"Away they went, and I was just wondering whether I should not do well to follow them when up the lane came a neat little landau, the coachman with his coat only half-buttoned, and his tie under his ear, while all the tags of his harness were sticking out of the buckles. It hadn't pulled up before she shot out of the hall door and into it. I only caught a glimpse of her at the moment, but she was a lovely woman, with a face that a man might die for.
'The Church of St. Monica, John,' she cried, 'and half a sovereign if you reach it in twenty minutes.'
"This was quite too good to lose, Watson (это было слишком хорошо, чтобы потерять = это был случай, которого нельзя было упустить). I was just balancing whether I should run for it (должен ли я побежать за ним; to run — бегать), or whether I should perch behind her landau (или должен ли я прицепиться к задку ландо; to perch — сесть, взгромоздиться) when a cab came through the street (когда = как вдруг по улице поехал кеб = показался наемный экипаж). The driver looked twice at such a shabby fare (водитель дважды посмотрел на такого убогого седока; shabby — потрепанный), but I jumped in before he could object (но я вскочил = впрыгнул прежде, чем он мог возразить). 'The Church of St. Monica,' said I, 'and half a sovereign if you reach it in twenty minutes.' It was twenty-five minutes to twelve (было без двадцати пяти минут двенадцать: «двадцать пять минут до двенадцати»), and of course it was clear enough (и, конечно, было достаточно ясно) what was in the wind (в чем дело: «что было в воздухе»; to be in the wind — носиться в воздухе).
lose [lu:z], perch [p@:tS], fare [fe@]
"This was quite too good to lose, Watson. I was just balancing whether I should run for it, or whether I should perch behind her landau when a cab came through the street. The driver looked twice at such a shabby fare, but I jumped in before he could object. 'The Church of St. Monica,' said I, 'and half a sovereign if you reach it in twenty minutes.' It was twenty-five minutes to twelve, and of course it was clear enough what was in the wind.
"My cabby drove fast (мой извозчик ехал быстро = мчался). I don't think I ever drove faster (я не думаю, /что/ я когда-либо ехал быстрее), but the others were there before us (но другие /экипажи/ были там раньше нас). The cab and the landau with their steaming horses were in front of the door when I arrived (экипаж и ландо с их взмыленными лошадьми были = стояли перед дверью, когда я прибыл). I paid the man and hurried into the church (я заплатил человеку = кучеру и поспешил в церковь). There was not a soul there (там не было ни души) save the two (кроме /тех/ двух) whom I had followed (за которыми я следовал) and a surpliced clergyman (и священника; surplice — стихарь), who seemed to be expostulating with them (который, казалось, спорил с ними; to expostulate — убеждать, увещевать). They were all three standing in a knot in front of the altar (они все трое стояли: «были стоящими» перед алтарем; knot — группа людей). I lounged up the side aisle (я побрел по боковому придел храма) like any other idler (как любой другой бездельник) who has dropped into a church (который зашел в церковь; to drop into — заглянуть). Suddenly, to my surprise (внезапно, к моему удивлению), the three at the altar faced round to me (трое у алтаря повернулись ко мне), and Godfrey Norton came running as hard as he could towards me (и Годфри Нортон бросился так быстро, как только мог, ко мне).
clergyman ['kl@:dZIm@n], altar ['O:lt@], towards [t@'wO:dz]