The Master and Margarita / Мастер и Маргарита. Книга для чтения на английском языке. Михаил Булгаков

dashed off some sort of squiggle in the woman’s notebook and, as soon as the door had slammed behind her, he opened up the little square.

      Having read the telegram, he blinked his eyes a bit and passed the little square to Rimsky.

      Printed in the telegram was the following: “Yalta. Moscow. Variety. Today half eleven appeared CID nightshirted trousered bootless mental brunet claimed Likhodeyev Director Variety. Lightning-wire Yalta CID whereabouts Director Likhodeyev.”

      “Well I never!” exclaimed Rimsky, and added: “Another surprise!”

      “A False Dmitry,”[241] Varenukha said, and began speaking into the mouthpiece of the telephone: “Telegraph Office? The Variety’s account. Take a super-lightning. Are you listening?. “Yalta CID. Director Likhodeyev Moscow. Financial Director Rimsky’.”

      Regardless of the communication about the impostor in Yalta, Varenukha once more set about hunting for Styopa on the telephone anywhere and everywhere, and naturally could find him nowhere.

      At the precise time when Varenukha, holding the receiver in his hand, was pondering over where else he might phone, that same woman who had brought the first lightning telegram came in and handed Varenukha a new little envelope. Opening it hurriedly, Varenukha read through what was printed on it and then whistled.

      “What else?” asked Rimsky with a nervous jerk.

      Varenukha handed him the telegram in silence, and the Financial Director saw in it the words: “Implore believe. Cast Yalta by hypnosis Woland. Lightning-wire CID confirmation identity. Likhodeyev”.

      Rimsky and Varenukha reread the telegram with their heads touching, and when they had reread it, they stared at one another in silence.

      “Citizens!” the woman suddenly grew angry. “Sign for it, and then you can be silent for as long as you like! It’s lightning telegrams I’m delivering, you know.”

      Without taking his eyes off the telegram, Varenukha dashed off a wonky signature in the notebook and the woman disappeared.

      “But you were talking to him on the telephone just after eleven?” began the manager in complete bewilderment.

      Примечания

      1

      pork-pie hat – шляпа с круглой плоской тульёй, шляпа-"пирожок”

      2

      MASSOLIT: The organization is an invention of Bulgakov’s. (Комментарий И. Беспалова)

      3

      MASSOLIT – Массолит – вымышленное объединение литераторов

      4

      Bezdomny: The poet’s pseudonym, reminiscent of those of Maxim Gorky (“bitter”), Demyan Bedny (“poor”) and others, means “homeless”. (Комментарий И. Беспалова)

      5

      Narzan: Sparkling mineral water. (Комментарий И. Беспалова)

      6

      to take umbrage – обижаться

      7

      in a hoarse voice – хриплым, осипшим голосом

      8

      to quench one’s thirst – утолять жажду

      9

      heart gave a thump – сердце встрепенулось

      10

      mocking physiognomy – глумливая физиономия

      11

      horror-stricken – охваченный ужасом

      12

      to have a seizure – получить удар

      13

      to let somebody down – подвести к.-л.

      14

      Philo of Alexandria: a philosopher and religious thinker (c.25 bc-50 ad). (Комментарий И. Беспалова)

      15

      Philo of Alexandria – Филон Александрийский, философ и религиозный мыслитель

      16

      Flavius Josephus: Roman historian (37 ad-after 100). (Комментарий И. Беспалова)

      17

      Flavius Josephus – Иосиф Флавий, еврейский историк и военачальник

      18

      sound erudition – блестящая эрудиция

      19

      the celebrated Annales of Tacitus: The chronicle Annales by Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (c.55-c.120) deals with Roman history of the years 14–68. (Комментарий И. Беспалова)

      20

      Annales of Tacitus – «Анналы», последнее и самое крупное сочинение древнеримского историка Публия Корнелия Тацита

      21

      to clamber into the thickets – лезть в дебри

      22

      Osiris… and earth: The Egyptian god of death, life and fertility. (Комментарий И. Беспалова)

      23

      Osiris

241

a False Dmitry: Grigory Otrepyev became the figurehead for the opposition to the rule of Boris Godunov in 1604, when he claimed to be Dmitry, a son of Ivan the Terrible believed to have died in 1591. He was hailed as tsar after Godunov’s death in 1605, but was deposed and killed the following year. (Комментарий И. Беспалова)