“Seen the Paris news?” asked Lestrade.
Holmes nodded.
“Our French friends seem to have touched the spot this time. No doubt it’s just as they say. She knocked at the door — surprise visit, I guess, for he kept his life in water‑tight compartments — he let her in, couldn’t keep her in the street. She told him how she had traced him, reproached him. One thing led to another, and then with that dagger so handy the end soon came. It wasn’t all done in an instant, though, for these chairs were all swept over yonder, and he had one in his hand as if he had tried to hold her off with it. We’ve got it all clear as if we had seen it.”
Holmes raised his eyebrows (Холмс поднял брови).
“And yet you have sent for me (и все же вы прислали за мной)?”
“Ah, yes, that’s another matter — a mere trifle (ах да, это другое дело — всего лишь пустяк), but the sort of thing you take an interest in (но такой, какими вы интересуетесь; to take an interest in smth. — интересоваться, проявлять интерес к чему-либо) — queer, you know, and what you might call freakish (странный, знаете ли, и, как вы, вероятно, назовете, причудливый; freak — каприз, причуда, чудачество). It has nothing to do with the main fact (он не имеет никакого отношения к главному делу) — can’t have, on the face of it (не может иметь, на первый взгляд).”
“What is it, then (что же это)?”
“Well, you know, after a crime of this sort (итак, вы знаете, что после преступления такого рода) we are very careful to keep things in their position (мы очень тщательно /следим/, чтобы вещи оставались на своих местах). Nothing has been moved (/здесь/ ничего не передвигали). Officer in charge here day and night (полисмен дежурил здесь день и ночь). This morning, as the man was buried and the investigation over (сегодня утром, когда убитого похоронили и обследование было завершено) — so far as this room is concerned (/во всяком случае/ что касается этой комнаты) — we thought we could tidy up a bit (мы решили немного прибраться). This carpet (/и вот/ этот ковер). You see, it is not fastened down, only just laid there (видите ли, он не прикреплен к полу, а просто положен здесь). We had occasion to raise it (мы подняли его; to have an occasion — иметь возможность; доводиться, случаться). We found — (и обнаружили…)”
eyebrows ['aIbrauz], fastened ['fA:s(@)nd], buried ['berId]
Holmes raised his eyebrows.
“And yet you have sent for me?”
“Ah, yes, that’s another matter — a mere trifle, but the sort of thing you take an interest in —queer, you know, and what you might call freakish. It has nothing to do with the main fact — can’t have, on the face of it.”
“What is it, then?”
“Well, you know, after a crime of this sort we are very careful to keep things in their position. Nothing has been moved. Officer in charge here day and night. This morning, as the man was buried and the investigation over — so far as this room is concerned — we thought we could tidy up a bit. This carpet. You see, it is not fastened down, only just laid there. We had occasion to raise it. We found —”
“Yes? You found — (да? обнаружили?..)”
Holmes’s face grew tense with anxiety (лицо Холмса напряглось от беспокойства = Холмс с волнением ожидал ответа).
“Well, I’m sure you would never guess in a hundred years what we did find (о, я уверен, вы не догадались бы и за сто лет, что мы обнаружили). You see that stain on the carpet (видите это пятно на ковре)? Well, a great deal must have soaked through, must it not (большое количество /крови/ должно было просочиться через него, не так ли)?”
“Undoubtedly it must (безусловно, должно).”
“Well, you will be surprised to hear (вы будете удивлены услышать) that there is no stain on the white woodwork to correspond (что на белом паркете нет соответствующего пятна; woodwork — деревянные изделия; деревянные части строения /двери, оконные рамы и т. п./; to correspond — соответствовать, соотноситься; совпадать).”
“No stain! But there must — (нет пятна? Но оно должно быть…)”
“Yes, so you would say (да, так бы вы сказали = да, должно быть). But the fact remains that there isn’t (но факт остается /фактом/: его там нет).”
guess [ges], undoubtedly [Vn'dautIdlI], correspond [,kOrI'spOnd]
“Yes? You found —”
Holmes’s face grew tense with anxiety.
“Well, I’m sure you would never guess in a hundred years what we did find. You see that stain on the carpet? Well, a great deal must have soaked through, must it not?”
“Undoubtedly it must.”
“Well, you will be surprised to hear that there is no stain on the white woodwork to correspond.”
“No stain! But there must —”
“Yes, so you would say. But the fact remains that there isn’t.”
He took the corner of the carpet in his hand (он взялся за угол ковра) and, turning it over, he showed (и, перевернув его, показал) that it was indeed as he said (что так и есть, как он говорил).
“But the under side is as stained as the upper (но нижняя сторона тоже запятнана, как и верхняя). It must have left a mark (она должна была оставить след /на полу/).”
Lestrade chuckled with delight at having puzzled the famous expert (Лестрейд захихикал от удовольствия, что озадачил знаменитого специалиста; to chuckle — /тихо/ посмеиваться; хихикать).
“Now, I’ll show you the explanation (что ж, я покажу вам объяснение). There IS a second stain (второе пятно действительно существует), but it does not correspond with the other (но оно не совпадает с первым). See for yourself (взгляните сами).”
As he spoke he turned over another portion of the carpet (с этими словами он перевернул другую часть ковра), and there, sure enough, was a great crimson spill (и действительно, большое темно-красное пятно; to spill — проливать/ся/, разливать/ся/; spill — проливание, разливание /жидкости/; пролитая жидкость) upon the square white facing of the old-fashioned floor (было на квадратном белом паркете старинного пола; facing — наружное покрытие, внешний слой; облицовка; отделка).
“What do you make of that, Mr. Holmes (что вы об этом думаете, мистер Холмс)?”
“Why, it is simple enough (это довольно просто). The two stains did correspond (два пятна действительно совпадали), but the carpet has been turned round (но ковер перевернули). As it was square and unfastened it was easily done (поскольку он квадратный и не прикреплен /к полу/, это было легко сделать).”
expert ['eksp@:t], crimson ['krImz(@)n], square [skwe@]
He took the corner of the carpet in his hand and, turning it over, he showed that it was indeed as he said.
“But the under side is as stained as the upper. It must have left a mark.”
Lestrade chuckled with delight at having puzzled the famous expert.
“Now, I’ll show you the explanation. There IS a second stain, but it does not correspond with the other. See for yourself.”
As he spoke he turned over another portion of the carpet, and there, sure enough, was a great crimson spill upon the square white facing of the old‑fashioned floor.
“What do you make of that, Mr. Holmes?”
“Why, it is simple enough. The two stains did correspond, but the carpet has been turned round. As it was square and unfastened it was easily done.”
“The official police don’t need you, Mr. Holmes (официальная полиция не нуждается в том, мистер Холмс), to tell them that the carpet must have been turned round (чтобы вы объясняли ей, что ковер, должно быть, перевернули). That’s clear enough, for the stains lie above each other (это совершенно ясно, поскольку пятна лежат друг над другом) — if you lay it over this way (если положить ковер вот так). But what I want to know is (что я хочу знать), who shifted the carpet, and why (так это: кто передвигал ковер и зачем)?”
I could see from Holmes’s rigid face (я видел по неподвижному лицу Холмса; rigid —жесткий, негнущийся, негибкий; неподвижный) that he was vibrating with inward excitement (что он дрожал от внутреннего волнения).
“Look here, Lestrade (послушайте, Лестрейд),” said he, “has that constable in the passage been in charge of the place all the time (тот констебль в коридоре дежурит здесь все время)?”
“Yes, he has (да).”
“Well, take my advice (что ж, послушайте моего совета). Examine him carefully (тщательно опросите его). Don’t do it before us (не делайте этого при нас: «перед нами»). We’ll wait here (мы подождем здесь). You take him into the back room (отведите его в заднюю комнату). You’ll be more likely to get a confession out of him alone (более вероятно, что вы добьетесь от него признания наедине; to confess — признаваться; сознаваться). Ask him how he dared to admit people (спросите его, как он посмел впустить людей) and leave them alone in this room (и оставить их одних в этой комнате).
rigid ['rIdZId], advice [@d'vaIs], confession [k@n'feS(@)n]
“The official police don’t need you, Mr. Holmes, to tell them that the carpet must have been turned round. That’s clear enough, for the stains lie above each other — if you lay it over this way. But what I want to know is, who shifted the carpet, and why?”
I could see from Holmes’s rigid face that he was vibrating with inward excitement.
“Look here, Lestrade,” said he, “has that constable in the passage been in charge of the place all the time?”
“Yes, he has.”
“Well, take my advice. Examine him carefully. Don’t do it before us. We’ll wait here. You take him into the back room. You’ll be more likely to get a confession out of him alone. Ask him how he dared to admit people and leave them alone in this room.