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

gratitude ['grxtItju:d], outweigh [aut'weI], anxiously ['xNkSqslI], companionship [kqm'pxnIqnSIp], considerable [kqn'sIdrqbl], disappointed ["dIsq'pOIntId]

It also occurred to me that this would prove an excellent opportunity to test the qualities of Woola. I was convinced that the brute loved me; I had seen more evidences of affection in him than in any other Martian animal, man or beast, and I was sure that gratitude for the acts that had twice saved his life would more than outweigh his loyalty to the duty imposed upon him by cruel and loveless masters.

As I approached the boundary line Woola ran anxiously before me, and thrust his body against my legs. His expression was pleading rather than ferocious, nor did he bare his great tusks or utter his fearful guttural warnings. Denied the friendship and companionship of my kind, I had developed considerable affection for Woola and Sola, for the normal earthly man must have some outlet for his natural affections, and so I decided upon an appeal to a like instinct in this great brute, sure that I would not be disappointed.

I had never petted nor fondled him (я никогда не баловал и не ласкал его; to pet — баловать, ласкать; to fondle — ласкать, нежнопоглаживать), but now I sat upon the ground and putting my arms around his heavy neck (но теперь я сел на землю и, обхватив его массивную шею руками) I stroked and coaxed him (я гладил и уговаривал его; to stroke — гладить; to coax — уговаривать, задабривать), talking in my newly acquired Martian tongue (разговаривая на недавно освоенном мною марсианском языке; newly — недавно, толькочто; to acquire — приобретать, осваивать) as I would have to my hound at home (так, как я разговаривал бы со своей собакой дома), as I would have talked to any other friend among the lower animals (как я разговаривал бы с любым другим другом среди низших животных). His response to my manifestation of affection was remarkable to a degree (его реакция на мое проявление любви была просто удивительной; degree — ступень, степень; to a degree — значительно, очень), he stretched his great mouth to its full width (он широко: «на полную ширину» разинул свою огромную пасть), baring the entire expanse of his upper rows of tusks (полностью обнажив весь верхний ряд клыков: «обнажив все пространство своего верхнего ряда клыков»; expanse — пространство, протяжение) and wrinkling his snout until his great eyes were almost hidden by the folds of flesh (и сморщил свой нос так, что его огромные глаза почти скрылись под складками плоти; snout— рыло; морда /животного/). If you have ever seen a collie smile (если вы когда-нибудь видели, как улыбается колли) you may have some idea of Woola's facial distortion (вы можете иметь некоторое представление о том, как исказилась морда Вулы; distortion — искажение, искривление).

coax [kouks], remarkable [rI'mQ:kqbl], distortion [dIs'tO:S(q)n]

I had never petted nor fondled him, but now I sat upon the ground and putting my arms around his heavy neck I stroked and coaxed him, talking in my newly acquired Martian tongue as I would have to my hound at home, as I would have talked to any other friend among the lower animals. His response to my manifestation of affection was remarkable to a degree; he stretched his great mouth to its full width, baring the entire expanse of his upper rows of tusks and wrinkling his snout until his great eyes were almost hidden by the folds of flesh. If you have ever seen a collie smile you may have some idea of Woola's facial distortion.

He threw himself upon his back (он упал: «бросился» на спину) and fairly wallowed at my feet (и /стал/ прямо-таки кататься у моих ног; to wallow — кататься, валяться); jumped up and sprang upon me (подскочил и прыгнул на меня), rolling me upon the ground by his great weight (опрокидывая меня на землю своим огромным весом; to roll — катить); then wriggling and squirming around me like a playful puppy presenting its back for the petting it craves (затем /он начал/ вертеться и извиваться вокруг меня, как игривый щенок, подставляющий спину для ласк, которых он жаждет; to wriggle — извиваться; to squirm — корчиться, двигатьсяизвиваясь; to crave — страстножелать). I could not resist the ludicrousness of the spectacle (я не мог устоять перед нелепостью этого зрелища; ludicrous — курьезный, нелепый, смехотворный), and holding my sides (и, держась за бока) I rocked back and forth in the first laughter which had passed my lips in many days (я затрясся: «закачался взад и вперед» от смеха, первого, который сорвался с моих губ за много дней; to rock — качать; трястись; back and forth — взадивперед); the first, in fact, since the morning Powell had left camp (первого, фактически, с того утра, когда Пауэлл покидал лагерь) when his horse, long unused, had precipitately and unexpectedly bucked him off headforemost into a pot of frijoles (а его лошадь, на которой давно не ездили: «неиспользованная», внезапно и неожиданно сбросила его с седла головой вперед в горшок с фасолью; precipitate — внезапный, неожиданный; to buck off — сбрасыватьсседла).

squirm [skwWm],ludicrous ['lu:dIkrqs], precipitately [prI'sIpItItlI], headforemost ["hed'fO:moust]

He threw himself upon his back and fairly wallowed at my feet; jumped up and sprang upon me, rolling me upon the ground by his great weight; then wriggling and squirming around me like a playful puppy presenting its back for the petting it craves. I could not resist the ludicrousness of the spectacle, and holding my sides I rocked back and forth in the first laughter which had passed my lips in many days; the first, in fact, since the morning Powell had left camp when his horse, long unused, had precipitately and unexpectedly bucked him off headforemost into a pot of frijoles.

My laughter frightened Woola (мой смех испугал Вулу), his antics ceased and he crawled pitifully toward me (его кривлянья прекратились, и он с жалким видом подполз ко мне; antics — гримасы, ужимки), poking his ugly head far into my lap (тычась своей уродливой головой «глубоко» мне в колени; to poke — тыкать, толкать); and then I remembered what laughter signified on Mars (а затем я вспомнил, что означал смех на Марсе) — torture, suffering, death (пытки, страдания, смерть). Quieting myself, I rubbed the poor old fellow's head and back (успокоившись, я погладил бедного старого приятеля по голове и спине; old fellow — старина), talked to him for a few minutes (поговорил с ним несколько минут), and then in an authoritative tone commanded him to follow me (а затем властным тоном приказал ему следовать за мной), and arising started for the hills (и, поднявшись, направился к холмам).

antic ['xntIk], torture ['tO:tSq], authoritative [O:'TOrItqtIv]

My laughter frightened Woola, his antics ceased and he crawled pitifully toward me, poking his ugly head far into my lap; and then I remembered what laughter signified on Mars — torture, suffering, death. Quieting myself, I rubbed the poor old fellow's head and back, talked to him for a few minutes, and then in an authoritative tone commanded him to follow me, and arising started for the hills.

There was no further question of authority between us (теперь между нами больше не было вопроса о власти); Woola was my devoted slave from that moment hence (Вула стал моим преданным рабом с этого момента; hence — сэтихпор, сэтоговремени), and I his only and undisputed master (а я — его единственным и бесспорным хозяином; to dispute — обсуждать, ставитьподсомнение; undisputed — неоспоримый). My walk to the hills occupied but a few minutes (моя прогулка к холмам заняла всего несколько минут), and I found nothing of particular interest to reward me (и я не нашел там ничего особенно интересного, что /могло бы/ вознаградить меня; to reward — вознаграждать). Numerous brilliantly colored and strangely formed wild flowers dotted the ravines (многочисленные ярко окрашенные и странной формы дикие цветы усеивали лощины) and from the summit of the first hill (и с вершины первого холма) I saw still other hills stretching off toward the north (я увидел еще другие холмы, тянувшиеся к северу), and rising, one range above another (и вздымающиеся, /одна/ гряда выше другой), until lost in mountains of quite respectable dimensions (пока они не терялись в горах вполне внушительных размеров; respectable — почтенный; значительный, изрядный); though I afterward found that only a few peaks on all Mars exceed four thousand feet in height (хотя впоследствии я узнал, что только несколько вершин на Марсе превышают высоту в четыре тысячи футов); the suggestion of magnitude was merely relative (производимое ими впечатление: «намек» величия было лишь относительным; suggestion — намек, указание; magnitude — величина, размеры; величие).

undisputed ['AndIs'pju:tId], respectable [rI'spektqbl], magnitude ['mxgnItju:d]

There was no further question of authority between us; Woola was my devoted slave from that moment hence, and I his only and undisputed master. My walk to the hills occupied but a few minutes, and I found nothing of particular interest to reward me. Numerous brilliantly colored and strangely formed wild flowers dotted the ravines and from the summit of the first hill I saw still other hills stretching off toward the north, and rising, one range above another, until lost in mountains of quite respectable dimensions; though I afterward found that only a few peaks on all Mars exceed four thousand feet in height; the suggestion of magnitude was merely relative.

My morning's walk had been large with importance to me (моя утренняя прогулка имела большое значение для меня) for it had resulted in a perfect understanding with Woola (так как ее итогом стало полное взаимопонимание с Вулой), upon whom Tars Tarkas relied for my safe keeping (на которого Тарс Таркас полагался как на моего охранника; safe keeping — хранение). I now knew that while theoretically a prisoner I was virtually free (теперь я знал, что хотя теоретически я был пленником, фактически я был свободен; virtually — фактически, наделе), and I hastened to regain the city limits (и я поспешил вернуться в пределы города; to regain — сновадостичь) before the defection of Woola could be discovered by his erstwhile masters (прежде чем отступничество Вулы будет обнаружено его прежними хозяевами; defection — нарушениедолга; erstwhile — прежний, былой). The adventure decided me never again to leave the limits of my prescribed stamping grounds (это приключение привело меня к решению больше никогда не покидать пределов предписанной мне территории; to stamp — топатьногами; stamping ground — частопосещаемоеместо) until I was ready to venture forth for good and all (пока я не буду готов рискнуть /отправиться/ дальше насовсем; for good and all — навсегда, окончательно), as it would certainly result in a curtailment of my liberties, as well as the probable death of Woola, were we to be discovered (так как, если бы мы были разоблачены, то это, без сомнения, привело бы к ограничению моей свободы, а также к вероятной смерти Вулы; curtailment — сокращение, урезание).

result [rI'zAlt], virtually ['vWtjuqlI], curtailment [kW'teIlmqnt]

My morning's walk had been large with importance to me for it had resulted in a perfect understanding with Woola, upon whom Tars Tarkas relied for my safe keeping. I now knew that while theoretically a prisoner I was virtually free, and I hastened to regain the city limits before the defection of Woola could be discovered by his erstwhile masters. The adventure decided me never again to leave the limits of my prescribed stamping grounds until I was ready to venture forth for good and all, as it would certainly result in a curtailment of my liberties, as well as the probable death of Woola, were we to be discovered.