"This hat is three years old (этой шляпе три года). These flat brims curled at the edge (эти плоские поля, загнутые по краям) came in then (вошли в моду тогда). It is a hat of the very best quality (самого лучшего качества). Look at the band of ribbed silk (взгляните на полоску рифленого шелка) and the excellent lining (и превосходную подкладку). If this man could afford to buy (если этот человек мог позволить себе купить) so expensive a hat three years ago (такую дорогую шляпу три года назад), and has had no hat since (не имел шляпы с тех пор), then he has assuredly gone down in the world (значит, он несомненно утратил прежнее положение /в обществе/; to assure — уверять; гарантировать)."
edge [edZ], quality ['kwOlItI], afford [@'fO:d], assuredly [@'Su@rIdlI]
"Well, that is clear enough (достаточно ясно), certainly. But how about the foresight and the moral retrogression (как насчет предвидения и моральной деградации)?"
"The decline of his fortunes, then?"
"This hat is three years old. These flat brims curled at the edge came in then. It is a hat of the very best quality. Look at the band of ribbed silk and the excellent lining. If this man could afford to buy so expensive a hat three years ago, and has had no hat since, then he has assuredly gone down in the world."
"Well, that is clear enough, certainly. But how about the foresight and the moral retrogression?"
Sherlock Holmes laughed (засмеялся). "Here is the foresight," said he putting his finger upon the little disc and loop of the hat-securer (ставя свой палец на маленький диск и петлю шляподержателя = резинки для шляпы). "They are never sold upon hats (они никогда не продаются вместе со шляпами; to sell). If this man ordered one (если он заказал), it is a sign of a certain amount of foresight (знак несомненной дозы = степени предвидения), since he went out of his way (раз он побеспокоился) to take this precaution against the wind (принять эту предосторожность против ветра). But since we see that he has broken the elastic (но поскольку мы видим, что он разорвал резинку; to break — ломать) and has not troubled to replace it (и не побеспокоился заменить ее), it is obvious (это очевидно) that he has less foresight now than formerly (что у него меньше предвидения сейчас, чем раньше), which is a distinct proof (четкое доказательство) of a weakening nature (слабеющего характера; weak — слабый; to weaken — слабеть). On the other hand (с другой стороны), he has endeavored to conceal (попытался скрыть) some of these stains upon the felt (пятна на фетре) by daubing them with ink (замазыванием их чернилами), which is a sign (что является знаком) that he has not entirely lost his self-respect (что он не полностью потерял самоуважение)."
"Your reasoning is certainly plausible (ваше рассуждение, несомненно, правдоподобно)."
precaution [prI'kO:Sn], weakening ['wi:k@nIN], daubing ['dO:bIN], plausible ['plO:z@bl]
Sherlock Holmes laughed. "Here is the foresight," said he putting his finger upon the little disc and loop of the hat-securer. "They are never sold upon hats. If this man ordered one, it is a sign of a certain amount of foresight, since he went out of his way to take this precaution against the wind. But since we see that he has broken the elastic and has not troubled to replace it, it is obvious that he has less foresight now than formerly, which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature. On the other hand, he has endeavored to conceal some of these stains upon the felt by daubing them with ink, which is a sign that he has not entirely lost his self-respect."
"Your reasoning is certainly plausible."