Английский с Г. К. Честертоном. Рассказы об отце Брауне / Gilbert Keith Chesterton. The Innocence of Father Brown

 The exception I shall make is in this matter of the defeat by the Black River; and my reasons, though private, are honourable and compelling. I will, however, add this in justice to the memories of two distinguished men. General St. Clare has been accused of incapacity on this occasion; I can at least testify that this action, properly understood, was one of the most brilliant and sagacious of his life. President Olivier by similar report is charged with savage injustice. I think it due to the honour of an enemy to say that he acted on this occasion with even more than his characteristic good feeling. To put the matter popularly, I can assure my countrymen that St. Clare was by no means such a fool nor Olivier such a brute as he looked. This is all I have to say; nor shall any earthly consideration induce me to add a word to it.’”

A large frozen moon like a lustrous snowball began to show through the tangle of twigs in front of them (большая замерзшая луна, как яркий снежный ком, начала проглядывать сквозь путаницу ветвей перед ними; to freeze; tangle – спутанный клубок; путаница; twig – веточка, хворостинка; ветвь

), and by its light the narrator had been able to refresh his memory of Captain Keith’s text from a scrap of printed paper (и при ее свете рассказчик смог освежить память, /заглянув/ в обрывок страницы /из книги/ капитана Кита; to refresh – освежать, подкреплять; memory – память; воспоминание; scrap – клочок, кусочек, обрывок; вырезка из газеты, журнала; to print – печатать). As he folded it up and put it back in his pocket Flambeau threw up his hand with a French gesture

(когда он сложил и убрал его в карман, Фламбо вскинул руку типичным жестом, свойственным французам: «французским жестом»; to throw – бросать).

“Wait a bit, wait a bit (подождите, подождите немного),” he cried excitedly

(воскликнул он взволнованно). “I believe I can guess it at the first go (думаю, я могу разгадать это с первой попытки; to guess – гадать; отгадать; догадаться).”

 A large frozen moon like a lustrous snowball began to show through the tangle of twigs in front of them, and by its light the narrator had been able to refresh his memory of Captain Keith’s text from a scrap of printed paper. As he folded it up and put it back in his pocket Flambeau threw up his hand with a French gesture.

“Wait a bit, wait a bit,” he cried excitedly. “I believe I can guess it at the first go.”