Английский язык с Ф. Скоттом Фитцджеральдом. Алмаз величиной в отель «Риц» / Francis Scott Fitzgerald. The Diamond As Big As The Ritz

John laughed, and then decided to nod his head in sober agreement. Braddock Washington made him uncomfortable.

"All these negroes are descendants of the ones my father brought North with him. There are about two hundred and fifty now. You notice that they've lived so long apart from the world that their original dialect has become an almost indistinguishable patois. We bring a few of them up to speak English — my secretary and two or three of the house servants.

"This is the golf course," he continued, as they strolled along the velvet winter grass. "It's all a green, you see — no fairway, no rough, no hazards."

He smiled pleasantly at John.

"Many men in the cage, father?" asked Percy suddenly (много народу в клетке/камере, отец? — спросил вдруг Перси).

Braddock Washington stumbled, and let forth an involuntary curse (споткнулся/запнулся и непроизвольно выбранился: «выпустил непроизвольное проклятие»).

"One less than there should be," he ejaculated darkly (на одного меньше, чем должно быть, — бросил он хмуро; darkly — мрачно; угрюмо, хмуро; неопределенно, неясно; таинственно) — and then added after a moment (и, немного помедлив, прибавил), "We've had difficulties (у нас были /кое-какие/ затруднения = неприятности)."

"Mother was telling me," exclaimed Percy, "that Italian teacher (мама мне говорила/рассказала, — воскликнул Перси, — /что/ тот итальянский учитель …) — "

"A ghastly error," said Braddock Washington angrily (ужасный промах, — гневно сказал Брэддок Вашингтон). "But of course there's a good chance that we may have got him (конечно, есть большая вероятность, что мы с ним /уже/ расправились; to get — получить; добывать; добираться, доставать; поймать, задержать /преступника/; одолевать, уничтожать). Perhaps he fell somewhere in the woods or stumbled over a cliff (возможно, он погиб где-нибудь в лесу или свалился с утеса). And then there's always the probability (и потом всегда есть шанс; probability — вероятность, возможность, шанс) that if he did get away (что если он /и/ выбрался) his story wouldn't be believed (/то/ его россказням никто не поверит; story — рассказ; повествование

). Nevertheless, I've had two dozen men looking for him in different towns around here (тем не менее мною наняты две дюжины человек, которые ищут его по разным окрестным города)."

involuntary [In'vOlqnt(q)rI], ejaculate [I'GxkjVleIt], nevertheless ["nevqDq'les]

"Many men in the cage, father?" asked Percy suddenly.

Braddock Washington stumbled, and let forth an involuntary curse.

"One less than there should be," he ejaculated darkly — and then added after a moment, "We've had difficulties."

"Mother was telling me," exclaimed Percy, "that Italian teacher —"

"A ghastly error," said Braddock Washington angrily. "But of course there's a good chance that we may have got him. Perhaps he fell somewhere in the woods or stumbled over a cliff. And then there's always the probability that if he did get away his story wouldn't be believed. Nevertheless, I've had two dozen men looking for him in different towns around here."

"And no luck (и безрезультатно; luck — везение, удача, успех)?"

"Some (не совсем: «кое-что»). Fourteen of them reported to my agent that they'd each killed a man answering to that description (четырнадцать из них доложили моему агенту, что убили человека, соответствующего описанию: «что они, каждый, убили…»), but of course it was probably only the reward they were after (но, конечно, есть вероятность, что они просто погнались за наградой: «вероятно, только награда была /тем/ к чему они стремились»; to be after smth. — стремиться к чему-л.) —"

He broke off (прервался/замолчал). They had come to a large cavity in the earth (они дошли до большой впадины в земле) about the circumference of a merry-go-round and covered by a strong iron grating (в окружности = размером приблизительно как карусель, покрытой = которая была покрыта

крепкой железной решеткой). Braddock Washington beckoned to John, and pointed his cane down through the grating (поманил Джона и показал тростью сквозь = на решетку, John stepped to the edge and gazed (подступил/подошел к краю и глянул /вниз/). Immediately his ears were assailed by a wild clamor from below (тотчас же его оглушили дикие крики /раздавшиеся/ снизу: «его уши были атакованы…»).

reward [rI'wLd], circumference [sq'kAmfqrqns], iron [aIqn]

"And no luck?"

"Some. Fourteen of them reported to my agent that they'd each killed a man answering to that description, but of course it was probably only the reward they were after —"