The Midnight Visitor Class 10 Questions and Answers
Read and find out (Page 14)
Question 1.
How is Ausable different from other secret agents ?
अजेबल दूसरे जासूसों से भिन्न किस प्रकार है ?
Answer:
Ausable was different from other secret agents only in appearance. he was very fat, sluggish and sloppy. But behind that appearance he had a very alert, intelligent sharp brain, remarkable presence of mind and a cool head-traits necessary for a successful spy.
Question 2.
Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
फाउलर कौन है ? उसका दिन का पहला पुष्टिकर रोमांस क्या था ?
Answer:
Fowler was a young ronamtic writer who wanted to study the real life of a spy. So, he went to meet Ausable, aspy. As Ausable switched on the light of his room, Fowler saw a man with a pointed pistol waiting in the room. This was the first authentic thrill of the day for him.
(Page 15) :
Question 1.
How has Max got in ?
मैक्स अन्दर कैसे आता है ?
Answer:
Max has got in the room by using a passkey for unlocking Ausable’s room.
Question 2.
How does Ausable say he got in ?
अजेबल क्या कहता है कि वह कैसे अन्दर आया ?
Answer:
Aasable says that he has got into the room through the balcony that belongs to the next apartment.
Textbook Questions
Think about it :
Question 1.
“Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James Bond ?)
“फाउलर ने जितने वृतान्त जासूसों के पढ़े आजेबल उनमें कहीं फिट नहीं होता था।” किताबों और फिल्मों में आपके विचार में जासूस कैसे दिखते हैं? समूहों अथवा कक्षा में कुछ कहानियाँ व फिल्में जिनमें जासूस हों, चर्चा करो और उनकी रूपरेखा की आजेबल के साथ तुलना करो। (अंग्रेजी के अलावा दूसरी भाषाओं की कहानियों का भी जिक्र कर सकते हो। अंग्रेजी में आपने शर्लक होम्स, हरक्यूल पॉयरट अथवा मिस मोर्पल की कहानियाँ देखी/पढ़ी होंगी क्या आपने जेम्स बॉन्ड की फिल्में देखी हैं ?)
Answer:
The detectives or secret agents of fiction and films I have read and seen are attractive and pleasing personalities. Almost all of them are slim, active, smart, dare devils, young persons. They are intelligent, alert and have presence of mind who can handle any situation successfully.
They can operate all kinds of weapons, drive all kinds of vehicles even aeroplanes. They are good jumpers, climbers, runners and fighters. They can encounter or attack a group of enemies single handed. In short, they can do anything to achieve their mission.
There is no doubt that Ausable does not fit any description of a secret agent as far as outer appearance is concerned. He is very fat, slow, sluggish and sloppy. But otherwise he has all the traits of a good spy. He is aleart intelligence, has presence of mind and manipulats situation in his favour. The fact that he out witted Max and got rid of him proves it.
Question 2.
How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?
आजेबल मैक्स को कैसे विश्वास दिलाता है कि उसके कमरे से एक छज्जा जुड़ा है ? इसके विस्तृत वृतान्त को फिर से देखो। क्या बात इसे युक्तिसंगत कहानी बनाती है ?
Answer:
The detailed description Ausable gives of the balcony and the story he fabricates around it and the anger he shows towards the manager for paying no attention to his complaint, his statement, “This is the second time in a month that somebody has got into my room through that nuisance of a balcony”- all these make his story of balcony look convincing and true.
Question 3.
Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max ? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?
कहानी को पुनः देखते हुए आपके विचार में आजेबल ने मैक्स से छुटकारा पाने की योजना कब बनाई ? आपके विचार में उसने शुरू से ही विस्तार में सारी योजना बना रखी थी अथवा उसने घटनाएं जैसे घर्टी उनसे लाभ उठाते हुए योजना बनाई ?
Answer:
Ausable thought the plan of getting rid of Max when he encountered him in his room. He showed a little surprise but he was not scared. Keeping cool, showing presence of mind, he quickly worked out the details how to get rid of Max. He would first suggest an escape, then scare Max and force him to escape.
He had ordered the drinks to be brought to his room. The waiter was supposed to come anytime. He would exploit that event to scare Max by mentioning that it was the police whom he had called for extra protection. Max would like to escape the police.
To escape he framed the convincing story of the balcony. He told Max that he must have entered his room through the balcony attached to his room. Twice in a month someone had entered through the balcony under his window. And that he was very angry with the management for not attending to his complaint. It was pitch dark outside. He took advantage of it and indirectly suggested Max the way to an easy escape.
Then there was a knock at the door by the waiter. He told Max that it must be the police whom he had called for extra protection and security. Max got scared and jumped through the window onto the so called balcony and met his end. Thus we see that Ausable had worked out the details right from the beginning.
Additional questions extract based questions
Answer the questions that follow the extracts in 30-40 words :
1. “You are disappointed”, Ausable said wheezily over his shoulder. “You were told that I was a secret agent, a spy, dealing in espionage and danger. You wished to meet me, because you are a writer, young and romantic. You envisioned mysterious figures in the night, the crack of pistols, drugs in the wine.”
Question i.
Who does Ausable address here? Why?
Answer:
Ausable addresses Fowler here. Fowler, the young writer, wanted to meet Ausable. To his surprise, Ausable did not look like a secret agent. He was a fat sloppy man. Also, that evening, Fowler had to spend a dull evening in a French music hall with Ausable.
Question ii.
How did usable look?
Answer:
Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent. He was very fat and spoke French and German with an Amercian accent.
2. And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.
Question i.
Who was Fowler? What was the first authentic thrill that Fowler had?
Answer:
Fowler was a young writer who wanted to meet the secret agent Ausable. But surprisingly, Ausable was in a French music hall. After spending time there, they both returned to Ausable’s room. On opening it, they were encountered by a man holding a pistol. That was the thrill.
Question ii.
Who was the man standing with a pistol? Why had he come there?
Answer:
The man with the pistol in hand was Max. He too was a secret agent. He had come there to get the important report that Ausable was to get that day by threatening him.
3. “Max,” he wheezed, “you gave me quite a start. I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing here in my room ?
Question i.
What did the person mean by ‘quite a start’? What made him say thus?
Answer:
Ausable said this to Max, another secret agent, who had come to his room with a pistol to threaten him give away the important report he was expecting that night.
Question ii.
As asked by Ausable, what was Max doing in his room?
Answer:
Max, who was also a secret agent like Ausable, had sneaked into his room. He had come there secretly to take away the important report that Ausable ws expecting from the police that night.
4. Ausable moved to an armchair and sat down heavily. “I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time, and you can bet on it,” he said grimly. “This is the second time in a month that somebody has got into my room through that nuisance of a balcony!” Fowler’s eyes went to the single window of the room. It was an ordinary window, against which now the night was pressing blackly.
Question i.
What was the issue with balcony that Ausable was referring to?
Answer:
There was no balcony in the room. Ausable was deliberately making a fool of Max to make him believe that there is a balcony in the room. So, he tried to make an issue of the balcony being a nuisance as anybody could get into the room through that.
Question ii.
What was Fowler’s reaction to Ausable’s words?
Answer:
Fowler was eager to look at the said balcony, for he could see only the single window of the room, which looked ordinary.
Short answer type questions
Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words.
Question 1.
How did Ausable befool Max about the balcony ?
Answer:
Ausable was a very intelligent spy agent. When he found Max waiting for him in his room, he immediately thought of the plan. He told Max that there is a balcony from where people enter in his room that Max must have also entered from there. Max got convinced about the story and hence when someone knocked at the door, he ran towards the balcony to hide and died.
Question 2.
What made the story of balcony so convincing ?
Answer:
Ausable showed his annoyance for the nuisance created by the balcony. He said that this was the second time that someone had got into his room through it. He also said that the balcony was not his but belongs to the next apartment and earlier his room used to be a part of a large unit.
Question 3.
How and why did Max come inside Ausable’s room?
Answer:
Max had come into the room using a pass key. He had come to get the secret report about some new missiles which, he was sure, was with Ausable.
Question 4.
Who was Max ? Why did he enter Ausable’s room secretly?
Answer:
Max was a secret agent of a different agency than that of Ausable’s. He entered Ausable’s room with the help of a passkey. His purpose was to seize the important papers about missiles at gun point from Ausable who was to get them at midnight.
Question 5.
How did Max go out of Ausable’s room to save himself from the police ?
Answer:
Max was very nervous to find the police at the door. He went out of the window saying that he would wait in the balcony. He warned Ausable to send them away or he would shoot him. Max did not confirm about the balcony and stepped out of the window and died.
Question 6.
How did Ausable kill Max without using a weapon ?
Answer:
Ausable was an intelligent spy. When he found Max waiting for him in his room, he made a story of a balcony under his window. He convinced Max about the balcony. And thus, when someone knocked at the door, Max fearing it to be the police, jumped out of the window and died.
Question 7.
How was Ausable different from the other secret agents ?
Answer:
Ausable, unlike other secret agents, was very fat with an accent of both French and German. Fowler was expecting a smart and active agent having messages slipped into his hand by a dark beauty. Whereas, Ausable received a telephone call making an appointment in his room.
Question 8.
What story did Ausable cook up to confuse Max ?
Answer:
Ausable confused Max by framing a story about a balcony under his window. He told Max that it was being used by people for entering his room secretly. Max believed the false story. When he heard the knock at the door and was told that it was the police, he jumped through the window to hide on the balcony but fell from the sixth floor and met his end.
Question 9.
Why was Ausable confident that Max would never return?
Answer:
Believing Ausable’s story about the balcony to be true, Max stepped out of the window. Ausable, however, had concocted a very convincing story, and knew that what awaited him was a drop from the sixth floor. Hence, he was confident that Max would never return.
Question 10.
Did Ausable know that it was the waiter who knocked at the door?
Answer:
Of course, he knew that it was the waiter who knocked at the door because he had ordered drinks to be brought to his room. But to get rid of Max he told him that it was the police whom he had called to check the security arrangements during the delivery of the secret papers.
Question 11.
Did Max really deserve to get a chance to accomplish a risky task? Why/Why not? .
Answer:
I do not believe that Max deserved a chance to accomplish a risky task, as he was neither very smart, nor very intelligent. He did not even look threatening to Fowler except for his gun. A spy without these apparent qualities will most likely be a failure.
Question 12.
Why did Fowler come to meet Ausable ? Was he able to achieve his target ?
Answer:
Fowler was a young and romantic writer. He had come to see Ausable to know about the life of a secret agent. Fowler was fascinated by them and thought of them as mysterious and romantic. He was not able to achieve his target as Ausable was a boring man.
Question 13.
Why did so many people risk their lives ?
Answer:
Ausable had received a paper which had certain important information about new missiles. The paper was so important that several men and women had risked their lives to get it.
Question 14.
Why did Fowler feel let down when he met Ausable ?
Answer:
Fowler felt let down and disappointed to meet Ausable. He had a different picture of a secret agent in his mind. He thought they should look to be very mysterious and romantic but he found Ausable a very fat and boring man.
Long answer type questions
Answer the following questions in 100-150 words.
Question 1.
With reference to “The Midnight Visitor do you think presence of mind should be developed and to what advantage ? Elaborate highlighting the values possessed by Ausable.
Or
Presence of mind and intelligence are more powerful than a gun. How far is it true in the case of Ausable, the secret agent ?
Answer:
Max lay in wait for Ausable to steal the important paper from him. As Fowler observed, apart from the pointed gun he didn’t look very menacing. Even this proved useless for him as Ausable outwitted him with his presence of mind and intelligence.
Ausable cleverly found out how Max had entered the room, and created an extremely believable story about a non-existent balcony. He kept calm, and, hearing the waiter knock, declared it to be the police. Max, in an attempt to hide, fell to his death. Thus, Ausable got rid of Max without moving a muscle.
Question 2.
How can you say that Fowler’s visit to Ausable was a thrilling experience for Fowler?
Or
Why was Fowler disillusioned to meet Ausable a secret agent in the beginning? What happened in the end ?
Answer:
- Fowler was a young writer. He had a romantic image of a spy and spying. When he met Ausable, a fat, sloppy, sluggish secret agent, he felt disappointed.
- His romantic image shattered. Then he watched Ausable tackle Max-a rival secret agent.
- Ausable was to be delivered very important papers having secret information about missiles. Max wanted to seize them at pistol point. Keeping his cool and presence of mind.
- Ausable planned how to get rid of him. He convinced Max that there was a balcony under the window of his room which could be used as an escape route.
- When waiter knocked at his door, he said, it was police whom he had called for security check.
- Frightened Max jumped through the window, fell from the sixth floor and died. There was no balcony in reality.
I think Fowler was happy and satisfied at the end. - He could witness a real, exciting thrill having drama, danger, suspense, mystery, death everything and also how a successful, good spy deals with a danger.
Question 3.
Pride before a fall, befits Max, who said “I will get it back tonight.” Was he successful? What lesson can be learnt from this ?
Answer:
Max was a spy who was overconfident and too proud. His pride blinded him, and he thought that wielding a gun would give a further edge over the seemingly slow Ausable. However, despite this apparent pride and confidence, Max was utterly unsuccessful. Ausable outwitted him without lifting a finger. Max, in fact, jumped to his own death by taking Ausable’s words at face value. Thus, one learns that one should not be proud and must pay attention to the finer details before attempting to do anything.
Question 4.
Who was the ‘Midnight Visitor’? Why did he visit Ausable ? Was he successful in his mission ?
Answer:
- Max, a rival secret agent was Ausable’s midnight visitor.
- He had come to know that some secret papers about the new missiles were to be delivered to Ausable at 12.30 that night.
- He wanted to seize those papers at gun point from Ausable.
- Ausable through his presence of mind, intelligence and cleverness got rid of Max easily.
- He told him about the balcony under his window.
- When Max heard a knock at the door Ausable told him that it was the police whom he had called for the extra protection of the papers.
- In fact, Ausable had ordered drinks and it was the waiter with the drinks knocking at the door.
- There was neither police nor the balcony. Ausable used the false story to mislead Max.
- Poor fellow jumped through the window not on the balcony but on the ground from the sixth floor. Thus, Max lost his life and with him died his mission.
Complete text with hindi translation :
Text (Page-14) : Ausable, a secret agent, is expecting to get a very important report. Another secret agent, Max, threatens him with a pistol, demanding the report. Does Ausable outwit him?
Vocabulary:
- secret agent (सीक्रेट एजेन्ट) detective/ spy गुप्तचर, जासूस।
- Threatens (धैटन्स) attempts to menace धमकी देता है।
अनुवाद : अजेबल जो एक जासूस है। वह बहुत ही महत्त्वपूर्ण रिपोर्ट पाने की आशा कर रहा है। मैक्स, एक दूसरा जासूस, बन्दूक की धमकी देकर इस रिपोर्ट को माँगता है। क्या अजेबल उसे अपनी बुद्धि से मात देता है?
Text (Page-14): Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read. Following him down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a room, Fowler felt let down. It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor, and scarcely a setting for a romantic adventure.
Vocabulary :
- musty (मस्टी) – bad smelling दुर्गन्धपूर्ण
- corridor (कॉरिडोर) – gallery, covered verandah गलियारा
- gloomy (ग्लूमी) – sad, semi-dark उदास, कम प्रकाश वाला
- scarcely (स्केयरसिली) – hardly कठिनाई से
- romantic (रोमांटिक) – fanciful, imaginative काल्पनिक, रोमांचकारी
अनुवाद : फाउलर ने जो पढ़ा था उसमें आजेबल एक गुप्तचर के वर्णन में फिट नहीं बैठता था। एक उदासीयुक्त फ्रेंच होटल के दुर्गन्धपूर्ण गलियारे में उसके पीछे चलते हुए यहाँ आजेबल ने कमरा ले रखा था, उसे निराशा सी हुई। छोटा-सा कमरा था, सबसे ऊपर की छठी मंजिल पर था, वह किसी रोमांटिक साहसिक कार्य के लिए उपयुक्त स्थान नहीं दिखता था।
Text (Page-14): Ausable was, for one thing, fat. Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.
Vocabulary :
- accent (एक्सेंट) – stress on certain syllable or word बोलने का लहजा
- passably (पासेबली) – tolerably well कामचलाऊ
- wheezily (व्हीजीली) – audibly breathing शब्द युक्त श्वास लेते हुए
अनुवाद : आजेबल बहुत मोटा था और फिर उसका उच्चारण या स्वर का आरोह-अवरोह भी अलग था। यद्यपि वह फ्रेंच तथा जर्मन भाषाएँ कामचलाऊ तरीके से बोल लेता था, उसका अमरीकी बोलने का तरीका जिसे वह बोस्टन से पेरिस कोई 20 वर्ष पूर्व लाया था, अभी पूरी तरह से बदला नहीं था।
Text (Page-14): “You are disappointed,” Ausable said wheezily over his shoulder. “You were told that I .was a secret agent, a spy, dealing in espionage and danger. You wished to meet me because you are a writer, young and romantic. You envisioned mysterious figures in the night, the crack of pistols, drugs in the wine.”
Vocabulary :
- disappointed (डिसअपआंटिड) – frustrated, lost hope निराश हो गए
- spy (स्पाई) – detective, secret agent जासूस, गुप्तचर
- espionage (एसपिओनेज) – the act of spying जासूसी
- mysterious (मिस्टीरियस) – full of mystery/secret रहस्यपूर्ण
- envisiond (एनविजन्ड) – make picture in mind
अनुवाद : “तुम्हें निराशा हुई”, आजेबल कंधे के ऊपर से शब्द युक्त श्वास लेते हुए बोला। “तुम्हें बताया गया था कि मैं एक गुप्तचर हूँ, खुफिया विभाग का कर्मी, जिसका काम है गुप्त भेदों की जानकारी प्राप्त करना। तुम मुझसे मिलना चाहते थे क्योंकि तुम लेखक हो, युवा तथा रोमांटिक । तुमने रात्रि में रहस्यपूर्ण आकृतियों, पिस्तौल की आवाजें तथा मदिरा में नशीला द्रव्य मिलाए जाने के मन में चित्र बनाये होंगे।”
Text (Page-14): “Instead, you have spent a dull evening in a French music hall with a sloppy fat man who, instead of having messages slipped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties, gets only a prosaic telephone call making an appointment in his room. You have been bored !” The fat man chuckled to himself as he unlocked the door of his room and stood aside to let his frustrated guest enter.
Vocabulary :
- sloppy (स्लोपी) – careless/not fine लापरवाह, अव्यवस्थित
- appointment (अपायंटमेन्ट) – fixed meeting निश्चित मुलाकात
- chuckled (चक्कल्ड) – laughed within अन्दर ही अन्दर हँसा
- frustrated (फ्रस्ट्रेटिड) – disappointed निराश हुए
अनुवाद : इसके बजाय तुम्हें एक फ्रेंच संगीत हाल में नीरश शाम बितानी पड़ी है एक लापरवाह मोटे व्यक्ति के साथ जिसके हाथ में काली आँखों वाली सुन्दरियाँ कोई संदेश नहीं देती, उसे साधारण टेलीफोन काल आती है कि कमरे में मिलने आ रहे हैं। तुम बोर हो गए हो।” मोटा व्यक्ति हँसा जब उसने अपने कमरे का दरवाजा खोला तथा एक किनारे हट गया ताकि उसका हताश अतिथि प्रवेश कर ले।
Text (Pages-14 – 15) : “You are disillusioned,” Ausable told him. “But take cheer, my young friend. Presently you will see a paper, a quite important paper for which several men and women have risked their lives, come to me. Some day soon that paper may well affect the course of history. In that thought is drama, is there not ?” As he spoke, Ausable closed the door behind him. Then he switched on the light.
And as the light came on, Fowler has his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man. Ausable blinked a few times.
Vocabulary:
- disillusioned (डिसइल्यूजैन्ड) – saw the’ truth, got free from illusion भ्रांति समाप्त हुई
- cheer (चीयर) – happy खुश हो जाओ
- presently (प्रेजेंटली) soon शीघ्र ही
- risked (रिस्क्ड) – put into danger खतरे में डालना
- authentic (आथेन्टिक) – reliable, proved प्रामाणिक
- blinked (ब्लिंक्ड) – closed and opened eyes आँख झपकी
अनुवाद : “तुम्हारी भाँति खत्म हो गई”, आजेबल ने उसे बताया। “पर उदास मत हो, युवा मित्र। शीघ्र ही तुम्हें एक महत्त्वपूर्ण दस्तावेज देखने को मिलेगा, जिसे पाने के लिए अनेक व्यक्तियों ने अपनी जानें जोखम में डालीं, वह कागज मेरे पास आने वाला है। कुछ ही दिनों में वह कागज इतिहास को प्रभावित कर देगा। इस विचार में ड्रामा का पुट है, है न ?”
बोलते-बोलते आजेबल ने दरवाजा बंद कर दिया। फिर उसने बिजली जलाई। और जैसे ही प्रकाश हुआ, फाउलर को अपने जीवन का पहला प्रामाणिक रोमांच हुआ। क्योंकि कमरे के बीच में एक व्यक्ति हाथ में स्वचालित पिस्तौल ताने खड़ा था। आजेबल ने कुछ बार आँखें झपकाईं।
Text (Page-15) : “Max,” he wheezed, “you gave me quite a start. I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing in my room?”
Vocabulary :
- wheezed (वीज्ड) breathed nosily आवाज के साथ साँस लेना।
अनुवाद : “मैक्स”, वह नाक से आवाज निकालते स्वर में बोला, “तुमने तो मुझे डरा ही दिया। मैंने तो सोचा था तुम बर्लिन गए हुए हो। तुम मेरे कमरे में क्या कर रहे हो।”
Max was slender, not tall, and with a face that suggested the look of a fox. There was about him aside from the gun-nothing especially menancing.
Vocabulary :
- slender (स्लन्डर) – slim पतला
- suggested (सजेस्टेड) – indicated संकेत, सुझाव दे रहा था
- menancing (मेनेनसिंग) – threatening धमकाने वाला।
अनुवाद : मैक्स इकहरे बदन का, छोटे कद का, लोमड़ी की आँख वाला व्यक्ति था। बन्दूक को छोड़कर उसके विषय में कुछ ऐसा नहीं था जो डराने वाला हो।
Text (Page-15) : “The report,” he murmured. “The report that is being brought to you tonight concerning some new missiles. I thought I would take it from you. It will be safer in my hands than in yours.”
Vocabulary :
- murmured (मरमर्ड) – whispered फुसफुसाया
- concerning (कन्सनिंग) – related to से सम्बन्धित
- missiles (मिसाइल्स) – remote.controlled weapon प्रक्षेपास्त्र
अनुवाद : “रिपोर्ट”, वह बोला। “वह रिपोर्ट जो आज रात तुम्हारे पास नयी मिसाइलों के बारे में आने वाली है, मैंने सोचा कि वह कागज मैं ले लूँ। तुम्हारे पास रहने की अपेक्षा वह कागज मेरे पास अधिक सुरक्षित
Text (Page-16): Ausable moved to an armchair and sat down heavily. “I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time, I am angry,” he said grimly. “This is he second time in a month that somebody has got into my room through that nuisance of a balcony !” Fowler’seyes went to the single window of the room. It was an ordinary window, against which now the night was pressing blackly.
Vocabulary :
- raise the devil (रेज द डेविल) – complain seriously गम्भीरता से शिकायत करना
- nuisance (न्यूसेन्स) – annoying action सताने वाला कार्य, क्लेशपूर्ण कार्य
- grimly (ग्रिमली) – seriously, angrily गुस्से से, गम्भीरता. से।
अनुवाद : आजेवल एक आराम कुर्सी पर जाकर धम्म से बैठ गया। “मैं इस बार प्रबंधकों से लड़ पडूंगा। मैं बहुत नाराज हूँ”, उसने कठोरतापूर्वक कहा। “एक माह में यह दूसरा मौका है कि कोई मेरे कमरे में घुस आया उस बालकनी की मदद से।” फाउलर की दृष्टि कमरे की उस अकेली खिड़की की ओर मुड़ी, अब उस पर रात का अंधकार अपनी चादर बिछा रहा था।
Text (Page-16) : “Balcony?” Max. said, with a rising inflection. “No, a passkey. I did not know about the balcony. It might have saved me some trouble had I known.”
Vocabulary :
- curiously (क्यूरियसली) anxiously उत्सुकता से
- passkey (पासकी) master key सब तालों को खोलने वाली चाबी
‘अनुवाद : “बालकनी?” मैक्स ने आवाज़ ऊँची करते हुए कहा। “नहीं, एक पास मास्टर चाबी मुझे बालकनी के बारे में मालूम नहीं,
अगर मुझे मालूम होता तो इसने मुझे कुछ मुसीबत से बचा लिया होता।”
Text (Page-16): “It’s not my balcony,” Ausable said with extreme irritation. “It belongs to the next apartment.” He glanced explanatorily at Fowler. “You see,” he said, “this room used to be part of a large unit, and the next room–through that door thereused to be the living room. It had the balcony, which extends under my window now. You can get onto it from the empty room next door, and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it ofl. But they haven’t.”
Vocabulary :
- explanatorily (एक्सप्लेनेटोरीली) – explaining समझाते हुए
- unit (यूनिट) – single body इकाई
- extends (ऐक्सटेंड) – spreads over फैली, बढ़ी हुई है
- block off (ब्लाक ऑफ) – close बन्द करना
अनुवाद : “यह छज्जा मेरा नहीं है”, आजेबल ने खीजते हुए कहा। यह अगले घर का है।” उसने फाउलर की ओर स्पष्ट करने वाली दृष्टि से देखा। “देखो”, वह बोला, यह कमरा एक बड़े मकान का भाग हुआ करता था और अगला कमरा जिसका दरवाजा वह रहा प्रमुख कमरा हुआ करता था उसका छज्जा था, जो अब मेरी खिड़की के नीचे तक आया है। खाली कमरे के अगले दरवाजे से छज्जे पर पहुँचा जा सकता है और किसी व्यक्ति ने पिछले माह ही ऐसा किया था। प्रबंधकों ने वायदा किया है कि वह इसे बंद कर देंगे। पर उन्होंने अभी तक ऐसा नहीं किया है।
Text (Page-16): Max glanced at Fowler, who was standing stiftly a few feet from Ausable, and waved the gun with a commanding gesture. “Please sit, down, he said, “We have a wait of half an hour, I think.”
Vocabulary:
- glanced (ग्लांस्ड) – looked देखा
- stiffly (स्टिफली) – rigidly अकड़कर
- commanding gesture (कमांडिंग जेस्चर) – movement showing order आदेशात्मक ढंग से, भाव से
अनुवाद : मैक्स ने फाउलर की ओर देखा जो तनाव में आजेवल से कुछ फुट दूर खड़ा था और उसने आदेश के भाव से बन्दूक घुमाई।”कृपया बैठ जाइए। लगता है हमें आधा घंटा और प्रतीक्षा करनी होगी।”
Text (Page-16) : “Thirty-one minutes,” Ausable said moodily. “The appointment was for twelve thirty. I wish I knew how you learned about the report, Max.”
Vocabulary :
- moodily (मूडीली) – gloomily, in bad temper उदासीन व गुस्से के भाव से।
अनुवाद : “31 मिनट” आजेबल ने उदासीन व गुस्से के भाव से कहा, “आने का समय 12.30 निश्चित किया गया था। काश मुझे पता __ होता कि मैक्स, तुम्हें रिपोर्ट की जानकारी किस प्रकार मिली।”
Text (Page-16): The little spy smiled evilly. “And we wish we knew how your people got the report. But, no harm has been done. I will get it back tonight. What is that? Who is at the door?
Vocabulary :
- evilly (इविली) – mischievously शरारती ढंग से।
अनुवाद : छोटा गुप्तचर कुटिलतापूर्वक मुस्कुराया। “और हमारी कामना है कि हम जानते कि तुम्हारे आदमियों को यह रिपोर्ट किस प्रकार मिल गई। पर कोई नुकसान नहीं हुआ है। मैं आज रात ही इसे वापस ले लूँगा। यह क्या है ? द्वार पर कौन है ?”
Text (Page-16): Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door. Ausable just smiled. “That will be the police,” he said. “I thought that such an important paper as the one we are waiting for should have a little extra protection. I told them to check on me to make sure everything was all right.”
Vocabulary :
- protection (प्रोटैक्शन) – safety सुरक्षा।
अनुवाद : फाऊलर दरवाजे पर खटखट सुनकर उछल पड़ा। आजेबल मात्र मुस्कुराया। यह पुलिस होगी। उसने कहा। “मैंने सोचा कि जिस महत्त्वपर्ण कागज जिसकी हम प्रतीक्षा कर रहे हैं उसे अतिरिक्त सरक्षा मिलनी चाहिए। इस कारण मैंने ही पलिस को बता दिया था आकर निरीक्षण कर लें कि मेरे यहाँ सब ठीक-ठाक है।”
Text (Page-16): Max bit his lip nervously. The knocking was repeated. “What will you do now. Max?” Ausable asked, “If I do not answer the door, they will enter anyway. The door is unlocked. And they will not hesitate to shoot.”
Vocabulary :
- nervously (नवसली) – डर से घबराकर
- hesitate (हैजीटेट) – feel uncertain हिचकिचाना
अनुवाद : मैक्स ने घबरा कर अपना होंठ काट लिया। खटखट दोबारा हुई। अब तुम क्या करोगे, मैक्स? आजेबल ने पूछा, “यदि मैं द्वार नहीं खोलता तो वे लोग किसी न किसी प्रकार घुस आएंगे ही। द्वार पर ताला नहीं लगा है। ओर वे लोग गोली मारने में भी संकोच नहीं करेंगे।”
Text (Page-16) : Max’s face was black with anger as he backed swiftly towards the window. He swung a leg over the sill. “Send them away !”he warned. “I will wait on the balcony. Send them away or I’ll shoot and take my chances!”
Vocabulary:
- swiftly (स्विफटली) – quickly, with fast speed तेजी से
- warned (वार्नड) – cautioned चेतावनी दी
अनुवाद : मैक्स का चेहरा क्रोध से काला पड़ गया। वह तेज गति से पीछे खिड़की की ओर खिसकने लगा, उसने एक टाँग खिड़की की चौखट पर लटकाई। “इन्हें जल्दी ही रवाना कर देना।” उसने चेतावनी दी।”मैं छज्जे पर प्रतीक्षा करता हूँ। उन्हें शीघ्र भगा देना अन्यथा मैं गोली मार दूंगा और भागने का मौका तलाश करूँगा।”
Text (Pages-16-17) : The knocking at the door became louder and a voice was raised “Mr. Ausable ! Mr. Ausable !” Keeping his body twisted so that his gun still covered the fat man and his guest the man at the window grasped the frame with his free hand to support himself. Then he swung his other leg up and over the window-sill.
Vocabulary :
- twisted (टविस्टिड) – turned/folded मोड़कर रखते हुए
- grasped (ग्रास्ड) – took hold of पकड़ी
- swung (स्वंग) – moved उछाली
- window sill (विन्डो सिल) – shelf of window खिड़की की दहलीज
अनुवाद : दरवाजे पर खटखट तेज हो गई तथा एक आवाज आई “श्रीमान आजेबल, श्रीमान आजेबल।” अपना शरीर मरोड़े हुए ताकि उसकी बन्दूक उस मोटे आदमी और उसके मेहमान को जो खिड़की पर खड़ा था, अपने बन्दूक के निशाने पर बनाए रखे, उसने अपने खाली हाथ से खिडकी की चौखट अपने सहारे के लिए पकड़ ली। फिर उसने अपनी दूसरी टाँग ऊपर उठाई तथा खिड़की की दहलीज पर रख ली।
Text (Page-17): The doorknob turned. Swiftly Max pushed with his left hand to free himself from the sill and drop to the balcony. And then as he dropped, he screamed once, shrilly.
Vocabulary:
- doorknob (डोर नॉब) – handle of door दरवाजे की मूठ
- screamed (स्क्रीम्ड) – shouted in loud ery चीखा
- shrilly (श्रिली) – sharp and loud तीखे/ऊँचे स्वर में
अनुवाद : दरवाजे की मूंठ घूमी। शीघ्रता से मैक्स ने अपने बाएँ हाथ से धक्का देकर स्वयं को खिड़की की चौखट से मुक्त किया ताकि छज्जे पर उतर जाए। जैसे ही गिरा। उसने तीखे ऊँचे स्वर में धीख मारी।
Text (Page-17): The door opened and a waiter stood there with a tray, a bottle and two glasses. “Here is the drink you ordered for when you returned” he said, and set the tray on the table, deftly uncorked the bottle, and left the room.
Vocabulary :
- deftly (डैफ्टली) – skilfully कुशलतापूर्वक
- uncorked (अनकोर्कड) – opened the cork बोतल का डाटं खोला।
अनुवाद : दरवाजा खुला ओर वेटर ट्रे में एक बोतल और दो गिलास लेकर खड़ा हुआ था।” श्रीमान, यह रहा पेय जिसका आपने आदेश दिया था।” उसने ट्रे को मेज पर रखा, बोतल का डाट कुशलतापूर्वक खोला और चला गया।
Text (Page-17) : White-faced Fowler started after him. “But…” he stammered, “the police…”
“There were no police.” Ausable sighed. “Only Henry, whom I was expecting.” “But won’t that man out on the balcony?” Fowler began.
“No,” said Ausable, “he won’t return. You see, my young friend, there is no balcony.”
Vocabulary :
- stammered (स्टैर्ड) – stuttered हकलाया
- sighed (साइंड) – take a deep breath that can be heard गहरी साँस ली, आह भरी
अनुवाद : रक्तहीन चेहरे के साथ काँपता हुआ, फाउलर उस बेटर के बाद शुरू हुआ। “पर, पर”, पुलिस?” वह हकलाया। “यहाँ कोई पुलिस नहीं थी।”, आजेबल ने गहरी साँस ली। “केवल हैनरी जिसकी मैं उम्मीद कर रहा था।” । “पर छज्जे पर उतरे व्यक्ति क्या नहीं…?” फाउलर ने बात शुरू की। “नहीं”, आजेबल ने कहा, “वह अब वापस नहीं आएगा।”