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Gutman smiled with approval (Гутман улыбнулся одобрительно). "Trust you for that, sir (верю вам в этом, сэр)," he said. "Well now, sir (так, сэр), before we sit down to talk prices (прежде чем мы сядем обсуждать цены), answer me this (ответьте мне на это): how soon can you (как скоро вы можете) — or how soon are you willing to (или как скоро вы хотите) — produce the falcon (достать сокола)?"

approval [q'pru:v(q)l] price [praIs] willing ['wIlIN]

"When?"

"When I'm ready."

The fat man pursed his lips and, smiling with only slight uneasiness, asked: "Mr. Spade, where is Miss O'Shaughnessy now?"

"In my hands, safely tucked away."

Gutman smiled with approval. "Trust you for that, sir," he said. "Well now, sir, before we sit down to talk prices, answer me this: how soon can you — or how soon are you willing to — produce the falcon?"

"A couple of days (пара дней)."

The fat man nodded (толстяк кивнул). "That is satisfactory (это хорошо: «удовлетворительно»). We (мы) — But I forgot our nourishment (но я забыл о нашей пище: «питании»; tonourish— кормить, питать)." He turned to the table (он повернулся к столу), poured whiskey (налил виски), squirted charged water into it (брызнул в виски газированную воду; charged— заряженный, наполненный), set a glass at Spade's elbow (поставил бокал у локтя Спейда) and held his own aloft (поднял свой собственный бокал вверх). "Well, sir, here's to a fair bargain and profits (итак, сэр, за честную сделку и прибыли) large enough for both of us (достаточно большие для нас обоих)."

They drank (они выпили). The fat man sat down (толстяк сел). Spade asked: "What's your idea of a fair bargain (каково ваше представление о честной сделке)?"

Gutman held his glass up to the light (Гутман поднял свой бокал к свету), looked affectionately at it (посмотрел на него с чувством), took another long drink (сделал еще один длинный глоток), and said: "I have two proposals to make, sir (у меня есть два предложения, сэр), and either is fair (и каждое честное). Take your choice (сделайте ваш выбор).

couple ['kAp(q)l] satisfactory ["sxtIs'fxkt(q)rI] nourishment ['nArISmqnt]

"A couple of days."

The fat man nodded. "That is satisfactory. We — But I forgot our nourishment." He turned to the table, poured whiskey, squirted charged water into it, set a glass at Spade's elbow and held his own aloft. "Well, sir, here's to a fair bargain and profits large enough for both of us."

They drank. The fat man sat down. Spade asked: "What's your idea of a fair bargain?"

Gutman held his glass up to the light, looked affectionately at it, took another long drink, and said: "I have two proposals to make, sir, and either is fair. Take your choice.

I will give you twenty-five thousand dollars (я дам вам двадцать пять тысяч долларов) when you deliver the falcon to me (когда вы доставите сокола мне), and another twenty-five thousand (и другие двадцать пять тысяч) as soon as I get to New York (как только я доберусь до Нью-Йорка); or I will give you one quarter (или я дам вам одну четвертую) — twenty-five per cent (двадцать пять процентов) — of what I realize on the falcon (от того, что я получу за сокола; to realize — осуществить, превратить в деньги). There you are, sir (вот вам, сэр): an almost immediate fifty thousand dollars (почти что немедленно пятьдесят тысяч долларов) or a vastly greater sum within (или безмерно большая сумма в течении), say, a couple of months (скажем, пары месяцев)."

Spade drank and asked (Спейд выпил и спросил): "How much greater (насколько больше)?"

quarter ['kwO:tq] vastly ['vQ:stlI] sum [sAm]

I will give you twenty-five thousand dollars when you deliver the falcon to me, and another twenty-five thousand as soon as I get to New York; or I will give you one quarter — twenty-five per cent — of what I realize on the falcon. There you are, sir: an almost immediate fifty thousand dollars or a vastly greater sum within, say, a couple of months."

Spade drank and asked: "How much greater?"

"Vastly (безмерно)," the fat man repeated (повторил толстяк). "Who knows how much greater (кто знает насколько больше)? Shall I say a hundred thousand (скажу я сто тысяч), or a quarter of a million (или четверть миллиона)? Will you believe me (поверите ли вы мне) if I name the sum (если я назову сумму) that seems the probable minimum (которая кажется возможным минимумом)?"

"Why not (почему нет)?"

The fat man smacked his lips (толстяк причмокнул губами) and lowered his voice (и понизил голос) to a purring murmur (до мурлыкающего шепота). "What would you say, sir (что вы скажете, сэр), to half a million (на полмиллиона)?"

repeated [rI'pi:tId] million ['mIljqn] minimum ['mInImqm]

"Vastly," the fat man repeated. "Who knows how much greater? Shall I say a hundred thousand, or a quarter of a million? Will you believe me if I name the sum that seems the probable minimum?"

"Why not?"

The fat man smacked his lips and lowered his voice to a purring murmur. "What would you say, sir, to half a million?"

Spade narrowed his eyes (Спейд сузил свои глаза). "Then you think the dingus (тогда, вы думаете, что эта штука; dingus— как его там, как это?) is worth two million (стоит два миллиона)?"

Gutman smiled serenely (Гутман невозмутимо улыбнулся). "In your own words (вашими же словами), why not (почему нет)?" he asked.

Spade emptied his glass (Спейд опустошил свой бокал) and set it on the table (и поставил его на стол). He put his cigar in his mouth (он вложил /свою/ сигару в /свой/ рот), took it out (вытащил ее), looked at it (посмотрел на нее), and put it back in (и вложил ее снова). His yellow-grey eyes (его желто-серые глаза) were faintly muddy (были слегка мутными; mud — грязь, слякоть; ил, тина). He said: "That's a hell of a lot of dough (это чертовская куча бабок; dough — тесто, деньги)."

dingus ['dINqs] serenely [sI'ri:nlI] dough [dqV]

Spade narrowed his eyes. "Then you think the dingus is worth two million?"

Gutman smiled serenely. "In your own words, why not?" he asked.

Spade emptied his glass and set it on the table. He put his cigar in his mouth, took it out, looked at it, and put it back in. His yellow-grey eyes were faintly muddy. He said: "That's a hell of a lot of dough."

The fat man agreed (толстяк согласился): "That's a hell of a lot of dough (это чертовски много бабок)." He leaned forward (он наклонился вперед) and patted Spade's knee (и похлопал колено Спейда). "That is the absolute rock-bottom minimum (это абсолютно самый низкий минимум; rock-bottom — твердое основание, нижний предел) — or Charilaos Konstantinides was a blithering idiot (или Харилаос Константинидес был конченным идиотом; blithering — болтливый; бессвязно говорящий /о чем-л./; законченный, полный; презренный, отпетый) — and he wasn't (а он не был)."

Spade removed the cigar from his mouth again (Спейд снова вытащил сигару из своего рта), frowned at it (хмуро посмотрел на нее) with distaste (с отвращением), and put it on the smoking-stand (и положил ее в пепельницу). He shut his eyes hard (он плотно закрыл глаза), opened them again (открыл их снова). Their muddiness had thickened (их замутненность усилилась; to thicken — утолщать, сгущать, мрачнеть). He said: "The (это) — the minimum, huh (минимум, у)? And the maximum (а максимум)?" An unmistakable sh (несомненное ш) followed the x (последовало за кс) in maximum (в слове максимум) as he said it (когда он сказал его).