Английский язык с Энтони Хоупом. Узник Зенды

It was but half past eight, and hardly yet dark; the streets were full for such a quiet little place, and I could see that gossip was all agog. With the King on one side and the duke on the other, Zenda felt itself the centre of all Ruritania. We jogged gently through the town, but set our horses to a sharper pace when we reached the open country.

“You want to catch this fellow Johann?” asked Fritz.

“Ay, and I fancy I’ve baited the hook right. Our little Delilah will bring our Samson. It is not enough, Fritz, to have no women in a house, though brother Michael shows some wisdom there. If you want safety, you must have none within fifty miles.”

“None nearer than Strelsau, for instance,” said poor Fritz, with a lovelorn sigh.

We reached the avenue of the château, and were soon at the house. As the hoofs of our horses sounded on the gravel, Sapt rushed out to meet us.

“Thank God, you’re safe!” he cried (слава Богу, вы целы! – вскричал он). “Have you seen anything of them (вы видели кого-нибудь из них)?”

“Of whom?” I asked, dismounting (из кого? – спросил я, слезая с коня).

He drew us aside, that the grooms might not hear (он отвел нас в сторону, чтобы не слышали конюхи; to draw – тащить, волочить; aside – в сторону; to draw aside – отводить в сторону).

“Lad,” he said to me, “you must not ride about here (приятель, – сказал он мне, – вы не должны = вам нельзя разъезжать здесь), unless with half a dozen of us (разве что с полдюжиной из нас). You know among our men a tall young fellow, Bernenstein by name (вы знаете среди наших людей высокого молодого парня по имени Берненштайн)?”

I knew him (я знал его). He was a fine strapping young man (это был крепкий молодой парень; strapping – рослый, сильный; здоровый), almost of my height, and of light complexion (почти моего роста и со светлым оттенком кожи).

“He lies in his room upstairs, with a bullet through his arm (он лежит в своей комнате наверху с рукой, пробитой пулей).”

“The deuce he does (еще не хватало; deuce – черт! черт возьми!; еще не хватало! неужели?! /в составе реплики выражает недоверие к словам собеседника или неприятное удивление/)!”

“After dinner he strolled out alone (после ужина он вышел прогуляться в одиночестве), and went a mile or so into the wood (и прошел по лесу милю или около того); and as he walked, he thought he saw three men among the trees (и когда он гулял, ему показалось, что он увидел трех человек среди деревьев); and one levelled a gun at him (а один прицелился в него из ружья). He had no weapon, and he started at a run back towards the house (при нем не было оружия, и он бросился бежать назад к дому). But one of them fired, and he was hit (но один из них выстрелил и попал в него; to hit – ударять; поражать /цель/), and had much ado to reach here before he fainted (и он едва добрался сюда: «и у него было много трудностей, чтобы добраться сюда», прежде чем потерял сознание; ado – беспокойство, хлопоты; трудности, затруднения; to faint – слабеть, падать в обморок). By good luck, they feared to pursue him nearer the house (по счастливой случайности они побоялись преследовать его неподалеку от дома).”

“Thank God, you’re safe!” he cried. “Have you seen anything of them?”

“Of whom?” I asked, dismounting.

He drew us aside, that the grooms might not hear.

“Lad,” he said to me, “you must not ride about here, unless with half a dozen of us. You know among our men a tall young fellow, Bernenstein by name?”

I knew him. He was a fine strapping young man, almost of my height, and of light complexion.

“He lies in his room upstairs, with a bullet through his arm.”

“The deuce he does!”

“After dinner he strolled out alone, and went a mile or so into the wood; and as he walked, he thought he saw three men among the trees; and one levelled a gun at him. He had no weapon, and he started at a run back towards the house. But one of them fired, and he was hit, and had much ado to reach here before he fainted. By good luck, they feared to pursue him nearer the house.”

He paused and added (он помолчал и /потом/ добавил):

“Lad, the bullet was meant for you (юноша, эта пуля предназначалась вам).”

“It is very likely,” said I, “and it’s first blood to brother Michael (очень может быть: «это весьма вероятно», и это первая неудача братца Михаэля; first blood – первая кровь /на поединке/; первая неудача со стороны противника).”

“I wonder which three it was (интересно, кто были те трое),” said Fritz.