Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса
Шрифт:
After our return to the dead city (после нашего возвращения в мертвый город) I passed several days in comparative idleness (я провел несколько дней в относительном безделье; idle — праздный). On the day following our return (на следующий день после нашего возвращения) all the warriors had ridden forth early in the morning (все воины ускакали куда-то рано утром; forth — вперед, дальше; to ride) and had not returned until just before darkness fell (и вернулись только перед наступлением темноты). As I later learned, they had been to the subterranean vaults (как я позднее узнал, они были в подземных хранилищах) in which the eggs were kept (в которых хранились яйца) and had transported them to the incubator (и перевозили их в инкубатор), which they had then walled up for another five years (который
unfrequented ["AnfrI'kwentId], tremendous [trI'mendqs], idleness ['aIdlnIs], probability ["prObq'bIlItI]
As the incubator had been placed far north of their own territory in a supposedly uninhabited and unfrequented area, we had before us a tremendous journey, concerning which I, of course, knew nothing.
After our return to the dead city I passed several days in comparative idleness. On the day following our return all the warriors had ridden forth early in the morning and had not returned until just before darkness fell. As I later learned, they had been to the subterranean vaults in which the eggs were kept and had transported them to the incubator, which they had then walled up for another five years, and which, in all probability, would not be visited again during that period.
The vaults which hid the eggs until they were ready for the incubator (хранилища, которые скрывали яйца до той поры, пока они не будут готовы для инкубатора) were located many miles south of the incubator (находились на много миль южнее инкубатора), and would be visited yearly by the council of twenty chieftains (и каждый год их посещал совет из двадцати вождей). Why they did not arrange to build their vaults and incubators nearer home (почему они не устроили так, чтобы строить хранилища и инкубаторы ближе к дому; to arrange — уладить, урегулировать) has always been a mystery to me (всегда было загадкой для меня), and, like many other Martian mysteries (и, как множество других марсианских загадок), unsolved and unsolvable by earthly reasoning and customs (/оказались/ нерешенными и неразрешимыми с помощью земной логики и обычаев; reasoning — рассуждение, логический ход мысли).
yearly ['jWlI], council [kaunsl], unsolvable ["An'sOlvqbl]
The vaults which hid the eggs until they were ready for the incubator were located many miles south of the incubator, and would be visited yearly by the council of twenty chieftains. Why they did not arrange to build their vaults and incubators nearer home has always been a mystery to me, and, like many other Martian mysteries, unsolved and unsolvable by earthly reasoning and customs.
Sola's duties were now doubled (обязанности Солы теперь удвоились), as she was compelled to care for the young Martian as well as for me (так как она была вынуждена заботиться о юном марсианине, а также обо мне: «равно как обо мне»; to compel — заставлять, принуждать), but neither one of us required much attention (но ни один из нас не требовал большого внимания), and as we were both about equally advanced in Martian education (и так как мы оба были примерно одинаково продвинуты в марсианском образовании), Sola took it upon herself to train us together (то Сола взялась обучать нас вместе).
Her prize consisted in a male about four feet tall (выигрыш Солы представлял собой мужскую особь высотой около четырех футов), very strong and physically perfect (очень сильную и физически совершенную); also, he learned quickly (кроме того, он быстро учился), and we had considerable amusement, at least I did (и мы получали довольно много удовольствия, по крайней мере, я; amusement — развлечение; удовольствие), over the keen rivalry we displayed (из-за острого соперничества, которое мы демонстрировали; rivalry — соперничество, конкуренция; rival — соперник). The Martian language, as I have said, is extremely simple (марсианский язык, как я уже говорил, чрезвычайно прост; extreme —
require [rI'kwaIq], equally ['i: kwqlI], considerable [kqn'sIdrqbl], rivalry ['raIvlrI], tutelage ['tju: tIlIdZ]
Sola's duties were now doubled, as she was compelled to care for the young Martian as well as for me, but neither one of us required much attention, and as we were both about equally advanced in Martian education, Sola took it upon herself to train us together.
Her prize consisted in a male about four feet tall, very strong and physically perfect; also, he learned quickly, and we had considerable amusement, at least I did, over the keen rivalry we displayed. The Martian language, as I have said, is extremely simple, and in a week I could make all my wants known and understand nearly everything that was said to me. Likewise, under Sola's tutelage, I developed my telepathic powers so that I shortly could sense practically everything that went on around me.
What surprised Sola most in me (что больше всего удивляло Солу во мне) was that while I could catch telepathic messages easily from others (так это то, что в то время, как я мог легко перехватывать телепатические послания от других), and often when they were not intended for me (и часто, когда они не предназначались для меня), no one could read a jot from my mind under any circumstances (никто не мог прочитать ни йоты из моих мыслей ни при каких обстоятельствах; jot — йота, ничтожное количество). At first this vexed me (вначале это раздражало меня; to vex — досаждать, раздражать), but later I was very glad of it (но впоследствии я был очень рад этому), as it gave me an undoubted advantage over the Martians (так как это давало мне несомненное преимущество над марсианами).
surprise [sq'praIz], circumstance ['sWkqmstqns], jot [dZOt], undoubted [An'dautId]
What surprised Sola most in me was that while I could catch telepathic messages easily from others, and often when they were not intended for me, no one could read a jot from my mind under any circumstances. At first this vexed me, but later I was very glad of it, as it gave me an undoubted advantage over the Martians.
CHAPTER VIII
The third day after the incubator ceremony we set forth toward home (на третий день после церемонии у инкубатора мы выступили по направлению к дому; to set forth — отправляться), but scarcely had the head of the procession debouched into the open ground before the city (но едва лишь голова процессии вышла на открытое пространство перед городом; to debouch — выходить на открытую местность) than orders were given for an immediate and hasty return (как были отданы приказания к немедленному и спешному возвращению). As though trained for years in this particular evolution (как будто годами тренировавшиеся в этом специфическом маневре; evolution — развитие; перестроение, маневр), the green Martians melted like mist into the spacious doorways of the nearby buildings (зеленые марсиане растворились, как туман, в просторных дверных проемах ближайших зданий; to melt — таять; растворяться), until, in less than three minutes (пока, менее, чем за три минуты), the entire cavalcade of chariots, mastodons and mounted warriors was nowhere to be seen (вся кавалькада из повозок, мастодонтов и конных всадников не исчезла из виду: «нигде нельзя было увидеть»).