| Я вошел. |
| It was a bright, spotlessly clean room, with whitewashed walls and a big skylight. | Очень светлая комната, с побеленными известкой стенами и застекленным потолком. |
| The furniture consisted of some chairs and trestles. | Вся обстановка - стулья и деревянные козлы. |
| Two of the latter stood open in the center of the room and the coffin rested on them. | Посередине на козлах - гроб с надвинутой крышкой. |
| The lid was in place, but the screws had been given only a few turns and their nickeled heads stuck out above the wood, which was stained dark walnut. | На темных досках, окрашенных морилкой, выделялись чуть-чуть вдавленные в гнезда блестящие винты. |
| An Arab woman-a nurse, I supposed-was sitting beside the bier; she was wearing a blue smock and had a rather gaudy scarf wound round her hair. | У гроба дежурила арабка в белом халате и с яркой шелковой повязкой на голове. |
| Just then the keeper came up behind me. He'd evidently been running, as he was a little out of breath. | Вслед за мной вошел сторож; должно быть, он бежал, так как совсем запыхался. |
| "We put the lid on, but I was told to unscrew it when you came, so that you could see her." | Слегка заикаясь, он сказал: - Мы закрыли гроб, но я сейчас сниму крышку, чтобы вы могли посмотреть на покойницу. |
| While he was going up to the coffin I told him not to trouble. | Он уже подошел к гробу, но я остановил его. |
| "Eh? What's that?" he exclaimed. | Он спросил: |
| "You don't want me to ...?" | - Вы не хотите? |
| "No," I said. | Я ответил: - Нет. |
| He put back the screwdriver in his pocket and stared at me. I realized then that I shouldn't have said, "No," and it made me rather embarrassed. | Он прервал свои приготовления, и мне стало неловко, я почувствовал, что не полагалось отказываться. |
| After eying me for some moments he asked: | Внимательно поглядев на меня, он спросил: |
| "Why not?" But he didn't sound reproachful; he simply wanted to know. | - Почему? - Но без малейшего упрека, а как будто из любопытства. |
| "Well, really I couldn't say," I answered. | Я сказал: - Сам не знаю. |
| He began twiddling his white mustache; then, without looking at me, said gently: | И тогда, потеребив седые усы, он произнес, не глядя на меня: |
| "I understand." | - Что ж, понятно. |
| He was a pleasant-looking man, with blue eyes and ruddy cheeks. | У него были красивые голубые глаза и кирпичный цвет лица. |
| He drew up a chair for me near the coffin, and seated himself just behind. | Он пододвинул мне стул, затем сел и сам, позади меня. |
