Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса
Шрифт:
But as we neared Zodanga their personal quarrels were submerged by their greater hatred for the red men (но когда мы приблизились к Зоданге, их личные дрязги были поглощены их еще большей ненавистью к красным людям), and especially for the Zodangans (и в особенности к зодангианцам), who had for years waged a ruthless campaign of extermination against the green men (которые годами вели беспощадную войну на истребление зеленых людей), directing special attention toward despoiling their incubators (обращая особое внимание на разрушение их инкубаторов).
equivalent [I'kwIvqlqnt], semblance ['semblqns], submerge [sqb'mWdZ], extermination [Iks" tWmI'neIS(q)n]
The fighting strength and efficiency of this horde of ferocious green monsters was equivalent to ten times their number of red men. Never in the history of Barsoom, Tars Tarkas told me, had such a force of green warriors marched to battle together. It was a monstrous task to keep even a semblance of harmony among them, and it was a marvel to me that he got them to the city without a mighty battle among themselves.
But as we neared Zodanga their personal quarrels were submerged by their greater hatred for the red men, and especially for the Zodangans, who had for years waged a ruthless campaign of extermination against the green men, directing special attention toward despoiling their incubators.
Now that we were before Zodanga (теперь,
obtain [qb'teIn], earshot ['IqSOt], sentry ['sentrI]
Now that we were before Zodanga the task of obtaining entry to the city devolved upon me, and directing Tars Tarkas to hold his forces in two divisions out of earshot of the city, with each division opposite a large gateway, I took twenty dismounted warriors and approached one of the small gates that pierced the walls at short intervals. These gates have no regular guard, but are covered by sentries, who patrol the avenue that encircles the city just within the walls as our metropolitan police patrol their beats.
The walls of Zodanga are seventy-five feet in height and fifty feet thick (стены Зоданги имеют семьдесят пять футов в высоту, а толщину — пятьдесят футов). They are built of enormous blocks of carborundum (они построены из огромных блоков карборунда), and the task of entering the city seemed, to my escort of green warriors, an impossibility (и задача попасть в город казалась для сопровождавших меня зеленых воинов невыполнимой; impossibility — невозможность). The fellows who had been detailed to accompany me (люди, которые были назначены, чтобы сопровождать меня) were of one of the smaller hordes (были из одного из меньших племен), and therefore did not know me (и поэтому не знали меня).
Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked (поставив трех из них лицом к стене со сцепленными руками), I commanded two more to mount to their shoulders (я приказал еще двоим взобраться им на плечи), and a sixth I ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two (а шестому я дал указание взобраться на плечи верхних двух). The head of the topmost warrior towered over forty feet from the ground (голова самого верхнего воина находилась на высоте: «возвышалась» более сорока футов от земли).
carborundum ["kQ: bq'rAndqm], detailed ['di: teIld], topmost ['tOpmoust]
The walls of Zodanga are seventy-five feet in height and fifty feet thick. They are built of enormous blocks of carborundum, and the task of entering the city seemed, to my escort of green warriors, an impossibility. The fellows who had been detailed to accompany me were of one of the smaller hordes, and therefore did not know me.
Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked, I commanded two more to mount to their shoulders, and a sixth I ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two. The head of the topmost warrior towered over forty feet from the ground.
In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps (таким
clutch [klAtS], leather ['leDq], previously ['pri: vjqslI]
In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps from the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man. Then starting from a short distance behind them I ran swiftly up from one tier to the next, and with a final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest I clutched the top of the great wall and quietly drew myself to its broad expanse. After me I dragged six lengths of leather from an equal number of my warriors. These lengths we had previously fastened together, and passing one end to the topmost warrior I lowered the other end cautiously over the opposite side of the wall toward the avenue below. No one was in sight, so, lowering myself to the end of my leather strap, I dropped the remaining thirty feet to the pavement below.
I had learned from Kantos Kan the secret of opening these gates (я ранее узнал от Кантоса Кана секрет того, как открываются ворота), and in another moment my twenty great fighting men (и через мгновение двадцать моих могучих воинов) stood within the doomed city of Zodanga (стояли внутри обреченного города Зоданги).
I found to my delight (к своему восторгу я обнаружил) that I had entered at the lower boundary of the enormous palace grounds (что я вошел со стороны нижней границы огромной дворцовой территории). The building itself showed in the distance a blaze of glorious light (само здание сияло в отдалении морем великолепных огней; blaze — яркий свет; blaze of lights — море огней) and on the instant I determined to lead a detachment of warriors directly within the palace itself (и тотчас я решил повести отряд воинов прямо во дворец; on the instant — тотчас, в тотже момент), while the balance of the great horde was attacking the barracks of the soldiery (пока все остальное огромное племя будет атаковать казармы солдат).