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agency ['eIdZ(q)nsI] husband ['hAzbqnd] usually ['ju:ZVqlI, 'ju:Z(q)lI] 

Well, that was in 1922. In 1927 I was with one of the big detective agencies in Seattle. Mrs. Flitcraft came in and told us somebody had seen a man in Spokane who looked a lot like her husband. I went over there. It was Flitcraft, all right. He had been living in Spokane for a couple of years as Charles — that was his first name — Pierce. He had an automobile-business that was netting him twenty or twenty-five thousand a year, a wife, a baby son, owned his home in a Spokane suburb, and usually got away to play golf after four in the afternoon during the season."

Spade had not been told very definitely (Спейду не сказали совершенно определенно) what to do (что делать) when he found Flitcraft (когда он найдет Флиткрафта). They talked in Spade's room at the Davenport (они поговорили в номере Спейда в Давенпорте). Flitcraft had no feeling of guilt (у Флиткрафта не было никакого чувства вины). He had left his first family well provided for (он оставил свою семью хорошо обеспеченной), and what he had done (и то что он сделал) seemed to him perfectly reasonable (казалось ему совершенно разумным). The only thing that bothered him (единственная вещь, которая беспокоила его) was a doubt (было сомнение) that he could make that reasonableness clear to Spade (что он сможет сделать эту разумность ясной Спейду). He had never told anybody (он никогда никому не рассказывал) his story before (свою историю прежде), and thus had not had to attempt (и поэтому не должен был пытаться) to make its reasonableness explicit (сделать эту разумность явной). He tried now (он попытался теперь).

guilt [gIlt] provided [prq'vaIdId] clear [klIq]

Spade had not been told very definitely what to do when he found Flitcraft. They talked in Spade's room at the Davenport. Flitcraft had no feeling of guilt. He had left his first family well provided for, and what he had done seemed to him perfectly reasonable. The only thing that bothered him was a doubt that he could make that reasonableness clear to Spade. He had never told anybody his story before, and thus had not had to attempt to make its reasonableness explicit. He tried now.

"I got it all right (я все хорошо понял)," Spade told Brigid O'Shaughnessy (сказал Спейд Бриджит О’Шонесси), "but Mrs. Flitcraft never did (но мисси Флиткрафт никогда /и не поняла/). She thought it was silly (она думала, что это глупо). Maybe it was (может быть так и было). Anyway (во всяком случае), it came out all right (закончилось все хорошо). She didn't want any scandal (она не хотела скандала), and, after the trick he had played on her (и, после той подлой шутки, которую он сыграл с ней; trick— хитрость, обман) — the way she looked at it (то, как она на это смотрела) — she didn't want him (она не захотела его). So they were divorced (итак, они развелись) on the quiet (по-тихому) and everything was swell all around (и все было отлично со всех сторон).

silly ['sIlI] anyway ['enIweI] scandal ['skxndl]

"I got it all right," Spade told Brigid O'Shaughnessy, "but Mrs. Flitcraft never did. She thought it was silly. Maybe it was. Anyway, it came out all right. She didn't want any scandal, and, after the trick he had played on her — the way she looked at it — she didn't want him. So they were divorced on the quiet and everything was swell all around.

"Here's what had happened to him (вот что случилось с ним). Going to lunch he passed (идя на обед, он проходил мимо) an office-building that was being put up (возводившегося офисного здания) — just the skeleton (только каркас: «скелет»). A beam or something (балка или что-то еще) fell eight or ten stories down (упала с восьмого или десятого этажа) and smacked the sidewalk (и шлепнулась на тротуар) alongside him (рядом с ним). It brushed pretty close to him (она прошлась совсем рядом с ним; to brush — зд. легко касаться, задевать), but didn't touch him (но не тронула его), though a piece of the sidewalk (хотя кусочек асфальта) was chipped off (был отколот) and flew up (взлетел) and hit his cheek (и ударил его щеку). It only took a piece of skin off (он только сорвал кусочек кожи), but he still had time scar (но у него все еще был временный шрам) when I saw him (когда я видел его). He rubbed it with his finger (он потирал его своим пальцем) — well, affectionately (ну, с любовью) — when he told me about it (когда он говорил мне о нем). He was scared stiff of course (он был, конечно, напуган до смерти; stiff — жесткий, окоченевший), he said (сказал он), but he was more shocked than really frightened (но он был больше шокирован, чем действительно испуган) He felt (он почувствовал) like somebody had taken the lid off life (словно кто-то открыл ему секрет жизни: «снял крышку с жизни») and let him look at the works (и дал ему посмотреть на механизм)."

passed [pQ:st] skeleton ['skelItn] sidewalk ['saIdwO:k]

"Here's what had happened to him. Going to lunch he passed an office-building that was being put up — just the skeleton. A beam or something fell eight or ten stories down and smacked the sidewalk alongside him. It brushed pretty close to him, but didn't touch him, though a piece of the sidewalk was chipped off and flew up and hit his cheek. It only took a piece of skin off, but he still had time scar when I saw him. He rubbed it with his finger — well, affectionately — when he told me about it. He was scared stiff of course, he said, but he was more shocked than really frightened He felt like somebody had taken the lid off life and let him look at the works."

Flitcraft had been a good citizen (Флиткрафт был хорошим гражданином) amid a good husband and father (хорошим мужем и отцом amid — среди, между; помимо), not by any outer compulsion (не по внешнему принуждению), but simply because he was a man (а просто потому, что он был человеком) who was most comfortable (который чувствовал себя наиболее удобно) in step with his surroundings (в соответствии со своим окружением; step — шаг, небольшое расстояние). He had been raised that way (он был воспитан таким образом; to raise— поднимать, повышать). The people he knew (люди, которых он знал) were like that (были такими же). The life he knew (жизнь, которую он знал) was a clean orderly sane responsible affair (была чистым, организованным, здравым, ответственным делом). Now a falling beam (теперь = и вот, падающая балка) had shown him (показала ему) that life was fundamentally none of these things (что жизнь не была, кардинальным образом, ни одном из таких явлений). He, the good citizen-husband-father (он, хороший гражданин-муж-отец), could be wiped out (мог быть уничтожен; to wipe— вытирать; стирать, уничтожать) between office and restaurant (между офисом и рестораном) by the accident of a falling beam (несчастным случаем с подающей балкой). He knew then (он тогда понял) that men died at haphazard like that (что люди гибли от случайности, подобной этой), and lived only while (и жили только пока) blind chance spared them (слепой случай щадил их).

citizen ['sItIz(q)n] compulsion [kqm'pAlS(q)n] haphazard ["hxp'hxzqd]

Flitcraft had been a good citizen amid a good husband and father, not by any outer compulsion, but simply because he was a man who was most comfortable in step with his surroundings. He had been raised that way. The people he knew were like that. The life he knew was a clean orderly sane responsible affair. Now a falling beam had shown him that life was fundamentally none of these things. He, the good citizen-husband-father, could be wiped out between office and restaurant by the accident of a falling beam. He knew then that men died at haphazard like that, and lived only while blind chance spared them.

It was not (это не была), primarily (главным образом), the injustice of it (несправедливость этого) that disturbed him (что волновала его): he accepted that (он принял это) after the first shock (после первого шока). What disturbed him (что беспокоило его) was the discovery (было открытие того) that in sensibly ordering his affairs (что в разумном упорядочивании своих дел) he had got out of step, and not into step (он выпал из ритма жизни, а не шел в ногу; out of step — не в ногу, into step — в ногу, синхронно), with life (с жизнью). He said (он сказал) he knew (что он знал) before he had gone twenty feet from (прежде чем он прошел двадцать футов) the fallen beam (от упавшей балки) that he would never know peace again (что он никогда не будет знать покоя снова) until he had adjusted himself (пока не приспособится) to this new glimpse of life (к этому новому проблеску жизни). By the time he had eaten his luncheon (к тому времени, когда он съел свой обед) he had found his means of adjustment (он нашел свои средства приспособления). Life could be ended for him (жизнь может закончиться для него) at random (случайно) by a falling beam (посредством упавшей балки): he would change his life (он изменит свою жизнь) at random (случайно) by simply going away (просто уйдя). He loved his family (он любил свою семью), he said (сказал он), as much as (так сильно) he supposed (как он полагал) was usual (было обычно), but he knew (но он знал) he was leaving them adequately provided for (он оставляет их, соответствующим образом обеспеченными), and his love for them (и его любовь к ним) was not of the sort (была не того рода) that would make absence painful (что сделала бы отсутствие болезненным).

injustice [In'dZAstIs] disturbed [dIs'tq:bd] peace [pi:s]

It was not, primarily, the injustice of it that disturbed him: he accepted that after the first shock. What disturbed him was the discovery that in sensibly ordering his affairs he had got out of step, and not into step, with life. He said he knew before he had gone twenty feet from the fallen beam that he would never know peace again until he had adjusted himself to this new glimpse of life. By the time he had eaten his luncheon he had found his means of adjustment. Life could be ended for him at random by a falling beam: he would change his life at random by simply going away. He loved his family, he said, as much as he supposed was usual, but he knew he was leaving them adequately provided for, and his love for them was not of the sort that would make absence painful.

"He went to Seattle that afternoon (он отправился в Сиэтл в тот днем)," Spade said, "and from there by boat to San Francisco (и оттуда на судне в Сан-Франциско). For a couple of years he wandered around (пару лет он странствовал /вокруг/) and then drifted back to the Northwest (а потом вернулся по случаю назад, на Северо-запад; to drift — сносить, перемещаться, дрейфовать), and settled in Spokane (и осел/поселился Спокане) and got married (и женился). His second wife didn't look like the first (его вторая жена не была похожа /внешностью/ на первую), but they were more alike (но они были больше похожи) than they were different (чем непохожи; different — различный, иной). You know (знаете), the kind of women (сорт женщин) that play fair games of golf and bridge (которые неплохо играют в бридж и гольф) and like new salad-recipes (и любят новые рецепты салатов). He wasn't sorry for what he had done (он не чувствовал вины за то, что он сделал).