Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other (Шерлок Холмс и я недоумевающее посмотрели друг на друга; blank — пустой, чистый; озадаченный, полностью сбитый с толку), and then burst simultaneously into an uncontrollable fit of laughter (а затем одновременно закатились неудержимым смехом; to burst — лопаться; разрываться; to burst into — внезапно или бурно начинать; uncontrollable — неконтролируемый; неудержимый; fit — припадок, приступ).

elm [elm], enclosure [In'kl@uZ@], sawyer ['sO:j@], triumphant [traI'Vmf@nt], tongue [tVN], laughter ['lA:ft@]

Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we came to Broderick and Nelson's large timber-yard, just past the White Eagle tavern. Here the dog, frantic with excitement, turned down through the side-gate into the enclosure, where the sawyers were already at work. On the dog raced through sawdust and shavings, down an alley, round a passage, between two wood-piles, and finally, with a triumphant yelp, sprang upon a large barrel which still stood upon the hand-trolley on which it had been brought. With lolling tongue and blinking eyes, Toby stood upon the cask, looking from one to the other of us for some sign of appreciation. The staves of the barrel and the wheels of the trolley were smeared with a dark liquid, and the whole air was heavy with the smell of creosote.

Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other, and then burst simultaneously into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

(глава VIII. (Иррегулярные части Бейкер-стрит; regular forces = regulars — регулярные части, кадровые войска)

"WHAT now?" I asked (и что теперь? — спросил я). "Toby has lost his character for infallibility (Тоби утратил свою репутацию непогрешимого следопыта; to lose — терять; character — характер; репутация; infallibility — непогрешимость; infallible — не допускающий ошибок, безошибочный, непогрешимый)."

"He acted according to his lights," said Holmes (он действовал в соответствии со своими понятиями, — сказал Холмс; lights — понятия, представления человека), lifting him down from the barrel and walking him out of the timber-yard (снимая его с бочки и ведя к выходу: «выводя» со склада; to lift — поднимать; to lift down — снимать; to walk — идти, ходить; выводить). "If you consider how much creosote is carted about London in one day (если вы задумаетесь, сколько креозота перевозится по Лондону за один день; to cart — ехать на телеге; везти в телеге), it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed (неудивительно, что наш след пересекся с другим; to cross — пересекать). It is much used now, especially for the seasoning of wood (креозот широко используется теперь, особенно для выдержки древесины; seasoning — выдерживание, высушивание древесины на воздухе). Poor Toby is not to blame (беднягу Тоби нельзя винить)."

infallibility [In,f&l@'bIl@tI], season ['si:z(@)n]

"WHAT now?" I asked. "Toby has lost his character for infallibility."

"He acted according to his lights," said Holmes, lifting him down from the barrel and walking him out of the timber-yard. "If you consider how much creosote is carted about London in one day, it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. It is much used now, especially for the seasoning of wood. Poor Toby is not to blame."

"We must get on the main scent again, I suppose (нам следует взять теперь наш след, я полагаю; main — главный, основной)."

"Yes. And, fortunately, we have no distance to go (к счастью, это совсем недалеко; distance — расстояние). Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's Place was that there were two different trails running in opposite directions (очевидно, на углу Найтс-плейс /«Рыцарской площади»/ собаку озадачило то, что два разных следа вели в противоположных направлениях). We took the wrong one (мы выбрали неверный). It only remains to follow the other (остается только пойти по верному)."

There was no difficulty about this (это не составило труда). On leading Toby to the place where he had committed his fault (когда мы отвели: «отведя» Тоби к тому месту, где он совершил свою ошибку), he cast about in a wide circle and finally dashed off in a fresh direction (он сделал широкий круг и наконец рванулся в другом направлении; to cast — бросать, кидать; to cast about — обдумывать; искать, разыскивать; to cast — бросать; to dash — бросаться; fresh — свежий).

"We must take care that he does not now bring us to the place where the creosote-barrel came from," I observed (надо обратить внимание на то, чтобы он теперь не привел нас к тому месту, откуда привезли бочку с креозотом, — заметил я).

fortunately ['fO:tS(@)n@tlI], knight [naIt], wrong [rON]

"We must get on the main scent again, I suppose."

"Yes. And, fortunately, we have no distance to go. Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's Place was that there were two different trails running in opposite directions. We took the wrong one. It only remains to follow the other."