Английский для смелых. Истории о духах и привидениях / Great Ghost Stories
Шрифт:
Even his wife’s face seemed changed as he entered the room (даже лицо его жены казалось изменившимся, когда он вошел в комнату). It was white and expectant (было оно побледневшим: «белым» и ожидающим), and to his fears seemed to have an unnatural look upon it (и казалось, что на ее лице: «на нем», к его страху, было противоестественное выражение; look – взгляд; выражение лица). He was afraid of her (он испугался ее).
He went down in the darkness, and felt his way to the parlour, and then to the mantelpiece. The talisman was in its place, and a horrible fear that the unspoken wish might bring his mutilated son before him ere he could escape from the room seized upon him, and he caught his breath as he found that he had lost the direction of the door. His brow cold with sweat, he felt his way round the table, and groped along the wall until he found himself in the small passage with the unwholesome thing in his hand.
Even his wife’s face seemed changed as he entered the room. It was white and expectant, and to his fears seemed to have an unnatural look upon it. He was afraid of her.
‘Wish!’ she cried, in a strong voice (желай! –
‘It is foolish and wicked,’ he faltered (это глупо и грешно, – промямлил он; wicked – злой, злобный; безнравственный; грешный; to falter – спотыкаться; запинаться, мямлить).
‘Wish!’ repeated his wife (желай! – повторила его жена).
He raised his hand (он поднял руку). ‘I wish my son alive again (я хочу, чтобы мой сын был снова живым).’
The talisman fell to the floor, and he regarded it fearfully (талисман упал на пол, и он в страхе смотрел на него). Then he sank trembling into a chair (затем он, дрожа, рухнул в кресло; to sink – тонуть; опускаться, падать) as the old woman, with burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind (в то время как старуха с горящими глазами прошла к окну и подняла штору; blind – /сущ./ занавеска, штора).
He sat until he was chilled with the cold (он сидел, пока не продрог от холода; to chill – охлаждать, замораживать; замерзать), glancing occasionally at the figure of the old woman peering through the window (время от времени поглядывая на силуэт старой женщины, неотрывно смотрящей в окно; figure – фигура; внешние очертания, форма тела; to peer – вглядываться; изучать). The candle-end, which had burned below the rim of the china candlestick (огарок свечи, оплавившийся ниже уровня чашечки фарфорового подсвечника; to burn – гореть; rim – обод, край), was throwing pulsating shadows on the ceiling and walls (бросал пульсирующие тени на потолок и стены), until, with a flicker larger than the rest, it expired (пока, вспыхнув ярче, чем до этого, он /не/ погас; flicker – мерцание, вспышка, проблеск; large – большой, крупный; rest – другие, прочие, остальные). The old man, with an unspeakable sense of relief at the failure of the talisman, crept back to his bed (он забрался обратно в постель с невыразимым чувством облегчения оттого, что талисман потерпел неудачу; failure – неудавшееся дело, неудача, провал; to creep – ползти; медленно продвигаться), and a minute or two afterward the old woman came silently and apathetically beside him (и минуту—другую спустя его жена молча и апатично устроилась рядом с ним; to come – приходить, прибывать).
‘It is foolish and wicked,’ he faltered.
‘Wish!’ repeated his wife.
He raised his hand. ‘I wish my son alive again.’
The talisman fell to the floor, and he regarded it fearfully. Then he sank trembling into a chair as the old woman, with burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind.
He sat until he was chilled with the cold, glancing occasionally at the figure of the old woman peering through the window. The candle-end, which had burned below the rim of the china candlestick, was throwing pulsating shadows on the ceiling and walls, until, with a flicker larger than the rest, it expired. The old man, with an unspeakable sense of relief at the failure of the talisman, crept back to his bed, and a minute or two afterward the old woman came silently and apathetically beside him.
Neither spoke, but lay silently listening to the ticking of the clock (ни
At the foot of the stairs the match went out, and he paused to strike another (у подножия лестницы спичка погасла, и он остановился, чтобы зажечь другую); and at the same moment a knock, so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded on the front door (и в это же время раздался стук в парадную дверь, такой тихий и осторожный, что был едва слышим; stealthy – незаметный, скрытый, тайный; front – передний).
The matches fell from his hand and spilled in the passage (спички выпали у него из руки и рассыпались в коридоре; passage – прохождение, переход, проезд, проход; коридор, холл, передняя). He stood motionless, his breath suspended until the knock was repeated (он стоял не шевелясь: «неподвижный», затаив дыхание, пока стук /не/ повторился; to suspend – вешать, подвешивать; приостанавливать). Then he turned and fled swiftly back to his room, and closed the door behind him (тогда он повернулся, быстро умчался в свою комнату и закрыл дверь за собой; to flee – убегать, спасаться бегством). A third knock sounded through the house (в третий раз стук разнесся по дому).
At the foot of the stairs the match went out, and he paused to strike another; and at the same moment a knock, so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded on the front door.
The matches fell from his hand and spilled in the passage. He stood motionless, his breath suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and fled swiftly back to his room, and closed the door behind him. A third knock sounded through the house.
‘What’s that?’ cried the old woman, starting up (что это? – вскричала его жена, приподнимаясь; to start up – вскакивать).
‘A rat,’ said the old man in shaking tones – ‘a rat (крыса, – сказал он дрожащим голосом, – крыса; tone – тон; манера говорить). It passed me on the stairs (она обогнала меня на лестнице; to pass – идти; проходить, проезжать; обгонять, опережать).’