Английский детектив. Джон Бакен. Тридцать девять ступеней / John Buchan. The Thirty-Nine Steps. Джон Бакен

/о чем-л./), was believed to have got away from London by one of the northern lines (как считалось, уехал из Лондона /на поезде/ по одной из железнодорожных веток, идущих на север; to get away). There was a short note about me as the owner of the flat (была там и краткая заметка обо мне как о владельце квартиры). I guessed the police had stuck that in (я предположил, что полиция вставила ее /в газету/), as a clumsy contrivance to persuade me that I was unsuspected (в качестве неуклюжей попытки убедить меня, что я вне подозрений; contrivance – изобретательность; выдумка, затея, план /особ. предательский/).

      

 There were two columns about the Portland Place Murder, as it was called. My man Paddock had given the alarm and had the milkman arrested. Poor devil, it looked as if the latter had earned his sovereign hardly; but for me he had been cheap at the price, for he seemed to have occupied the police for the better part of the day. In the latest news I found a further instalment of the story. The milkman had been released, I read, and the true criminal, about whose identity the police were reticent, was believed to have got away from London by one of the northern lines. There was a short note about me as the owner of the flat. I guessed the police had stuck that in, as a clumsy contrivance to persuade me that I was unsuspected.

      There was nothing else in the paper (ничего больше в этой газете не было), nothing about foreign politics or Karolides (ничего о внешней политике или о Каролидесе; foreign – иностранный, зарубежный; внешний, иностранный), or the things that had interested Scudder (или о тех вещах, которые интересовали Скаддера). I laid it down (я положил ее /на место/), and found that we were approaching the station at which I had got out yesterday (и обнаружил, что мы подъезжаем: «приближаемся» к той самой станции, на которой я вышел вчера). The potato-digging station-master had been gingered up into some activity (копатель картошки, смотритель станции, был вовлечен в какую-то деятельность; ginger – имбирь; приподнятое настроение, оживленность; to ginger – приправлять имбирем; подстегивать, оживлять, придавать живости), for the west-going train was waiting to let us pass (потому что поезд, который шел на запад, ждал, чтобы пропустить нас: «позволить нам проехать мимо»), and from it had descended three men who were asking him questions (и с него сошли: «спустились» трое мужчин, которые задавали ему вопросы). I supposed that they were the local police (я предположил, что это местные полицейские), who had been stirred up by Scotland Yard (которые были потревожены: «расшевелены» Скотланд-Ярдом), and had traced me as far as this one-horse siding (и выследили меня = проследили мой путь уже до этой односторонней ветки; one-horse – одноконный; захолустный, заштатный). Sitting well back in the shadow I watched them carefully (отодвинувшись в тень, я внимательно наблюдал за ними; to sit back – откидываться /на спинку стула и т. п./). One of them had a book, and took down notes (у одного из них была книжка, и он делал записи). The old potato-digger seemed to have turned peevish (старый картофелекопатель, казалось, заупрямился: «сделался брюзгливым»; to turn – поворачивать; становиться, делаться), but the child who had collected my ticket was talking volubly (но ребенок, который забрал мой билет, говорил много; volubly – многословно, многоречиво; бойко /о речи/).). All the party looked out across the moor where the white road departed (вся компания смотрела на вересковую /пустошь/, куда уходила белая дорога). I hoped they were going to take up my tracks there (я надеялся, что они будут: «собираются» продолжать /искать/ мои следы там; to take up – поднимать; продолжать /начатое/).

 There was nothing else in the paper, nothing about foreign politics or Karolides, or the things that had interested Scudder. I laid it down, and found that we were approaching the station at which I had got out yesterday. The potato-digging station-master had been gingered up into some activity, for the west-going train was waiting to let us pass, and from it had descended three men who were asking him questions. I supposed that they were the local police, who had been stirred up by Scotland Yard, and had traced me as far as this one-horse siding. Sitting well back in the shadow I watched them carefully. One of them had a book, and took down notes. The old potato-digger seemed to have turned peevish, but the child who had collected my ticket was talking volubly. All the party looked out across the moor where the white road departed. I hoped they were going to take up my tracks there.

      As we moved away from that station my companion woke up (когда мы отъехали от этой станции, мой попутчик проснулся; to wake up). He fixed me with a wandering glance (он уставился на меня блуждающим взглядом), kicked his dog viciously (злобно пнул своего пса; vicious – порочный; злобный, жестокий), and inquired where he was (и осведомился, где он находится). Clearly he was very drunk (он был очевидно очень пьян).

      ‘That’s what