Английский с Уилки Коллинзом. Женщина из сна / Wilkie Collins. The Dream Woman

Еремин Андрей

 Little did the darkness, or the cold, or the doubt about the way home matter to me. My mind was away from all these things. My mind was fixed on the vision in the bedroom. What had I seen trying to murder me? The creature of a dream? Or that other creature from the world beyond the grave, whom men call ghost? I could make nothing of it as I walked along in the night; I had made nothing by it by midday – when I stood at last, after many times missing my road, on the doorstep of home.

VI

My mother came out alone to welcome me back (матушка

вышла одна встретить меня; to welcome – приветствовать; радушно принимать; встречать). There were no secrets between us two (между нами не было секретов). I told her all that had happened (я рассказал ей все, что произошло), just as I have told it to you (точно так, как рассказал это вам). She kept silence till I had done (она хранила молчание, пока я не закончил). And then she put a question to me (а потом задала мне вопрос).

“What time was it, Francis, when you saw the Woman in your Dream (сколько было времени: «какое было время», Фрэнсис, когда ты увидел женщину во сне)?”

I had looked at the clock when I left the inn (я взглянул на часы, когда уходил из гостиницы), and I had noticed that the hands pointed to twenty minutes past two (и заметил, что стрелки указывали на двадцать минут третьего: «после двух»). Allowing for the time consumed in speaking to the landlord, and in getting on my clothes (учитывая время, потраченное на разговор с хозяином и надевание одежды; to allow – позволять; учитывать, предусматривать; делать поправку на /что-л./), I answered that I must have first seen the Woman at two o’clock in the morning (я ответил, что, должно быть, впервые увидел ту женщину в два часа утра). In other words, I had not only seen her on my birthday (другими словами, я не только видел ее в день своего рождения), but at the hour of my birth (но и в самый час моего рождения).

 My mother came out alone to welcome me back. There were no secrets between us two. I told her all that had happened, just as I have told it to you. She kept silence till I had done. And then she put a question to me.

“What time was it, Francis, when you saw the Woman in your Dream?”

I had looked at the clock when I left the inn, and I had noticed that the hands pointed to twenty minutes past two. Allowing for the time consumed in speaking to the landlord, and in getting on my clothes, I answered that I must have first seen the Woman at two o’clock in the morning. In other words, I had not only seen her on my birthday, but at the hour of my birth.

My mother still kept silence (матушка все еще хранила молчание). Lost in her own thoughts (погруженная в собственные мысли; lost – потерянный; погруженный /в мысли/), she took me by the hand, and led me into the parlor (она взяла меня за руку и повела в гостиную; parlor –

гостиная, общая комната /в квартире/). Her writing-desk was on the table by the fireplace (ее несессер для письменных принадлежностей был на столе у камина; writing-desk – письменный стол; несессер для письменных принадлежностей; fireplace – камин, очаг: «место огня»). She opened it, and signed to me to take a chair by her side (она открыла его и знаком велела мне сесть на стул: «занять стул» рядом с собой; to sign – выражать жестом; подавать знак; sign – знак).

“My son! your memory is a bad one, and mine is fast failing me (мой сын! твоя память плоха, а моя быстро слабеет; to fail – потерпеть неудачу; ослабеть; терять силы). Tell me again what the Woman looked like (расскажи мне снова, как выглядела та женщина). I want her to be as well known to both of us, years hence, as she is now (я хочу, чтобы она была так же хорошо известна нам обоим годы спустя, как сейчас; hence – с этих пор, с этого времени).”

I obeyed (я послушался); wondering what strange fancy might be working in her mind (задаваясь вопросом/гадая, что за странная причуда пришла ей в голову; fancy – фантазия, воображение; причуда, прихоть; to work – работать; действовать, оказывать воздействие). I spoke; and she wrote the words as they fell from my lips (я рассказывал, а она записывала слова, как они слетали с моих губ; to fall – падать, опускаться):

 My mother still kept silence. Lost in her own thoughts, she took me by the hand, and led me into the parlor. Her writing-desk was on the table by the fireplace. She opened it, and signed to me to take a chair by her side.

“My son! your memory is a bad one, and mine is fast failing me. Tell me again what the Woman looked like. I want her to be as well known to both of us, years hence, as she is now.”

I obeyed; wondering what strange fancy might be working in her mind. I spoke; and she wrote the words as they fell from my lips:

“Light gray eyes, with a droop in the left eyelid (светло-серые глаза с припухшим левым веком). Flaxen hair, with a golden-yellow streak in it (соломенные волосы с золотистым отливом; streak – полоска; жилка, прожилка; примесь). White arms, with a down upon them (белые руки с пушком /на них/). Little, lady’s hands, with a rosy-red look about the finger nails (маленькие дамские кисти с розово-красными ногтями).”

“Did you notice how she was dressed, Francis (ты заметил, как она была одета, Фрэнсис)?”

“No, mother (нет, мама).”

“Did you notice the knife (ты обратил внимание на нож)?”

“Yes. A large clasp knife, with a buckhorn handle, as good as new (да; большой складной нож, с ручкой из оленьего рога, как новый).”

My mother added the description of the knife (матушка добавила описание ножа).