), but they seemed to be looking a long way beyond him (но они, казалось, быть смотрели далеко за него = сквозь него): flat and tired and kind, they might have been gazing out over across the sea (тусклые, усталые и добрые, они могли быть смотрящими через море/за море;
flat — плоский; тусклый, матовый /о цвете/). He said, "You did quite right (вы сделали совершенно правильно)," in a tone of commendation (в тоне похвалы), and then, with a touch of asperity (и затем, с налетом строгости), "Of course they will be delivered (конечно они будут доставлены). I gave my word (я дал мое слово). Goodbye (до свидания)."
He put the receiver down and passed a hand across his forehead wearily (он положил трубку и утомленно провел рукой по своему лбу). It was as though he were trying to remember something he had to do (это было, как будто он пытался вспомнить что-то, что он должен был сделать). Martins said, "Had you heard anything of this racket the police talk about (слышали вы что-либо об этой махинации, о которой говорят полицейские)?"
"I'm sorry (извините: «сожалею»). What's that (что это = о чем речь)?"
"They say Harry was mixed up in some racket (они говорят, что Гарри был замешан в каком-то мошенничестве)."
"Oh, no (о, нет)," Cooler said. "No. That's quite impossible (это совершенно невозможно). He had a great sense of duty (у него было большое чувство долга)."
"Kurtz seemed to think it was possible (Куртц, кажется, думает, что это было возможно)."
"Kurtz doesn't understand how an Anglo-Saxon feels (Куртц не понимает, как чувствует англосакс)," Cooler replied (ответил Кулер; to reply — отвечать, отзываться).
European ["juqrq'pi:qn], citizen ['sItIz(q)n], duty ['dju:tI], coincide ["kquIn'saId], disagree ["dIsq'gri:], difference ['dIf(q)r(q)ns], company ['kAmpqnI], confess [kqn'fes], humanity [hju:'mxnItI], touch [tAtS], asperity [xs'perItI], deliver [dI'lIvq], receiver [rI'si:vq]
"You'll never teach these Europeans to be good citizens. It was his duty." Cooler brooded sadly over his glass. "It's an odd thing, Mr. Martins, with accidents. You'll never get two reports that coincide. Why, even I and Mr. Kurtz disagreed about details. The thing happens so suddenly, you aren't concerned to notice things, until bang crash, and then you have to reconstruct, remember. I expect he got too tangled up trying to sort out what happened before and what after, to distinguish the four of us."
"The four?"
"I was counting Harry. What else did he see, Mr. Martins?"
"Nothing of interest—except he says Harry was dead when he was carried to the house."