He said thoughtfully, "I wish I could speak to him. You see, there's so much I simply can't believe."
"Perhaps you are the only one who could speak to him. It's risky though, because you do know too much."
"I still can't believe ... I only saw the face for a moment." He said, "What shall I do?"
"He won't leave his zone now. The only person who could persuade him to come over would be you —or her, if he still believes you are his friend. But first you've got to speak to him. I can't see the line."
"I could go and see Kurtz. I have the address."
I said, "Remember. Lime may not want you to leave the Russian zone when once you are there, and I can't protect you there."
"I want to clear the whole damned thing up," Martins said, "but I'm not going to act as a decoy. I’ll talk to him. That's all."
14
SUNDAY HAD laid its false peace over Vienna (воскресенье положило свой фальшивый мир над Веной = покрыло Вену своим фальшивым миром; to lay): the wind had dropped (ветер стих) and no snow had fallen for twenty-four hours (и никакого снега не выпало за двадцать четыре часа). All the morning trams had been full (все утро трамваи были полны), going out to Grinzing where the young wine was drunk (идущие наружу /за город/ = выезжающие в Гринцинг, где было выпиваемо = где пили молодое вино) and to the slopes of snow on the hills outside (и к склонам снега на холмах снаружи = на загородных холмах). Walking over the canal by the makeshift military bridge (идя через канал по временному военному мосту; makeshift — замена; паллиатив; временное или самодельное приспособление; кустарный; самодельный; импровизированный; временный), Martins was aware of the emptiness of the afternoon (Мартинс сознавал: «был сознающим» пустоту этого вечера): the young were out with their toboggans and their skis (молодые были за городом: «снаружи» с их санками и их лыжами), and all around him was the after-dinner sleep of age (а все вокруг него было послеобеденным сном /преклонного/ возраста). A notice-board told him (доска объявлений сказала ему) that he was entering the Russian zone (что он входил в русскую зону), but there were no signs of occupation (но не было никаких знаков = признаков оккупации). You saw more Russian soldiers in the Inner City than here (вы видели = можно было видеть больше русских солдат во Внутреннем Городе, чем здесь).
Deliberately he had given Mr. Kurtz no warning of his visit (он нарочно не дал господину Куртцу никакого предупреждения о своем визите). Better to find him out than a reception prepared for him (лучше не застать его дома, чем /встретить/ прием, приготовленный /специально/ для него). He was careful to carry with him all his papers (он был осторожен носить с собой все свои документы = предусмотрительно захватил…), including the laissez-passer of the four powers (включая пропуск от четырех властей;