Dorothy Lucy Sayersová patří k trojhvězdí britských detektivkářek dvacátého století. Její hrdina, lord Petr Wimsey, je druhorozený syn vévodského rodu, aristokrat s překvapivou (až společensky pohoršující) zálibou v řešení zločinů. Jeho přístup k problému připomína Sherlocka Holmese, jeho velice specifický styl vyjadřování je "překladatelským oříškem" prvního řádu.
Povídka THE ABOMINABLE HISTORY OF THE MAN WITH COPPER FINGERS přináší jak ukázky popisných pasáží přímo dickensovských, tak monologické odstavce přímé řeči s náležitým dramatickým spádem - přece jen je to detektivka!
1. Přečtěte si úvodní text charaterizující Klub egoistů. Vžijte se do atmosféry a prostředí (Londýn na konci dvacátých let dvacátího století).
Vyberte klíčová slova, najděte neznámé výrazy ve slovníku, přeložte celou pasáž (termín 22.11.)
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THE ABOMINABLE HISTORY OF THE MAN WITH COPPER FINGERS
D. L. Sayers
The Egotists' Club is one of the most genial places in London. It is a place to which you may go when you want to tell that odd dream you had last night, or to announce what a good dentist you have discovered. You can write letters there if you like, and have the temperament of a Jane Austen, for there is no silence room, and it would be a breach of club manners to appear busy or absorbed when another member addresses you. You must not mention golf or fish, however, and, if the Hon. Freddy Arbuthnot's motion is carried at the next committee meeting (and opinion so far appears very favourable), you will not be allowed to mention wireless either. As Lord Peter Wimsey said when the matter was mooted the other day in the smoking-room, those are things you can talk about anywhere. Otherwise the club is not specially exclusive. Nobody is ineligible per se, except strong, silent men. Nominees are, however, required to pass certain tests, whose nature is sufficiently indicated by the fact that a certain distinguished explorer came to grief through accepting, and smoking, a powerful Trichinopoly cigar as an accompaniment to a '63 port. On the other hand, dear old Sir Roger Bunt (the coster millionaire who won the £20,000 ballot offered by the Sunday Shriek, and used it to found his immense catering business in the Midlands) was highly commended and unanimously elected after declaring frankly that beer and a pipe were all he really cared for in that way. As Lord Peter said again: "Nobody minds coarseness but one must draw the line at cruelty."
2. Přečtěte si následující úryvek a pokuste se nejprve charakterizovat styl promluvy anglických gentlemanů. Pak přeložte vyznačenou část textu.
The effect of Wimsey's voice on Varden had been extraordinary. He had leapt to his feet, and turned the lamp so as to light up Wimsey's face.
"Good evening, Mr. Varden," said Lord Peter. "I'm delighted to meet you again and to apologise for my unceremonious behaviour on the occasion of our last encounter."
Varden took the proffered hand, but was speechless.
"D'you mean to say, you mad mystery-monger, that you were Varden's Great Unknown?" demanded Bayes. "Ah, well," he added rudely, "we might have guessed it from his vivid description."
"Well, since you're here," said Smith-Hartington, the Morning Yell man, "I think you ought to come across with the rest of the story."
"Was it just a joke?" asked Judson.
"Of course not," interrupted Pettifer, before Lord Peter had time to reply. "Why should it be? Wimsey's seen enough queer things not to have to waste his time inventing them."
"That's true enough," said Bayes. "Comes of having deductive powers and all that sort of thing, and always sticking one's nose into things that are better not investigated."
"That's all very well, Bayes," said his lordship, "but if I hadn't just mentioned the matter to Mr. Varden that evening, where would he be?"
"Ah, where? That's exactly what we want to know," demanded Smith-Hartington. "Come on, Wimsey, no shirking; we must have the tale."
"And the whole tale," added Pettifer.
"And nothing but the tale," said Armstrong, dexterously whisking away the whisky-bottle and the cigars from under Lord Peter's nose. "Get on with it, old son. Not a smoke do you smoke and not a sup do you sip till Burd Ellen is set free."
"Brute!" said his lordship plaintively. "As a matter of fact," he went on, with a change of tone, "it's not really a story I want to get about. It might land me in a very unpleasant sort of position—manslaughter probably, and murder possibly."
"Gosh!" said Bayes.
"That's all right," said Armstrong, "nobody's going to talk. We can't afford to lose you from the club, you know. Smith-Hartington will have to control his passion for copy, that's all."
Pledges of discretion having been given all round, Lord Peter settled himself back and began his tale.
3. Dočtěte si celou povídku (k dispozici na capse) a vyberte si k překladu úryvek textu o přibližném rozsahu jedné normostrany (1800 znaků), obsahující především promluvu Lorda Petra. Termín odevzdání 29.11.2016.
