II

The storm raged fiercely all that night (всю ту ночь шел проливной дождь; to rage – беситься, злиться; fierce – свирепый), but nothing of particular note occurred (но ничего особенного не произошло; particular – редкий, особенный; особый, исключительный, заслуживающий особого внимания; note – муз. нота; сигнал, знак, знамение). The next morning, however (однако на следующее утро), when they came down to breakfast (когда они спустились к завтраку; to come down), they found the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor (они вновь обнаружили ужасное пятно крови на полу). “I don’t think it can be the fault of the Paragon Detergent (я не думаю, что это вина моющего средства «Идеал»),” said Washington, “for I have tried it with everything (так как я пробовал его на всем). It must be the ghost (это, должно быть, привидение).” He accordingly rubbed out the stain a second time (соответственно, он снова стер пятно; to rub – тереть), but the second morning it appeared again (но на следующее утро оно появилось снова). The third morning also it was there (на третье утро оно снова было там), though the library had been locked up at night by Mr. Otis himself (хотя библиотека была заперта на ночь самим мистером Отисом), and the key carried upstairs (и ключ был унесен наверх).

The storm raged fiercely all that night, but nothing of particular note occurred. The next morning, however, when they came down to breakfast, they found the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor. “I don’t think it can be the fault of the Paragon Detergent,” said Washington, “for I have tried it with everything. It must be the ghost.” He accordingly rubbed out the stain a second time, but the second morning it appeared again. The third morning also it was there, though the library had been locked up at night by Mr. Otis himself, and the key carried upstairs.

The whole family were now quite interested (вся семья была теперь весьма заинтересована); Mr. Otis began to suspect (начал подозревать), that he had been too dogmatic in his denial of the existence of ghosts (что он был слишком догматичен в своем отрицании существования привидений), Mrs. Otis expressed her intention of joining the Psychical Society (выразила /свое/ намерение вступить в Психологическое общество), and Washington prepared a long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore (а Вашингтон приготовил длинное письмо господам Майерсу и Подмору) on the subject of the Permanence of Sanguineous Stains (на тему постоянства пятен крови) when connected with Crime (связанных с преступлением). That night all doubts about the objective existence of phantasmata were removed for ever (этой ночью все сомнения относительно существования призраков были уничтожены навсегда; objective – объективный).

The whole family were now quite interested; Mr. Otis began to suspect that he had been too dogmatic in his denial of the existence of ghosts, Mrs. Otis expressed her intention of joining the Psychical Society, and Washington prepared a long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore on the subject of the Permanence of Sanguineous Stains when connected with Crime. That night all doubts about the objective existence of phantasmata were removed for ever.

The day had been warm and sunny (день был теплый и солнечный); and, in the cool of the evening (и под прохладой вечера), the whole family went out to drive (вся семья отправилась прокатиться). They did not return home till nine o’clock (они не возвращались домой до девяти часов), when they had a light supper (когда у них был легкий ужин). The conversation in no way turned upon ghosts (разговор никоим образом не обращался к привидениям), so there were not even those primary conditions of receptive expectations (так что не существовало даже тех изначальных условий чувственного ожидания), which so often precede the presentation of psychical phenomena (которые столь часто предшествуют возникновению парапсихологических явлений).

The day had been warm and sunny; and, in the cool of the evening, the whole family went out to drive. They did not return home till nine o’clock, when they had a light supper. The conversation in no way turned upon ghosts, so there were not even those primary conditions of receptive expectations which so often precede the presentation of psychical phenomena.

The subjects discussed (обсуждались такие предметы), as I have since learned from Mr. Otis (как я позднее узнал от мистера Отиса; since – с тех пор), were merely such as form the ordinary conversation of cultured Americans of the better class (которые обычно составляют темы разговора образованных американцев высшего класса; merely – всего лишь), such as the immense superiority of Miss Fanny Davenport over Sarah Bernhardt as an actress (такие, как значительное превосходство мисс Фанни Давенпорт над Сарой Бернар как актрисой); the difficulty of obtaining green corn, buckwheat cakes, and hominy, even in the best English houses (трудности получения незрелых кукурузных початков, лепешек с гречкой и мамалыги = то, что даже в лучших английских домах не подают кукурузы, лепешки с гречкой и мамалыгу; to obtain – добывать, приобретать); the importance of Boston in the development of the world-soul (значимость Бостона в развитии мирового духа); the advantages of the baggage-check system in railway travelling (преимущества введения системы багажных квитанций в железнодорожных поездках); and the sweetness of the New York accent as compared to the London drawl (и благозвучность нью-йоркского произношения по сравнению с лондонской манерой растягивать слова). No mention at all was made of the supernatural (никакого упоминания вовсе не было сделано относительно сверхъестественного), nor was Sir Simon de Canterville alluded to in any way (и никаких намеков относительно сэра Саймона де Кентервиля совсем не прозвучало; to allude – упоминать, ссылаться; намекать).

The subjects discussed, as I have since learned from Mr. Otis, were merely such as form the ordinary conversation of cultured Americans of the better class, such as the immense superiority of Miss Fanny Davenport over Sarah Bernhardt as an actress; the difficulty of obtaining green corn, buckwheat cakes, and hominy, even in the best English houses; the importance of Boston in the development of the world-soul; the advantages of the baggage-check system in railway travelling; and the sweetness of the New York accent as compared to the London drawl. No mention at all was made of the supernatural, nor was Sir Simon de Canterville alluded to in any way.

At eleven o’clock the family retired (в одиннадцать часов семья отправилась спать), and by half-past all the lights were out (и к половине двенадцатого все огни были потушены). Some time after (некоторое время спустя), Mr. Otis was awakened by a curious noise in the corridor outside his room (был разбужен странным шумом в коридоре, за пределами его комнаты). It sounded like the clank of metal (он был похож на бряцанье металла; to sound like something – звучать как что-либо), and seemed to be coming nearer every moment (и, казалось, приближался с каждым моментом). He got up at once, struck a match (сразу же встал, зажег спичку; to get up; to strike) and looked at the time (и посмотрел на часы). It was exactly one o’clock (был ровно час ночи). He was quite calm (он был совершенно спокоен), and felt his pulse (и измерил свой пульс), which was not at all feverish (который вовсе не был учащен; feverish – лихорадочный; возбужденный). The strange noise still continued (странный шум все еще продолжался), and with it he heard distinctly the sound of footsteps (и одновременно с ним он отчетливо услышал звук шагов; to hear). He put on his slippers (он надел тапочки), took a small oblong phial out of his dressing-case (взял небольшой продолговатый пузырек из своего несессера), and opened the door (и открыл дверь).

At eleven o’clock the family retired, and by half-past all the lights were out. Some time after, Mr. Otis was awakened by a curious noise in the corridor, outside his room. It sounded like the clank of metal, and seemed to be coming nearer every moment. He got up at once, struck a match, and looked at the time. It was exactly one o’clock. He was quite calm, and felt his pulse, which was not at all feverish. The strange noise still continued, and with it he heard distinctly the sound of footsteps. He put on his slippers, took a small oblong phial out of his dressing-case, and opened the door.

Right in front of him he saw (прямо перед собой он увидел), in the wan moonlight (при тусклом свете луны), an old man of terrible aspect (старика совершенно ужасного вида). His eyes were as red burning coals (его глаза были красными, как горящие угли); long grey hair fell over his shoulders in matted coils (длинные седые волосы падали ему на плечи спутанными космами); his garments, which were of antique cut (его одеяние, которое было старинного покроя), were soiled and ragged (было грязным и разорванным), and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy manacles and rusty gyves (и с его запястьев и лодыжек свисали тяжелые оковы и ржавые наручники; to hang – висеть; gyves – кандалы, оковы, узы).

Right in front of him he saw, in the wan moonlight, an old man of terrible aspect. His eyes were as red burning coals; long grey hair fell over his shoulders in matted coils; his garments, which were of antique cut, were soiled and ragged, and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy manacles and rusty gyves.

“I really must insist on your oiling those chains”

“My dear sir (мой дорогой сэр),” said Mr. Otis, “I really must insist on your oiling those chains (мне действительно приходится настаивать на смазывании этих цепей; must – должен), and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator (и я принес вам для этой цели маленькую бутылочку машинного масла «Восходящее солнце демократии»; lubricator – смазочное средство, смазка; Tammany – независимая организация демократической партии в Нью-Йорке). It is said to be completely efficacious upon one application (говорят, оно абсолютно эффективно при разовом применении), and there are several testimonials to that effect on the wrapper from some of our most eminent native divines (и существует несколько подтверждений этому, /помещенных/ на упаковке и полученных от некоторых из наших наиболее выдающихся национальных священнослужителей). I shall leave it here for you by the bedroom candles (я оставлю ее здесь для вас у канделябра возле кровати; candles – свечи), and will be happy to supply you with more (и буду счастлив снабдить вас еще), should you require it (если вам оно понадобится).” With these words the United States Minister laid the bottle down on a marble table (с этими словами посол Соединенных Штатов поставил бутылочку на мраморный столик), and, closing his door, retired to rest (и, закрыв свою дверь, отправился спать).

“My dear sir,” said Mr. Otis, “I really must insist on your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator. It is said to be completely efficacious upon one application, and there are several testimonials to that effect on the wrapper from some of our most eminent native divines. I shall leave it here for you by the bedroom candles, and will be happy to supply you with more, should you require it.” With these words the United States Minister laid the bottle down on a marble table, and, closing his door, retired to rest.

For a moment the Canterville ghost stood quite motionless in natural indignation (некоторое время Кентервильское привидение стояло не двигаясь в естественном возмущении); then, dashing the bottle violently upon the polished floor (затем, с силой швырнув бутылочку на натертый пол), he fled down the corridor, uttering hollow groans (оно выбежало в коридор, издавая глухие стоны; to flee – бежать, спасаться бегством), and emitting a ghastly green light (излучая отвратительный зеленый свет). Just, however, as he reached the top of the great oak staircase (однако, как только он достиг верха огромной лестницы из дубового дерева), a door was flung open (дверь распахнулась; to fling open – распахивать; to fling – бросать, швырять), two little white-robed figures appeared (появились две маленькие фигурки, одетое в белое; robe – широкая одежда) and a large pillow whizzed past his head (и большая подушка просвистела у него над головой)! There was evidently no time to be lost (было ясно, что нельзя было терять времени; to lose), so, hastily adopting the Fourth dimension of Space as a means of escape (поэтому, торопливо прибегнув к четвертому измерению пространства в качестве средства спасения), he vanished through the wainscoting (он исчез сквозь стенную панель), and the house became quite quiet (и в доме стало совершенно тихо; to become).

For a moment the Canterville ghost stood quite motionless in natural indignation; then, dashing the bottle violently upon the polished floor, he fled down the corridor, uttering hollow groans, and emitting a ghastly green light. Just, however, as he reached the top of the great oak staircase, a door was flung open, two little white-robed figures appeared, and a large pillow whizzed past his head! There was evidently no time to be lost, so, hastily adopting the Fourth dimension of Space as a means of escape, he vanished through the wainscoting, and the house became quite quiet.

On reaching a small secret chamber in the left wing (достигнув маленькой потайной комнаты в левом крыле), he leaned up against a moonbeam to recover his breath (он прислонился к лунному лучу, чтобы отдышаться), and began to try and realize his position (и начал пытаться осознать свое положение; to begin). Never, in a brilliant and uninterrupted career of three hundred years (никогда во время своей блестящей и непрерывной карьеры в течение трех столетий) had he been so grossly insulted (его так грубо не оскорбляли: «он не был столь грубо оскорблен»). He thought of the Dowager Duchess (он подумал о вдовствующей герцогине; to think), whom he had frightened into a fit as she stood before the glass in her lace and diamonds (которую он напугал до припадка, когда она стояла перед зеркалом /в своих/ кружевах и бриллиантах); of the four housemaids (о четырех горничных), who had gone into hysterics (которые впали в истерику) when he merely grinned at them through the curtains on one of the spare bedrooms (когда он всего лишь ухмыльнулся им из-за портьер в одной из спален для гостей; a spare room – комната для гостей: «запасное помещение»); of the rector of the parish (о приходском священнике), whose candle he had blown out (чью свечу он задул; to blow – дуть; to blow out – задуть) as he was coming late one night from the library (когда тот возвращался поздно ночью из библиотеки), and who had been under the care of Sir William Gull ever since (и который с тех пор находился под наблюдением сэра Уильяма Галла), a perfect martyr to nervous disorders (пострадав от нервного потрясения; perfect – совершенный, идеальный, безупречный; настоящий, истинный; martyr – мученик, страдалец; disorder – беспорядок; мед. расстройство); and of old Madame de Tremouillac (и о мадам де Тремуйяк), who, having wakened up one morning early and seen a skeleton seated in an armchair by the fire reading her diary (которая, проснувшись однажды рано утром и увидев скелет, сидящий в кресле у камина и читающий ее дневник) had been confined to her bed for six weeks with an attack of brain fever (оказалась прикованной к постели с приступом мозговой горячки в течение шести недель), and, on her recovery, had become reconciled to the Church (и после своего выздоровления помирилась с церковью) and broken off her connection with that notorious sceptic, Monsieur de Voltaire (и порвала свою связь с тем дурной славы скептиком, месье де Вольтером; to break off; notorious – известный; пользующийся дурной славой; пресловутый).

On reaching a small secret chamber in the left wing, he leaned up against a moonbeam to recover his breath, and began to try and realize his position. Never, in a brilliant and uninterrupted career of three hundred years, had he been so grossly insulted. He thought of the Dowager Duchess, whom he had frightened into a fit as she stood before the glass in her lace and diamonds; of the four housemaids, who had gone into hysterics when he merely grinned at them through the curtains on one of the spare bedrooms; of the rector of the parish, whose candle he had blown out as he was coming late one night from the library, and who had been under the care of Sir William Gull ever since, a perfect martyr to nervous disorders; and of old Madame de Tremouillac, who, having wakened up one morning early and seen a skeleton seated in an armchair by the fire reading her diary, had been confined to her bed for six weeks with an attack of brain fever, and, on her recovery, had become reconciled to the Church, and broken off her connection with that notorious sceptic, Monsieur de Voltaire.

He remembered the terrible night (он вспомнил ту ужасную ночь) when the wicked Lord Canterville was found choking in his dressing-room (когда нечестивый лорд Кентервиль был найден задыхающимся в своей комнате), with the knave of diamonds half-way down his throat (с бубновым валетом, застрявшим в его горле; half-way – на полпути), and confessed, just before he died (и который сознался перед самой своей смертью), that he had cheated Charles James Fox out of £50,000 at Crockford’s by means of that very card (что он надул Чарльза Джеймса Фокса на пятьдесят тысяч фунтов в Крокфорде с помощью этой самой карты), and swore that the ghost had made him swallow it (и поклялся, что привидение заставило его проглотить ее; to swear). All his great achievements came back to him again (все его великие достижения припомнились ему снова; to come back – вернуться: «прийти назад»), from the butler who had shot himself in the pantry (от дворецкого, который застрелился в кладовой; to shoot – стрелять) because he had seen a green hand tapping at the window-pane (потому что он увидел зеленую руку, постучавшую через оконное стекло) to the beautiful Lady Stutfield (до красавицы леди Статфильд), who was always obliged to wear a black velvet band round her throat (которой постоянно приходилось носить черную бархотку на шее) to hide the mark of five fingers burnt upon her white skin (чтобы скрыть следы пяти пальцев, оставленные на ее белой коже; to burn – гореть; жечь, обжигать), and who drowned herself at last in the carp-pond at the end of the King’s Walk (и которая в конце концов утопилась в пруду с карпами в конце Королевской аллеи).

He remembered the terrible night when the wicked Lord Canterville was found choking in his dressing-room, with the knave of diamonds half-way down his throat, and confessed, just before he died, that he had cheated Charles James Fox out of £50,000 at Crockford’s by means of that very card, and swore that the ghost had made him swallow it. All his great achievements came back to him again, from the butler who had shot himself in the pantry because he had seen a green hand tapping at the window-pane, to the beautiful Lady Stutfield, who was always obliged to wear a black velvet band round her throat to hide the mark of five fingers burnt upon her white skin, and who drowned herself at last in the carp-pond at the end of the King’s Walk.

With the enthusiastic egotism of the true artist (с эгоистическим энтузиазмом подлинного художника), he went over his most celebrated performances (он вспомнил свои наиболее знаменитые выступления; to go over smth. – рассматривать), and smiled bitterly to himself (и горько улыбнулся сам себе) as he recalled to mind his last appearance as “Red Reuben, or the Strangled Babe” (когда он вспомнил свое последнее появление в качестве «Рыжего Рубена или Задушенного Младенца»),” his début as “Guant Gibeon, the Blood-sucker of Bexley Moor (свой дебют /франц./ в «Тощем Гибеоне, Кровопийце из Бексли-Мур»),” and the furore he had excited one lovely June evening (и тот фурор, /который/ он произвел в один прекрасный июньский вечер) by merely playing ninepins with his own bones upon the lawn-tennis ground (всего лишь играя в кегли своими собственными костями на лужайке для тенниса). And after all this (и после всего этого) some wretched modern Americans were to come (должны были появиться какие-то жуткие современные американцы) and offer him the Rising Sun Lubricator (и предложить ему машинное масло «Встающее солнце»), and throw pillows at his head (и бросать подушки ему в голову; to throw)! It was quite unbearable (это было совершенно невыносимо). Besides, no ghost in history had ever been treated in this manner (кроме того, ни с одним привидением за всю историю не обращались таким образом). Accordingly, he determined to have vengeance (соответственно, он решил отомстить), and remained till daylight in an attitude of deep thought (и до восхода солнца находился в состоянии глубокого раздумья).

With the enthusiastic egotism of the true artist, he went over his most celebrated performances, and smiled bitterly to himself as he recalled to mind his last appearance as “Red Reuben, or the Strangled Babe,” his début as “Guant Gibeon, the Blood-sucker of Bexley Moor,” and the furore he had excited one lovely June evening by merely playing ninepins with his own bones upon the lawn-tennis ground. And after all this some wretched modern Americans were to come and offer him the Rising Sun Lubricator, and throw pillows at his head! It was quite unbearable. Besides, no ghost in history had ever been treated in this manner. Accordingly, he determined to have vengeance, and remained till daylight in an attitude of deep thought.