Учебно-методическое пособие для факультативных занятий по английскому языку. Таганрог: Изд-во тти, 2013. 200 с
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TEXT 2. A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA Arthur Conan Doyle I had seen little of Holmes lately. My marriage separated us from each other. I was very happy with my family while Holmes remained in our flat in Baker Street, with his old books. He was still interested in the study of crime and managed to find those clues and clear up those mysteries, which had been thought as hopeless by the police. From time to time I heard of him and was very proud of my friend. One night — it was on the 20 th of March, 1888 — I was coming home from work (because I had now returned to civil practice), and I was walking through Baker Street. As I passed the well-known door, 1 felt a great desire to see Holmes again and know how he was. His rooms were brightly lit and I saw his tall figure walking about the room. As I knew him well I saw that he was at work again. I rang the bell and was shown up to the room that used to be my own. I think Holmes was glad to see me. Without a word he waved me to an arm-chair. Then he stood before the fire and looked me over carefully. "I think, Watson, you have put on weight since I saw you," he said. "I see you have been getting yourself wet lately, and that you have a very careless servant girl." "My dear Holmes," I was surprised, "this is too much. I really had a walk to the country and came home very dirty; but as I have changed my clothes, I can't understand how you deduce it. As to our maid she is really careless, but how do you know?" He laughed quietly and rubbed his hands together. 112 "It is very simple," said he, "my eyes tell me that you have some parallel cuts on your left shoe. I think they have been made by someone who tried to remove mud from it carelessly. This makes me think that you had been out in bad weather. And I also see a black mark of nitrate of silver on your finger and you smell of iodoform, that's why I understand you started your medical practice." 1 could not keep from laughing listening to his explanations of his process of deduction. "When you give your reasons," 1 remarked, "everything is so clear to me that I could easily do it myself. But I am always baffled 1 , until you explain your process. And yet I am sure I have as good eyes as you do." "Quite right," he agreed, lighting a cigarette and sitting down into an arm-chair. "You see, but you do not notice. Do you see the difference? For example, you have often seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room." "Yes." "How often?" "Well, hundreds of times." "Then how many are there?" "I don't know." "That's right! You have seen but have not noticed. But 1 know that there are seventeen steps there. By the way, since you are interested in these little cases, you may be interested in one more." He gave me a sheet of thick pink paper, which had been lying on the table. "It came by post. Read it aloud," he said. There was no date on the paper, it was either without address. "At a quarter to eight o'clock you'll have a visitor," it said, "a gentleman who wants to consult you on the matter of great importance 2 . Your help to one of the Royal Houses of Europe have shown that you may safely be trusted. This account of you we have from all quarters received 1 . Be at home at that hour and do not take it the wrong way if the visitor wear a mask." "It's a real mystery," I said. "What does it mean?" "I don't know yet. It's a mistake to make conclusions when you know nothing. But as for the note, what do you think of it?" I looked carefully at the writing and the paper. "The man who wrote it was rich," I remarked, imitating my friend's explanations. "Such paper is not cheap. It is strong and stiff." 113 "Yes," said Holmes. "It is not an English paper at all. Raise it up to the light." I did so, and saw large and small letters. "What do you think of it?" "It's the name of the maker, of course." "No. The G with the small t means the word "Company" in German. жүктеу/скачать 1,77 Mb. Достарыңызбен бөлісу:
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