Чтение онлайн

"What about his daughter?" Spade asked.

Excitement opened Cairo's eyes and mouth, turned his face red, made his voice shrill. "He is not the owner!"

Spade said, "Oh," mildly and ambiguously (мягко и двусмысленно).

"Is he here, in San Francisco, now (он сейчас здесь, в Сан-Франциско)?" Cairo asked in a less shrill, but still excited, voice (спросил Кейро мене пронзительным, но еще взволнованным голосом).

Spade blinked his eyes sleepily and suggested (Спейд моргнул сонно своими глазами и предположил): "It might be better all around (будет лучше со всех сторон) if we put our cards on the table (если выложим наши карты на стол)."

Cairo recovered composure with a little jerk (Кейро вернул самообладание, слегка вздрогнув; jerk — резкоедвижение, толчок). "I do not think it would be better (я не думаю, что так будет лучше)." His voice was suave now (его голос был теперь учтивым). "If you know more than I (если вы знаете больше, чем я), I shall profit by your knowledge (я извлеку пользу: «прибыль» от ваших знаний), and so will you to the extent of five thousand dollars (и вы тоже — в размере пяти тысяч долларов; extent — протяжение, объем, степень). If you do not (если нет: «если вы не знаете больше, чем я») then I have made a mistake in coming to you (то я совершил ошибку, придя к вам), and to do as you suggest (и сделать, как вы предлагаете) would be simply to make that mistake worse (было бы просто усугублением ошибки: «сделать ошибку худшей»)."

ambiguously [xm'bIgjVqslI] composure [kqm'pqVZq] suave [swQ:v]

Spade said, "Oh," mildly and ambiguously.

"Is he here, in San Francisco, now?" Cairo asked in a less shrill, but still excited, voice.

Spade blinked his eyes sleepily and suggested: "It might be better all around if we put our cards on the table."

Cairo recovered composure with a little jerk. "I do not think it would be better." His voice was suave now. "If you know more than I, I shall profit by your knowledge, and so will you to the extent of five thousand dollars. If you do not then I have made a mistake in coming to you, and to do as you suggest would be simply to make that mistake worse."

Spade nodded indifferently (Спейд безразлично кивнул) and waved his hand at the articles on the desk (и махнул рукой на вещи на столе), saying (говоря): "There's your stuff" (вот ваши вещи); and then, when Cairo was returning them to his pockets (а потом, когда Кейро вернул их в свои карманы): "It's understood (понятно) that you're to pay my expenses (что вы должны оплатить мои расходы) while I'm getting this black bird for you (пока я буду добывать для вас эту черную птицу), and five thousand dollars when it's done (и пять тысяч долларов, когда это будет сделано)?"

"Yes, Mr. Spade (да, мистер Спейд); that is (это так), five thousand dollars less whatever moneys have been advanced to you (пять тысяч долларов минус какие-либо деньги, выданные вам в качестве аванса) — five thousand in all (всего пять тысяч)."

indifferently [In'dIf(q)rqntlI] article ['Q:tIk(q)l] understood ["Andq'stVd]

Spade nodded indifferently and waved his hand at the articles on the desk, saying: "There's your stuff"; and then, when Cairo was returning them to his pockets: "It's understood that you're to pay my expenses while I'm getting this black bird for you, and five thousand dollars when it's done?"

"Yes, Mr. Spade; that is, five thousand dollars less whatever moneys have been advanced to you — five thousand in all."

"Right (хорошо). And it's a legitimate proposition (это справедливое: «законное» предложение)." Spade's face was solemn (лицо Спейда было серьезным; solemn — торжественный, важный; серьезный) except for wrinkles at the corners of his eyes (за исключением морщинок в уголках глаз). "You're not hiring me to do any murders (вы не нанимаете меня для совершения каких-либо убийств) or burglaries for you (или краж для вас), but simply to get it back (а просто, чтобы вернуть ее) if possible in an honest and lawful way (если возможно, честным и законным образом)."

"If possible (если возможно)," Cairo agreed (согласился Кейро). His face also was solemn except for the eyes (его лицо тоже было серьезным, за исключением глаз). "And in any event with discretion (и в любом случае, с осмотрительностью)." He rose and picked up his hat (он встал и взял шляпу). "I am at the Hotel Belvedere (я в отеле «Бельведер») when you wish to communicate with me (если вы захотите со мной связаться) — room six-thirty-five (комната шесть-тридцать-пять). I confidently expect (я с уверенностью ожидаю) the greatest mutual benefit (самой большой взаимной выгоды) from our association, Mr. Spade (от нашего сотрудничества, мистер Спейд)." He hesitated (он поколебался). "May I have my pistol (могу я взять свой пистолет)?"

legitimate [lI'dZItImIt] solemn ['sOlqm] mutual ['mju:tSVql]

"Right. And it's a legitimate proposition." Spade's face was solemn except for wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. "You're not hiring me to do any murders or burglaries for you, but simply to get it back if possible in an honest and lawful way."

"If possible," Cairo agreed. His face also was solemn except for the eyes. "And in any event with discretion." He rose and picked up his hat. "I am at the Hotel Belvedere when you wish to communicate with me — room six-thirty-five. I confidently expect the greatest mutual benefit from our association, Mr. Spade." He hesitated. "May I have my pistol?"

"Sure (конечно). I'd forgotten it (я забыл об этом)."

Spade took the pistol out of his coat-pocket (Спейд вынул пистолет из кармана своего пальто) and handed it to Cairo (и вручил его Кейро).

Cairo pointed the pistol at Spade's chest (Кейро направил пистолет на грудь Спейда).

"You will please keep your hands (пожалуйста, держите руки) on the top of the desk (на поверхности стола)," Cairo said earnestly (серьезно сказал Кейро). "I intend to search your offices (я собираюсь обыскать ваши офисы)."

Spade said: "I'll be damned (будь я проклят)." Then he laughed in his throat and said (потом он засмеялся в своем горле и сказал): "All right (хорошо). Go ahead (действуйте). I won't stop you (я не буду останавливать вас)."

pointed ['pOIntId] earnest ['q:nIstlI] search [sq:tS]

"Sure. I'd forgotten it."

Spade took the pistol out of his coat-pocket and handed it to Cairo.

Cairo pointed the pistol at Spade's chest.

"You will please keep your hands on the top of the desk," Cairo said earnestly. "I intend to search your offices."

Spade said: "I'll be damned." Then he laughed in his throat and said: "All right. Go ahead. I won't stop you."

For half an hour after Joel Cairo had gone (полчаса после того, как Джоэль Кейро ушел) Spade sat alone, still and frowning, at his desk (Спейд сидел один, неподвижно и нахмурившись, за своим столом). Then he said aloud (потом он сказал вслух) in the tone of one dismissing a problem (тоном человека, отбрасывающего проблему; to dismiss — распускать, объявлять закрытым/собрание/, увольнять, освобождать), "Well, they're paying for it (ну, они платят за это)," and took a bottle of Manhattan cocktail (и взял бутылку коктейля «Манхэттен») and a paper drinking-cup from a desk-drawer (и бумажную чашку из ящика стола). He filled the cup two-thirds full, drank (он наполнил стакан на две трети, выпил), returned the bottle to the drawer (вернул бутылку в ящик), tossed the cup into the wastebasket (бросил чашку в мусорную корзину), put on his hat and overcoat (надел шляпу и пальто), turned off the lights (выключил огни), and went down to the night-lit street (и пошел вниз, на освещенную ночную улицу).