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"You could put it that way (вы можете сформулировать это таким образом)."

"It will be one or the other (это будет кто-то один из них двоих)?"

"I didn't say that (я этого не говорил)."

prompt [prOmpt] non-committal ["nOnkq'mItl] ingratiating [In'greISIeItIN]

Spade's prompt "Maybe" was noncommittal. He drank.

The fat man leaned forward until his belly stopped him. His smile was ingratiating and so was his purring voice. "You could say, then, that the question is which one of them you'll represent?"

"You could put it that way."

"It will be one or the other?"

"I didn't say that."

The fat man's eyes glistened (глаза толстяка блеснули). His voice sank (его голос упал) to a throaty whisper (до горлового шепота) asking (спрашивая): "Who else is there (кто еще в этом /замешан/)?"

Spade pointed his cigar (Спейд указал своей сигарой) at his own chest (на свою грудь). "There's me (это я/еще есть я)," he said.

The fat man sank back (толстяк опустился назад) in his chair (в своем кресле) and let his body go flaccid (и дал своему телу расслабиться; to go — зд. делаться, становиться; flaccid — мягкий, слабый, дряблый/о мышечных тканях/). He blew his breath out (он выдохнул воздух; breath — дыхание) in a long contented gust (длинным удовлетворенным порывом). "That's wonderful, sir (это чудесно, сэр)," he purred (промурлыкал он). "That's wonderful (это чудесно). I do like a man (я действительно люблю такого человека) that tells you right out (который говорит тебе прямо) he's looking out for himself (что он ищет для себя). Don't we all (разве мы все не /ищем для себя/)? I don't trust a man (я не верю человеку) that says he's not (который говорит, что он не /ищет/). And the man (а человеку) that's telling the truth (который говорит правду) when he says he's not (когда он говорит, что он не ищет /чего-либо для себя/) I distrust most of all (я не верю больше всего), because he's an ass (поскольку он осел) and an ass that's going contrary (и такой осел, который собирается противиться) to the laws of nature (законам природы)."

glisten ['glIs(q)n] gust [gAst] contrary ['kOntrqrI]

The fat man's eyes glistened. His voice sank to a throaty whisper asking: "Who else is there?"

Spade pointed his cigar at his own chest. "There's me," he said.

The fat man sank back in his chair and let his body go flaccid. He blew his breath out in a long contented gust. "That's wonderful, sir," he purred. "That's wonderful. I do like a man that tells you right out he's looking out for himself. Don't we all? I don't trust a man that says he's not. And the man that's telling the truth when he says he's not I distrust most of all, because he's an ass and an ass that's going contrary to the laws of nature."

Spade exhaled smoke (Спейд выдохнул дым). His face was politely attentive (его лицо было вежливо-внимательным). He said: "Uh-huh (угу). Now let's talk about the black bird (давайте теперь поговорим о черной птице)."

The fat man smiled benevolently (толстяк благосклонно улыбнулся). "Let's (давайте)," he said. He squinted so (он скосил глаза так) that fat puffs (что жирные выпуклости) crowding together (собравшиеся вместе) left nothing of his eyes (не оставили от его глаз ничего) but a dark gleam visible (кроме темного блеска, видимым). "Mr. Spade (мистер Спейд), have you any conception (имеете ли вы какое-либо представление) of how much money (о том, сколько денег) can be made out (можно сделать) of that black bird (на этой черной птице)?"

"No."

benevolent [bI'nev(q)lqnt] crowding ['kraVdIN] conception [kqn'sepS(q)n]

Spade exhaled smoke. His face was politely attentive. He said: "Uh-huh. Now let's talk about the black bird."

The fat man smiled benevolently. "Let's," he said. He squinted so that fat puffs crowding together left nothing of his eyes but a dark gleam visible. "Mr. Spade, have you any conception of how much money can be made out of that black bird?"

"No."

The fat man leaned forward again (толстяк снова наклонился вперед) and put a bloated pink hand (и положил жирную розовую руку; to bloat — раздувать(ся), пухнуть) on the arm of Spade's chair (на подлокотник кресла Спейда). "Well, sir (ну, сэр), if I told you (если бы я сказал вам) — by Gad (ей-Богу), if I told you half (если бы я назвал вам и половину) — you'd call me a liar (вы назвали бы меня лжецом)."

Spade smiled (Спейд улыбнулся). "No," he said, "not even if I thought it (нет, даже, если бы я подумал это). But if you won't take the risk (но, если вы не хотите рисковать) just tell me (просто скажите мне) what it is (что это) and I'll figure out the profits (и я подсчитаю прибыли)."

bloated ['blqVtId] risk [rIsk] profit ['prOfIt]

The fat man leaned forward again and put a bloated pink hand on the arm of Spade's chair. "Well, sir, if I told you — by Gad, if I told you half! — you'd call me a liar."

Spade smiled. "No," he said, "not even if I thought it. But if you won't take the risk just tell me what it is and I'll figure out the profits."

The fat man laughed (толстяк засмеялся). "You couldn't do it, sir (вы не смогли бы, сэр). Nobody could do it (никто не смог бы сделать это) that hadn't had a world of experience (который не имел целый мир опыта) with things of that sort, and (с вещами подобного рода, и)" — he paused impressively (он сделал выразительную паузу) — "there aren't any other things of that sort (других вещей такого рода не существует)." His bulbs jostled one another (его отвислости столкнулись друг с другом) as he laughed again (когда он снова засмеялся). He stopped laughing (он перестал смеяться), abruptly (внезапно). His fleshy lips (его мясистые губы) hung open (висели наружу) as laughter had left them (когда смех сошел с них). He stared at Spade (он уставился на Спейда) with an intentness (с такой пристальностью) that suggested myopia (которая предполагала близорукость). He asked (он спросил): "You mean (вы имеете в виду) you don't know (что не знаете) what it is (что это)?" Amazement took the throatiness out of his voice (удивление лишило его голос гортанности; to take (took, taken) out — вынимать, забирать).

experience [Ik'spI(q)rIqns] jostle ['dZOs(q)l] myopia [maI'qVpIq]

The fat man laughed. "You couldn't do it, sir. Nobody could do it that hadn't had a world of experience with things of that sort, and" — he paused impressively — "there aren't any other things of that sort." His bulbs jostled one another as he laughed again. He stopped laughing, abruptly. His fleshy lips hung open as laughter had left them. He stared at Spade with an intentness that suggested myopia. He asked: "You mean you don't know what it is?" Amazement took the throatiness out of his voice.

Spade made a careless gesture with his cigar (Спейд сделал беззаботное движение своей сигарой). "Oh, hell (о, черт)," he said lightly (сказал он легко = небрежно), "I know (я знаю) what it's supposed to look like (как она, предположительно, выглядит). I know (я знаю) the value in life (о ее стоимости в человеческих жизнях) you people put on it (в которую вы оценили ее; people— народ, люди, /амер. жарг./ — человек, особа /в обращении/). I don't know what it is (я не знаю, что это)."

"She didn't tell you (она не сказала вам)?"

"Miss O'Shaughnessy (мисс О’Шонесси)?"

"Yes. A lovely girl, sir (красивая девушка, сэр)."

"Uh-huh. No."

value ['vxlju:] people ['pi:p(q)l] lovely ['lAvlI]

Spade made a careless gesture with his cigar. "Oh, hell," he said lightly, "I know what it's supposed to look like. I know the value in life you people put on it. I don't know what it is."

"She didn't tell you?"

"Miss O'Shaughnessy?"

"Yes. A lovely girl, sir."

"Uh-huh. No."

The fat man's eyes (глаза толстяка) were dark gleams (были темным вспышками) in ambush (в засаде) behind pink puffs of flesh (за розовыми выпуклостями плоти). He said indistinctly (он сказал невнятно), "She must know (она должна знать)," and then (а потом), "And Cairo didn't either (а Кейро тоже нет = не сказал)?"

"Cairo is cagey (Кейро скрытен). He's willing to buy it (он хочет купить ее), but he won't risk (но он не рискнет) telling me anything (рассказав мне что-нибудь) I don't know already (/чего/ я уже не знаю = готов рассказать мне лишь то, что я и так знаю)."