Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса
Шрифт:
During our period of inactivity, Tars Tarkas had instructed me in many of the customs and arts of war familiar to the Tharks, including lessons in riding and guiding the great beasts which bore the warriors. These creatures, which are known as thoats, are as dangerous and vicious as their masters, but when once subdued are sufficiently tractable for the purposes of the green Martians.
Two of these animals had fallen to me from the warriors whose metal I wore (два таких животных перешли ко мне от воинов, чьи знаки я носил; to fall to — выпадать, доставаться; to wear), and in a short time I could handle them quite as well as the native warriors (и через короткое время я мог управляться с ними так же хорошо, как и местные воины; quite — совершенно, полностью). The method was not at all complicated (способ был вовсе не сложным). If the thoats did not respond with sufficient celerity to the telepathic instructions of their riders (если тоты не реагировали с достаточной скоростью на телепатические приказания своих всадников; celerity — быстрота, проворство; скорость) they were dealt a terrific blow between the ears with the butt of a pistol (то
quite [kwaIt], instruction [In'strAkS(q)n], celerity [sq'lerqtI], subdued [sAb'dju: d]
Two of these animals had fallen to me from the warriors whose metal I wore, and in a short time I could handle them quite as well as the native warriors. The method was not at all complicated. If the thoats did not respond with sufficient celerity to the telepathic instructions of their riders they were dealt a terrific blow between the ears with the butt of a pistol, and if they showed fight this treatment was continued until the brutes either were subdued, or had unseated their riders.
In the latter case it became a life and death struggle between the man and the beast (в последнем случае начиналась борьба не на жизнь, а на смерть между человеком и животным). If the former were quick enough with his pistol (если бы первый достаточно быстро управлялся: «был достаточно быстр» со своим пистолетом) he might live to ride again, though upon some other beast (то он мог выжить, чтобы снова ездить верхом, правда, на каком-нибудь другом животном); if not, his torn and mangled body was gathered up by his women and burned in accordance with Tharkian custom (если же нет, то его разодранное и искалеченное тело собирали /по кускам/ его женщины и сжигали согласно таркианским обычаям; to mangle — рубить, калечить).
struggle [strAgl], mangle [mxNgl], accordance [q'kO: d(q)ns]
In the latter case it became a life and death struggle between the man and the beast. If the former were quick enough with his pistol he might live to ride again, though upon some other beast; if not, his torn and mangled body was gathered up by his women and burned in accordance with Tharkian custom.
My experience with Woola determined me (мой опыт с Вулой настроил меня; to determine — определять; детерминировать, обусловливать; заставлять, побуждать) to attempt the experiment of kindness in my treatment of my thoats (попытаться провести эксперимент по доброму обращению с моими тотами). First I taught them that they could not unseat me (вначале я научил их, что они не имеют права сбрасывать меня), and even rapped them sharply between the ears (и даже резко бил их между ушами; to rap — слегка ударять) to impress upon them my authority and mastery (чтобы они осознали мою власть и мое превосходство; mastery — господство, власть). Then, by degrees, I won their confidence in much the same manner (затем постепенно я завоевал их доверие в основном совершенно тем же способом) as I had adopted countless times with my many mundane mounts (который я применял бессчетное число раз со множеством моих земных лошадей). I was ever a good hand with animals (я всегда хорошо умел обращаться с животными; hand — мастер своего дела, умелец), and by inclination, as well as because it brought more lasting and satisfactory results (и по душевной склонности, а также потому, что это приводило к более длительным и удовлетворительным результатам), I was always kind and humane in my dealings with the lower orders (я всегда был добрым и человечным в своем обращении с низшими существами; order — отряд, подкласс). I could take a human life, if necessary (я мог лишить человека жизни, если это было необходимо; to take life — убить: «взять жизнь»), with far less compunction than that of a poor, unreasoning, irresponsible brute (с гораздо меньшими угрызениями совести, чем если бы это было бедное, неразумное, безответственное животное; compunction — угрызения совести; irresponsible — не отвечающий за свои поступки).
authority [O:'TOrItI], inclination ["InklI'neIS(q)n], compunction [kqm'pANkS(q)n], irresponsible ["IrIs'pOnsqbl]
My experience with Woola determined me to attempt the experiment of kindness in my treatment of my thoats. First I taught them that they could not unseat me, and even rapped them sharply between the ears to impress upon them my authority and mastery. Then, by degrees, I won their confidence in much the same manner as I had adopted countless times with my many mundane mounts. I was ever a good hand with animals, and by inclination, as well as because it brought more lasting and satisfactory results, I was always kind and humane in my dealings with the lower orders. I could take a human life, if necessary, with far less compunction than that of a poor, unreasoning, irresponsible brute.
In the course of a few days my thoats were the wonder of the entire community (в течение нескольких дней мои тоты стали предметом удивления для всей общины; in the course of — в ходе, в течение). They would follow me like dogs (они стали следовать за мной, как собаки), rubbing their great snouts against my body in awkward evidence of affection (и терлись огромными мордами о мое тело в неуклюжем проявлении привязанности), and respond to my every command with an alacrity and docility (и
awkward ['O: kwqd], alacrity [q'lxkrItI], ascribe [q'skraIb]
In the course of a few days my thoats were the wonder of the entire community. They would follow me like dogs, rubbing their great snouts against my body in awkward evidence of affection, and respond to my every command with an alacrity and docility which caused the Martian warriors to ascribe to me the possession of some earthly power unknown on Mars.
"How have you bewitched them?" asked Tars Tarkas one afternoon (как ты околдовал их? — спросил Тарс Таркас однажды вечером; witch — ведьма, колдунья), when he had seen me run my arm far between the great jaws of one of my thoats (когда он увидел, как я просовываю руку глубоко между огромными челюстями одного из моих тотов) which had wedged a piece of stone between two of his teeth (который загнал осколок камня между двумя зубами; to wedge — втискивать, загонять; wedge — клин) while feeding upon the moss-like vegetation within our court yard (пока он ел похожую на мох растительность в нашем дворе; to feed — есть, кормиться; court — двор, площадка).
bewitched [bI'wItSt], wedge [wedZ], feeding ['fi: dIN]
"How have you bewitched them?" asked Tars Tarkas one afternoon, when he had seen me run my arm far between the great jaws of one of my thoats which had wedged a piece of stone between two of his teeth while feeding upon the moss-like vegetation within our court yard.
"By kindness," I replied (добротой, — ответил я). "You see, Tars Tarkas, the softer sentiments have their value, even to a warrior (видишь ли, Тарс Таркас, более нежные чувства имеют свою ценность даже для воина; sentiment — чувство). In the height of battle as well as upon the march (в разгар битвы, равно как в походе; height — высшая степень, разгар) I know that my thoats will obey my every command (я знаю, что мои тоты будут подчиняться каждой моей команде), and therefore my fighting efficiency is enhanced (и поэтому моя эффективность в бою повышается; to enhance — увеличивать; усиливать), and I am a better warrior for the reason that I am a kind master (и я являюсь лучшим воином по той причине, что я — добрый хозяин). Your other warriors would find it to the advantage of themselves as well as of the community (другие твои воины поймут, что это /даст/ преимущество как и им самим, так и общине; advantage — преимущество; выгода) to adopt my methods in this respect (/если/ принять мои методы в этом отношении). Only a few days since you, yourself (всего лишь несколько дней назад ты, ты сам), told me that these great brutes, by the uncertainty of their tempers (сказал мне, что эти огромные животные из-за непостоянства своего характера; uncertain — сомнительный; изменчивый), often were the means of turning victory into defeat (часто становились средством превращения победы в поражение), since, at a crucial moment, they might elect to unseat and rend their riders (так как в критический момент они могли взбрыкнуть: «выбрать решение» и сбросить и разорвать своих всадников; to elect — выбирать; принимать решение; to rend — рвать, раздирать)."
sentiment ['sentImqnt], enhance [In'hQ: ns], crucial ['kru: Sql]
"By kindness," I replied. "You see, Tars Tarkas, the softer sentiments have their value, even to a warrior. In the height of battle as well as upon the march I know that my thoats will obey my every command, and therefore my fighting efficiency is enhanced, and I am a better warrior for the reason that I am a kind master. Your other warriors would find it to the advantage of themselves as well as of the community to adopt my methods in this respect. Only a few days since you, yourself, told me that these great brutes, by the uncertainty of their tempers, often were the means of turning victory into defeat, since, at a crucial moment, they might elect to unseat and rend their riders."
"Show me how you accomplish these results (покажи мне, как ты достигаешь этих результатов)," was Tars Tarkas' only rejoinder (было единственным ответом Тарса Таркаса; rejoinder — ответ).
And so I explained as carefully as I could (и потому я объяснил так тщательно, как только мог; carefully — тщательно) the entire method of training I had adopted with my beasts (весь метод тренировки, который я применял к своим животным), and later he had me repeat it before Lorquas Ptomel and the assembled warriors (и позднее он заставил меня повторить это перед Лорквасом Птомелем и собравшимися воинами). That moment marked the beginning of a new existence for the poor thoats (этот момент ознаменовал начало нового существования для бедных тотов), and before I left the community of Lorquas Ptomel (и прежде, чем я покинул общину Лоркваса Птомеля) I had the satisfaction of observing a regiment of as tractable and docile mounts as one might care to see (я имел удовольствие наблюдать полк настолько послушных и кротких монстров, о котором можно было только мечтать). The effect on the precision and celerity of the military movements was so remarkable (воздействие /этого/ на точность и скорость воинских передвижений было настолько замечательным; celerity — быстрота, скорость) that Lorquas Ptomel presented me with a massive anklet of gold from his own leg (что Лорквас Птомель одарил меня массивным золотым браслетом со своей собственной ноги; anklet — ножной браслет), as a sign of his appreciation of my service to the horde (в знак признания моих заслуг перед племенем).