He whistled a tune (он насвистел мелодию)—it was oddly familiar to me (она была странно знакома мне). "I always remember that (я всегда помню это). I saw Harry write it (я видел, как Гарри написал ее). Just in a couple of minutes (просто в пару минут) on the back of an envelope (на обороте конверта). That was what he always whistled (это было то, что он всегда насвистывал) when he had something on his mind (когда у него было что-то на уме). It was his signature tune (это была его коронная мелодия;
"It was the best thing that ever happened to him это была лучшая вещь, которая когда-либо случилась с ним)," I said.
He didn't take in my meaning at once (он не понял мой смысл =
"Yes."
"You mean there wasn't any pain (вы подразумеваете, что не было никакой боли)?"
"He was lucky in that way, too (ему повезло и в этом)."
It was my tone of voice (именно: «это был» мой тон голоса) and not my words (а не мои слова) that caught Martins' attention (которые привлекли внимание Мартинса;
There is no point at all (нет вовсе никакого смысла) in showing physical courage in all situations (в том, чтобы показывать физическую храбрость во всех ситуациях): I eased my chair far enough back (я отодвинул мой стул достаточно далеко назад;
"What for (за что)?"
"He was about the worst racketeer (он был, пожалуй, самым худшим преступником;
I could see him measuring the distance between us (я мог видеть его вымеряющим расстояние между нами;
"Yes."
"I've always hated policemen (я всегда ненавидел полицейских). They are always either crooked or stupid (они всегда или подлые, или глупые;
"Is that the kind of books you write (это такие книжки вы пишете)?"
I could see him edging his chair round (я мог видеть, как он медленно пододвигает свой стул;
Martins said gently and brought out a surface smile (Мартинс сказал мягко и неискренне улыбнулся;
"Been in America (были в Америке)?" It was a silly conversation (это был дурацкий разговор).
"No. Is this an interrogation (это допрос)?"
"Just interest (просто интерес)."
"Because if Harry was that kind of racketeer (потому что если Гарри был таким преступником), I must be one too (я должен быть таким тоже = я, должно быть, такой же). We always worked together (мы всегда работали вместе)."
"I daresay he meant to cut you in (я полагаю, что он хотел: «имел в виду» вовлечь вас;
"You are running true to form (вы прямо-таки шьете дело;
"Yes, Scotland Yard (да, Скотленд-Ярд), but they've put me into a Colonel's uniform (но они засунули меня в униформу полковника) when I'm on duty (когда я на службе)."
He was between me and the door now (он был теперь между мной и дверью). I couldn't get away from the table (я не мог отойти прочь от стола) without coming into range (без того, чтобы попасть в досягаемость /возможного удара/), I'm no fighter (я вовсе не боец: «я никакой боец»), and he had six inches of advantage anyway (и у него было шесть дюймов преимущества в любом случае). I said, "It wasn't petrol (это был не бензин)."
"Tyres, saccharin (шины, сахарин)... why don't you policemen catch a few murderers (почему вы, полицейские, не поймаете нескольких убийц) for a change (для разнообразия)?"
"Well, you could say (ну, вы могли бы сказать = можно сказать) that murder was part of his racket (что убийство было частью его махинаций)."
whistle [wIsl], familiar [fq'mIlIq], signature ['sIgnICq], caught [kO:t], attention [q'tenS(q)n], dangerous ['deInG(q)rqs], physical ['fIzIk(q)l], courage ['kArIG], situation ["sItju'eIS(q)n], accident ['xksId(q)nt], racketeer ["rxkI'tIq], measure ['meZq], advantage [q'dvRntIG], organisation ["O:gqnaI'zeIS(q)n], colonel ['kq:nl], petrol ['petr(q)l], racket ['rxkIt]
He whistled a tune—it was oddly familiar to me. "I always remember that. I saw Harry write it. Just in a couple of minutes on the back of an envelope. That was what he always whistled when he had something on his mind. It was his signature tune." He whistled the tune a second time, and I knew then who had written it—of course it wasn't Harry. I nearly told him so, but what was the point? The tune wavered and went out. He stared down into his glass, drained what was left and said, "It's a damned shame to think of him dying the way he did."
"It was the best thing that ever happened to him," I said.
He didn't take in my meaning at once: he was a little hazy with the drinks. "The best thing?"
"Yes."
"You mean there wasn't any pain?"
"He was lucky in that way, too."
It was my tone of voice and not my words that caught Martins' attention. He asked gently and dangerously—I could see his right hand tighten, "Are you hinting at something?"
There is no point at all in showing physical courage in all situations: I eased my chair far enough back to be out of reach of his fist. I said, "I mean that I had his case completed at police headquarters. He would have served a long spell—a very long spell—if it hadn't been for the accident."
"What for?"
"He was about the worst racketeer who ever made a dirty living in this city."
I could see him measuring the distance between us and deciding that he couldn't reach me from where he sat. Rollo wanted to hit out: but Martins was steady, careful. Martins, I began to realise, was dangerous. I wondered whether after all I had made a complete mistake: I couldn't see Martins being quite the mug that Rollo had made out. "You're a policeman?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I've always hated policemen. They are always either crooked or stupid."
"Is that the kind of books you write?"
I could see him edging his chair round to block my way out. I caught the waiter's eye and he knew what I meant—there's an advantage in always using the same bar for interviews.
Martins said gently and brought out a surface smile: "I have to call them sheriffs."
"Been in America?" It was a silly conversation.
"No. Is this an interrogation?"
"Just interest."
"Because if Harry was that kind of racketeer, I must be one too. We always worked together."
"I daresay he meant to cut you in—somewhere in the organisation. I wouldn't be surprised if he had meant to give you the baby to hold. That was his method at school—you told me, didn't you? And, you see, the headmaster was getting to know a thing or two."
"You are running true to form, aren't you? I suppose there was some petty racket going on with petrol and you couldn't pin it on anyone, so you've picked a dead man. That's just like a policeman. You're a real policeman, I suppose?"
"Yes, Scotland Yard, but they've put me into a Colonel's uniform when I'm on duty."
He was between me and the door now. I couldn't get away from the table without coming into range, I'm no fighter, and he had six inches of advantage anyway. I said, "It wasn't petrol."
"Tyres, saccharin ... why don't you policemen catch a few murderers for a change?"
"Well, you could say that murder was part of his racket."
He pushed the table over with one hand (он перевернул стол одной рукой) and made a dive at me with the other (и сделал быстрое движение на меня другой); the drink confused his calculations (напиток смешал его расчеты;
"Be quiet, can't you, sir (будьте спокойны, не можете ли вы, сэр= а ну-ка потише, сэр;
"Listen, Callaghan, or whatever your bloody name is (послушайте, Каллахан или или как там, черт возьми, тебя зовут: «какое угодно твое проклятое имя есть»)..."
"Calloway (Кэллоуэй). I'm English, not Irish (я англичанин, не ирландец)."
"I'm going to make you look (я собираюсь заставить тебя выглядеть) the biggest bloody fool in Vienna (самым большим проклятым дураком в Вене). There's one dead man (есть один мертвый человек) you aren't going to pin your unsolved crimes on (на которого ты не повесишь твои нераскрытые преступления)."
"I see (я вижу = понятно). You're going to find me the real criminal (вы собираетесь найти мне настоящего преступника)? It sounds like one of your stories (это звучит, как одна из ваших историй)."
"You can let me go, Callaghan (ты можешь отпустить меня: «позволить мне идти», Каллахан), I'd rather make you look the fool you are (я бы скорее заставил: «сделал» тебя выглядеть тем дураком, которым ты являешься) than black your bloody eye (чем поставить синяк на твоем проклятом глазу: «зачернить твой проклятый глаз») . You'd only have to go to bed for a few days with a black eye (ты бы только должен был идти в кровать =
I took out (я вытащил: «взял наружу») a couple of pounds' worth of
"You can't turn me out (ты не можешь выставить меня;
"Yes, but this is like other cities (да, но этот город /такой же/, как другие города): you need money here (вам здесь нужны в деньги). If you change sterling on the black market (если вы поменяете стерлинг на черном рынке) I’ll catch up on you inside twenty-four hours (я вас поймаю в течение двадцати четырех часов;
Rollo Martins dusted himself down (Ролло Мартинс оправился;
"That's all right (все в порядке = не за что/пожалуйста)."
"I'm glad I don't have to feel grateful (я рад, что не должен чувствовать себя благодарным). I suppose they were on expenses (я полагаю, они
"Yes."
"I’ll be seeing you again in a week or two (я увижу вас снова через неделю или две) when I've got the dope (когда получу сведения;
"I might come and see you off tomorrow (я мог бы прийти и проводить вас завтра)."
"I shouldn't waste your time (я не должен отнимать ваше время;
"Paine here will show you the way to Sacher's (вот /этот человек по имени/ Пейн покажет вам путь к Захеру). You can get a bed and dinner there (вы можете получить там кровать и ужин). I'll see to that (я прослежу за этим;
He stepped to one side as though to make way for the waiter (он шагнул в сторону, как будто чтобы освободить дорогу для официанта) and slashed out at me (и махнул рукой, чтобы нанести мне удар;
He wiped some of the blood away with his sleeve and said (он вытер немного крови прочь своим рукавом и сказал), "Oh no (о нет), I said I'd rather make you a bloody fool (я сказал, что я бы скорее сделал тебя чертовым дураком). I didn't say I wouldn't give you a black eye as well (я не сказал, что я бы не поставил тебе синяк под глазом: «не дал тебе черный глаз» также)."
I had had a long day (у меня был долгий день) and I was tired of Rollo Martins (и я устал от Ролло Мартинса). I said to Paine (я сказал Пейну): "See him safely into Sacher's (проводи его безопасно в /гостиницу/ Захера). Don't hit him again (не бей его снова) if he behaves (если он будет вести себя хорошо)," and turning away from both of them towards the inner bar (и, поворачивая прочь от них обоих к внутреннему бару) (I deserved one more drink) (я заслуживал еще одну рюмку;
confuse [kqn'fju:z], calculation ["kxlkju'leIS(q)n], roughly ['rAflI], quiet ['kwaIqt], exaggerated [Ig'zxGqreItId], bloody ['blAdI], unsolved [An'sOlvd], criminal ['krImIn(q)l], breast [brest], through [Tru:], suppose [sq'pquz], esteem [Is'ti:m], avoid [q'vOId], promise ['prOmIs], behave [bI'heIv]
He pushed the table over with one hand and made a dive at me with the other; the drink confused his calculations. Before he could try again my driver had his arms round him. I said, "Don't treat him roughly. He's only a writer with too much drink in him."
"Be quiet, can't you, sir," my driver said. He had an exaggerated sense of officer-class. He would probably have called Lime "sir."
"Listen, Callaghan, or whatever your bloody name is ..."
"Сalloway. I'm English, not Irish."
"I'm going to make you look the biggest bloody fool in Vienna. There's one dead man you aren't going to pin your unsolved crimes on."
"I see. You're going to find me the real criminal? It sounds like one of your stories."
"You can let me go, Callaghan, I'd rather make you look the fool you are than black your bloody eye. You'd only have to go to bed for a few days with a black eye. But when I've finished with you you'll leave Vienna."
I took out a couple of pounds' worth of
"You can't turn me out. My papers are in order."
"Yes, but this is like other cities: you need money here. If you change sterling on the black market I’ll catch up on you inside twenty-four hours. Let him go."
Rollo Martins dusted himself down. He said, "Thanks for the drinks."
"That's all right."
"I'm glad I don't have to feel grateful. I suppose they were on expenses?"
"Yes."
"I’ll be seeing you again in a week or two when I've got the dope." I knew he was angry: I didn't believe then that he was serious. I thought he was putting over an act to cheer up his self-esteem.