Читать интересную книгу Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса - Edgar Burroughs

carborundum ["kQ:bq'rAndqm], detailed ['di:teIld], topmost ['tOpmoust]

The walls of Zodanga are seventy-five feet in height and fifty feet thick. They are built of enormous blocks of carborundum, and the task of entering the city seemed, to my escort of green warriors, an impossibility. The fellows who had been detailed to accompany me were of one of the smaller hordes, and therefore did not know me.

Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked, I commanded two more to mount to their shoulders, and a sixth I ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two. The head of the topmost warrior towered over forty feet from the ground.

In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps (таким способом из десяти воинов я создал: «построил» последовательность из трех ступенек; series— ряд, последовательность) from the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man (от земли к плечам верхнего воина). Then starting from a short distance behind them (затем, разогнавшись с небольшого расстояния позади них) I ran swiftly up from one tier to the next (я быстро взбежал от одного яруса к другому), and with a final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest (и при последнем прыжке с широких плеч самого верхнего из них; bound— прыжок, скачок) I clutched the top of the great wall (я ухватился за верх большой стены) and quietly drew myself to its broad expanse (и бесшумно подтянулся на ее широкую поверхность). After me I dragged six lengths of leather (за собой я тянул шесть кусков кожаных ремней;length— длина; отрезок; leather— кожа, ремень) from an equal number of my warriors (/принадлежавших/ такому же числу моих воинов). These lengths we had previously fastened together (эти куски мы предварительно скрепили между собой), and passing one end to the topmost warrior (и, передав один конец верхнему воину) I lowered the other end cautiously (я осторожно опустил другой конец) over the opposite side of the wall toward the avenue below (на противоположную сторону стены на улицу внизу). No one was in sight (никого не было видно), so, lowering myself to the end of my leather strap (поэтому, спустившись до конца моего кожаного ремня), I dropped the remaining thirty feet to the pavement below (я спрыгнул с высоты оставшихся тридцати футов на землю).

clutch [klAtS], leather ['leDq], previously ['pri:vjqslI]

In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps from the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man. Then starting from a short distance behind them I ran swiftly up from one tier to the next, and with a final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest I clutched the top of the great wall and quietly drew myself to its broad expanse. After me I dragged six lengths of leather from an equal number of my warriors. These lengths we had previously fastened together, and passing one end to the topmost warrior I lowered the other end cautiously over the opposite side of the wall toward the avenue below. No one was in sight, so, lowering myself to the end of my leather strap, I dropped the remaining thirty feet to the pavement below.

I had learned from Kantos Kan the secret of opening these gates (я ранее узнал от Кантоса Кана секрет того, как открываются ворота), and in another moment my twenty great fighting men (и через мгновение двадцать моих могучих воинов) stood within the doomed city of Zodanga (стояли внутри обреченного города Зоданги).

I found to my delight (к своему восторгу я обнаружил) that I had entered at the lower boundary of the enormous palace grounds (что я вошел со стороны нижней границы огромной дворцовой территории). The building itself showed in the distance a blaze of glorious light (само здание сияло в отдалении морем великолепных огней; blaze — яркийсвет; blaze of lights — мореогней) and on the instant I determined to lead a detachment of warriors directly within the palace itself (и тотчас я решил повести отряд воинов прямо во дворец; on the instant — тотчас, втотжемомент), while the balance of the great horde was attacking the barracks of the soldiery (пока все остальное огромное племя будет атаковать казармы солдат).

doom [du:m], building ['bIldIN], detachment [dI'txtSmqnt]

I had learned from Kantos Kan the secret of opening these gates, and in another moment my twenty great fighting men stood within the doomed city of Zodanga.

I found to my delight that I had entered at the lower boundary of the enormous palace grounds. The building itself showed in the distance a blaze of glorious light, and on the instant I determined to lead a detachment of warriors directly within the palace itself, while the balance of the great horde was attacking the barracks of the soldiery.

Dispatching one of my men to Tars Tarkas for a detail of fifty Tharks (отправив одного из моих людей к Тарсу Таркасу за отрядом из пятидесяти тарков), with word of my intentions (с сообщением о моих намерениях), I ordered ten warriors to capture and open one of the great gates (я приказал десяти воинам захватить и открыть одни из больших ворот) while with the nine remaining I took the other (в то время как я с девятью оставшимися взял /на себя/ другие). We were to do our work quietly (мы должны были сделать нашу работу тихо), no shots were to be fired (не должно было быть сделано ни одного выстрела) and no general advance made (и не должно было быть общего наступления) until I had reached the palace with my fifty Tharks (пока я не подойду ко дворцу с моими пятьюдесятью тарками). Our plan worked to perfection (наш план сработал идеально; to perfection — всовершенстве). The two sentries we met were dispatched to their fathers (два стражника, которых мы встретили, были отправлены к праотцам) upon the banks of the lost sea of Korus (к берегам затерянного моря Корус), and the guards at both gates followed them in silence (а охранники у обоих ворот тихо последовали за ними вслед).

detail ['di:teIl], perfection [pq'fekS(q)n]

Dispatching one of my men to Tars Tarkas for a detail of fifty Tharks, with word of my intentions, I ordered ten warriors to capture and open one of the great gates while with the nine remaining I took the other. We were to do our work quietly, no shots were to be fired and no general advance made until I had reached the palace with my fifty Tharks. Our plan worked to perfection. The two sentries we met were dispatched to their fathers upon the banks of the lost sea of Korus, and the guards at both gates followed them in silence.

CHAPTER XXV (глава двадцать пятая)

THE LOOTING OF ZODANGA (разграбление Зоданги)

As the great gate where I stood swung open (когда большие ворота, у которых я стоял, распахнулись) my fifty Tharks, headed by Tars Tarkas himself (мои пятьдесят тарков, возглавляемые самим Тарсом Таркасом), rode in upon their mighty thoats (въехали внутрь на своих могучих тотах). I led them to the palace walls (я повел их к дворцовым стенам), which I negotiated easily without assistance (через которые я легко перебрался без посторонней помощи). Once inside, however (однако, как только /я попал/ внутрь), the gate gave me considerable trouble (ворота доставили мне большие затруднения), but I finally was rewarded by seeing it swing upon its huge hinges (но наконец я был вознагражден, увидев, как они поворачиваются на своих огромных петлях; hinge — шарнир, петля), and soon my fierce escort was riding across the gardens of the jeddak of Zodanga (и вскоре мой свирепый эскорт скакал через сады джеддака Зоданги).

As we approached the palace (когда мы приблизились ко дворцу) I could see through the great windows of the first floor (я смог заглянуть через большие окна первого этажа) into the brilliantly illuminated audience chamber of Than Kosis (в ярко освещенный зал для аудиенций Тана Косиса). The immense hall was crowded with nobles and their women (огромный зал был заполнен знатью и их женщинами), as though some important function was in progress (как будто происходила какая-то важная церемония; function — торжественнаяцеремония, торжество). There was not a guard in sight without the palace (ни одного стража не было видно за пределами дворца), due, I presume, to the fact that the city and palace walls were considered impregnable (благодаря тому факту, я полагаю, что стены города и дворца считались неприступными; impregnable — неприступный, неуязвимый), and so I came close and peered within (и поэтому я подошел поближе и заглянул внутрь).

negotiate [nI'gouSIeIt], reward [rI'wO:d], hinge [hIndZ], impregnable [Im'pregnqbl]

As the great gate where I stood swung open my fifty Tharks, headed by Tars Tarkas himself, rode in upon their mighty thoats. I led them to the palace walls, which I negotiated easily without assistance. Once inside, however, the gate gave me considerable trouble, but I finally was rewarded by seeing it swing upon its huge hinges, and soon my fierce escort was riding across the gardens of the jeddak of Zodanga.

As we approached the palace I could see through the great windows of the first floor into the brilliantly illuminated audience chamber of Than Kosis. The immense hall was crowded with nobles and their women, as though some important function was in progress. There was not a guard in sight without the palace, due, I presume, to the fact that the city and palace walls were considered impregnable, and so I came close and peered within.

At one end of the chamber (в одном конце зала), upon massive golden thrones encrusted with diamonds (на массивных золотых тронах, инкрустированных бриллиантами), sat Than Kosis and his consort (сидели Тан Косис и его супруга; consort — супруг, супруга), surrounded by officers and dignitaries of state (окруженные офицерами и государственными сановниками; dignitary — сановник). Before them stretched a broad aisle (перед ними простирался широкий проход; aisle— боковой неф храма; придел; проход /между рядами в театре, вагоне и т. п./) lined on either side with soldiery (по обеим сторонам которого выстроились в ряд солдаты; to line — выстраиватьвряд), and as I looked there entered this aisle at the far end of the hall (и когда я посмотрел, в этот проход вошла с дальнего конца зала), the head of a procession which advanced to the foot of the throne (передняя часть процессии, которая приблизилась к подножию трона).

First there marched four officers of the jeddak's Guard (первыми шли четыре офицера Стражи джеддака) bearing a huge salver (которые несли огромный поднос) on which reposed, upon a cushion of scarlet silk, a great golden chain with a collar and padlock at each end (на котором на подушке из алого шелка лежала огромная золотая цепь с ошейником и висячим замком на каждом конце; collar — воротник; ошейник; padlock — висячийзамок). Directly behind these officers came four others (прямо позади этих офицеров шли четверо других) carrying a similar salver (/которые/ несли похожий поднос) which supported the magnificent ornaments of a prince and princess of the reigning house of Zodanga (нагруженный: «который поддерживал…» великолепными украшениями принца и принцессы правящего дома Зоданга).

dignitary ['dIgnIt(q)rI], aisle [aIl], cushion [kuSn], padlock ['pxdlOk]

At one end of the chamber, upon massive golden thrones encrusted with diamonds, sat Than Kosis and his consort, surrounded by officers and dignitaries of state. Before them stretched a broad aisle lined on either side with soldiery, and as I looked there entered this aisle at the far end of the hall, the head of a procession which advanced to the foot of the throne.

First there marched four officers of the jeddak's Guard bearing a huge salver on which reposed, upon a cushion of scarlet silk, a great golden chain with a collar and padlock at each end. Directly behind these officers came four others carrying a similar salver which supported the magnificent ornaments of a prince and princess of the reigning house of Zodanga.