Брэм Стокер – Дракула: метод параллельного погружения (страница 18)
“Because your peasant is at heart a coward and a fool! Those flames only appear on one night; and on that night no man of this land will, if he can help it, stir without his doors. And, dear sir, even if he did he would not know what to do. Why, even the peasant that you tell me of who marked the place of the flame would not know where to look in daylight even for his own work. Even you would not, I dare be sworn, be able to find these places again?”
“There you are right,” I said. (“Тут вы правы,” — сказал я.) “I know no more than the dead (“Я не знаю больше мертвеца) where even to look for them.” (где даже начать искать их.”) Then we drifted into other matters. (Затем мы перешли на другие темы;
“There you are right,” I said. “I know no more than the dead where even to look for them.” Then we drifted into other matters.
“Come,” he said at last, (“Ну же,” — сказал он наконец,) “tell me of London and of the house which you have procured for me.” (“расскажите мне о Лондоне и о доме, который вы приобрели для меня.”;
“Come,” he said at last, “tell me of London and of the house which you have procured for me.” With an apology for my remissness, I went into my own room to get the papers from my bag. Whilst I was placing them in order I heard a rattling of china and silver in the next room, and as I passed through, noticed that the table had been cleared and the lamp lit, for it was by this time deep into the dark.
The lamps were also lit in the study or library, (Лампы также были зажжены в кабинете или библиотеке,) and I found the Count lying on the sofa, (и я застал Графа, лежащего на софе,) reading, of all things in the world, an English Bradshaw’s Guide. (читающего, из всех вещей на свете, английский справочник Брэдшо.) When I came in he cleared the books and papers from the table; (Когда я вошёл, он убрал со стола книги и бумаги,) and with him I went into plans and deeds and figures of all sorts. (и вместе с ним занялся планами, юридическими актами и всевозможными цифрами.) He was interested in everything, (Он интересовался всем,) and asked me a myriad questions (и задавал мне бесчисленное множество вопросов;
The lamps were also lit in the study or library, and I found the Count lying on the sofa, reading, of all things in the world, an English Bradshaw’s Guide. When I came in he cleared the books and papers from the table; and with him I went into plans and deeds and figures of all sorts. He was interested in everything, and asked me a myriad questions about the place and its surroundings. He clearly had studied beforehand all he could get on the subject of the neighbourhood, for he evidently at the end knew very much more than I did. When I remarked this, he answered:—
“Well, but, my friend, is it not needful that I should? (“Что ж, мой друг, разве не необходимо, чтобы я так поступал?) When I go there I shall be all alone, (Когда я приеду туда, я буду совершенно один,) and my friend Harker Jonathan— (и мой друг Харкер Джонатан —) nay, pardon me, I fall into my country’s habit of putting your patronymic first— (нет, прошу простить, я впадаю в привычку моей страны ставить отчество первым,) my friend Jonathan Harker (мой друг Джонатан Харкер) will not be by my side to correct and aid me. (не будет рядом, чтобы поправлять меня и помогать мне.) He will be in Exeter, miles away, (Он будет в Эксетере, в милях отсюда,) probably working at papers of the law (вероятно, работая над юридическими документами;
“Well, but, my friend, is it not needful that I should? When I go there I shall be all alone, and my friend Harker Jonathan—nay, pardon me, I fall into my country’s habit of putting your patronymic first—my friend Jonathan Harker will not be by my side to correct and aid me. He will be in Exeter, miles away, probably working at papers of the law with my other friend, Peter Hawkins. So!”
We went thoroughly into the business of the purchase of the estate at Purfleet. (Мы тщательно разобрали дело о покупке поместья в Пёрфлите;
We went thoroughly into the business of the purchase of the estate at Purfleet. When I had told him the facts and got his signature to the necessary papers, and had written a letter with them ready to post to Mr. Hawkins, he began to ask me how I had come across so suitable a place. I read to him the notes which I had made at the time, and which I inscribe here:—
“At Purfleet, on a by-road, (“В Пёрфлите, на просёлочной дороге,) I came across just such a place as seemed to be required, (я наткнулся как раз на такое место, какое, казалось, требовалось;
“At Purfleet, on a by-road, I came across just such a place as seemed to be required, and where was displayed a dilapidated notice that the place was for sale. It is surrounded by a high wall, of ancient structure, built of heavy stones, and has not been repaired for a large number of years. The closed gates are of heavy old oak and iron, all eaten with rust.
The estate is called Carfax, (“Усадьба называется Карфакс,) no doubt a corruption of the old Quatre Face, (несомненно искажённое старое