Золотой жук. Уровень 1 / The Gold-bug
I cannot describe how much this most careful picture of myself annoyed me. My only consolation was that no one else noticed that. I was the only one who saw Wilson’s strange and knowing smiles. He seemed to laugh within himself watching me in anger. He did not care no one laughed with him. The fact that no one on school participated in his design[45] was a mystery to me for many anxious months.
As I said before, he always tried to stop me from doing things I wanted to do. He spoke to me in the tone of patronage, which I hated. As I got older, my resistance to his unwanted advice grew. But I have to admit, his moral sense and worldly wisdom were always far keener than my own. I also have to admit that I could be a batter, and thus a happier man, if only I rejected his advices less frequently. Every day I showed more and more openly that I did not want to listen to anything he told me. This made him avoid me or, at least, pretend to do so.
It was about the same period when during a regular quarrel he had something peculiar in his manner. First it startled me, and then deeply interested me. Somehow he brought to my mind the pictures of my earliest years. Those pictures were half-lighted and not clear. I had a feeling that I knew this person standing before me very long ago. But that feeling passed as quickly as it came.
The situation that I just told you about happened on my last day in the school. Night after that I decided to put my old plan of hurting him into action. When everyone was sleeping, I got out of bed, and with a light in my hand, I went quietly through the house to Wilson’s room. When I reached his room, I entered without a sound and left the light outside. I listened and assured he was asleep. I returned to take the light and with it again went to the bed. I looked down upon his face; – and my blood went cold. My knees trembled and horror filled my soul. Was this – this the face of William Wilson? I saw, indeed, it was, but I shook as if imagining it was not. I looked and many incoherent thoughts popped in my head. He surely looked different from daytime. The same name, the same body; the same day that we came to school! And then meaningless imitation of my walk, my voice, my habits, and my manner! Was it, in truth, humanly possible that what I now saw was the result of his continued efforts to be like me? Filled with a creeping shudder, I put out the light and went away. I was not able to stay in the walls of the school any longer so I left it immediately and never entered it again.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
Примечания
1
seemed to be on good terms – как будто бы были в хороших отношениях
2
at the crime scene – на месте преступления
3
what happened that has never happened before – что случилось такого, чего никогда не случалось раньше
4
Now, how strangely unusual must that voice have really been! – Насколько же необычен был этот голос!
5
from within – изнутри
6
What do we have in the dry rest? – Что мы имеем в сухом остатке?
7
well known – хорошо известны
8
from the bottom of my heart – от всей души
9
Borneo – Борнео, третий по величине остров в мире; находится в центре Малайского архипелага в юго-восточной Азии
10
for the time being – до поры до времени
11
was at a loss what to do – не знал, что делать
12
phrenzy – безумие, сумасшествие
13
vulture – стервятник
14
my blood ran cold – кровь стыла в венах
15
I had the urge – у меня было желание
16
He had no clue – Он и не догадывался
17
The oldman’s hour had come! – Для старика пришел час расплаты!
18
In an instant – в мгновение ока
19
The deed was done. – Дело было сделано.
20
stone dead – мертвее мертвого
21
No doubt – без сомнений
22
MS. – manuscript, рукопись
23
Simoom – Самум, песчаный ураган
24
knocked me off – сбила меня с ног
25
waterlogged – затоплен водой
26
righted – выровнялось
27
dizzily – растерянно
28
It gave out no light but a dull and sullen glow. – Оно испускало не свет, а только тусклое и угрюмое свечение.
29
superstitious – суеверный
30
brass cannons – медные пушки
31
But what mainly inspired us with horror was that the ship bore up under a press of sail in the very teeth of that supernatural sea. – Но больше всего внушал ужас тот факт, что корабль несся под парусами в самую пасть этого сверхъестественного моря.
32
rigging – снасти, верёвки на судне или корабле, служащие для постановки и уборки парусов
33
It has been a long time – прошло много времени
34
food for thought – пища для размышлений
35
It is as sure as sure as there is a sea where the ship itself will grow in bulk like the living body of the seaman. – Это так же верно, как то, что есть море, где сам корабль растет, подобно человеческому телу.
36
obsolete – устаревший
37
raging waves of ocean – бушующие океанские волны
38
Balbec – Баальбек, древний город в Ливане
39
Tadmor – Тадмор, город в центральной части Сирии
40
Persepolis – Персеполь, древнеперсидский город на юго-западе Ирана
41
in favor of that – в пользу этого
42
and vice versa – и наоборот
43
by degrees – постепенно
44
the embodiment of modesty – воплощение скромности
45
in his design – в его замысле
Вы ознакомились с фрагментом книги.
Для бесплатного чтения открыта только часть текста.
Приобретайте полный текст книги у нашего партнера:
Полная версия книги