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

sinuous ['sInjuqs], jailer ['dZeIlq], vouchsafe [vautS'seIf]

We reached the city of Warhoon after some three days march and I was immediately cast into a dungeon and heavily chained to the floor and walls. Food was brought me at intervals but owing to the utter darkness of the place I do not know whether I lay there days, or weeks, or months. It was the most horrible experience of all my life and that my mind did not give way to the terrors of that inky blackness has been a wonder to me ever since. The place was filled with creeping, crawling things; cold, sinuous bodies passed over me when I lay down, and in the darkness I occasionally caught glimpses of gleaming, fiery eyes, fixed in horrible intentness upon me. No sound reached me from the world above and no word would my jailer vouchsafe when my food was brought to me, although I at first bombarded him with questions.

Finally all the hatred and maniacal loathing for these awful creatures (наконец вся ненависть и бешеное отвращение к этим страшным созданиям) who had placed me in this horrible place (которые поместили меня в это ужасное место) was centered by my tottering reason (сосредоточилась в моем помутившемся разуме; to totter — ковылять; разрушаться; tottering — нетвердый, шатающийся) upon this single emissary who represented to me the entire horde of Warhoons (в этом единственном посланнике, который воплощал для меня все племя ворхунцев).

I had noticed that he always advanced with his dim torch (я заметил, что он всегда направлялся со своим тусклым факелом) to where he could place the food within my reach (туда, где он мог положить еду в пределах моей досягаемости) and as he stooped to place it upon the floor (и когда он наклонялся, чтобы поставить ее на пол) his head was about on a level with my breast (его голова оказывалась примерно на уровне моей груди). So, with the cunning of a madman (поэтому, с хитростью сумасшедшего), I backed into the far corner of my cell (я отступил назад в дальний угол моей камеры) when next I heard him approaching (когда я в очередной раз услышал, как он приближается) and gathering a little slack of the great chain which held me in my hand (и, подхватив рукой небольшую провисшую часть огромной цепи, которая удерживала меня; to gather — поднимать, подбирать; slack — провисшаячасть) I waited his coming, crouching like some beast of prey (я ожидал его прихода, припав к земле как хищное животное; prey — жертва, добыча; beast of prey — хищноеживотное). As he stooped to place my food upon the ground (когда он наклонился, чтобы поставить мою еду на землю) I swung the chain above my head (я взмахнул цепью над головой; to swing — качать; махать) and crashed the links with all my strength upon his skull (и обрушил ее звенья со всей силой ему на голову; skull — череп; голова). Without a sound he slipped to the floor, stone dead (без единого звука он соскользнул на пол, мертвый).

maniacal [mq'naIqkl], emissary ['emIs(q)rI], prey [preI]

Finally all the hatred and maniacal loathing for these awful creatures who had placed me in this horrible place was centered by my tottering reason upon this single emissary who represented to me the entire horde of Warhoons.

I had noticed that he always advanced with his dim torch to where he could place the food within my reach and as he stooped to place it upon the floor his head was about on a level with my breast. So, with the cunning of a madman, I backed into the far corner of my cell when next I heard him approaching and gathering a little slack of the great chain which held me in my hand I waited his coming, crouching like some beast of prey. As he stooped to place my food upon the ground I swung the chain above my head and crashed the links with all my strength upon his skull. Without a sound he slipped to the floor, stone dead.

Laughing and chattering like the idiot I was fast becoming (смеясь и болтая как идиот, которым я быстро становился; to chatter — болтать, тараторить) I fell upon his prostrate form (я упал на его распростертое тело) my fingers feeling for his dead throat (/при этом/ мои пальцы наощупь искали его мертвое горло; to feel for — нащупывать, искатьощупью). Presently they came in contact with a small chain (вскоре они натолкнулись на небольшую цепочку; to come in contact with smth. — наталкиватьсяначто-либо; соприкасатьсясчем-либо) at the end of which dangled a number of keys (на конце которой болталось несколько ключей; to dangle — свободносвисать, висеть). The touch of my fingers on these keys brought back my reason (прикосновение пальцев к этим ключам вернуло мне разум; to bring back — принестиобратно; восстановить) with the suddenness of thought (с быстротой мысли). No longer was I a jibbering idiot (больше я не был невнятно бормочущим идиотом; to jibber — говоритьневнятно), but a sane, reasoning man with the means of escape within my very hands (но здоровым, разумным человеком со средствами к спасению в своих собственных руках).

chatter ['tSxtq], presently ['prezntlI], jibber ['dZIbq], reasoning ['ri:znIN]

Laughing and chattering like the idiot I was fast becoming, I fell upon his prostrate form, my fingers feeling for his dead throat. Presently they came in contact with a small chain at the end of which dangled a number of keys. The touch of my fingers on these keys brought back my reason with the suddenness of thought. No longer was I a jibbering idiot, but a sane, reasoning man with the means of escape within my very hands.

As I was groping to remove the chain from about my victim's neck (когда я наощупь /пытался/ снять цепочку с шеи моей жертвы) I glanced up into the darkness to see six pairs of gleaming eyes (я взглянул в темноту и увидел шесть пар мерцающих глаз) fixed, unwinking, upon me (которые уставились на меня, не мигая). Slowly they approached and slowly I shrank back (медленно они приближались, и медленно я пятился назад; to shrink back — отпрянуть) from the awful horror of them (в неописуемом ужасе перед ними). Back into my corner (/отступив/ назад в свой угол) I crouched holding my hands palms out, before me (я сжался и протянул руки ладонями вперед перед собой), and stealthily on came the awful eyes (и осторожно приближались эти ужасные глаза) until they reached the dead body at my feet (пока они не приблизились к мертвому телу у моих ног). Then slowly they retreated (затем медленно они отступили) but this time with a strange grating sound (но на этот раз со странным скрипучим звуком) and finally they disappeared in some black and distant recess of my dungeon (и, наконец, они исчезли в каких-то темных и отдаленных уголках моей темницы).

unwinking ["An'wINkIN], recess [rI'ses], dungeon ['dAndZ(q)n]

As I was groping to remove the chain from about my victim's neck I glanced up into the darkness to see six pairs of gleaming eyes fixed, unwinking, upon me. Slowly they approached and slowly I shrank back from the awful horror of them. Back into my corner I crouched holding my hands palms out, before me, and stealthily on came the awful eyes until they reached the dead body at my feet. Then slowly they retreated but this time with a strange grating sound and finally they disappeared in some black and distant recess of my dungeon.

CHAPTER XIX (глава девятнадцатая)

BATTLING IN THE ARENA (сражение на арене)

Slowly I regained my composure (медленно ко мне вернулось самообладание; composure — спокойствие, самообладание; to regain — обретать снова; возвращать себе; восстанавливать) and finally essayed again to attempt to remove the keys from the dead body of my former jailer (и наконец, /я/ вновь попытался снять ключи с мертвого тела моего бывшего тюремщика; to essay — пробовать, пытаться). But as I reached out into the darkness to locate it (но когда я протянул руку в темноте, чтобы найти их) I found to my horror that it was gone (то, к своему ужасу обнаружил, что оно исчезло). Then the truth flashed on me (тогда /свет/ истины озарил меня; to flash on — осенять, озарять); the owners of those gleaming eyes had dragged my prize away from me (обладатели этих мерцающих глаз утащили мой трофей у меня) to be devoured in their neighboring lair (чтобы сожрать его рядом в своем логове); as they had been waiting for days, for weeks, for months (так, как они ожидали дни, недели, месяцы), through all this awful eternity of my imprisonment (в течение всей этой ужасной вечности моего заключения) to drag my dead carcass to their feast (чтобы утащить мое мертвое тело на свой пир).

For two days no food was brought me (два дня мне не приносили никакой пищи), but then a new messenger appeared (но затем появился новый посыльный) and my incarceration went on as before (и мое заточение продолжилось, как и раньше; to go on — продолжить, продолжать), but not again did I allow my reason to be submerged by the horror of my position (но больше я не позволял своему разуму помутиться от ужасов моего положения; to submerge — погружатьсявводу; исчезать).

composure [kqm'pouZq], essay ['eseI], neighboring ['neIb(q)rIN], imprisonment [Im'prIz(q)nmqnt], incarceration [In"kQ:sq'reIS(q)n], submerge [sqb'mWdZ]

Slowly I regained my composure and finally essayed again to attempt to remove the keys from the dead body of my former jailer. But as I reached out into the darkness to locate it I found to my horror that it was gone. Then the truth flashed on me; the owners of those gleaming eyes had dragged my prize away from me to be devoured in their neighboring lair; as they had been waiting for days, for weeks, for months, through all this awful eternity of my imprisonment to drag my dead carcass to their feast.

For two days no food was brought me, but then a new messenger appeared and my incarceration went on as before, but not again did I allow my reason to be submerged by the horror of my position.

Shortly after this episode another prisoner was brought in and chained near me (вскоре после этого события другого пленника привели /в темницу/ и приковали цепью возле меня; episode— эпизод; случай). By the dim torch light I saw that he was a red Martian (в тусклом свете факела я увидел, что он был красным марсианином) and I could scarcely await the departure of his guards to address him (и я едва мог дождаться ухода его стражников, чтобы обратиться к нему). As their retreating footsteps died away in the distance (когда их удаляющиеся шаги затихли в отдалении; todieaway— замирать, затихать), I called out softly the Martian word of greeting (я тихо произнес марсианское слово приветствия; softly— мягко; тихо), kaor.

"Who are you who speaks out of the darkness?" he answered (кто ты, тот, кто говорит из темноты? — отозвался он).

"John Carter, a friend of the red men of Helium (друг красных людей Гелиума)."

"I am of Helium," he said, "but I do not recall your name (я из Гелиума, но я не припоминаю твоего имени)."

episode ['epIsoud], retreat [rI'tri:t]

Shortly after this episode another prisoner was brought in and chained near me. By the dim torch light I saw that he was a red Martian and I could scarcely await the departure of his guards to address him. As their retreating footsteps died away in the distance, I called out softly the Martian word of greeting, kaor.

"Who are you who speaks out of the darkness?" he answered.

"John Carter, a friend of the red men of Helium."

"I am of Helium," he said, "but I do not recall your name."

And then I told him my story as I have written it here (и затем я рассказал ему мою историю так, как я описал ее здесь), omitting only any reference to my love for Dejah Thoris (опустив только любые упоминания о моей любви к Деже Торис). He was much excited by the news of Helium's princess (он был очень взволнован известиями о принцессе Гелиума) and seemed quite positive (и казался совершенно уверенным; positive— уверенный, убежденный) that she and Sola could easily have reached a point of safety from where they left me (что она и Сола могли добраться до безопасного места оттуда, где они меня оставили). He said that he knew the place well (он сказал, что знает это место хорошо) because the defile through which the Warhoon warriors had passed when they discovered us (потому что узкий проход, через который прошли ворхунские воины, когда они обнаружили нас) was the only one ever used by them when marching to the south (был единственным, который они вообще использовали, когда продвигались на юг).