Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса
Шрифт:
domicile ['dOmIsaIl], throe [Trou], inquire [In'kwaIq]
Sarkoja, one of the older women who shared our domicile, had been present at the audience as one of the captive's guards, and it was toward her the question turned.
"When," asked one of the women, "will we enjoy the death throes of the red one? or does Lorquas Ptomel, Jed, intend holding her for ransom?"
"They have decided to carry her with us back to Thark, and exhibit her last agonies at the great games before Tal Hajus," replied Sarkoja.
"What will be the manner of her going out?" inquired Sola. "She is very small and very beautiful; I had hoped that they would hold her for ransom."
Sarkoja and the other women grunted angrily at this evidence of weakness on the part of Sola (Саркоджа и другие женщины сердито заворчали при этом проявлении слабости со стороны Солы).
"It is sad, Sola, that you were not born a million years ago (прискорбно,
degenerate [dI'dZenrIt], responsibility [rI" spOnsq'bIlItI], maternity [mq'tWnItI]
Sarkoja and the other women grunted angrily at this evidence of weakness on the part of Sola.
"It is sad, Sola, that you were not born a million years ago," snapped Sarkoja, "when all the hollows of the land were filled with water, and the peoples were as soft as the stuff they sailed upon. In our day we have progressed to a point where such sentiments mark weakness and atavism. It will not be well for you to permit Tars Tarkas to learn that you hold such degenerate sentiments, as I doubt that he would care to entrust such as you with the grave responsibilities of maternity."
"I see nothing wrong with my expression of interest in this red woman (я не вижу ничего плохого в моем проявлении интереса к этой красной женщине; expression — выражение)," retorted Sola (резко отпарировала Сола; to retort — отвечать резко, отвечать тем же). "She has never harmed us (она никогда не причиняла нам вреда), nor would she should we have fallen into her hands (и не причинила бы, если бы мы попали ей в руки). It is only the men of her kind who war upon us (это только мужчины ее вида ведут с нами войну), and I have ever thought that their attitude toward us is but the reflection of ours toward them (и я всегда думала, что их отношение к нам — это всего лишь отражение нашего /отношения/ к ним). They live at peace with all their fellows (они мирно живут со всеми своими собратьями), except when duty calls upon them to make war (за исключением /тех случаев/, когда долг призывает их воевать), while we are at peace with none (в то время как мы не миримся ни с кем; to be at peace — не воевать; быть в состоянии мира и покоя) forever warring among our own kind as well as upon the red men (вечно воюем с нашими собственными племенами, а также с красными людьми), and even in our own communities the individuals fight amongst themselves (и даже в наших собственных общинах отдельные люди сражаются между собой). Oh, it is one continual, awful period of bloodshed (о, все это один непрерывный, ужасный период кровопролития) from the time we break the shell until we gladly embrace the bosom of the river of mystery (с момента, когда мы пробиваем скорлупу, и до тех пор, пока мы с радостью не падаем в объятия мистической реки; to embrace — прижимать к груди), the dark and ancient Iss which carries us to an unknown (мрачной и древней Исс, которая уносит нас в неведомое), but at least no more frightful and terrible existence (но, по крайней мере, не пугающее более и не ужасное более существование)! Fortunate indeed is he who meets his end in an early death (и поистине счастлив тот, кто встречает свой конец в ранней смерти). Say what you please to Tars Tarkas (говори что хочешь Тарсу Таркасу; to please — хотеть), he can mete out no worse fate to me (он не может определить для меня худшей участи; to mete out — определять, выделять) than a continuation of the horrible existence we are forced to lead in this life (чем продолжение ужасного существования, которое мы принуждены вести в этой жизни)."
retort [rI'tO: t], bloodshed ['blAdSed], frightful ['fraItful], horrible ['hOrqbl]
"I see nothing wrong with my expression of interest in this red woman," retorted Sola. "She has never harmed us, nor would she should we have fallen into her hands. It is only the men of her kind who war upon us, and I have ever thought that their attitude toward us is but the reflection of ours toward them. They live at peace with all their fellows, except when duty calls upon them to make war, while we are at peace with none; forever warring among our own kind as well as upon the red men, and even in our own communities the individuals fight amongst themselves. Oh, it is one continual, awful period of bloodshed from the time we break the shell until we gladly embrace the bosom of the river of mystery, the dark and ancient Iss which carries us to an unknown, but at least no more frightful and terrible existence! Fortunate indeed is he who meets his end in an early death. Say what you please to Tars Tarkas, he can mete out no worse fate to me than a continuation of the horrible existence we are forced to lead in this life."
This wild outbreak on the part of Sola so greatly surprised and shocked the other women (эта
reprimand ['reprImQ: nd], accomplish [q'kOmplIS], cruelty ['kru: qltI]
This wild outbreak on the part of Sola so greatly surprised and shocked the other women, that, after a few words of general reprimand, they all lapsed into silence and were soon asleep. One thing the episode had accomplished was to assure me of Sola's friendliness toward the poor girl, and also to convince me that I had been extremely fortunate in falling into her hands rather than those of some of the other females. I knew that she was fond of me, and now that I had discovered that she hated cruelty and barbarity I was confident that I could depend upon her to aid me and the girl captive to escape, provided of course that such a thing was within the range of possibilities.
I did not even know that there were any better conditions to escape to (я даже не знал, было ли куда бежать: «были ли лучшие условия, к которым сбежать») but I was more than willing (но я был более чем готов; willing — готовый, расположенный; to be willing to do — выразить готовность сделать) to take my chances among people fashioned after my own mold (попытать счастья среди народа, созданного по моему подобию; chance — случайность; риск; to take chances — попытать счастья; to fashion — придавать вид, форму) rather than to remain longer among the hideous and bloodthirsty green men of Mars (чем продолжать оставаться среди отвратительных и кровожадных зеленых людей Марса). But where to go, and how, was as much of a puzzle to me (но куда идти, и как, было такой же загадкой для меня) as the age-old search for the spring of eternal life (как и вековой поиск источника вечной жизни) has been to earthly men since the beginning of time (был для земных людей с начала времен).
I decided that at the first opportunity I would take Sola into my confidence (я решил, что при первой же возможности я доверюсь Соле; confidence — доверие; to take into confidence — доверять: «взять в доверие») and openly ask her to aid me (и открыто попрошу ее помочь мне), and with this resolution strong upon me (и с этим твердым решением) I turned among my silks and furs and slept the dreamless and refreshing sleep of Mars (я повернулся среди своих шелков и мехов и уснул лишенным сновидений и освежающим сном, /каким я спал/ на Марсе).
hideous ['hIdIqs], bloodthirsty ['blAd" TWstI], confidence ['kOnfId(q)ns]
I did not even know that there were any better conditions to escape to, but I was more than willing to take my chances among people fashioned after my own mold rather than to remain longer among the hideous and bloodthirsty green men of Mars. But where to go, and how, was as much of a puzzle to me as the age-old search for the spring of eternal life has been to earthly men since the beginning of time.