Interested any longer in whether Kurtz killed Harry—or the third man. Whoever killed him it

was a kind of justice. Maybe I'd kill him myself under these circumstances. But you still love

him. You love a cheat, a murderer."

"I loved a man," she said. "I told you—a man doesn't alter because you find out more about him.

He's still the same man."

"I hate the way you talk. I've got a splitting headache, and you talk and talk ..."

"I didn't ask you to come."

"You make me cross."

Suddenly she laughed. She said, "You are so comic. You come here at three in the morning—a

stranger— and say you love me. Then you get angry and pick a quarrel. What do you expect me

to do—or say?"

"I haven't seen you laugh before. Do it again. I like it."

"There isn't enough for two laughs," she said.

He took her by the shoulders and shook her gently. He said, "I'd make comic faces all day long.

I'd stand on my head and grin at you between my legs. I'd learn a lot of jokes from the books on

After-dinner Speaking."

"Come away from the window. There are no curtains." '

"There's nobody to see," but automatically checking his statement, he wasn't quite so sure: a long

shadow that had moved, perhaps with the movement of clouds over the moon, was motionless

again. He said, "You still love Harry, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps I do. I don't know." He dropped his hands and said, "I’ll be pushing off."

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

147

He walked rapidly away (он зашагал быстро прочь): he didn't bother to see (он не

побеспокоился посмотреть) whether he was being followed (преследовали ли его), to check

up on the shadow (чтобы проверить тень). But passing by the end of the street (но проходя

мимо конца улицы) he happened to turn (он случился повернуть) and there just around the

corner (и там прямо за углом), pressed against a wall to escape notice (прижатая к стене

чтобы не быть замеченной: «избежать замечания»), was a thick stocky figure (была плотная

коренастая фигура). Martins stopped and stared (Мартинс остановился и пригляделся).

There was something familiar about that figure (было что-то знакомое в этой фигуре):

perhaps, he thought (возможно, он подумал), I have grown unconsciously used to him (я стал

бессознательно привычен к нему; to grow – расти; становиться) during these last twenty-

four hours (в течение этих последних двадцати четырех часов): perhaps he is one of those

(возможно он есть один из тех) who have so assiduously checked my movements (кто

пристально отслеживал мои движения). Martins stood there (Мартинс стоял там), twenty

yards away ((в) двадцати ярдах), staring at the silent motionless figure in the dark side-street

(глядя на тихую бездвижную фигуру в темном переулке) who stared back at him (которая

смотрела «назад» на него). A police spy, perhaps (полицейский шпик, возможно), or an

agent of those other men (или агент тех других людей), those men who had corrupted Harry

first (тех людей которые развратили Гарри сперва) and then killed him (а затем убили его):

even possibly the third man (даже возможно третий человек)?

It was not the face that was familiar (это было не лицо что было знакомо = знакомо было не

лицо), for he could not make out so much as the angle of the jaw (ибо он не мог различить так

много как = даже угол челюсти): nor a movement (ни движения), for the body was so still

that he began to believe (ибо тело было таким неподвижным, что он начал верить) that the

whole thing was an illusion caused by shadow (что все это было иллюзией, вызванной

тенью). He called sharply (он позвал резко). "Do you want anything (хотите вы что-

нибудь»)?" and there was no reply (и (не) было никакого ответа). He called again with the

irascibility of drink (он позвал снова с раздражительностью выпившего). "Answer (отвечай),

can't you (ты можешь: «не можешь ты»)?" and an answer came (и ответ пришел), for a

window curtain was drawn petulantly back by some sleeper he had awakened (ибо оконная

занавеска была отодвинута раздраженно назад каким-то спящим (которого) он разбудил)

and the light fell straight across the narrow street (и свет упал прямо через узкую улицу) and

lit up the features of Harry Lime (и осветил черты Гарри Лайма; to light up – освещать).

assiduously [ə`sıdjuəslı], irascibility [ırжsı`bılıtı], petulant [`petjulənt]

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

148

He walked rapidly away: he didn't bother to see whether he was being followed, to check up on

the shadow. But passing by the end of the street he happened to turn and there just around the

corner, pressed against a wall to escape notice, was a thick stocky figure. Martins stopped and

stared. There was something familiar about that figure: perhaps, he thought, I have grown

unconsciously used to him during these last twenty-four hours: perhaps he is one of those who

have so assiduously checked my movements. Martins stood there, twenty yards away, staring at

the silent motionless figure in the dark side-street who stared back at him. A police spy, perhaps,

or an agent of those other men, those men who had corrupted Harry first and then killed him:

even possibly the third man?

It was not the face that was familiar, for he could not make out so much as the angle of the jaw:

nor a movement, for the body was so still that he began to believe that the whole thing was an

illusion caused by shadow. He called sharply. "Do you want anything?" and there was no reply.

He called again with the irascibility of drink. "Answer, can't you?" and an answer came, for a

window curtain was drawn petulantly back by some sleeper he had awakened and the light fell

straight across the narrow street and lit up the features of Harry Lime.

12

DO YOU BELIEVE in ghosts (ты веришь: «делаешь ты верить» в привидения)?" Martins

said to me (Мартинс сказал мне).

"Do you (а ты)?"

"I do now (верю теперь)."

"I also believe that drunk men see things (я также верю что пьяные люди видят (разные)

вещи)—sometimes rats, sometimes worse (иногда крыс, иногда хуже)."

He hadn't come to me at once with his story (он не пришел ко мне сразу со своей историей)—

only the danger to Anna Schmidt (только опасность (угрожающая) Анне Шмидт) tossed him

back into my office (забросила его назад в мою контору), like something the sea washed up

(как что-то, (что) море выбросило на берег: «вымыло вверх»), tousled, unshaven

(растрепанное, небритое), haunted by an experience he couldn't understand (не имеющий

покоя от: «посещаемый» опыта (которого) он не мог понять). He said (он сказал), "If it had

been just the face (если это было бы просто лицо), I wouldn't have worried (я бы не

беспокоился). I'd been thinking about Harry (я думал о Гарри), and I might easily have

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

149

mistaken a stranger (и мог легко перепутать чужого). The light was turned off again at once,

you see (свет был погашен снова немедленно, вы видите; to turn off – выключать), I only

got one glimpse (я только получил один быстрый взгляд), and the man made off down the

street (и человек ушел вдоль: «вниз» (по) улице)—if he was a man (если он был человеком).

There was no turning for a long way ((не) было никакого поворота на долгом пути), but I was

so startled (но я был так напуган) I gave him another thirty yards' start (я дал ему еще

тридцати-ярдовую фору). He came to one of those newspaper kiosks (он подошел к одному

из тех газетных киосков) and for a moment moved out of sight (и на мгновение пропал:

«выдвинулся» из вида). I ran after him (я побежал за: «после» ним). It only took me ten

seconds to reach the kiosk (мне потребовалось только: «это только взяло мне» десять секунд

чтобы достичь киоска), and he must have heard me running (и он должен быть услышал

меня бегущего), but the strange thing was he never appeared again (но странная вещь была

(что) он так и не появился снова). I reached the kiosk (я достиг киоска). There wasn't

anybody there (не было кого-либо там). The street was empty (улица была пуста). He couldn't

have reached a doorway without my meeting him (он не мог бы достигнуть входной двери

чтобы я его не встретил: «без моего встречания его»). He'd simply vanished (он просто

испарился)."

"A natural thing for ghosts (естественная вещь для привидений)—or illusions (или

иллюзий)."

"But I can't believe I was as drunk as all that (но я не могу поверить (что) я был так пьян как

все это = настолько пьян)!"

"What did you do then (что сделали вы тогда)?"

"I had to have another drink (я должен был выпить еще одну порцию выпивки). My nerves

were all to pieces (мои нервы были все на кусочки)."

"Didn't that bring him back (не привело это его назад)?"

"No (нет), but it sent me back to Anna's (но это послало меня назад к Анне)."