Holmes had brought up a long thin cane (Холмс принес длинную тонкую трость), and this he placed upon the bed beside him (и ее он положил на кровать рядом с собой; to place — помещать, класть, устраивать). By it he laid the box of matches and the stump of a candle (возле нее он положил коробку спичек и огарок свечи). Then he turned down the lamp (затем погасил лампу; to turn out — убавлять /свет/, уменьшать, отвернуть), and we were left in darkness (и мы были оставлены в темноте).
life [laIf], revolver [rI'vA.lv@], stump [stVmp], candle ['k&ndl]
"Do not go asleep; your very life may depend upon it. Have your pistol ready in case we should need it. I will sit on the side of the bed, and you in that chair."
I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table.
Holmes had brought up a long thin cane, and this he placed upon the bed beside him. By it he laid the box of matches and the stump of a candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we were left in darkness.
How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil (забуду ли я когда-нибудь это ужасное бодрствование)? I could not hear a sound (я не мог слышать ни звука), not even the drawing of a breath (ни даже дыхания; to draw — тащить; втягивать), and yet I knew that my companion sat open-eyed (и все же, при этом я знал, что мой товарищ сидел с широко открытыми глазами), within a few feet of me (в нескольких футах от меня; within — в пределах, не далее), in the same state of nervous tension in which I was myself (в том же состоянии нервного напряжения, в котором я был сам). The shutters cut off the least ray of light (ставни отсекли = не пропускали ни малейшего луча света), and we waited in absolute darkness (мы ждали в абсолютной темноте).
From outside came the occasional cry of a night bird (снаружи доносился редкий /периодический/ крик ночной птицы), and once at our very window a long drawn catlike whine (один раз, у самого нашего окна, раздался долгий протяжный, похожий на кошачий, /жалобный/ вой; drawn — растянутый, тянущийся; whine — жалоба, жалобный вой, хныканье), which told us that the cheetah was indeed at liberty (который сказал нам = указывал, что гепард был действительно на свободе). Far away we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock (вдалеке мы могли слышать низкий = глухой звук церковных часов), which boomed out every quarter of an hour (которые отбивали каждую четверть часа; to boom — производить шум). How long they seemed, those quarters (какими долгими казались они, те четверти)! Twelve struck (двенадцать пробило), and one, and two, and three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall (а мы все сидели, ожидая молча /того, что/ что могло приключиться).
vigil ['vIdZIl], breath [breT], tension ['tenSn], cry [kraI], whine [waIn], quarter ['kwO:t@]
How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil? I could not hear a sound, not even the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that my companion sat open-eyed, within a few feet of me, in the same state of nervous tension in which I was myself. The shutters cut off the least ray of light, and we waited in absolute darkness.
From outside came the occasional cry of a night bird, and once at our very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us that the cheetah was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, and one, and two, and three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall.