I looked up and Martins was out of sight in the darkness (я взглянул наверх и Мартинс был

вне поля зрения в темноте): I called his name (я позвал его имя) and it was lost in a confusion

of echoes (и оно было потеряно в неразберихе эхо), in the rush and the roar of the

underground river (в напоре и реве подземной воды). Then I heard a third shot (затем я

услышал третий выстрел).

Martins told me later (Мартинс сказал мне позже): "I walked upstream to find Harry (я шел

вверх по течению чтобы найти Гарри), but I must have missed him in the dark (но я, должно

быть, пропустил его в темноте = не попал в него). I was afraid to lift the torch (я боялся:

«был испуган» поднимать фонарь): I didn't want to tempt him to shoot again (я не хотел

искушать его выстрелить снова). He must have been struck by my bullet just at the entrance of

a side passage (он должен был быть ударен моей пулей прямо у входа бокового коридора;

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to strike – бить). Then I suppose he crawled up the passage to the foot of the iron stairs (затем я

предполагаю он полз вверх по коридору к подножью железной лестницы). Thirty feet

above his head was the manhole (в тридцати футах над его головой был люк; feet – мн.ч. от

foot – нога, фут), but he wouldn't have had the strength to lift it (но он не имел бы силы

чтобы поднять его), and even if he had succeeded (и даже если он бы преуспел) the police

were waiting above (полицейские ждали наверху). He must have known all that (он должен

был знать все это), but he was in great pain (но он был в большой боли), and just as an animal

creeps into the dark to die (и прямо как животное ползет в темноту чтобы умереть), so I

suppose a man makes for the light (так я полагаю человек стремится к свету). He wants to die

at home (он хочет умереть дома), and the darkness is never home to us (а темнота есть

никогда дом для нас). He began to pull himself up the stairs (он начал подтягивать себя

вверх по лестнице), but then the pain took him (но тогда боль охватила его) and he couldn't

go on (и он не мог идти дальше). What made him whistle that absurd scrap of a tune I'd been

fool enough to believe he had written himself (что заставило его просвистеть этот абсурдный

ошметок мелодии (которую), я был дурак достаточно чтобы верить, он написал сам)? Was

he trying to attract attention (пытался ли он привлечь внимание), did he want a friend with

him (хотел ли он друга с собой), even the friend who had trapped him (даже друга который

заманил его (в ловушку)), or was he delirious (или был он исступленный, находящийся в

бреду) and had he no purpose at all (и (не) имел никакой цели вообще)? Anyway (во всяком

случае) I heard his whistle (я услышал его свист) and came back (и пошел назад) along the

edge of the stream (вдоль края потока), and felt the wall end (и ощупал стены конец) and

found my way up the passage where he lay (и нашел мой путь вдоль: «вверх» коридора где

он лежал; to find – найти, to lie – лежать). I said (я сказал), 'Harry (Гарри),' and the

whistling stopped (и свист остановился), just above my head (прямо над моей головой). I put

my hand on an iron handrail and climbed (я положил мою руку на железный поручень и

полез): I was still afraid he might shoot (я был все еще боялся (что) он мог бы выстрелить).

Then (затем), only three steps up (только три ступеньки вверх), my foot stamped down on his

hand (моя нога наступила на его руку), and he was there (и он был там). I shone my torch on

him (я посветил моим фонарем на него): he hadn't got a gun (у него не было пистолета): he

must have dropped it (он должен был уронить его = должно быть, уронил) when my bullet

hit him (когда моя пуля ударила его). For a moment (на момент) I thought he was dead (я

подумал (что) он был мертв), but then he whispered with pain (но затем он прошептал от

боли). I said (я сказал), 'Harry (Гарри),' and he swivelled his eyes with a great effort to my face

(и он повернул свои глаза с большим усилием к моему лицу). He was trying to speak (он

пытался говорить), and I bent down to listen (и я склонился вниз чтобы слушать). 'Bloody

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fool (проклятый дурак),' he said (он сказал)—that was all (это было все): I don't know

whether he meant that for himself (я не знаю подразумевал ли он это для себя)—some sort of

act of contrition however inadequate (что-то вроде: «какая-то разновидность» акта

раскаяния) (he was a Catholic (он был католиком))—or was it for me (или было это для

меня)—with my thousand a year taxed (с моей тысячей в год обложенной налогами) and my

imaginary cattle rustlers (и моими воображаемыми угонщиками скота; cattle – скот) who

couldn't even shoot a rabbit clean (который не мог даже пристрелить кролика чисто). Then he

began to whimper again (затем он начал скулить снова). I couldn't bear it any more (я не мог

выносить это сколько-нибудь больше) and I put a bullet through him (и я пустил: «положил»

пулю через него)."

"Well forget that bit (ну, забудь этот кусочек, отрывок)," I said (я сказал).

Martins said (Мартинс сказал), "I never shall (я никогда (не) буду (забывать) = не смогу

забыть)."

inaccurately [ın`жkjurıtlı], succeed [sək`si:d], swivel [`swıvl]

Martins stood at the outer edge of the searchlight beam, staring down stream: he had his gun in

his hand now, and he was the only one of us who could fire with safety. I thought I saw a

movement and called out to him, "There. There. Shoot." He lifted his gun and fired, just as he

had fired at the same command all those years ago on Brickworth Common, fired as he did then

inaccurately. A cry of pain came tearing back like calico down the cavern: a reproach, an

entreaty. "Well done," I called and halted by Bates' body. He was dead. His eyes remained

blankly open as we turned the searchlight on him: somebody stooped and dislodged the carton

and threw it in the river which whirled it on—a scrap of yellow Gold Flake: he was certainly a

long way from the Tottenham Court Road.

I looked up and Martins was out of sight in the darkness: I called his name and it was lost in a

confusion of echoes, in the rush and the roar of the underground river. Then I heard a third shot.

Martins told me later: "I walked upstream to find Harry, but I must have missed him in the dark.

I was afraid to lift the torch: I didn't want to tempt him to shoot again. He must have been struck

by my bullet just at the entrance of a side passage. Then I suppose he crawled up the passage to

the foot of the iron stairs. Thirty feet above his head was the manhole, but he wouldn't have had

the strength to lift it, and even if he had succeeded the police were waiting above. He must have

known all that, but he was in great pain, and just as an animal creeps into the dark to die, so I

suppose a man makes for the light. He wants to die at home, and the darkness is never home to

us. He began to pull himself up the stairs, but then the pain took him and he couldn't go on. What

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made him whistle that absurd scrap of a tune I'd been fool enough to believe he had written

himself? Was he trying to attract attention, did he want a friend with him, even the friend who

had trapped him, or was he delirious and had he no purpose at all? Anyway I heard his whistle

and came back along the edge of the stream, and felt the wall end and found my way up the

passage where he lay. I said, 'Harry,' and the whistling stopped, just above my head. I put my

hand on an iron handrail and climbed: I was still afraid he might shoot. Then, only three steps up,

my foot stamped down on his hand, and he was there. I shone my torch on him: he hadn't got a

gun: he must have dropped it when my bullet hit him. For a moment I thought he was dead, but

then he whispered with pain. I said, 'Harry,' and he swivelled his eyes with a great effort to my

face. He was trying to speak, and I bent down to listen. 'Bloody fool,' he said— that was all: I

don't know whether he meant that for himself—some sort of act of contrition however

inadequate (he was a Catholic)—or was it for me—with my thousand a year taxed and my

imaginary cattle rustlers who couldn't even shoot a rabbit clean. Then he began to whimper

again. I couldn't bear it any more and I put a bullet through him."

"Well forget that bit," I said.

Martins said, "I never shall."

17

A THAW SET IN that night (оттепель началась той ночью; to set in – начинать), and all over

Vienna the snow melted (и повсюду в Вене снег растаял), and the ugly ruins came to light

again (и уродливые развалины появились на свет снова): steel rods hanging like stalactites

(стальные брусья висящие как сталактиты) and rusty girders thrusting like bones through the

grey slush (и ржавые балки торчащие как кости сквозь серую слякоть; to thrust –

пронзать). Burials were much simpler (погребение было много проще) than they had been a

week before (чем оно было неделей раньше) when electric drills had been needed (когда

электрические дрели были нужны) to break the frozen ground (чтобы пробить замерзшую

землю). It was almost as warm as a spring day (это было почти так тепло как весенний день)

when Harry Lime had his second funeral (когда Гарри Лайм получил свои вторые похороны).

I was glad to get him under earth again (я был рад загнать его под землю опять): but it had

taken two men's deaths (но это потребовало: «взяло» смерти двух человек). The group by the

grave was smaller now (группа у могилы была меньше теперь): Kurtz wasn't there (Куртц не

был там), nor Winkler (и не Винклер)—only the girl and Rollo Martins and myself (только

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девушка и Ролло Мартинс и я сам). And there weren't any tears (и не было никаких слез).

After it was over (после (того как) это было закончено) the girl walked away without a word

to either of us (девушка ушла прочь без единого слова к кому-либо из нас) down the long

avenue of trees (вдоль: «вниз» по длинной аллее деревьев) that led to the main entrance and

the tram stop (которая вела к главному входу и трамвайной остановке), splashing through the

melted snow (шлепая через растаявший снег). I said to Martins (я сказал Мартинсу), "I've got

transport (я имею транспорт). Can I give you a lift (могу я подвезти вас: «могу я дать вам

подъем»)?"

"No," he said (нет, он сказал), "I’ll take a tram back (я возьму трамвай назад = поеду обратно

на трамвае)."

"You win (вы выигрываете), you've proved me a bloody fool (вы выставили меня проклятым

дураком; to prove – доказывать, подтвердить)."

"I haven't won (я не выиграл)," he said (он сказал). "I've lost (я проиграл)." I watched him

striding off on his overgrown legs after the girl (я наблюдал его шагать прочь на его

непомерно длинных: «переросших» ногах за девушкой). He caught her up (он догнал ее)

and they walked side by side (и они шли бок о бок). I don't think he said a word to her (я не

думаю (что) он сказал единое слово ей): it was like the end of a story (это было как конец

истории = похоже на конец истории). He was a very bad shot (он был очень плохой

стрелок) and a very bad judge of character (и очень плохой знаток характеров: «судья

характера»), but he had a way with Westerns (но ему удавались вестерны: «он имел некий

путь/способ с вестернами») (a trick of tension (трюк напряжения)) and with girls (и с

девушками) (I wouldn't know what (я не знал бы что = даже не знаю, в чем тут было дело)).

And Crabbin (а Крэббин)? Oh, Crabbin is still arguing with the British Cultural Relation

Society (о, Крэббин все еще спорит с Обществом Британских Культурных Связей) about

Dexter's expenses (насчет расходов Декстера). They say they can't pass simultaneous payments