Читаем без скачивания Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса - Эдгар Берроуз

exaggerated [Ig'zxdZqreItId] personification [pq" sOnIfI'keIS(q)n], procreation ["proukrI'eIS(q)n], abysmal [q'bIzmql], ourselves [auq'selvz]

As described by Sola, this monster was the exaggerated personification of all the ages of cruelty, ferocity, and brutality from which he had descended. Cold, cunning, calculating; he was, also, in marked contrast to most of his fellows, a slave to that brute passion which the waning demands for procreation upon their dying planet has almost stilled in the Martian breast.

The thought that the divine Dejah Thoris might fall into the clutches of such an abysmal atavism started the cold sweat upon me. Far better that we save friendly bullets for ourselves at the last moment, as did those brave frontier women of my lost land, who took their own lives rather than fall into the hands of the Indian braves.

As I wandered about the plaza lost in my gloomy forebodings (пока я бродил по площади во власти мрачных предчувствий) Tars Tarkas approached me on his way from the audience chamber (Тарс Таркас подошел ко мне по пути из зала для аудиенций). His demeanor toward me was unchanged (его поведение по отношению ко мне не изменилось), and he greeted me as though we had not just parted a few moments before (и он поприветствовал меня так, как будто мы и не расстались несколькими минутами раньше).

"Where are your quarters (где ты живешь: «где твое жилье»), John Carter?" he asked.

"I have selected none," I replied (я еще ничего не выбрал, — ответил я). "It seemed best that I quartered either by myself or among the other warriors (/мне/ кажется, что будет лучше, если бы я жил либо сам по себе, либо с другими воинами), and I was awaiting an opportunity to ask your advice (и я ждал случая, чтобы попросить твоего совета). As you know," and I smiled (как ты знаешь, — и я улыбнулся), "I am not yet familiar with all the customs of the Tharks (я еще не знаком со всеми обычаями тарков)."

"Come with me," he directed (пойдем со мной, — распорядился он), and together we moved off across the plaza to a building (и вместе мы направились через площадь к зданию) which I was glad to see adjoined that occupied by Sola and her charges (которое, как я был рад заметить, примыкало к тому, которое занимали Сола и ее подопечные).

foreboding [fO:'boudIN], demeanor [dI'mi: nq], await [q'weIt], opportunity ["Opq'tju: nItI]

As I wandered about the plaza lost in my gloomy forebodings Tars Tarkas approached me on his way from the audience chamber. His demeanor toward me was unchanged, and he greeted me as though we had not just parted a few moments before.

"Where are your quarters, John Carter?" he asked.

"I have selected none," I replied. "It seemed best that I quartered either by myself or among the other warriors, and I was awaiting an opportunity to ask your advice. As you know," and I smiled, "I am not yet familiar with all the customs of the Tharks."

"Come with me," he directed, and together we moved off across the plaza to a building which I was glad to see adjoined that occupied by Sola and her charges.

"My quarters are on the first floor of this building (мое жилье находится на первом этаже этого здания)," he said, "and the second floor also is fully occupied by warriors (и второй этаж также полностью занят воинами), but the third floor and the floors above are vacant (однако третий этаж и этажи над ним свободны); you may take your choice of these (ты можешь выбирать из них).

"I understand," he continued (я понимаю, — продолжил он), "that you have given up your woman to the red prisoner (что ты уступил свою женщину красной пленнице). Well, as you have said, your ways are not our ways (ну что ж, как ты сказал, ваши обычаи — не наши обычаи), but you can fight well enough to do about as you please (но ты сражаешься достаточно хорошо, чтобы поступать так, как ты хочешь), and so, if you wish to give your woman to a captive (и поэтому, если ты хочешь отдать свою женщину пленнице), it is your own affair (это твое личное дело); but as a chieftain you should have those to serve you (но как у вождя, у тебя должны быть женщины, чтобы тебе прислуживать), and in accordance with our customs (и в соответствии с нашими обычаями) you may select any or all the females from the retinues of the chieftains whose metal you now wear (ты можешь выбрать любую или всех женщин из свиты тех вождей, чьи знаки различия ты теперь носишь)."

choice [tSOIs], captive ['kxptIv], accordance [q'kO: d(q)ns]

"My quarters are on the first floor of this building," he said, "and the second floor also is fully occupied by warriors, but the third floor and the floors above are vacant; you may take your choice of these.

"I understand," he continued, "that you have given up your woman to the red prisoner. Well, as you have said, your ways are not our ways, but you can fight well enough to do about as you please, and so, if you wish to give your woman to a captive, it is your own affair; but as a chieftain you should have those to serve you, and in accordance with our customs you may select any or all the females from the retinues of the chieftains whose metal you now wear."

I thanked him, but assured him that I could get along very nicely without assistance (я поблагодарил его, но заверил его, что я могу прекрасно обходиться без помощи) except in the matter of preparing food (за исключением вопроса приготовления пищи), and so he promised to send women to me for this purpose (и поэтому он пообещал прислать мне женщин для этой цели) and also for the care of my arms and the manufacture of my ammunition (а также для того, чтобы заботиться о моем оружии и для изготовления амуниции), which he said would be necessary (что, как он сказал, будет необходимо). I suggested that they might also bring some of the sleeping silks and furs which belonged to me as spoils of combat (я подсказал, что они могли бы также принести какие-то шелка для спальни и меха, которые принадлежали мне как военные трофеи; to suggest — предлагать; подсказывать), for the nights were cold and I had none of my own (так как ночи были холодными, а у меня не было ничего своего).

preparing ["prI'peqrIN], manufacture ["mxnju'fxktSq], ammunition ["xmju'nIS(q)n]

I thanked him, but assured him that I could get along very nicely without assistance except in the matter of preparing food, and so he promised to send women to me for this purpose and also for the care of my arms and the manufacture of my ammunition, which he said would be necessary. I suggested that they might also bring some of the sleeping silks and furs which belonged to me as spoils of combat, for the nights were cold and I had none of my own.

He promised to do so, and departed (он пообещал мне сделать это и ушел). Left alone, I ascended the winding corridor to the upper floors (оставшись один, я поднялся по спиральному коридору на верхние этажи) in search of suitable quarters (в поисках подходящего жилья). The beauties of the other buildings were repeated in this (великолепие других зданий повторялось в этом), and, as usual, I was soon lost in a tour of investigation and discovery (и, как обычно, я вскоре увлекся осмотром, /полным/ исследований и открытий).

I finally chose a front room on the third floor (наконец, я выбрал комнату со стороны фасада на третьем этаже), because this brought me nearer to Dejah Thoris (так как это приближало меня к Деже Торис), whose apartment was on the second floor of the adjoining building (чье жилье находилось на втором этаже соседнего здания), and it flashed upon me that I could rig up some means of communication (и мне пришло в голову, что я мог бы соорудить какое-нибудь средство связи; to rig up — укладывать такелаж/на судне/; снаряжать наспех; rig — оснастка; парусное вооружение, рангоут и такелаж) whereby she might signal me (с помощью которого она могла бы подать мне сигнал) in case she needed either my services or my protection (в случае, если бы ей понадобились мои услуги или моя защита).

suitable ['sju: tqbl], adjoining [q'dZOInIN], communication [kq" mju: nI'keIS(q)n], service ['sWvIs]

He promised to do so, and departed. Left alone, I ascended the winding corridor to the upper floors in search of suitable quarters. The beauties of the other buildings were repeated in this, and, as usual, I was soon lost in a tour of investigation and discovery.

I finally chose a front room on the third floor, because this brought me nearer to Dejah Thoris, whose apartment was on the second floor of the adjoining building, and it flashed upon me that I could rig up some means of communication whereby she might signal me in case she needed either my services or my protection.

Adjoining my sleeping apartment were baths (к моей спальне примыкали ванные), dressing rooms, and other sleeping and living apartments (гардеробные, а также другие помещения для сна и проживания), in all some ten rooms on this floor (всего около десяти комнат на этом этаже). The windows of the back rooms overlooked an enormous court (окна комнат с задней стороны выходили на огромный двор), which formed the center of the square (который представлял собой центр квадрата) made by the buildings which faced the four contiguous streets (образованного зданиями, которые фасадами были обращены на четыре соседние улицы; contiguous — смежный, прилегающий), and which was now given over to the quartering of the various animals (и который теперь был отдан под размещение различных животных) belonging to the warriors occupying the adjoining buildings (принадлежащих воинам, /которые/ занимали соседние: «прилегающие» здания).

overlook ["ouvq'luk], contiguous [kqn'tIgjuqs], belonging [bI'lONIN]

Adjoining my sleeping apartment were baths, dressing rooms, and other sleeping and living apartments, in all some ten rooms on this floor. The windows of the back rooms overlooked an enormous court, which formed the center of the square made by the buildings which faced the four contiguous streets, and which was now given over to the quartering of the various animals belonging to the warriors occupying the adjoining buildings.

While the court was entirely overgrown with the yellow, moss-like vegetation (хотя двор полностью зарос желтой, похожей на мох растительностью) which blankets practically the entire surface of Mars (которая покрывает практически всю поверхность Марса), yet numerous fountains, statuary, benches, and pergola-like contraptions (однако многочисленные фонтаны, статуи, скамьи и похожие на беседки сооружения; contraption — хитрое изобретение, штуковина) bore witness to the beauty (свидетельствовали о красоте; to bear witness — свидетельствовать: «нести свидетельство») which the court must have presented in bygone times (которую двор, должно быть, являл собой в ушедшие времена), when graced by the fair-haired, laughing people (когда был благословен присутствием светловолосых, смеющихся людей; to grace — украшать; удостаивать) whom stern and unalterable cosmic laws had driven not only from their homes (которых суровые и непреложные законы космоса изгнали не только из их жилищ; stern — суровый, жестокий; unalterable — неизменный; unalterable law — непреложный закон), but from all except the vague legends of their descendants (но и отовсюду, за исключением туманных легенд их потомков; vague — неопределенный, неясный).

overgrown ["ouvq'groun], contraption [kqn'trxpS(q)n], unalterable [An'O: ltrqbl]

While the court was entirely overgrown with the yellow, moss-like vegetation which blankets practically the entire surface of Mars, yet numerous fountains, statuary, benches, and pergola-like contraptions bore witness to the beauty which the court must have presented in bygone times, when graced by the fair-haired, laughing people whom stern and unalterable cosmic laws had driven not only from their homes, but from all except the vague legends of their descendants.

One could easily picture the gorgeous foliage of the luxuriant Martian vegetation (легко можно было вообразить пышную листву роскошной марсианской растительности; foliage — листва, листья) which once filled this scene with life and color (которая когда-то наполняла эту сцену жизнью и красками); the graceful figures of the beautiful women (грациозные фигуры прекрасных женщин), the straight and handsome men (стройных и красивых мужчин); the happy frolicking children (счастливых резвящихся детей; to frolic — резвиться, шалить) — all sunlight, happiness and peace (все /проникнуто/ солнечным светом, счастьем и миром). It was difficult to realize that they had gone (было трудно осознать, что они исчезли); down through ages of darkness, cruelty, and ignorance (в веках мрака, жестокости и невежества), until their hereditary instincts of culture and humanitarianism (пока их врожденные склонности к культуре и гуманности) had risen ascendant once more in the final composite race (вновь не возобладали: «поднялись к господству» в последней смешанной расе; ascendant — господствующий, преобладающий) which now is dominant upon Mars (которая теперь доминирует на Марсе).