“Denn die Todten reiten schnell” — (“For the dead travel fast.”) («Ибо мёртвые путешествуют быстро» (нем.))
“That is why, I suppose, you wished him to go on to Bukovina. You cannot deceive me, my friend; I know too much, and my horses are swift.” As he spoke he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory. One of my companions whispered to another the line from Burger’s “Lenore”:—
“Denn die Todten reiten schnell”—
(“For the dead travel fast.”)
The strange driver evidently heard the words, (Странный кучер, очевидно, услышал эти слова; evidently — очевидно) for he looked up with a gleaming smile. (потому что он поднял взгляд с сияющей улыбкой; gleaming — сверкающий) The passenger turned his face away, (Пассажир отвернул лицо) at the same time putting out his two fingers and crossing himself. (одновременно выставив два пальца и перекрестившись; crossing — крестясь) “Give me the Herr’s luggage,” said the driver; («Отдайте мне багаж господина», — сказал кучер; luggage — багаж) and with exceeding alacrity my bags were handed out and put in the calèche. (и с чрезвычайной проворностью мои сумки были выданы и положены в калешу; alacrity — проворность) Then I descended from the side of the coach, (Тогда я спустился с края дилижанса; descended — спустился) as the calèche was close alongside, (так как калеша стояла вплотную рядом; alongside — рядом) the driver helping me with a hand which caught my arm in a grip of steel; (кучер помог мне рукой, которая схватила меня за руку стальной хваткой; grip of steel — стальная хватка) his strength must have been prodigious. (его сила, должно быть, была поразительной; prodigious — огромный, поразительный) Without a word he shook his reins, (Не сказав ни слова, он встряхнул поводья; reins — поводья) the horses turned, (лошади повернули) and we swept into the darkness of the Pass. (и мы помчались в темноту Перевала; swept — ринулись вперёд)
The strange driver evidently heard the words, for he looked up with a gleaming smile. The passenger turned his face away, at the same time putting out his two fingers and crossing himself. “Give me the Herr’s luggage,” said the driver; and with exceeding alacrity my bags were handed out and put in the calèche. Then I descended from the side of the coach, as the calèche was close alongside, the driver helping me with a hand which caught my arm in a grip of steel; his strength must have been prodigious. Without a word he shook his reins, the horses turned, and we swept into the darkness of the Pass.
As I looked back (Когда я оглянулся) I saw the steam from the horses of the coach by the light of the lamps, (я увидел пар от лошадей дилижанса в свете фонарей; steam — пар) and projected against it the figures of my late companions crossing themselves. (и на его фоне — силуэты моих недавних спутников, которые перекрещивались; projected against — отбрасываемые на фоне) Then the driver cracked his whip (Затем кучер щёлкнул кнутом; cracked — щёлкнул) and called to his horses, (и окликнул своих лошадей) and off they swept on their way to Bukovina. (и они умчались по дороге в Буковину; swept — ринулись) As they sank into the darkness (Когда они исчезли во тьме) I felt a strange chill, (я почувствовал странный холодок; chill — холодок) and a lonely feeling came over me; (и на меня нахлынуло чувство одиночества) but a cloak was thrown over my shoulders, (но плащ был наброшен мне на плечи) and a rug across my knees, (и плед — на колени) and the driver said in excellent German:— (и кучер сказал на превосходном немецком)
As I looked back I saw the steam from the horses of the coach by the light of the lamps, and projected against it the figures of my late companions crossing themselves. Then the driver cracked his whip and called to his horses, and off they swept on their way to Bukovina. As they sank into the darkness I felt a strange chill, and a lonely feeling came over me; but a cloak was thrown over my shoulders, and a rug across my knees, and the driver said in excellent German:—
“The night is chill, mein Herr, («Ночь холодна, господин»; chill — холодная) and my master the Count bade me take all care of you. (и мой господин, Граф, велел мне проявить к вам всяческую заботу; bade — велел) There is a flask of slivovitz (the plum brandy of the country) underneath the seat, (под сиденьем находится фляга сливовицы — сливовой бренди этой страны; flask — фляга) if you should require it.” (если она вам понадобится) I did not take any, (Я не взял её) but it was a comfort to know it was there all the same. (но всё же было утешительно знать, что она там есть; comfort — утешение) I felt a little strangely, (Я чувствовал себя немного странно) and not a little frightened. (и не мало напуганным) I think had there been any alternative (Думаю, будь у меня какой-либо выбор; alternative — альтернатива) I should have taken it, (я бы воспользовался им) instead of prosecuting that unknown night journey. (вместо того чтобы продолжать это неизвестное ночное путешествие; prosecuting — продолжать, осуществлять) The carriage went at a hard pace straight along, (Карета шла в быстром темпе прямо вперёд; hard pace — быстрый ход) then we made a complete turn (затем мы резко повернули) and went along another straight road. (и поехали по другой прямой дороге) It seemed to me that we were simply going over and over the same ground again; (Мне казалось, что мы снова и снова проезжаем одно и то же место; over and over — вновь и вновь) and so I took note of some salient point, (и поэтому я отметил несколько заметных ориентиров; salient — бросающийся в глаза) and found that this was so. (и обнаружил, что так оно и есть)
“The night is chill, mein Herr, and my master the Count bade me take all care of you. There is a flask of slivovitz (the plum brandy of the country) underneath the seat, if you should require it.” I did not take any, but it was a comfort to know it was there all the same. I felt a little strangely, and not a little frightened. I think had there been any alternative I should have taken it, instead of prosecuting that unknown night journey. The carriage went at a hard pace straight along, then we made a complete turn and went along another straight road. It seemed to me that we were simply going over and over the same ground again; and so I took note of some salient point, and found that this was so.
I would have liked to have asked the driver what this all meant, (Мне бы хотелось спросить кучера, что всё это значит) but I really feared to do so, (но я действительно боялся сделать это) for I thought that, placed as I was, (потому что я думал, что, находясь в таком положении; placed as I was — в моём положении) any protest would have had no effect (любой протест не имел бы эффекта) in case there had been an intention to delay. (если бы действительно было намерение задержать меня; intention — намерение) By-and-by, however, (Однако через некоторое время; by-and-by — вскоре) as I was curious to know how time was passing, (так как мне было любопытно узнать, как идёт время) I struck a match, (я чиркнул спичкой; struck — зажёг) and by its flame looked at my watch; (и при её огоньке посмотрел на свои часы) it was within a few minutes of midnight. (до полуночи оставалось всего несколько минут) This gave me a sort of shock, (Это произвело на меня своего рода шок) for I suppose the general superstition about midnight (потому что, полагаю, общее суеверие насчёт полуночи; superstition — суеверие) was increased by my recent experiences. (усиливалось моими недавними переживаниями) I waited with a sick feeling of suspense. (Я ждал с болезненным чувством напряжённого ожидания; suspense — напряжённое ожидание)
I would have liked to have asked the driver what this all meant, but I really feared to do so, for I thought that, placed as I was, any protest would have had no effect in case there had been an intention to delay. By-and-by, however, as I was curious to know how time was passing, I struck a match, and by its flame looked at my watch; it was within a few minutes of midnight. This gave me a sort of shock, for I suppose the general superstition about midnight was increased by my recent experiences. I waited with a sick feeling of suspense.
Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road (Тогда где-то в фермерском доме далеко, вниз по дороге, начал выть пёс; howl — выть) —a long, agonised wailing, as if from fear. (— длинным, мучительным стоном, будто от страха; agonised — мучительный) The sound was taken up by another dog, (Этот звук подхватила другая собака) and then another and another, (а затем ещё одна и ещё) till, borne on the wind (пока, несясь на ветру; borne — несомый) which now sighed softly through the Pass, (который теперь тихо вздыхал через Перевал; sighed — вздыхал) a wild howling began, (началось дикое завывание) which seemed to come from all over the country, (которое, казалось, доносилось со всей округи) as far as the imagination could grasp it (настолько далеко, насколько воображение могло охватить; grasp — охватить) through the gloom of the night. (сквозь мрак ночи; gloom — мрак) At the first howl the horses began to strain and rear, (При первом же вое лошади начали напрягаться и вставать на дыбы; rear — вставать на дыбы) but the driver spoke to them soothingly, (но кучер заговорил с ними успокаивающе; soothingly — успокаивающе) and they quieted down, (и они немного успокоились) but shivered and sweated (но дрожали и покрылись потом; shivered — дрожали) as though after a runaway from sudden fright. (словно после панического бегства от внезапного ужаса; runaway — паническое бегство)
