Английский с Р. Л. Стивенсоном. Странная история доктора Джекила и мистера Хайда / Robert Louis Stevenson. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

He was austere with himself; drank gin when he was alone, to mortify a taste for vintage; and though he enjoyed the theatre, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years. But he had an approved tolerance for others; sometimes wondering, almost with envy, at the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds; and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove.

“I incline to Cain’s heresy,” he used to say quaintly: “I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.”

In this character, it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance (а потому очень часто его судьба назначала ему быть последним приличным знакомым; character – характер, нрав; официальное качество, положение, статус) and the last good influence in the lives of downgoing men (и последним благотворным влиянием в жизни опустившихся людей). And to such as these, so long as they came about his chambers (и с такими людьми, если только они приходили к нему в контору; so long as – поскольку; если только; chamber – комната /в жилом доме/; контора адвоката), he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour (он продолжал вести себя как и прежде: «он никогда не проявлял и тени перемены в своем поведении»; to mark – ставить знак, метку; выражать, проявлять).

No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson (без всякого сомнения, мистеру Аттерсону это было не трудно; feat – подвиг); for he was undemonstrative at the best (так как он всегда был в высшей степени сдержан; сравните: to be at one’s best – быть на высоте; быть в ударе), and even his friendships seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good-nature (и даже его дружба, казалось, основывалась на все том же всеобъемлющем добродушии; to found – основывать /город/; обосновывать, класть в основу; catholicity – католицизм, католичество /греч. всемирность/; многогранность, разносторонность; широта взглядов, терпимость). It is the mark of a modest man (скромным людям свойственно; mark – знак; признак, показатель) to accept his friendly circle ready made (принимать свой дружеский круг уже готовым) from the hands of opportunity (из рук случая); and that was the lawyer’s way (так поступал и адвокат; way – путь, дорога; образ действия, метод, способ).

In this character, it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of downgoing men. And to such as these, so long as they came about his chambers, he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour. No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson; for he was undemonstrative at the best, and even his friendships seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good-nature. It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle ready made from the hands of opportunity; and that was the lawyer’s way.