quarrel ['kwOr(@)l], anxious ['&N(k)S@s], bolt [b@ult]

"'For a long time I sat half distracted, wondering what I should do. My first impulse was, of course, to call for assistance; but I could not but recognize that there was every chance that I would be accused of his murder. His death at the moment of a quarrel, and the gash in his head, would be black against me. Again, an official inquiry could not be made without bringing out some facts about the treasure, which I was particularly anxious to keep secret. He had told me that no soul upon earth knew where he had gone. There seemed to be no necessity why any soul ever should know.

"'I was still pondering over the matter, when, looking up, I saw my servant, Lal Chowdar, in the door-way. He stole in and bolted the door behind him. "Do not fear, Sahib," he said. "No one need know that you have killed him. Let us hide him away, and who is the wiser?" "I did not kill him," said I. Lal Chowdar shook his head and smiled. "I heard it all, Sahib," said he. "I heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow. But my lips are sealed. All are asleep in the house. Let us put him away together." That was enough to decide me. If my own servant could not believe my innocence, how could I hope to make it good before twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury-box? Lal Chowdar and I disposed of the body that night, and within a few days the London papers were full of the mysterious disappearance of Captain Morstan.

"You will see from what I say that I can hardly be blamed in the matter (вы видите из того, что я сообщаю, что меня едва ли можно винить в этом деле). My fault lies in the fact that we concealed not only the body, but also the treasure (вина моя лежит в том: «в том факте», что мы скрыли не только тело, но и сокровища), and that I have clung to Morstan's share as well as to my own (и что я вцепился в долю Морстена так же, как и в свою собственную; to cling — цепляться; крепко держаться). I wish you, therefore, to make restitution (поэтому я и хочу, чтобы вы восстановили справедливость; to make restitution — возместить убытки). Put your ears down to my mouth (наклонитесь ближе: «приставьте ваши уши к моему рту»). The treasure is hidden in (сокровища спрятаны в; to hide — прятать) ——' At this instant a horrible change came over his expression (в этот момент ужасная перемена произошла с чертами его лица); his eyes stared wildly (его глаза чуть не вылезли из орбит; to stare — пристально глядеть; смотреть в изумлении; wildly — дико), his jaw dropped (челюсть отвисла; to drop — валить, падать), and he yelled, in a voice which I can never forget (и он завопил голосом, который я никогда не забуду), 'Keep him out! For Christ's sake keep him out (не впускайте его! Бога ради, не впускайте его; for Christ's sake — ради спасения Христа; ради Бога)!' We both stared round at the window behind us (мы оба обернулись и уставились на окно за нами) upon which his gaze was fixed (на котором остановился его взгляд; gaze — пристальный взгляд; to fix — устанавливать; закреплять). A face was looking in at us out of the darkness (лицо глядело на нас из темноты). We could see the whitening of the nose (мы могли различить побелевший нос; to whiten — белить; побелеть) where it was pressed against the glass (прижатый к стеклу: «где он был прижат к стеклу»). It was a bearded, hairy face (лицо было бородатым, заросшим; hairy — волосатый), with wild cruel eyes and an expression of concentrated malevolence (с дикими лютыми глазами и выражением концентрированной ненависти; cruel — жестокий; лютый, свирепый; malevolence — злорадство; злоба, враждебность). My brother and I rushed towards the window, but the man was gone (мой брат и я кинулись к окну, но человек исчез). When we returned to my father his head had dropped and his pulse had ceased to beat (когда мы вернулись к отцу, его голова поникла, а пульс перестал биться).

fault [fO:lt], malevolence [m@'lev(@)l@ns], pulse [pVls], cease [si:s]

"You will see from what I say that I can hardly be blamed in the matter. My fault lies in the fact that we concealed not only the body, but also the treasure, and that I have clung to Morstan's share as well as to my own. I wish you, therefore, to make restitution. Put your ears down to my mouth. The treasure is hidden in ——' At this instant a horrible change came over his expression; his eyes stared wildly, his jaw dropped, and he yelled, in a voice which I can never forget, 'Keep him out! For Christ's sake keep him out!' We both stared round at the window behind us upon which his gaze was fixed. A face was looking in at us out of the darkness. We could see the whitening of the nose where it was pressed against the glass. It was a bearded, hairy face, with wild cruel eyes and an expression of concentrated malevolence. My brother and I rushed towards the window, but the man was gone. When we returned to my father his head had dropped and his pulse had ceased to beat.

"We searched the garden that night (мы обыскали сад той ночью), but found no sign of the intruder (но не нашли ни следа непрошенного гостя; to find — находить; intruder — навязчивый, назойливый человек; незваный гость), save that just under the window a single footmark was visible in the flower-bed (если не считать единственного отпечатка ноги в цветочной грядке как раз под окном; visible — видимый). But for that one trace, we might have thought that our imaginations had conjured up that wild, fierce face (если бы не один этот след, мы могли бы подумать, что это дикое, свирепое лицо — плод нашего воображения: «наше воображение вызвало это дикое, свирепое лицо»; to conjure up — вызывать в воображении; to conjure — заклинать, вызывать духов). We soon, however, had another and a more striking proof (вскоре, однако, мы получили другое и более яркое доказательство; striking — поразительный, изумительный) that there were secret agencies at work all round us (того, что вокруг нас плели свои сети какие-то тайные силы; agency — агентство; сила, фактор; be at work — действовать). The window of my father's room was found open in the morning (окно комнаты моего отца утром обнаружили отворенным), his cupboards and boxes had been rifled (шкафы и ящики были перерыты; to rifle — обыскивать с целью грабежа), and upon his chest was fixed a torn piece of paper (а к его сундуку пришпилен оборванный клочок бумаги; to tear — рвать), with the words 'The sign of the four' scrawled across it (с накарябанными на нем словами «Знак четырех»). What the phrase meant (что значила эта фраза), or who our secret visitor may have been, we never knew (или кто был наш тайный посетитель, мы никогда не узнали). As far as we can judge, none of my father's property had been actually stolen (насколько мы можем судить, ничего из собственности отца на самом деле не было украдено; to steal — воровать; actually — фактически, на самом деле, в действительности), though everything had been turned out (хотя все было перевернуто; to turn out —выворачивать). My brother and I naturally associated this peculiar incident with the fear which haunted my father during his life (естественно, мой брат и я связали этот своеобразный инцидент со страхом, который преследовал отца всю жизнь; to haunt — часто заезжать, навещать; /о привидении/ жить, обитать; являться; мучить; не давать покоя); but it is still a complete mystery to us (для нас это по-прежнему полная загадка)."

search [s@:tS], conjure ['kVndZ@], fierce [fI@s], agency ['eIdZ(@)nsI], cupboard ['kVb@d], rifle [raIfl]

"We searched the garden that night, but found no sign of the intruder, save that just under the window a single footmark was visible in the flower-bed. But for that one trace, we might have thought that our imaginations had conjured up that wild, fierce face. We soon, however, had another and a more striking proof that there were secret agencies at work all round us. The window of my father's room was found open in the morning, his cupboards and boxes had been rifled, and upon his chest was fixed a torn piece of paper, with the words 'The sign of the four' scrawled across it. What the phrase meant, or who our secret visitor may have been, we never knew. As far as we can judge, none of my father's property had been actually stolen, though everything had been turned out. My brother and I naturally associated this peculiar incident with the fear which haunted my father during his life; but it is still a complete mystery to us."

The little man stopped to relight his hookah (человечек замолчал: «остановился», чтобы раскурить потухший кальян: «зажечь заново кальян») and puffed thoughtfully for a few moments (и несколько мгновений задумчиво пускал дым). We had all sat absorbed, listening to his extraordinary narrative (слушая его удивительнейшее повествование, мы все сидели, затаив дыхание; to sit — сидеть; absorbed — абсорбированный; поглощенный; narrative — рассказ). At the short account of her father's death Miss Morstan had turned deadly white (во время короткого рассказа о смерти ее отца мисс Морстен смертельно побледнела; account — счет; отчет, сообщение), and for a moment I feared that she was about to faint (и на миг я испугался, что она упадет в обморок). She rallied, however, on drinking a glass of water (однако ей стало лучше, после того как она выпила стакан воды; to rally — собираться, сплачиваться; приходить в чувство; овладевать собой) which I quietly poured out for her from a Venetian carafe upon the side-table (который я тихонько налил для нее из венецианского кувшина на маленьком столике; side-table — приставной столик). Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair with an abstracted expression (Шерлок Холмс откинулся в кресле с отсутствующим видом) and the lids drawn low over his glittering eyes (его глаза поблескивали из-под опущенных век: «с веками, опущенными низко на его поблескивающие глаза»; to draw — рисовать; чертить; опускать; to glitter — блестеть, сверкать). As I glanced at him I could not but think (когда я глянул на него, я не мог удержаться от мысли) how on that very day he had complained bitterly of the commonplaceness of life (что в этот самый день он горько сетовал на обыденность жизни; to complain — жаловаться). Here at least was a problem which would tax his sagacity to the utmost (здесь, по крайней мере, он получил задачу, которая потребует максимального напряжения его проницательности; to tax — облагать налогом; чрезмерно напрягать; подвергать испытанию; sagacity — проницательность; to the utmost — в высшей степени, максимально). Mr. Thaddeus Sholto looked from one to the other of us with an obvious pride (мистер Тадеуш Шолто поглядывал то на одного из нас, то на другого с явной гордостью) at the effect which his story had produced (за эффект, который произвел его рассказ), and then continued between the puffs of his overgrown pipe (а затем продолжил, попыхивая своей трубкой-переростком; puff — дуновение, порыв; затяжка; overgrown — растущий без ухода; чрезмерно выросший).

extraordinary [Ik'strO:d(@)n(@)rI], narrative ['n&r@tIv], pour [pO:], carafe [k@'r&f]

The little man stopped to relight his hookah and puffed thoughtfully for a few moments. We had all sat absorbed, listening to his extraordinary narrative. At the short account of her father's death Miss Morstan had turned deadly white, and for a moment I feared that she was about to faint. She rallied, however, on drinking a glass of water which I quietly poured out for her from a Venetian carafe upon the side-table. Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair with an abstracted expression and the lids drawn low over his glittering eyes. As I glanced at him I could not but think how on that very day he had complained bitterly of the commonplaceness of life. Here at least was a problem which would tax his sagacity to the utmost. Mr. Thaddeus Sholto looked from one to the other of us with an obvious pride at the effect which his story had produced, and then continued between the puffs of his overgrown pipe.