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

offendedly [q'fendIdlI], possession [pq'zeS(q)n], marriage ['mxrIdZ], repulse [rI'pAls]

Then aloud she said: "Do you remember the night when you offended me? You called me your princess without having asked my hand of me, and then you boasted that you had fought for me. You did not know, and I should not have been offended; I see that now. But there was no one to tell you what I could not, that upon Barsoom there are two kinds of women in the cities of the red men. The one they fight for that they may ask them in marriage; the other kind they fight for also, but never ask their hands. When a man has won a woman he may address her as his princess, or in any of the several terms which signify possession. You had fought for me, but had never asked me in marriage, and so when you called me your princess, you see," she faltered, "I was hurt, but even then, John Carter, I did not repulse you, as I should have done, until you made it doubly worse by taunting me with having won me through combat."

"I do not need ask your forgiveness now, Dejah Thoris," I cried (мне нет нужды теперь просить у тебя прощения). "You must know that my fault was of ignorance of your Barsoomian customs (ты должна знать, что моя вина состояла в незнании обычаев Барсума). What I failed to do, through implicit belief (то, чего я не сделал раньше из-за моей полной уверенности; implicit — безоговорочный, полный) that my petition would be presumptuous and unwelcome (в том, что моя просьба будет самонадеянной и нежеланной; petition — прошение, просьба; presumptuous — самоуверенный, самонадеянный), I do now (я делаю теперь), Dejah Thoris; I ask you to be my wife (я прошу тебя стать моей женой), and by all the Virginian fighting blood that flows in my veins you shall be (и клянусь всей своей виргинской воинственной кровью, которая течет в моих жилах, — ты станешь /ею/)!"

"No, John Carter, it is useless," she cried, hopelessly (нет, это бесполезно, — воскликнула она безнадежно), "I may never be yours while Sab Than lives (я никогда не могу быть твоей, пока Саб Тан жив)."

forgiveness [fq'gIvnIs], implicit [Im'plIsIt], presumptuous [prI'zAmptjuqs]

"I do not need ask your forgiveness now, Dejah Thoris," I cried. "You must know that my fault was of ignorance of your Barsoomian customs. What I failed to do, through implicit belief that my petition would be presumptuous and unwelcome, I do now, Dejah Thoris; I ask you to be my wife, and by all the Virginian fighting blood that flows in my veins you shall be."

"No, John Carter, it is useless," she cried, hopelessly, "I may never be yours while Sab Than lives."

"You have sealed his death warrant, my princess — Sab Than dies (ты подписала его смертный приговор, моя принцесса — Саб Тан умрет)."

"Nor that either," she hastened to explain (только не это, — поспешила она объяснить). "I may not wed the man who slays my husband (я не могу выйти замуж за человека, который убьет моего мужа), even in self-defense (даже при самозащите). It is custom (таков обычай). We are ruled by custom upon Barsoom (обычаи правят нами здесь, на Барсуме). It is useless, my friend (это бесполезно, мой друг). You must bear the sorrow with me (ты должен переносить это горе со мной). That at least we may share in common (это, по крайней мере, мы можем разделить вместе; in common — сообща, вместе). That, and the memory of the brief days among the Tharks (это — и воспоминание о коротких днях среди тарков). You must go now (теперь ты должен уйти), nor ever see me again (и никогда не встречаться со мной больше). Good-bye, my chieftain that was (прощай, мой былой вождь).

warrant ['wOrqnt], husband ['hAzbqnd], brief [bri: f], useless ['ju: slIs], sorrow ['sOrou]

"You have sealed his death warrant, my princess — Sab Than dies."

"Nor that either," she hastened to explain. "I may not wed the man who slays my husband, even in self-defense. It is custom. We are ruled by custom upon Barsoom. It is useless, my friend. You must bear the sorrow with me. That at least we may share in common. That, and the memory of the brief days among the Tharks. You must go now, nor ever see me again. Good-bye, my chieftain that was."

Disheartened and dejected, I withdrew from the room (с разбитым сердцем и удрученный, я вышел из комнаты; to deject — подавлять, угнетать, расстраивать, удручать, приводить в уныние; to dishearten — приводить в уныние, сломить волю, дух, расхолаживать), but I was not entirely discouraged (не я не был полностью обескуражен; to discourage — приводить в уныние, обескураживать), nor would I admit that Dejah Thoris was lost to me (и я не хотел допускать, что Дежа Торис потеряна для меня) until the ceremony had actually been performed (пока церемония на самом деле не совершилась).

As I wandered along the corridors (пока я блуждал по коридорам), I was as absolutely lost in the mazes of winding passageways (я совершенно заблудился в лабиринте извилистых переходов) as I had been before I discovered Dejah Thoris' apartments (как это было перед тем, как я нашел апартаменты Дежи Торис).

I knew that my only hope lay in escape from the city of Zodanga (я знал, что моя единственная надежда на спасение заключалась в бегстве из города Зоданги), for the matter of the four dead guardsmen would have to be explained (так как вопрос о четырех мертвых стражниках потребует разъяснений), and as I could never reach my original post without a guide (а так как я никак не смогу добраться до своего первоначального поста без проводника), suspicion would surely rest on me (подозрение обязательно падет на меня; to rest on — возлагать, покоиться) so soon as I was discovered wandering aimlessly through the palace (как только меня обнаружат бесцельно слоняющимся по дворцу).

dishearten [dIs'hQ: t(q)n], discourage [dIs'kArIdZ], suspicion [sq'spIS(q)n], surely ['SuqlI], aimlessly ['eImlIslI]

Disheartened and dejected, I withdrew from the room, but I was not entirely discouraged, nor would I admit that Dejah Thoris was lost to me until the ceremony had actually been performed.

As I wandered along the corridors, I was as absolutely lost in the mazes of winding passageways as I had been before I discovered Dejah Thoris' apartments.

I knew that my only hope lay in escape from the city of Zodanga, for the matter of the four dead guardsmen would have to be explained, and as I could never reach my original post without a guide, suspicion would surely rest on me so soon as I was discovered wandering aimlessly through the palace.

Presently I came upon a spiral runway leading to a lower floor (наконец я подошел к спиральной лестнице, ведущей на нижний этаж), and this I followed downward for several stories (и по ней я последовал вниз на несколько этажей) until I reached the doorway of a large apartment (пока не дошел до двери в большую комнату) in which were a number of guardsmen (в которой было много стражников). The walls of this room were hung with transparent tapestries (стены этой комнаты были увешаны прозрачными тканями) behind which I secreted myself without being apprehended (за которыми я и спрятался, оставшись незамеченным; to apprehend — понимать, постигать, разгадывать, схватывать; арестовывать, задерживать).

downward ['daunwqd], transparent ["trxns'peqrqnt], apprehend ["xprI'hend]

Presently I came upon a spiral runway leading to a lower floor, and this I followed downward for several stories until I reached the doorway of a large apartment in which were a number of guardsmen. The walls of this room were hung with transparent tapestries behind which I secreted myself without being apprehended.

The conversation of the guardsmen was general (разговор стражников был общим), and awakened no interest in me (и не пробудил во мне никакого интереса) until an officer entered the room (пока в комнату не вошел офицер) and ordered four of the men to relieve the detail (и не приказал четырем рядовым сменить караул; detail — наряд, команда; to relieve — сменять) who were guarding the Princess of Helium (который охранял принцессу Гелиума). Now, I knew, my troubles would commence in earnest (теперь, я знал, у меня начнутся серьезные проблемы; in earnest — всерьез) and indeed they were upon me all too soon (и, действительно, они свалились на меня слишком быстро), for it seemed that the squad had scarcely left the guardroom (так как, казалось, команда едва покинула караульное помещение) before one of their number burst in again breathlessly (как один из их числа ворвался внутрь, задыхаясь; to burstin — врываться, вломиться; breathless — запыхавшийся), crying that they had found their four comrades butchered in the antechamber (и выкрикивая, что они нашли своих четверых товарищей безжалостно убитыми в прихожей; to butcher— бить /скот/; безжалостно и бессмысленно убивать; butcher — мясник).

relieve [rI'li: v], breathless ['breTlIs], butcher ['butSq]

The conversation of the guardsmen was general, and awakened no interest in me until an officer entered the room and ordered four of the men to relieve the detail who were guarding the Princess of Helium. Now, I knew, my troubles would commence in earnest and indeed they were upon me all too soon, for it seemed that the squad had scarcely left the guardroom before one of their number burst in again breathlessly, crying that they had found their four comrades butchered in the antechamber.

In a moment the entire palace was alive with people (через мгновение весь дворец заполнился людьми; alive — живой; изобилующий). Guardsmen, officers, courtiers, servants, and slaves (стражники, офицеры, придворные, слуги и рабы) ran helter-skelter through the corridors and apartments (бегали в суматохе по коридорам и комнатам; helter-skelter — беспорядочно, как попало, кое-как) carrying messages and orders, and searching for signs of the assassin (передавая донесения и приказания и разыскивая следы убийцы).

This was my opportunity (это был мой шанс) and slim as it appeared I grasped it (и каким бы незначительным он ни казался, я ухватился за него; slim — стройный, тонкий, худой; /разг./ незначительный, несущественный), for as a number of soldiers came hurrying past my hiding place (и когда несколько солдат прошли в спешке мимо моего убежища) I fell in behind them and followed through the mazes of the palace (я пристроился позади них и последовал /за ними/ по лабиринтам дворца; to fall in — становиться в строй) until, in passing through a great hall (пока, когда я проходил через большой зал), I saw the blessed light of day coming in through a series of larger windows (я увидел благословенный дневной свет, который проходил через ряд больших окон).

helter-skelter ["heltq'skeltq], assassin [q'sxsIn], blessed ['blesId]

In a moment the entire palace was alive with people. Guardsmen, officers, courtiers, servants, and slaves ran helter-skelter through the corridors and apartments carrying messages and orders, and searching for signs of the assassin.

This was my opportunity and slim as it appeared I grasped it, for as a number of soldiers came hurrying past my hiding place I fell in behind them and followed through the mazes of the palace until, in passing through a great hall, I saw the blessed light of day coming in through a series of larger windows.

Here I left my guides (здесь я оставил своих проводников), and, slipping to the nearest window, sought for an avenue of escape (и, проскользнув к ближайшему окну, /стал/ искать путь к бегству). The windows opened upon a great balcony (окна открывались на большой балкон) which overlooked one of the broad avenues of Zodanga (который выходил на одну из широких улиц Зоданги). The ground was about thirty feet below (земля была примерно в тридцати футах внизу), and at a like distance from the building (и примерно на таком же расстоянии от здания) was a wall fully twenty feet high (была стена высотой в целых двадцать футов), constructed of polished glass about a foot in thickness (состоящая из отполированного стекла толщиной примерно около фута). To a red Martian escape by this path would have appeared impossible (для красного марсианина бегство этим путем оказалось бы невозможным), but to me, with my earthly strength and agility (но для меня, с моей земной силой и ловкостью), it seemed already accomplished (оно уже казалось свершившимся). My only fear was in being detected before darkness fell (мой единственный страх заключался в том, что меня обнаружат до наступления темноты), for I could not make the leap in broad daylight (потому что я не мог совершить прыжок средь бела дня; in broad daylight — средь бела дня) while the court below and the avenue beyond were crowded with Zodangans (пока двор внизу и улица за ним были заполнены жителями Зоданги).