Английский для смелых. Истории о духах и привидениях / Great Ghost Stories

The doctor hesitated a moment (доктор мгновение колебался). This was a strange story that he would have to tell Mr Dawkins, the prison chaplain (ему придется рассказать мистеру Докинсу, тюремному священнику, странную историю), that at the other end of the telephone was the spirit of the man executed yesterday (что на другом конце телефонной линии была душа человека, казненного вчера). And yet he soberly believed that it was so (и все же он верил – и полагал при этом, что он в здравом уме, – что это так и было; soberly – рассудительный; благоразумный, здравый; sober – трезвый), that this unhappy spirit was in misery and wanted to ‘tell’ (что эта несчастная душа страдала и хотела «рассказать»; misery – страдание). There was no need to ask what he wanted to tell (не было необходимости спрашивать, что он хотел рассказать).

 ‘Who are you?’ asked Dr Teesdale suddenly.

‘Charles Linkworth. I thought you knew. I am very miserable. I can’t leave the prison – and it is cold. Will you send for the other gentleman?’

‘Do you mean the chaplain?’ asked Dr Teesdale.

‘Yes, the chaplain. He read the service when I went across the yard yesterday. I shan’t be so miserable when I have told.’

The doctor hesitated a moment. This was a strange story that he would have to tell Mr Dawkins, the prison chaplain, that at the other end of the telephone was the spirit of the man executed yesterday. And yet he soberly believed that it was so, that this unhappy spirit was in misery and wanted to ‘tell’. There was no need to ask what he wanted to tell.

‘Yes, I will ask him to come here,’ he said at length (да, я попрошу его прийти сюда, – наконец сказал он).

‘Thank you, sir, a thousand times (спасибо, сэр, тысячу раз). You will make him come, won’t you (вы заставите его прийти, да ведь)?’

The voice was growing fainter (голос становился слабее).

‘It must be tomorrow night (это должно произойти завтра вечером),’ it said. ‘I can’t speak longer now (я теперь больше: «дольше» не могу говорить). I have to go to see – oh, my God, my God (я должен уйти, чтобы увидеть… о, мой Бог, мой Бог = боже мой, боже мой).’

The sobs broke out afresh, sounding fainter and fainter (рыдания вновь возобновились, постепенно становясь тише и тише; to break out – разразиться, внезапно начаться; to sound – звучать). But it was in a frenzy of terrified interest that Dr Teesdale spoke (но, охваченный неистовым интересом /пополам/ со страхом, доктор Тисдейл заговорил опять; frenzy – безумие, неистовство; to terrify – ужасать; внушать ужас).

‘To see what?’ he cried (увидеть что? – вскричал он). ‘Tell me what you are doing, what is happening to you (скажите мне, что вы сейчас делаете, что с вами происходит)?’

‘I can’t tell you; I mayn’t tell you,’ said the voice very faint (я не могу вам рассказать; мне не разрешено вам рассказывать, – очень слабо произнес голос). ‘That is part —’ and it died away altogether (это часть… – и он затих совсем).

 ‘Yes, I will ask him to come here,’ he said at length.

‘Thank you, sir, a thousand times. You will make him come, won’t you?’

The voice was growing fainter.

‘It must be tomorrow night,’ it said. ‘I can’t speak longer now. I have to go to see – oh, my God, my God.’

The sobs broke out afresh, sounding fainter and fainter. But it was in a frenzy of terrified interest that Dr Teesdale spoke.

‘To see what?’ he cried. ‘Tell me what you are doing, what is happening to you?’

‘I can’t tell you; I mayn’t tell you,’ said the voice very faint. ‘That is part —’ and it died away altogether.

Dr Teesdale waited a little, but there was no further sound of any kind, except the chuckling and croaking of the instrument (доктор Тисдейл еще немного подождал, но больше не доносилось вообще никаких звуков, не считая треск и шорох аппарата; kind – сорт, вид). He put the receiver on to its hook again (он положил трубку обратно на рычаг), and then became aware for the first time that his forehead was streaming with some cold dew of horror (а затем впервые осознал, что его лоб от ужаса весь покрыт каплями ледяного пота; to stream – вытекать, струиться, течь; dew – роса; капля пота). His ears sang (в его ушах стоял звон; to sing – петь; звенеть); his heart beat very quick and faint, and he sat down to recover himself (его сердце билось очень часто: «быстро» и слабо, и он сел, чтобы прийти в себя). Once or twice he asked himself if it was possible that some terrible joke was being played on him (раз или два: «однажды или дважды» он спросил себя, не могло ли это быть каким-то ужасным розыгрышем: «не было ли это возможным, что с ним играли какую-то ужасную шутку»), but he knew that could not be so (но он знал, что это не могло быть так); he felt perfectly sure that he had been speaking with a soul in torment of contrition for the terrible and irremediable act it had committed (он был абсолютно уверен, что он только что говорил с душой, мучимой раскаянием за совершенный /ею /ужасный и непоправимый поступок; torment – мука, мучение). It was no delusion of his senses, either (и это также не было обманом его чувств); here in this comfortable room of his in Bedford Square, with London cheerfully roaring round him, he had spoken with the spirit of Charles Linkworth (здесь, в своей уютной комнате на Бедфорд-Сквер, посреди живой суматохи Лондона: «с Лондоном, оживленно ревущим вокруг него» он говорил с духом Чарльза Линкворта; cheerfully – радостно, живо, энергично).

 Dr Teesdale waited a little, but there was no further sound of any kind, except the chuckling and croaking of the instrument. He put the receiver on to its hook again, and then became aware for the first time that his forehead was streaming with some cold dew of horror. His ears sang; his heart beat very quick and faint, and he sat down to recover himself. Once or twice he asked himself if it was possible that some terrible joke was being played on him, but he knew that could not be so; he felt perfectly sure that he had been speaking with a soul in torment of contrition for the terrible and irremediable act it had committed. It was no delusion of his senses, either; here in this comfortable room of his in Bedford Square, with London cheerfully roaring round him, he had spoken with the spirit of Charles Linkworth.

But he had no time (но у него не было времени) (nor indeed inclination, for somehow his soul sat shuddering within him (да и, собственно говоря, /и/ желания, ибо душа его все еще почему-то содрогалась внутри: «в нем»; inclination – склонность, предрасположение; to incline – наклоняться, склоняться; somehow – как-то; так или иначе; почему-то; to sit – сидеть) to indulge in meditation (предаваться размышлениям; to indulge – потворствовать; удовлетворять свои желания, не отказывать себе). First of all he rang up the prison (прежде всего он позвонил в тюрьму).

‘Warder Draycott?’ he asked (надзиратель Дрейкотт? – спросил он).

There was a perceptible tremor in the man’s voice as he answered (голос отвечавшего заметно дрожал: «была заметная дрожь в голосе этого человека, когда он отвечал»).

‘Yes, sir (да, сэр). Is it Dr Teesdale (это доктор Тисдейл)?’

‘Yes (да). Has anything happened here with you (там у вас что-нибудь случилось)?’

Twice it seemed that the man tried to speak and could not (дважды казалось, что тот пытался говорить и не cмог). At the third attempt the words came (с третьей попытки слова появились).

‘Yes, sir (да, сэр). He has been here (он был здесь). I saw him go into the room where the telephone is (я видел, как он вошел в комнату с телефоном).’

‘Ah (а)! Did you speak to him (вы с ним говорили)?’

‘No, sir: I sweated and prayed (нет, сэр; я потел и молился). And there’s half a dozen men as have been screaming in their sleep tonight (и тут с полдюжины человек вопили во сне сегодня). But it’s quiet again now (но теперь опять тихо). I think he has gone into the execution shed (я думаю, он отправился в пристройку для казней).’

 But he had no time (nor indeed inclination, for somehow his soul sat shuddering within him) to indulge in meditation. First of all he rang up the prison.

‘Warder Draycott?’ he asked.

There was a perceptible tremor in the man’s voice as he answered.

‘Yes, sir. Is it Dr Teesdale?’

‘Yes. Has anything happened here with you?’

Twice it seemed that the man tried to speak and could not. At the third attempt the words came.

‘Yes, sir. He has been here. I saw him go into the room where the telephone is.’

‘Ah! Did you speak to him?’

‘No, sir: I sweated and prayed. And there’s half a dozen men as have been screaming in their sleep tonight. But it’s quiet again now. I think he has gone into the execution shed.’