“I shall illustrate. Your friend and mine, Mr. Peter Hawkins, from under the shadow of your beautiful cathedral at Exeter, which is far from London, buys for me through your good self my place at London. Good! Now here let me say frankly, lest you should think it strange that I have sought the services of one so far off from London instead of some one resident there, that my motive was that no local interest might be served save my wish only; and as one of London residence might, perhaps, have some purpose of himself or friend to serve, I went thus afield to seek my agent, whose labours should be only to my interest. Now, suppose I, who have much of affairs, wish to ship goods, say, to Newcastle, or Durham, or Harwich, or Dover, might it not be that it could with more ease be done by consigning to one in these ports?”
I answered that certainly it would be most easy, (Я ответил, что, безусловно, так было бы проще всего; certainly — конечно) but that we solicitors had a system of agency one for the other, (но что у нас, у юристов, существует система взаимного представительства; agency — представительство) so that local work could be done locally (так что местная работа могла выполняться на месте; locally — на месте) on instruction from any solicitor, (по указанию любого юриста; instruction — указание) so that the client, simply placing himself in the hands of one man, (так что клиент, просто доверив себя одному человеку; placing himself in the hands — доверив себя) could have his wishes carried out by him without further trouble. (мог исполнить свои пожелания через него без дальнейших хлопот; carried out — исполнены, trouble — хлопоты)
I answered that certainly it would be most easy, but that we solicitors had a system of agency one for the other, so that local work could be done locally on instruction from any solicitor, so that the client, simply placing himself in the hands of one man, could have his wishes carried out by him without further trouble.
“But,” said he, (Но, — сказал он; said he — сказал он (архаич.)) “I could be at liberty to direct myself. (Я мог бы иметь свободу распоряжаться сам; at liberty — свободен, direct myself — распоряжаться самостоятельно) Is it not so?” (Разве не так; is it not so — разве не так)
“Of course,” I replied; (Разумеется, — ответил я; of course — конечно) and “such is often done by men of business, (и так часто поступают деловые люди; men of business — деловые люди) who do not like the whole of their affairs to be known by any one person.” (которые не любят, чтобы все их дела были известны одному человеку; affairs — дела)
“But,” said he, “I could be at liberty to direct myself. Is it not so?”
“Of course,” I replied; and “such is often done by men of business, who do not like the whole of their affairs to be known by any one person.”
“Good!” he said, («Хорошо!» — сказал он; Good! — хорошо) and then went on to ask about the means of making consignments (и затем продолжил спрашивать о способах оформления отправок; consignments — отправки) and the forms to be gone through, (и о формальностях, которые нужно пройти; forms — формальности) and of all sorts of difficulties which might arise, (и обо всевозможных трудностях, которые могли бы возникнуть; arise — возникнуть) but by forethought could be guarded against. (но предусмотрительностью их можно было бы предотвратить; forethought — предусмотрительность) I explained all these things to him to the best of my ability, (Я объяснил ему всё это как мог лучше; to the best of my ability — насколько мог) and he certainly left me under the impression that he would have made a wonderful solicitor, (и он, несомненно, оставил у меня впечатление, что стал бы прекрасным юристом; wonderful — замечательный) for there was nothing that he did not think of or foresee. (ибо не было ничего, о чём он не подумал бы и что не предвидел бы; foresee — предвидеть) For a man who was never in the country, (Для человека, который никогда не был в стране; never in the country — никогда не был здесь) and who did not evidently do much in the way of business, (и который, по-видимому, не занимался делами; in the way of business — по части бизнеса) his knowledge and acumen were wonderful. (его знания и проницательность были поразительны; acumen — проницательность) When he had satisfied himself on these points of which he had spoken, (Когда он удовлетворился всеми пунктами, о которых говорил; satisfied himself — убедился) and I had verified all as well as I could by the books available, (а я проверил всё насколько мог по имеющимся книгам; verified — проверил) he suddenly stood up and said:— (он внезапно поднялся и сказал; stood up — встал)
“Good!” he said, and then went on to ask about the means of making consignments and the forms to be gone through, and of all sorts of difficulties which might arise, but by forethought could be guarded against. I explained all these things to him to the best of my ability, and he certainly left me under the impression that he would have made a wonderful solicitor, for there was nothing that he did not think of or foresee. For a man who was never in the country, and who did not evidently do much in the way of business, his knowledge and acumen were wonderful. When he had satisfied himself on these points of which he had spoken, and I had verified all as well as I could by the books available, he suddenly stood up and said:—
“Have you written since your first letter to our friend Mr. Peter Hawkins, (Вы писали после вашего первого письма нашему другу мистеру Питеру Хокинсу; written — написали) or to any other?” (или кому-нибудь ещё; any other — кому-либо ещё) It was with some bitterness in my heart (С некоторой горечью в сердце; bitterness — горечь) that I answered that I had not, (я ответил, что не писал; had not — не делал) that as yet I had not seen any opportunity (что пока я не видел возможности; opportunity — возможность) of sending letters to anybody. (отправить письма кому-либо; letters — письма)
“Then write now, my young friend,” he said, («Тогда пишите сейчас, мой юный друг», — сказал он; young friend — юный друг) laying a heavy hand on my shoulder: (положив тяжёлую руку мне на плечо; heavy — тяжёлый) “write to our friend and to any other; (напишите нашему другу и кому угодно ещё; any other — любому другому) and say, if it will please you, (и скажите, если вам будет угодно; please you — угодно) that you shall stay with me (что вы останетесь со мной; stay with me — остаться со мной) until a month from now.” (до истечения месяца; a month from now — через месяц)
“Have you written since your first letter to our friend Mr. Peter Hawkins, or to any other?” It was with some bitterness in my heart that I answered that I had not, that as yet I had not seen any opportunity of sending letters to anybody.
“Then write now, my young friend,” he said, laying a heavy hand on my shoulder: “write to our friend and to any other; and say, if it will please you, that you shall stay with me until a month from now.”
“Do you wish me to stay so long?” I asked, (Вы желаете, чтобы я оставался так долго? — спросил я; so long — так долго) for my heart grew cold at the thought. (ибо моё сердце похолодело от этой мысли; grew cold — похолодело)
“I desire it much; (Я весьма этого желаю; desire — желать) nay, I will take no refusal. (нет, я не приму отказа; nay — нет (архаич.), take no refusal — не принимать отказ) When your master, employer, what you will, (Когда ваш хозяин, наниматель — как вам угодно; what you will — как вам угодно) engaged that someone should come on his behalf, (поручил, чтобы кто-то прибыл от его имени; on his behalf — от его имени) it was understood that my needs only were to be consulted. (предполагалось, что будут учитываться лишь мои нужды; consulted — учитываться) I have not stinted. (Я не был скуп; stinted — скупиться (архаич.)) Is it not so?” (Разве не так; is it not so — разве не так)
“Do you wish me to stay so long?” I asked, for my heart grew cold at the thought.
“I desire it much; nay, I will take no refusal. When your master, employer, what you will, engaged that someone should come on his behalf, it was understood that my needs only were to be consulted. I have not stinted. Is it not so?”
What could I do but bow acceptance? (Что же я мог сделать, кроме как склониться в принятии; bow acceptance — склониться, принять) It was Mr. Hawkins’s interest, not mine, (Это был интерес мистера Хокинса, а не мой; interest — интерес) and I had to think of him, not myself; (и я должен был думать о нём, а не о себе; think of — думать о) and besides, while Count Dracula was speaking, (и кроме того, пока Граф Дракула говорил; besides — кроме того) there was that in his eyes and in his bearing (в его глазах и в его манере держаться было нечто; bearing — манера держаться) which made me remember that I was a prisoner, (что заставило меня вспомнить, что я пленник; prisoner — пленник) and that if I wished it I could have no choice. (и что, даже желая, я не мог бы иметь выбора; no choice — отсутствие выбора) The Count saw his victory in my bow, (Граф увидел свою победу в моём поклоне; bow — поклон) and his mastery in the trouble of my face, (и своё владычество — в смятении моего лица; mastery — власть, господство) for he began at once to use them, (ибо он сразу начал пользоваться этим; use — использовать) but in his own smooth, resistless way:— (но своим мягким, неотразимым способом; smooth — гладкий, resistless — неотразимый)
