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

balcony ['bxlkqnI], thickness ['TIknIs], appear [q'pIq]

Here I left my guides, and, slipping to the nearest window, sought for an avenue of escape. The windows opened upon a great balcony which overlooked one of the broad avenues of Zodanga. The ground was about thirty feet below, and at a like distance from the building was a wall fully twenty feet high, constructed of polished glass about a foot in thickness. To a red Martian escape by this path would have appeared impossible, but to me, with my earthly strength and agility, it seemed already accomplished. My only fear was in being detected before darkness fell, for I could not make the leap in broad daylight while the court below and the avenue beyond were crowded with Zodangans.

Accordingly I searched for a hiding place (следовательно, я /начал/ искать укрытие; accordingly — соответственно; следовательно) and finally found one by accident (и, наконец, случайно нашел одно), inside a huge hanging ornament (внутри огромного висячего украшения) which swung from the ceiling of the hall (которое свисало с потолка зала), and about ten feet from the floor (и /заканчивалось/ примерно в десяти футах от пола). Into the capacious bowl-like vase I sprang with ease (в просторную, похожую на чашу, вазу я запрыгнул с легкостью), and scarcely had I settled down within it (и едва я успел устроиться в ней; to settle down — устраиваться) than I heard a number of people enter the apartment (как услышал, что несколько человек входят в комнату). The group stopped beneath my hiding place (группа остановилась под моим укрытием) and I could plainly overhear their every word (и я мог четко слышать каждое их слово).

"It is the work of Heliumites," said one of the men (это работа гелиумцев, — сказал один из мужчин).

"Yes, O Jeddak, but how had they access to the palace (но как они попали во дворец; access — доступ)? I could believe that even with the diligent care of your guardsmen (я мог бы поверить в то, что даже при усердном наблюдении твоих стражников; diligent — прилежный, старательный) a single enemy might reach the inner chambers (один враг мог пробраться во внутренние покои), but how a force of six or eight fighting men (но как отряд из шести или восьми воинов; force — сила; вооруженный отряд) could have done so unobserved is beyond me (мог сделать это, /не будучи/ замеченным, — вне моего понимания; beyond — выше, сверх; beyond me — выше моего понимания). We shall soon know, however (мы вскоре узнаем, однако), for here comes the royal psychologist (так как вот идет королевский психолог).

accordingly [q'kO: dINlI], capacious [kq'peISqs], plainly ['pleInlI], psychologist [saI'kOlqdZIst]

Accordingly I searched for a hiding place and finally found one by accident, inside a huge hanging ornament which swung from the ceiling of the hall, and about ten feet from the floor. Into the capacious bowl-like vase I sprang with ease, and scarcely had I settled down within it than I heard a number of people enter the apartment. The group stopped beneath my hiding place and I could plainly overhear their every word.

"It is the work of Heliumites," said one of the men.

"Yes, O Jeddak, but how had they access to the palace? I could believe that even with the diligent care of your guardsmen a single enemy might reach the inner chambers, but how a force of six or eight fighting men could have done so unobserved is beyond me. We shall soon know, however, for here comes the royal psychologist."

Another man now joined the group (еще один человек теперь присоединился к группе), and, after making his formal greetings to his ruler, said (и после того, как /он/ официально поприветствовал своего правителя, сказал):

"O mighty Jeddak, it is a strange tale I read in the dead minds of your faithful guardsmen (странную историю я прочел в мертвых умах твоих верных стражников). They were felled not by a number of fighting men, but by a single opponent (они были сражены не несколькими воинами, но одним противником)."

He paused to let the full weight of this announcement impress his hearers (он сделал паузу, чтобы вся важность его сообщения дошла до сознания его слушателей; weight — значение, важность; to impress — внушать, внедрять в сознание), and that his statement was scarcely credited (и о том, что его утверждение вряд ли вызвало доверие) was evidenced by the impatient exclamation of incredulity (свидетельствовали нетерпеливые восклицания недоверия) which escaped the lips of Than Kosis (которые сорвались с губ Тана Косиса).

"What manner of weird tale are you bringing me (что за странную историю ты рассказываешь мне; to bring — приносить; высказывать), Notan?" he cried.

announcement [q'naunsmqnt], credit ['kredIt], incredulity ["InkrI'dju: lItI]

Another man now joined the group, and, after making his formal greetings to his ruler, said:

"O mighty Jeddak, it is a strange tale I read in the dead minds of your faithful guardsmen. They were felled not by a number of fighting men, but by a single opponent."

He paused to let the full weight of this announcement impress his hearers, and that his statement was scarcely credited was evidenced by the impatient exclamation of incredulity which escaped the lips of Than Kosis.

"What manner of weird tale are you bringing me, Notan?" he cried.

"It is the truth (это правда), my Jeddak," replied the psychologist. "In fact the impressions were strongly marked on the brain of each of the four guardsmen (на самом деле, впечатления оставили очень сильный отпечаток в мозгу каждого из четырех стражников). Their antagonist was a very tall man (их противником был очень высокий человек), wearing the metal of one of your own guardsmen (носящий знаки различия одного из твоих собственных стражников), and his fighting ability was little short of marvelous (и его способность сражаться была почти чудесной; little short of smth. — почти, близкий к чему-либо) for he fought fair against the entire four (так как он честно сражался против всех четверых) and vanquished them by his surpassing skill and superhuman strength and endurance (и победил их благодаря превосходящему /их/ мастерству и сверхчеловеческой силе и выносливости; to surpass — превосходить). Though he wore the metal of Zodanga (хотя он и носил знаки различия Зоданги), my Jeddak, such a man was never seen before in this or any other country upon Barsoom (такого человека никогда прежде не видели ни в этой, ни в какой другой стране на Барсуме).

surpass [sW'pQ: s], superhuman ["sju: pq'hju: mqn], endurance [In'djuqrqns]

"It is the truth, my Jeddak," replied the psychologist. "In fact the impressions were strongly marked on the brain of each of the four guardsmen. Their antagonist was a very tall man, wearing the metal of one of your own guardsmen, and his fighting ability was little short of marvelous for he fought fair against the entire four and vanquished them by his surpassing skill and superhuman strength and endurance. Though he wore the metal of Zodanga, my Jeddak, such a man was never seen before in this or any other country upon Barsoom.

"The mind of the Princess of Helium (ум принцессы Гелиума) whom I have examined and questioned (который я исследовал и расспросил) was a blank to me (был непроницаем для меня; blank — белый; бледный, бесцветный; невыразительный, непроницаемый), she has perfect control (она полностью владеет им), and I could not read one iota of it (и я не смог прочесть ни йоты из него). She said that she witnessed a portion of the encounter (она сказала, что была свидетелем части поединка), and that when she looked (и что когда она посмотрела) there was but one man engaged with the guardsmen (там был только один человек, сражающийся: «занятый» со стражниками); a man whom she did not recognize as ever having seen (человек, которого она никогда раньше не видела: «не узнала как такого, которого видела»)."

witness ['wItnIs], portion ['pO: Sn]

"The mind of the Princess of Helium whom I have examined and questioned was a blank to me, she has perfect control, and I could not read one iota of it. She said that she witnessed a portion of the encounter, and that when she looked there was but one man engaged with the guardsmen; a man whom she did not recognize as ever having seen."

"Where is my erstwhile savior (где мой бывший спаситель; erstwhile — прежний, былой)?" spoke another of the party (заговорил еще один из группы), and I recognized the voice of the cousin of Than Kosis (и я узнал голос двоюродного брата Тана Косиса), whom I had rescued from the green warriors (которого я спас от зеленых воинов). "By the metal of my first ancestor (клянусь знаками моего первого предка)," he went on (продолжил он), "but the description fits him to perfection (но это описание идеально подходит ему), especially as to his fighting ability (особенно в том, что касается его способности сражаться)."

erstwhile ['WstwaIl], especially [Is'peS(q)lI]

"Where is my erstwhile savior?" spoke another of the party, and I recognized the voice of the cousin of Than Kosis, whom I had rescued from the green warriors. "By the metal of my first ancestor," he went on, "but the description fits him to perfection, especially as to his fighting ability."

"Where is this man (где этот человек)?" cried Than Kosis. "Have him brought to me at once (немедленно приведите его ко мне). What know you of him, cousin (что ты знаешь о нем, кузен)? It seemed strange to me now that I think upon it (теперь мне кажется странным, когда я думаю об этом) that there should have been such a fighting man in Zodanga (что может быть такой воин в Зоданге), of whose name, even, we were ignorant before today (чьего имени мы даже не знали до сегодняшнего дня). And his name too, John Carter, who ever heard of such a name upon Barsoom (а также его имя, Джон Картер, кто когда-либо слышал подобное имя на Барсуме)!"

Word was soon brought that I was nowhere to be found (вскоре принесли известие, что меня нигде не могут найти), either in the palace or at my former quarters in the barracks of the air-scout squadron (ни во дворце, ни в моем прежнем жилище в казармах эскадрильи воздушных разведчиков). Kantos Kan, they had found and questioned (они нашли и расспросили Кантоса Кана), but he knew nothing of my whereabouts (но он ничего не знал о моем местонахождении), and as to my past (а что касается моего прошлого), he had told them he knew as little (он сказал им, что знает так же мало), since he had but recently met me during our captivity among the Warhoons (так как он встретил меня лишь недавно, во время нашего плена у ворхунцев).

ignorant ['Ignqrqnt], squadron ['skwOdrqn]

"Where is this man?" cried Than Kosis. "Have him brought to me at once. What know you of him, cousin? It seemed strange to me now that I think upon it that there should have been such a fighting man in Zodanga, of whose name, even, we were ignorant before today. And his name too, John Carter, who ever heard of such a name upon Barsoom!"

Word was soon brought that I was nowhere to be found, either in the palace or at my former quarters in the barracks of the air-scout squadron. Kantos Kan, they had found and questioned, but he knew nothing of my whereabouts, and as to my past, he had told them he knew as little, since he had but recently met me during our captivity among the Warhoons.

"Keep your eyes on this other one (не спускайте глаз и с этого; to keep eyes on smb. — не спускать глаз с кого-либо, следить за кем-либо)," commanded Than Kosis (приказал Тан Косис). "He also is a stranger and as likely as not (он тоже иностранец и, вполне вероятно; as likely as not — вполне вероятно, возможно) they both hail from Helium (они оба родом из Гелиума; to hail from — быть родом из), and where one is we shall sooner or later find the other (там, где один, там рано или поздно мы найдем другого). Quadruple the air patrol (увеличьте вчетверо: «учетверите» воздушные патрули), and let every man who leaves the city by air or ground (и пусть каждый человек, который покидает город по воздуху или по земле) be subjected to the closest scrutiny (будет подвергнут самой тщательной проверке; scrutiny — внимательное изучение, проверка)."