The Red-Headed League by Arthur Conan Doyle (6)

The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the corner from the retired Saxe-Coburg Square presented as great a contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back. It was one of the main arteries which conveyed the traffic of the City to the north and west. The roadway was blocked with the immense stream of commerce flowing in a double tide inward and outward, while the footpaths were black with the hurrying swarm of pedestrians. It was difficult to realize as we looked at the line of fine shops and stately business premises that they really abutted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant square which we had just quitted.

"Let me see," said Holmes, standing at the corner and glancing along the line, "I should like just to remember the order of the houses here. It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London. There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist, the little newspaper shop, the Coburg branch of the City and Suburban Bank, the Vegetarian Restaurant, and McFarlane's carriage-building depot. That carries us right on to the other block. And now, Doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some play. A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony, and there are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums."

My friend was an enthusiastic musician, being himself not only a very capable perfomer but a composer of no ordinary merit. All the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the most perfect happiness, gently waving his long, thin fingers in time to the music, while his gently smiling face and his languid, dreamy eyes were as unlike those of Holmes, the sleuth-hound, Holmes the relentless, keen-witted, ready-handed criminal agent, as it was possible to conceive. In his singular character the dual nature alternately asserted itself, and his extreme exactness and astuteness represented, as I have often thought, the reaction against the poetic and contemplative mood which occasionally predominated in him. The swing of his nature took him from extreme languor to devouring energy; and, as I knew well, he was never so truly formidable as when, for days on end, he had been lounging in his armchair amid his improvisations and his black-letter editions. Then it was that the lust of the chase would suddenly come upon him, and that his brilliant reasoning power would rise to the level of intuition, until those who were unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on a man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals. When I saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St. James's Hall I felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set himself to hunt down.

"You want to go home, no doubt, Doctor," he remarked as we emerged.

"Yes, it would be as well."

"And I have some business to do which will take some hours. This business at Coburg Square is serious."

"Why serious?"

"A considerable crime is in contemplation. I have every reason to believe that we shall be in time to stop it. But to-day being Saturday rather complicates matters. I shall want your help to-night."

"At what time?"

"Ten will be early enough."

"I shall be at Baker Street at ten."

"Very well. And, I say, Doctor, there may be some little danger, so kindly put your army revolver in your pocket." He waved his hand, turned on his heel, and disappeared in an instant among the crowd.

To be continued...

The Red-Headed Leaguetby Arthur Conan Doyle (6) (с подсказками)

The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the corner from the retired [rI'taIqd] (уединенной) Saxe-Coburg Square presented as great a contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back. It was one of the main arteries ['Rtqriz] (артерий) which conveyed [kqn'veId] (доставляла) the traffic (транспорт) of the City to the north and west. The roadway ['rqudweI] (дорога) was blocked [blPkt] (забита) with the immense [I'mens] (мощным) stream [strJm] (потоком) of commerce ['kPmE:s] (зд. экипажей) flowing ['flquIN] (движущихся) in a double tide [taId] (направлениях) inward ['Inwqd] (внутрь) and outward ['autwqd] (наружу), while the footpaths ['futpRTs] (тротуары) were black with the hurrying ['hAriIN] (спешащим) swarm [swLm] (роем) of pedestrians [pI'destriqnz] (пешеходов). It was difficult to realize as we looked at the line of fine shops and stately ['steItlI] (роскошных) business premises ['premIsIz] (зданий) that they really abutted [q'bAtId] (граничили) on the other side upon the faded ['feIdId] (убогой) and stagnant ['stxgnqnt] (безлюдной) square [skweq] (площадью) which we had just quitted ['kwItId] (покинули).

"Let me see," said Holmes, standing at the corner and glancing ['glRnsIN] (глядя) along the line, "I should like just to remember the order of the houses here. It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London. There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist [tq'bxkqnIst] (торговец табачными изделиями), the little newspaper shop, the Coburg branch (отделение) of the City and Suburban [sq'bE:bqn] (Пригородного) Bank, the Vegetarian ["veGq'te(q)riqn] Restaurant, and McFarlane's carriage-building depot ['depqu] (каретное депо). That carries us right on to the other block (кварталу). And now, Doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some play. A sandwich ['sxnwIG] and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-land [vaIq'lIn-'lxnd] (страну скрипок), where all is sweetness ['swJtnIs] (сладость) and delicacy ['delIkqsi] (нежность) and harmony ['hRmqni], and there are no red-headed clients to vex [veks] (досаждать) us with their conundrums [kq'nAndrqmz] (головоломками)."

My friend was an enthusiastic [In"Tju:zI'xstIk] musician [mju:'zISqn] (увлекался музыкой), being himself not only a very capable perfomer [pq'fLmq] (исполнителем) but a composer [kqm'pquzq] of no ordinary merit ['merIt] (незаурядным композитором). All the afternoon he sat in the stalls [stLlz] (кресле в партере) wrapped [rxpt] (погруженный) in the most perfect happiness ['hxpInqs] (счастье), gently [Gen'tlI] (слегка) waving ['weIvIN] (двигая) his long, thin fingers in time to the music, while his gently smiling face and his languid ['lxNgwId] (), dreamy ['drJmi] (затуманенные) eyes were as unlike ['An'laIk] (не похожи на) those of Holmes, the sleuth-hound [slHT-haund] (сыщика), Holmes the relentless [rI'lentlqs] (безжалостного), keen-witted ['ki:n'wItId] (хитроумного), ready-handed ['redi-'hxndId] () criminal agent, as it was possible to conceive [kqn'si:v] (понять). In his singular ['sINgjulq] (необычайном) character the dual ['dju:ql] (двойственная) nature alternately [Ll'tE:nItli] (попеременно) asserted [q'sE:tId] itself (заявляла о себе), and his extreme [Ik'strJm] (чрезвычайная) exactness [Ig'zxktnIs] (точность) and astuteness [q'stjHtnIs] (проницательность) represented, as I have often thought, the reaction against the poetic [pqu'etIk] (поэтическим) and contemplative ['kPntempleItIv] (созерцательным) mood [mHd] (расположением духа) which occasionally [q'keIZqnli] (время от времени) predominated [prI'dPmIneItId] (преобладало) in him. The swing [swIN] (перемена) of his nature took him from extreme [Ik'strJm] (чрезвычайной) languor ['lxNgq] (вялости) to devouring [dI'vauqrIN] (бьющей ключом) energy; and, as I knew well, he was never so truly ['trHlI] (поистине) formidable ['fLmIdqb(q)l] () as when, for days on end, he had been lounging ['launGIN] (сидел) in his armchair amid [q'mId] (посреди) his improvisations ["ImprPvaI'zeIS(q)nz] and his black-letter editions [I'dIS(q)nz] (нот). Then it was that the lust [lAst] (страсть) of the chase [CeIs] (охоте) would suddenly come upon him, and that his brilliant ['brIljqnt] (блистательная) reasoning ['rJzqnIN] (мышления) power would rise to the level of intuition ["Intju:'ISqn] (интуиции), until those who were unacquainted [Anq'kweIntId] (незнакомы) with his methods would look askance [qs'kxns] (косо/подозрительно) at him as on a man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals [mLtlz] (смертных). When I saw him that afternoon so enwrapped [In'rxpt] (окутанным) in the music at St. James's ['GeImzIz] Hall I felt that an evil ['Jv(q)l] (ужасное) time might be coming upon those whom he had set himself to hunt [hAnt] down (выследить).

"You want to go home, no doubt, Doctor," he remarked [rI'mRkt] (сказал) as we emerged (вышли на улицу).

"Yes, it would be as well."

"And I have some business to do which will take some hours. This business at Coburg Square is serious."

"Why serious?"

"A considerable (крупное) crime is in contemplation ["kPntem'pleISqn] (готовится). I have every reason to believe that we shall be in time to stop it. But today being Saturday rather complicates ['kPmplIkeIts] (осложняет) matters. I shall want your help tonight."

"At what time?"

"Ten will be early enough."

"I shall be at Baker Street at ten."

"Very well. And, I say, Doctor, there may be some little danger, so kindly ['kaIndlI] (пожалуйста) put your army revolver [rI'vPlvq] in your pocket." He waved [weIvd] (помахал) his hand, turned on his heel [hJl] (круто повернулся), and disappeared in an instant ['Instqnt] (мгновение) among the crowd.

Союз рыжих. Артур Конан Дойл

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