колебался, но не мог уклониться от ответа: «вопроса»).
"They say it is the cry of the Hound of the Baskervilles (они говорят, что так воет собака Баскервилей)."
absolute ['&bs@lu:t], seize [si:z], hesitate ['hezIteIt]
"Good heavens, what's that, Watson?"
"I don't know. It's a sound they have on the moor. I heard it once before."
It died away, and an absolute silence closed in upon us. We stood straining our ears, but nothing came.
"Watson," said the baronet, "it was the cry of a hound."
My blood ran cold in my veins, for there was a break in his voice which told of the sudden horror which had seized him.
"What do they call this sound?" he asked.
"Who?"
"The folk on the country-side."
"Oh, they are ignorant people. Why should you mind what they call it?"
"Tell me, Watson. What do they say of it?"
I hesitated, but could not escape the question.
"They say it is the cry of the Hound of the Baskervilles."
He groaned, and was silent for a few moments (он застонал и несколько мгновений молчал).
"A hound it was," he said, at last (это была собака, — наконец сказал он), "but it seemed to come from miles away, over yonder, I think (но, кажется, он шел издалека, вон оттуда, я полагаю)."
"It was hard to say whence it came (трудно сказать, откуда он шел)."
"It rose and fell with the wind (он поднялся и затих вместе с ветром; to fall — падать; стихать). Isn't that the direction of the great Grimpen Mire (не в том ли направлении большая Гримпенская трясина)?"
"Yes, it is."
"Well, it was up there (значит, он шел оттуда). Come now, Watson (да ладно, Ватсон), didn't you think yourself (неужто вы сами не думаете) that it was the cry of a hound (что это был вой собаки)? I am not a child (я не ребенок). You need not fear to speak the truth (вам не нужно бояться сказать правду)."
"Stapleton was with me when I heard it last (со мной был Стэплтон, когда я слышал это в прошлый раз; last — последний; прошлый). He said that it might be the calling of a strange bird (он сказал, что, возможно, это кричит какая-то птица; strange — странный; незнакомый)."
"No, no, it was a hound (нет-нет, это была собака). My God, can there be some truth in all these stories (мой Бог, неужели есть какая-то правда во всех этих россказнях)? Is it possible that I am really in danger from so dark a cause (возможно ли, что я действительно в опасности = мне и правда угрожает такая темная сила)