Английский язык с Конаном-варваром
Шрифт:
The men lurking on the edges of the road evidently sensed the fate of their companion (люди, таившиеся по краям дороги, очевидно догадались о судьбе их товарища), and decided that an open charge was preferable to being dragged down in the dark by a devil-beast they could neither see nor hear (и решили, что открытое нападение было предпочтительно тому, что их погубит в темноте дьявольская тварь: «бытию погубленным в темноте дьявольской тварью», /которую/ они /не/ могли ни видеть, ни слышать; to drag — тянуть, тащить, волочить; to drag down — ослаблять, разрушать). Perhaps they realized that only one man lay behind the logs (возможно, они поняли, что лишь один человек лежит за бревнами). They came with a sudden rush, breaking cover from both sides of the trail (они вдруг выбежали: «они пришли с неожиданным броском», ломая растительный покров с обеих сторон тропы). Three dropped with arrows through them — and the remaining pair hesitated (трое упали со стрелами в них: «сквозь них» — а оставшаяся пара
companion [km'paenjn], preferable ['prefrbl], hair [h]
The men lurking on the edges of the road evidently sensed the fate of their companion, and decided that an open charge was preferable to being dragged down in the dark by a devil-beast they could neither see nor hear. Perhaps they realized that only one man lay behind the logs. They came with a sudden rush, breaking cover from both sides of the trail. Three dropped with arrows through them — and the remaining pair hesitated. One turned and ran back down the road, but the other lunged over the breastwork, his eyes and teeth gleaming in the dim light, his ax lifted. Balthus' foot slipped as he sprang up, but the slip saved his life. The descending ax shaved a lock of hair from his head, and the Pict rolled down the logs from the force of his wasted blow. Before he could regain his feet Slasher tore his throat out.
Then followed a tense period of waiting (затем последовал напряженный период ожидания), in which time Balthus wondered if the man who had fled had been the only survivor of the party (во время которого Балтус спрашивал себя, был ли человек, который убежал, единственным уцелевшим из отряда). Obviously it had been a small band that had either left the fighting at the fort, or was scouting ahead of the main body (очевидно, это был небольшой отряд, который либо покинул бой у форта, либо вел разведку перед главными силами). Each moment that passed increased the chances for safety of the women and children hurrying toward Velithum (каждый момент, который проходил, увеличивал шансы на безопасность = спасение женщин и детей, спешащих к Велитриуму).
wonder ['wnd], obviously ['bvsl], safety ['seft]
Then followed a tense period of waiting, in which time Balthus wondered if the man who had fled had been the only survivor of the party. Obviously it had been a small band that had either left the fighting at the fort, or was scouting ahead of the main body. Each moment that passed increased the chances for safety of the women and children hurrying toward Velithum.
Then without warning a shower of arrows whistled over his retreat (затем без предупреждения град стрел просвистел над его убежищем). A wild howling rose from the woods along the trail (дикий вой поднялся из леса вдоль тропы). Either the survivor had gone after aid, or another party had joined the first (либо уцелевший ходил за помощью, либо еще один отряд присоединился к первому). The burning cabin still smoldered, lending a little light (горящая хижина еще тлела, давая немного света). Then they were after him, gliding through the trees beside the trail (потом они пошли за ним, скользя между деревьев возле тропы). He shot three arrows and threw the bow away (он выпустил три стрелы и отбросил лук; to shoot — стрелять; to throw away — отбросить). As if sensing his plight, they came on (как будто чувствуя его /скверное/ положение, они приближались), not yelling now, but in deadly silence except for a swift pad of many feet (теперь не вопя, но в смертельной тишине кроме = нарушаемой только быстрой тихой поступью множества ног; pad — подушечка на концах пальцев у человека или на подошве некоторых животных).
shower ['au], retreat [r'tri: t], plight [plat]
Then without warning a shower of arrows whistled over his retreat. A wild howling rose from the woods along the trail. Either the survivor had gone after aid, or another party had joined the first. The burning cabin still smoldered, lending a little light. Then they were after him, gliding through the trees beside the trail. He shot three arrows and threw the bow away. As if sensing his plight, they came on, not yelling now, but in deadly silence except for a swift pad of many feet.
He fiercely hugged the head of the great dog growling at his side, muttered: "All right, boy, give 'em hell!" (он
ободряюще обнял голову огромного пса, рычащего рядом с ним, прошептал: хорошо, парень, поддай им жару: «дай им ада») and sprang to his feet, drawing his ax (и вскочил на /свои/ ноги, поднимая топор; to draw — извлекать, обнажать (оружие), поднимать). [48] Then the dark figures flooded over the breastworks and closed in a storm of flailing axes, stabbing knives and ripping fangs (затем темные фигуры хлынули через бруствер и вошли в ближний бой в вихре рубящих топоров, колющих ножей и рвущих клыков).48
Понимаю, что лучше использовать «обнажая» или «извлекая», но для этого нужны ножны. Топоры, как вы заметили, переходят к героям от пиктов, которые ходили не только без ножен, но и, простите, без штанов. Поэтому, скорее всего, никакого футляра для поющего топора у Балтуса не было. Единственный вариант, которым мы можем воспользоваться, это «выхватывая из-за пояса», если таковой пикты не экспроприировали у героя при пленении.
fiercely ['fsl], growl [raul], draw [dr:]
He fiercely hugged the head of the great dog growling at his side, muttered: "All right, boy, give 'em hell!" and sprang to his feet, drawing his ax. Then the dark figures flooded over the breastworks and closed in a storm of flailing axes, stabbing knives and ripping fangs.
7. The Devil in the Fire
(Демон в огне)
When Conan turned from the Velitrium road, he expected a run of some nine miles and set himself to the task (когда Конан свернул с дороги на Велитриум, он ожидал пробежки миль на девять и взялся за это дело; some — около, приблизительно). But he had not gone four when he heard the sounds of a party of men ahead of him (но он не прошел /и/ четырех, когда он услышал звуки отряда людей перед собой). From the noise they were making in their progress he knew they were not Picts (по шуму, который они производили при продвижении, он знал = понял, /что/ они = это не пикты). He hailed them (он окликнул их).
"Who's there?" challenged a harsh voice (кто там? — потребовал ответа грубый голос). "Stand where you are until we know you, or you'll get an arrow through you (стой, где /стоишь/, пока мы /не/ опознаем тебя, или /ты/ получишь стрелу /сквозь тебя/)."
"You couldn't hit an elephant in this darkness," answered Conan impatiently (ты не смог бы попасть /и/ в слона в этой темноте, — ответил Конан нетерпеливо). "Come on, fool; it's I–Conan (давай = кончай, болван, это я — Конан). The Picts are over the river (пикты перешли: «находятся через» реку)."
task [t:sk], progress ['prurs], impatiently [m'pentl]
When Conan turned from the Velitrium road, he expected a run of some nine miles and set himself to the task. But he had not gone four when he heard the sounds of a party of men ahead of him. From the noise they were making in their progress he knew they were not Picts. He hailed them.
"Who's there?" challenged a harsh voice. "Stand where you are until we know you, or you'll get an arrow through you."
"You couldn't hit an elephant in this darkness," answered Conan impatiently. "Come on, fool; it's I–Conan. The Picts are over the river."
"We suspected as much," answered the leader of the men, as they strode forward — tall, rangy men, stern-faced, with bows in their hands (мы так и подозревали, — ответил предводитель людей, когда они пошли вперед — высокие, поджарые мужчины, с суровыми лицами, с луками в /их/ руках). "One of our party wounded an antelope and tracked it nearly to Black River (один из нашего отряда ранил антилопу и шел по следу за ней почти до Черной реки). He heard them yelling down the river and ran back to our camp (он услышал их вопли ниже по реке и прибежал назад в наш лагерь). We left the salt and the wagons, turned the oxen loose, and came as swiftly as we could (мы оставили соль и телеги, освободили волов и пришли = пошли назад, как можно быстрее: «так быстро, как мы могли»). If the Picts are besieging the fort, war- parties will be ranging up the road toward our cabins (если пикты осаждают форт, военные отряды будут рыскать вверх по дороге в сторону наших хижин = забредут по дороге к нашим хижинам)."
forward ['f: wd], nearly ['nl], oxen [ksn]
"We suspected as much," answered the leader of the men, as they strode forward — tall, rangy men, stern-faced, with bows in their hands. "One of our party wounded an antelope and tracked it nearly to Black River. He heard them yelling down the river and ran back to our camp. We left the salt and the wagons, turned the oxen loose, and came as swiftly as we could. If the Picts are besieging the fort, war-parties will be ranging up the road toward our cabins."