Читаем без скачивания Английский язык с М. Муркоком - Майкл Муркок

threatened [Ɵretnd] coughed [kɔft] immune [ɪˈmju:n] descent [dɪˈsent]

Hanafax, his face a bright red, his body running with sweat, clung to a strut and gasped:

`Grasp a beam, Prince Corum! Grasp a beam!

Corum took hold of one of the beams beneath his body as the burning silk was ripped from the frame and fluttered into the fires below. The kite dipped and threatened to follow the silk. It was losing height rapidly. Corum coughed as the burning air entered his lungs. Blisters appeared on his right hand, though his left hand seemed immune.

The kite lurched and began to fall.

Corum was flung back and forth during the crazy descent, but he managed to keep his hold on the strut.

Then there was a cracking sound, a mighty thump (затем раздался трещащий звук = треск, /последовал/ сильный удар; thump — тяжелый удар; глухой звук /удара/), and he lay amidst the wreckage on a surface of flat obsidian, the wall of flame behind him (и он /обнаружил/, что лежит среди обломков /змея/ на поверхности плоского обсидиана = на ровной поверхности обсидиана, а позади него стена огня).

He raised his bruised body upright (он поднял свое ушибленное тело прямо = весь в синяках, он встал на ноги). It was still unbearably hot and the flames sang close to his back, rising a hundred feet or more into the air (по-прежнему было невыносимо жарко, и пламя гудело за его спиной: «близко к спине», поднимаясь в воздух на сотню или более футов; to sing — петь; гудеть, свистеть). The fused rock on which he stood was green and glistened and reflected the flame, seeming to writhe beneath his feet (оплавленная скала, на которой он стоял, была зеленой; она блестела и отражала пламя, и, казалось, корчилась под его ногами; rock — скала, горная порода; большой камень). A little distance to his left was a sluggish river of molten lava, a few flames fluttering on its surface (недалеко, слева от него, спокойно текла река расплавленной лавы; sluggish river — река со спокойным течением). Everywhere Corum looked was the same shining rock, the same red rivers of fire (повсюду, куда бы ни посмотрел Корум, была такая же блестящая порода и такие же красные реки огня). He inspected the kite (он осмотрел змея). It was completely useless (тот был совершенно бесполезен). Hanafax was lying among its struts cursing it (Ганафакс лежал среди распорок змея, проклиная их). He got up (он поднялся).

wreckage [ˈrekɪʤ] obsidian [əbˈsɪdɪən] fused [fju:zd]

Then there was a cracking sound, a mighty thump, and he lay amidst the wreckage on a surface of flat obsidian, the wall of flame behind him.

He raised his bruised body upright. It was still unbearably hot and the flames sang close to his back, rising a hundred feet or more into the air. The fused rock on which he stood was green and glistened and reflected the flame, seeming to writhe beneath his feet. A little distance to his left was a sluggish river of molten lava, a few flames fluttering on its surface. Everywhere Corum looked was the same shining rock, the same red rivers of fire. He inspected the kite. It was completely useless. Hanafax was lying among its struts cursing it. He got up.

`Well (что ж), he kicked at the blackened, broken frame (он пнул почерневший сломанный каркас), `you'll never fly me into any more dangers (ты никогда больше не занесешь меня ни в какие опасности)!

`I think this danger is all we need (думаю, эта опасность — все, что нам нужно = нам хватит и этой передряги), Corum said. `It could be the last one we'll ever face (эта, возможно, последняя, с которой мы столкнемся = в нашей жизни).

Hanafax picked up his sword-belt from the wreckage and tied it round his shoulders (Ганафакс поднял свою портупею из обломков и обвязал/закрепил ее вокруг плеч).

`Aye, I think you could speak truth, Prince Corum (да, думаю, ты говоришь правду = ты прав, принц Корум). A poor place to meet one's end, eh (скверное место, чтобы встретить смерть/погибнуть, да)?

`According to some Mabden legends (согласно некоторым мабденским легендам), Corum said, `We might already have met our ends and been consigned here (мы, возможно, уже погибли и отправлены сюда; to consign — передавать; отправлять, посылать). Are not certain Mabden netherworlds said to be made of eternally burning flame (разве не правда, /что/ мабденское царство мертвых, говорят, состоит из вечно пылающего огня; netherworld — ад, преисподняя, царство мертвых; certain — точный, определенный; известный)?

Hanafax snorted (Ганафакс фыркнул).

`In the East, perhaps (на востоке, возможно, /и говорят/). Well, we cannot go back, so I suppose we must go forward (итак, мы не можем вернуться, поэтому, полагаю, мы должны идти вперед).

netherworld [ˈneðəwə: ld] eternally [ɪˈtə: n (ə) lɪ]

`Well, he kicked at the blackened, broken frame, `you'll never fly me into any more dangers!

`I think this danger is all we need, Corum said. `It could be the last one we'll ever face.

Hanafax picked up his sword-belt from the wreckage and tied it round his shoulders.

`Aye, I think you could speak truth, Prince Corum. A poor place to meet one's end, eh?

`According to some Mabden legends, Corum said, `We might already have met our ends and been consigned here. Are not certain Mabden netherworlds said to be made of eternally burning flame?

Hanafax snorted.

`In the East, perhaps. Well, we cannot go back, so I suppose we must go forward.

`I was told that an Ice Wilderness lay towards the North (мне сказали, что Ледяная пустыня лежит к северу), Corum said. `Though how it does not melt being so near to the Flamelands, I do not know (хотя как она не растаяла, находясь так близко к Огненным землям, я не знаю).

`Another quirk of the Lords of Chaos, doubtless (еще одна шутка Владык Хаоса, несомненно; quirk — причуда, каприз; выходка, случайность).

`Doubtless.

They began to make their way over the slippery rock that burned their feet with every step (они начали делать свой путь = пошли по скользкой скале, которая обжигала их ноги с каждым шагом), leaving the wall of flame behind them, leaping over rivulets of lava (оставляя позади стену огня, перепрыгивая через ручейки лавы), moving so slowly and so circuitously that they were soon exhausted and paused to rest (двигаясь так медленно и окольными /путями/, что вскоре утомились и остановились отдохнуть), look back at the distant flame wall, mop their brows, exchange daunted looks (оглянулись на далекую огненную стену, вытерли пот со лба и обменялись обескураженными взглядами). Thirst now plagued them and their voices were hoarse (жажда мучила их, и их голоса были хриплыми; to plague — зачумлять; беспокоить, мучить).

`I think we are doomed, Prince Corum (думаю, мы обречены, принц Корум).

quirk [kwə: k] rivulet [ˈrɪvjulɪt] circuitously [sə: ˈkju:ɪtəslɪ] daunted [ˈdɔ:ntɪd] plagued [pleɪɡd]

`I was told that an Ice Wilderness lay towards the North, Corum said. `Though how it does not melt being so near to the Flamelands, I do not know.

`Another quirk of the Lords of Chaos, doubtless.

`Doubtless.

They began to make their way over the slippery rock that burned their feet with every step, leaving the wall of flame behind them, leaping over rivulets of lava, moving so slowly and so circuitously that they were soon exhausted and paused to rest, look back at the distant flame wall, mop their brows, exchange daunted looks. Thirst now plagued them and their voices were hoarse.

`I think we are doomed, Prince Corum.

Corum nodded wearily (Корум кивнул устало). He looked up (он посмотрел вверх). Red clouds boiled above, like a dome of fire (красные облака кипели вверху, словно купол огня). It seemed that all the world burned (казалось, что весь мир пылает).

`Have you no spells for bringing on rain, Sir Hanafax (разве у тебя нет заклинаний для вызывания дождя, сэр Ганафакс)?

`I regret not (к сожалению, нет). We priests scorn such primitive tricks (мы, жрецы, презираем подобные примитивные фокусы).

`Useful tricks (полезные фокусы). Sorcerers seem to enjoy only the spectacular (похоже, колдунам нравится только эффектные /зрелища/).

`I am afraid it is so (боюсь, что так). Hanafax sighed (вздохнул). `What about your own powers (как насчет твоего собственного могущества)? Can you not (не можешь ли ты), he shuddered (он содрогнулся), `summon some kind of aid from whatever netherworld it is your horrid allies came (призвать = попросить о какой-нибудь помощи из царства мертвых, откуда твои ужасные союзники/помощники приходили)?

spectacular [spekˈtækjulə] allies [ˈælaɪz]

Corum nodded wearily. He looked up. Red clouds boiled above, like a dome of fire. It seemed that all the world burned.

`Have you no spells for bringing on rain, Sir Hanafax?

`I regret not. We priests scorn such primitive tricks.