Английский с Г. К. Честертоном. Рассказы об отце Брауне / Gilbert Keith Chesterton. The Innocence of Father Brown

 “If you want the inside of my head you can have it,” said Brown rather wearily. “What it’s worth you can say afterwards. But the first thing I find in that disused pocket is this: that men who mean to steal diamonds don’t talk Socialism. They are more likely,” he added demurely, “to denounce it.”

Both the others shifted sharply and the priest went on:

“You see, we know these people, more or less. That Socialist would no more steal a diamond than a Pyramid. We ought to look at once to the one man we don’t know. The fellow acting the policeman – Florian. Where is he exactly at this minute, I wonder.”

The pantaloon sprang erect and strode out of the room (Панталоне вскочил с места и большими шагами вышел из комнаты; to spring; to stride). An interlude ensued, during which the millionaire stared at the priest, and the priest at his breviary (за этим последовала интерлюдия, во время которой миллионер смотрел пристально на священника, а священник – в свой требник; to stare – пристально глядеть); then the pantaloon returned and said, with staccato gravity (затем Панталоне вернулся и отрывисто сказал: «с отрывистой важностью»), “The policeman is still lying on the stage (полисмен все еще лежит на сцене). The curtain has gone up and down six times; he is still lying there (занавес поднимали и опускали шесть раз, а он все еще лежит).”

Father Brown dropped his book and stood staring with a look of blank mental ruin (отец Браун выронил свою книгу и стоял с видом абсолютного умственного расстройства: «краха»). Very slowly a light began to creep in his grey eyes (очень медленно понимание стало появляться: «заползать» в его серых глазах; light – свет; фонарь; разъяснение), and then he made the scarcely obvious answer (и затем у него появился почти очевидный ответ; scarcely – едва, почти не).

 The pantaloon sprang erect and strode out of the room. An interlude ensued, during which the millionaire stared at the priest, and the priest at his breviary; then the pantaloon returned and said, with staccato gravity, “The policeman is still lying on the stage. The curtain has gone up and down six times; he is still lying there.”

Father Brown dropped his book and stood staring with a look of blank mental ruin. Very slowly a light began to creep in his grey eyes, and then he made the scarcely obvious answer.

“Please forgive me, colonel, but when did your wife die (пожалуйста, простите меня, полковник, /но/ когда умерла ваша жена)?”

“Wife!” replied the staring soldier (ответил изумленный солдат), “she died this year two months (она умерла /в этом году/ два месяца назад). Her brother James arrived just a week too late to see her (ее брат Джеймс приехал повидать ее с опозданием = опоздал на неделю).”

The little priest bounded like a rabbit shot (маленький священник подпрыгнул, как подстреленный кролик; to shoot – стрелять). “Come on (скорее)!” he cried in quite unusual excitement (воскликнул он с необычной для себя горячностью; to cry). “Come on! We’ve got to go and look at that policeman (нам нужно пойти и взглянуть на того полисмена)!”

 “Please forgive me, colonel, but when did your wife die?”

“Wife!” replied the staring soldier, “she died this year two months. Her brother James arrived just a week too late to see her.”

The little priest bounded like a rabbit shot. “Come on!” he cried in quite unusual excitement. “Come on! We’ve got to go and look at that policeman!”

They rushed on to the now curtained stage (они поспешили на сцену с /опущенным/ занавесом), breaking rudely past the columbine and clown (промчавшись внезапно мимо Колумбины и клоуна; rudely – грубо; внезапно) (who seemed whispering quite contentedly (которые, казалось, довольно мирно шептались = тихо разговаривали)), and Father Brown bent over the prostrate comic policeman (и отец Браун нагнулся над распростертым комиком-полисменом; to bend).

“Chloroform (хлороформ),” he said as he rose (сказал он, поднимаясь; to rise); “I only guessed it just now (я только сейчас догадался).”

There was a startled stillness, and then the colonel said slowly (наступила недоуменная тишина, затем полковник сказал медленно), “Please say seriously what all this means (пожалуйста, объясните серьезно, что все это означает).”

 They rushed on to the now curtained stage, breaking rudely past the columbine and clown (who seemed whispering quite contentedly), and Father Brown bent over the prostrate comic policeman.

“Chloroform,” he said as he rose; “I only guessed it just now.”

There was a startled stillness, and then the colonel said slowly, “Please say seriously what all this means.”

Father Brown suddenly shouted with laughter (отец Браун вдруг громко расхохотался: «закричал со смехом»), then stopped, and only struggled with it for instants during the rest of his speech (потом сдержался: «остановился» и /проговорил/, борясь с приступами /смеха/ во время остальной речи):

“Gentlemen (джентльмены),” he gasped (проговорил он, тяжело дыша), “there’s not much time to talk (сейчас нет времени разговаривать). I must run after the criminal (я должен бежать за преступником). But this great French actor who played the policeman (но этот великий французский актер, который играл полисмена) – this clever corpse the harlequin waltzed with and dandled and threw about – he was (этот талантливый мертвец, с которым вальсировал Арлекин, которого он подбрасывал и швырял во все стороны, – он был; to throw) —” His voice again failed him, and he turned his back to run (он не договорил: «его голос снова покинул его», и он повернулся и побежал).

“He was (он был)?” called Fischer inquiringly (крикнул Фишер вопросительно).

“A real policeman (настоящий полисмен),” said Father Brown, and ran away into the dark (сказал отец Браун и убежал в темноту; to run).

 Father Brown suddenly shouted with laughter, then stopped, and only struggled with it for instants during the rest of his speech. “Gentlemen,” he gasped, “there’s not much time to talk. I must run after the criminal. But this great French actor who played the policeman – this clever corpse the harlequin waltzed with and dandled and threw about – he was – ” His voice again failed him, and he turned his back to run.

“He was?” called Fischer inquiringly.

“A real policeman,” said Father Brown, and ran away into the dark.