Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса
Шрифт:
"My mother was rather small (моя мать была довольно маленькой), in fact too small to be allowed the responsibilities of maternity (на самом деле, слишком маленькой, чтобы ей позволили /взять на себя/ ответственность материнства), as our chieftains breed principally for size (так как наши вожди /выбирают женщин/ для размножения прежде всего по размеру; to breed — размножаться). She was also less cold and cruel than most green Martian women (кроме того, она была менее холодной и жестокой, чем большинство зеленых марсианских женщин), and caring little for their society (и, мало интересуясь их обществом), she often roamed the deserted avenues of Thark alone (она часто бродила по пустынным улицам Тарка одна), or went and sat among the wild flowers that deck the nearby hills (или уходила и сидела среди диких цветов, которые украшают ближайшие холмы; to deck — настилать палубу; украшать, наряжать; deck — палуба; настил), thinking thoughts and wishing wishes which I believe I alone among Tharkian women today may understand (полная раздумий и желаний: «думая думы и желая желания», которые, я полагаю, только я одна среди таркианских женщин
legend ['ledZqnd], maternity [mq'tWnItI], nearby ['nIqbaI]
"I promised to tell you my story, or rather the story of my parents. From what I have learned of you and the ways of your people I am sure that the tale will not seem strange to you, but among green Martians it has no parallel within the memory of the oldest living Thark, nor do our legends hold many similar tales.
"My mother was rather small, in fact too small to be allowed the responsibilities of maternity, as our chieftains breed principally for size. She was also less cold and cruel than most green Martian women, and caring little for their society, she often roamed the deserted avenues of Thark alone, or went and sat among the wild flowers that deck the nearby hills, thinking thoughts and wishing wishes which I believe I alone among Tharkian women today may understand, for am I not the child of my mother?
"And there among the hills she met a young warrior (и там, среди холмов, она встретила молодого воина), whose duty it was to guard the feeding zitidars and thoats (чьей обязанностью было стеречь пасущихся зитидаров и тотов) and see that they roamed not beyond the hills (и следить за тем, чтобы они не забредали за пределы холмов). They spoke at first only of such things as interest a community of Tharks (вначале они разговаривали только о таких вещах, которые представляют интерес для общины тарков), but gradually, as they came to meet more often (но постепенно, когда они стали встречаться чаще; to come to do — начинать делать), and, as was now quite evident to both (и, как теперь стало совершенно очевидно для них обоих), no longer by chance (больше не случайно), they talked about themselves (они разговаривали о себе), their likes, their ambitions and their hopes (о своих пристрастиях, о своих амбициях и своих надеждах). She trusted him and told him of the awful repugnance she felt for the cruelties of their kind (она доверилась ему и рассказала ему о том ужасном отвращении, которое она испытывала к жестокостям им подобных; repugnance — отвращение, антипатия), for the hideous, loveless lives they must ever lead (к отвратительной, лишенной любви жизни, которую они принуждены вечно вести), and then she waited for the storm of denunciation to break from his cold, hard lips (и после этого она ожидала, что шквал обвинений сорвется с его холодных, жестких губ; denunciation — осуждение, обвинение); but instead he took her in his arms and kissed her (но вместо этого он заключил ее в объятия и поцеловал ее).
beyond [bI'jOnd], gradually ['grxdjuqlI], repugnance [rI'pAgnqns], denunciation [dI" nAnsI'eIS(q)n]
"And there among the hills she met a young warrior, whose duty it was to guard the feeding zitidars and thoats and see that they roamed not beyond the hills. They spoke at first only of such things as interest a community of Tharks, but gradually, as they came to meet more often, and, as was now quite evident to both, no longer by chance, they talked about themselves, their likes, their ambitions and their hopes. She trusted him and told him of the awful repugnance she felt for the cruelties of their kind, for the hideous, loveless lives they must ever lead, and then she waited for the storm of denunciation to break from his cold, hard lips; but instead he took her in his arms and kissed her.
"They kept their love a secret for six long years (они держали свою любовь в тайне в течение шести долгих лет). She, my mother, was of the retinue of the great Tal Hajus (она, моя мать, была из свиты великого Тала Хаджуса), while her lover was a simple warrior (в то время как ее возлюбленный был простым воином), wearing only his own metal (который носил только собственные знаки). Had their defection from the traditions of the Tharks been discovered (если бы их отступничество от традиций тарков было обнаружено; defection — нарушение, отступничество) both would have paid the penalty in the great arena (то оба они понесли бы наказание на большой арене; penalty — наказание; to pay the penalty — расплачиваться) before Tal Hajus and the assembled hordes (перед Талом Хаджусом и собравшимися толпами людей; horde — орда; куча людей).
penalty ['penltI], horde [hO: d]
"They kept their love a secret for six long years. She, my mother, was of the retinue of the great Tal Hajus, while her lover was a simple warrior, wearing only his own metal. Had their defection from the traditions of the Tharks been discovered both would have paid the penalty in the great arena before Tal Hajus and the assembled hordes.
"The egg from which I came (яйцо, из которого я появилась) was hidden beneath a great glass vessel (было спрятано под большим стеклянным сосудом) upon the highest and most inaccessible of the partially ruined towers of ancient Thark (на самой высокой и самой недоступной из частично разрушенных башен древнего Тарка). Once each year my mother visited it (один раз каждый год моя мать навещала его) for the five long years it lay there in the process of incubation (пять долгих лет оно лежало там в процессе инкубации). She dared not come oftener (она
inaccessible ["Inqk'sesqbl], distinction [dIs'tINkS(q)n], diminish [dI'mInIS]
"The egg from which I came was hidden beneath a great glass vessel upon the highest and most inaccessible of the partially ruined towers of ancient Thark. Once each year my mother visited it for the five long years it lay there in the process of incubation. She dared not come oftener, for in the mighty guilt of her conscience she feared that her every move was watched. During this period my father gained great distinction as a warrior and had taken the metal from several chieftains. His love for my mother had never diminished, and his own ambition in life was to reach a point where he might wrest the metal from Tal Hajus himself, and thus, as ruler of the Tharks, be free to claim her as his own, as well as, by the might of his power, protect the child which otherwise would be quickly dispatched should the truth become known.
"It was a wild dream (это была безумная мечта; wild — дикий; необузданный), that of wresting the metal from Tal Hajus in five short years (вырвать у Тала Хаджуса знаки за пять коротких лет), but his advance was rapid (но его продвижение было стремительным), and he soon stood high in the councils of Thark (и он вскоре занял высокое положение в совете тарков). But one day the chance was lost forever (но однажды этот шанс был утрачен навсегда), in so far as it could come in time to save his loved ones (по крайней мере в том, чтобы это могло произойти вовремя, чтобы спасти его любимых), for he was ordered away upon a long expedition to the ice-clad south (так как ему было приказано отправиться прочь в длительную экспедицию к покрытому льдом югу; to order — приказывать, распоряжаться), to make war upon the natives there and despoil them of their furs (чтобы вести войну с местными племенами и отобрать у них их меха; to despoil — грабить; to despoil of — отбирать, лишать), for such is the manner of the green Barsoomian (ибо таков образ действий зеленого барсумианца); he does not labor for what he can wrest in battle from others (он не трудится ради того, что он может добыть в бою у других).
expedition ["ekspI'dIS(q)n], wrest [rest], native ['neItIv], despoil [dI'spOIl]
"It was a wild dream, that of wresting the metal from Tal Hajus in five short years, but his advance was rapid, and he soon stood high in the councils of Thark. But one day the chance was lost forever, in so far as it could come in time to save his loved ones, for he was ordered away upon a long expedition to the ice-clad south, to make war upon the natives there and despoil them of their furs, for such is the manner of the green Barsoomian; he does not labor for what he can wrest in battle from others.
"He was gone for four years (его не было четыре года), and when he returned all had been over for three (и когда он вернулся, то /прошло/ уже три года, с тех пор, как со всем было покончено); for about a year after his departure (так как примерно через год после его отъезда), and shortly before the time for the return of an expedition (и незадолго до того, как /наступило/ время возвращения экспедиции) which had gone forth to fetch the fruits of a community incubator (которая отправилась дальше, чтобы привезти детенышей из общественного инкубатора; to fetch — сходить и принести, привести; fruits — плоды; отпрыск, детеныш), the egg had hatched (яйцо вылупилось). Thereafter my mother continued to keep me in the old tower (после этого моя мать продолжала держать меня в старой башне), visiting me nightly and lavishing upon me the love (навещая меня по ночам и изливая на меня любовь; to lavish — щедро раздавать; расточать) the community life would have robbed us both of (которую жизнь в общине лишила бы нас обоих; to rob — грабить; лишать, отнимать). She hoped, upon the return of the expedition from the incubator (она надеялась после возвращения экспедиции от инкубатора), to mix me with the other young assigned to the quarters of Tal Hajus (смешать меня с другой молодежью, назначенной в казармы Тала Хаджуса; to mix — смешивать, примешивать; соединять), and thus escape the fate (и таким образом избегнуть судьбы) which would surely follow discovery of her sin against the ancient traditions of the green men (которая непременно воспоследовала бы при разоблачении ее греха в отношении древних традиций зеленых людей).