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75 лучших рассказов / 75 Best Short Stories
‘By that time both of them had been struck by the fact that the ship so suddenly discovered had not manifested her presence by ringing her bell.
‘“We came in very quietly, that’s true,” concluded the younger officer. “But they must have heard our leadsmen at least. We couldn’t have passed her more than fifty yards off. The closest shave! They may even have made us out, since they were aware of something coming in. And the strange thing is that we never heard a sound from her. The fellows on board must have been holding their breath.”
‘“Aye,” said the commanding officer, thoughtfully.
‘In due course the boarding-boat returned, appearing suddenly alongside, as though she had burrowed her way under the fog. The officer in charge came up to make his report, but the commanding officer didn’t give him time to begin. He cried from a distance:
‘“Coaster, isn’t she?”
‘“No, sir. A stranger – a neutral,” was the answer.
‘“No. Really! Well, tell us all about it. What is she doing here?”
‘The young man stated then that he had been told a long and complicated story of engine troubles. But it was plausible enough from a strictly professional point of view and it had the usual features: disablement, dangerous drifting along the shore, weather more or less thick for days, fear of a gale, ultimately a resolve to go in and anchor anywhere on the coast, and so on. Fairly plausible.
‘“Engines still disabled?” inquired the commanding officer.
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Примечания
1
bungalows – a bungalow is a small one-storied house with a veranda
2
Norfolk – a historic county on the North Sea coast in eastern England
3
Norwich – a city in Norfolk; the first settlement was founded in Saxon times; in the 12th century, in the times of the Danes, and later, after the Norman Conquest, Norwich became an important market centre.
4
Brownie – in English and Scottish folklore, a small fairy, a mythical being that inhabited houses and barns
5
talisman – an object acting as a charm to bring good fortune and avert evil
6
chariot – an open vehicle of ancient times with two or four wheels; it originated in about 3000 BC in Mesopotamia.
7
calico – a cotton fabric with simple design, first made in Calicut, India, in the 11th century
8
castanet – a musical instrument of a clapper type consisting of two pieces hinged by a cord, usually held in the hand and used by dancers in Spain and some parts of Italy
9
elfish – in Germanic folklore, an elf is a spirit in a tiny human form; it usually causes disease and brings mischief.
10
s’prise = surprise
11
Lord Mayor – the title given to the mayor of London or some other large city
12
Ohio – the US state in the Midwest (106 125 sq. km), joined the USA after the American Revolutionary War in 1783
13
Indiana – the US state in the Midwest (93 491 sq. km), joined the USA after the American Revolutionary War
14
Sandusky – a city on Lake Erie in northern Ohio, founded by the British in 1745
15
Lake Erie – one of the five Great Lakes on the USA-Canadian border
16
Wapping – an area in eastern London
17
the old Globe Theatre – a theatre built in 1599 on the south bank of the Thames and famous for the performance of the greatest Shakespeare’s plays; it remained in use until 1644.
18
Covent Garden – 1) London’s wholesale flower, fruit and vegetable market in central London at the time when the story was written; 2) the Royal Opera House which is near the place where the market used to be.
19
the Strand – the street in central London linking the West End and the City of London
20
Waterloo Station – a main line railway station in London
21
hors de combat – disabled due to the wound or injury
22
K. C. – King’s Counsel
23
Kingsway – a street in central London where companies’ offices are located
24
the Aldwych Theatre – a theatre on the corner of Drury Lane in the West End, built in 1905
25
Lancashire – a county in northwestern England
26
Bakkan – a province and city in Vietnam
27
M. P. – Member of Parliament
28
Chancery Lane – a street in central London where lawyers’ offices are located
29
the Law Courts – the main building of the House of Justice where all important judicial decisions are adopted
30
New Oxford Street – a street in central London, the shopping centre of the city
31
Lincoln’s Inn Fields – a street in central London
32
inamorata = sweetheart, beloved (Italian)
33
Knightsbridge – an area in west-central London with expensive jewellers’ and antique shops
34
sine qua non – necessary conditions (Latin)
35
St. George and his Dragon – a Christian martyr of the 3d century and the patron saint of England; St. George saved a Libyan king’s daughter from the dragon and killed the monster in return for the promise that the people of Libya would be baptized.
36
cromlechs – in prehistoric architecture, a cromlech is an acircle of stones enclosed by a broad rampant
37
Cornwall – a historic county on the Atlantic coast in southwestern England
38
St. Yves – a coastal town in Cornwall
39
Wesleyanism – the Wesleyan church, one of the Protestant churches, founded by John Wesley (1703–1791), a clergyman and church reformer; the members of the Wesleyan church promise to live a sinless life.
40
Sarah – a biblical figure, in the Old Testament, the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac
41
Abraham – in the Old Testament, the first of the Hebrew patriarchs, revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
42
Hagar – in the Old Testament, Sarah’s maid and Abraham’s mistress, the mother of his illegitimate son, Ishmael
43
Britannia metal – the alloy composed of tin, antimony and copper, used for making household utensils
44
Penzance – a town in Cornwall where the English Channel joins the Atlantic Ocean
45
escutcheon – a metal plate placed on a wooden article either to decorate it or to protect the wood
46
chartreuse – the liqueur made from more than 130 different plants by the monks of La Grande Chartreuse in France
47
Derby – one of the most famous English horse races, an annual event since 1730; the Derby is run on the first Saturday of June.
48
cheroot – a thin cigar open at both ends
49
claret – famous Bordeaux wine made since Roman times in the region around the city of Bordeaux in France; the word claret is not used in modern French.
50
hansom – a low two-wheeled open carriage with the elevated driver’s seat
51
West Kensington – a fashionable district in central London
52
W. – West
53
brougham – a four-wheeled one-horse carriage designed in 1838 by Henry Brougham, a former lord chancellor of England
54
kept me on tenter-hooks – idiom kept me in a state of anxiety
55
Alabama – the US state in the south (131 334 sq. km); the first Europeans who came there were the Spanish, the first settlement was founded by the French in 1701; after the war of 1763, the territory was ceded to England.
56
the Federal army – the army of the federal government in the American Civil War of 1861–1865 with 11 Southern states
57
the Southern cause – the southern states seceded from the Union in 1860–1861; the Northern and the Southern states had different economies, different attitude to slavery, trade and the very idea of states’ rights.
58
Corinth – a city in northeastern Mississippi; the bloody battle took place to the north of the city during the American Civil War.
59
the Yanks – Yankees, a nickname of the citizens of New England states; the word was used by Southerners for Northerners and Federal soldiers during the American Civil War.
60
Niagara – Niagara Falls on the Niagara River in northeastern North America, on the USA-Canadian border
61
Aeolian harps – Aeolian harp is a musical instrument in which sound is produced by the movement of the wind over the strings; in Greek mythology, Aeolus is the god of the winds.
62
delirium – mental state marked by confused thinking, hallucinations, etc. as a result of the intoxication of the brain caused by fever or some other physical disorder
63
Monterey – a city in California, 135 km south of San Francisco; the first Europeans in the region were the Spanish in 1542.
64
the Blavatsky people – followers of Helena Blavatsky (1831–1891), an occultist and spiritualist; she founded the Theosophical Society to promote theosophy (divine wisdom), a philosophical-religious system.
65
Sepoy – 1) a place in India; 2) an Indian soldier in the service of the British India Company.
66
the Thugs – members of the Indian organization of professional assassins who travelled throughout the country for several cen-turies since 1356
67
vraisemblance = love of truth (French)
68
Garrick – David Garrick (1717–1779), a famous English actor, producer and dramatist, one of the managers of the Drury Lane Theatre in London
69
the Syndicate Mill – a mill belonging to the Syndicate, an association of racketeers in control of organized crime in the USA
70
Dionysius (430 BC–367 BC) – a tyrant of Syracuse, an ancient Greek city on the east coast of Sicily
71
Pall Mall – Pall Mall Gazette, a British newspaper, one of the “poplars”
72
tetradrachm – an ancient Greek coin used for trade with the Scythians and the Celts
73
Offa – the king of Mercia (757–796), one of the most powerful kings of Anglo-Saxon England
74
Mercia – one of the most powerful kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England in the 7th–9th centuries
75
Richmond – an outer borough (an incorporate town or district with special privileges) of London, along the River Thames
76
Padua – a city in northern Italy, west of Venice, first mentioned in 302 BC
77
Euclideas – here: one of ancient Greek coins
78
Kentuckian – a resident of Kentucky, the US state in the south (102 694 sq. km)
79
a Sandwich Islander – a resident of the Sandwich Islands, the second name of the Hawaiian Islands, a group of the volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean; the first European who visited the islands in 1778 was Captain James Cook (1728–1779).
80
Pompadour – Marquise de Pompadour (1721–1764), the mistress of Louis XV, king of France; she was a well-educated woman and a patron of art and literature.
81
Olympus – a mount in Greece (2,917 m); in Greek mythology, the place where gods lived.
82
the Lost Atlantis – a legendary island in the Atlantic Ocean, described by antique authors as a highly developed and powerful civilization
83
Florence – a city in central Italy, founded in the 1st century BC and notable for its works of art
84
the Commandments – in the Bible, the list of religious principles revealed to Moses, a Hebrew prophet of the 14th—13th centuries BC, on Mount Sinai
85
the Mosaic Law – the religious principles of Judaism revealed to Moses, a Hebrew prophet of the 14th—13th centuries BC
86
the Legion of Hono(u)r – the National Order of the Legion of Honour, a military and civil order of the French Republic, created by Napoleon in 1802
87
damask – a silk, fine, patterned fabric, originally produced in Damascus, Syria
88
catechism – a religious instruction in the form of questions and answers
89
portière – heavy curtains hung in a doorway
90
Marseilles – a city and port in southern France on the Mediterranean Sea, founded 2,500 years ago
91
Desdemona – a fictional character in Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Othello’ (1603)
92
Belgravia – an area in the borough of Westminster in London, east of Chelsea and south of Hyde Park
93
Popish priest = Catholic priest
94
Buckingham Palace – royal residence in London; the famous architect John Nash converted the house built in 1705 for the Duke of Buckingham into a royal residence for king George IV.
95
the Exchequer – the government department responsible for receiving and distributing the public revenue, founded in the 12th century; later the Exchequer was joined with the Treasury.
96
Gladstone – William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898), four-time prime minister of Great Britain
97
Gladstone – William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898), four-time prime minister of Great Britain
98
synod – in the Christian church, a local assembly of church officials
99
Burmah – Burma (now Myanmar), a country in Southeast Asia
100
St. Peter – the Apostle, one of Christ’s disciples; when asked thrice, after Jesus Christ’s arrest, if he knew Him, St. Peter said ‘No’.
101
rococo – a style in painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts, originated in Paris in the early 19th century
102
archangel – in the hierarchy of angels, one of the chief angels
103
omnibus – a large vehicle designed to carry passengers on a fixed route, a bus
104
the Pantheon – the 18th century building in Paris, an example of Neoclassical architecture with columns and a high dome
105
La Petite – baby (French)
106
Seigneur – Lord, God (French)
107
Tan’tante – from tante = aunt (French)
108
palmetto – a sort of small palm trees
109
Il ne faut pas faire mal à Pauline. – Don’t do harm to Pauline. (French)
110
la guerre = war (French)
111
Sumter – a county in South Caroline, US
112
Louisiana – the US state (123,366 sq. km) admitted to the union in 1812 as the 18th member; it borders Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.
113
Adieu! – Goodbye!
114
Venus – the second planet from the Sun; when it is visible, it is the brightest in the sky.
115
pied à terre – a place of refuge where a person lives from time to time (French)
116
Texans – residents of Texas, the US state in the south
117
corbeille – a basket; here: a set of clothes (French)
118
muslin – a thin cotton fabric, first made in Mosul, Iraq
119
cochon de lait – a sucking pig; here: a small baby (French)
120
Mais si! = Oh, yes, yes! (French)
121
peignoir – a loose dressing gown
122
bayou – a river armlet with slow movement
123
layette – a dowry of a new-born baby (French)
124
espousal – marriage, engagement (archaic)
125
Liverpool – a city and port on the Irish Sea in northeastern England
126
the Palais Royal – an area and a famous theatre in Paris
127
Frascati’s – a casino in Paris
128
sou – a French coin of low value (no longer in use)
129
Rouge et Noir – ‘Red and Black’ (French), a French card game played in casinos of France, Italy and Monte Carlo
130
the Theory of Chances – a theory used in gambling to predict the outcome of a game, the result of which may be determined by chance, or accident, or miscalculation
131
napoleon – an old French gold coin equal to 20 francs
132
Sacre mille bombes! – an exclamation of anxiety (French)
133
Mille tonnerres! – an exclamation of encouragement (French)
134
croupier – a person who gathers money and pays out winnings in a gambling house
135
Sacre petit polisson de Napoleon! – Oh, little prankster of Napoleon! (French)
136
Austerlitz – the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, one of the greatest victories of Napoleon over joined Russian-Austrian forces
137
Nom d’une pipe! – an exclamation ‘listen’, ‘oh’, ‘there’ (French)
138
Vive le vine! = Long live the wine! (French)
139
grenadier – a soldier trained to hurl grenades, small explosive bombs
140
cabriolet – a two-wheeled, one-horse open carriage, first used in France in the 18th century
141
Le Maistre – Antoine Le Maistre (1608–1658), a French religious figure and theologian
142
‘Voyage autour de ma Chambre’ – ‘A Trip Around My Room’ (French)
143
Guido Fawkes – Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), an active participant of the famous Gunpowder Plot against James I of England in 1605
144
desperado – a bandit, a ruffian
145
‘Childe Harold’ – ‘Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’, a poem by George Gordon Byron (1788–1824), a famous British Romantic poet
146
the Inquisition – an institution of the Roman Catholic Church established in the 13th century to combat heresy
147
the Harz Mountains – a northern mountain range in Germany
148
Westphalia – a historic region in northwestern Germany
149
canopy – a hood or cover over a door, bed, fireplace, etc.
150
cravat – a piece of linen or lace worn as a tie
151
posse comitatus – a group of armed men who help to maintain order, catch criminals, etc.
152
le Sous-préfet = sub-prefect (French)
153
le GarÇon = waiter, servant (French)
154
proces verbal – transcript of interrogation
155
au revoir = goodbye (French)
156
myrmidons – here: accomplices
157
compagnons de voyage = voyage companions (French)
158
olla podrida = ragout made of red beans, pork and sausage (Spanish)
159
ulster – a long, loose overcoat with a belt
160
quartermaster – an officer responsible for the quartering and movement of troops; on a ship, an officer in charge of steering and signals.
161
mal de mer = seasickness (French)
162
the New York Herald – an American daily newspaper published from 1835 till 1924
163
R. N. – Royal Navy
