Английский язык с Р. Э. Говардом
Шрифт:
circumference [s'kmfrns], architectural [:k'tekrl], edifice [e'dfs]
The circumference of the wall was not great, but the number of green stone buildings it contained was surprising. They were three or four stories in height, mainly flat-roofed, reflecting a fine architectural style. The streets converged like the spokes of a wheel into an octagon-shaped court in the centre of the town, which gave upon a lofty edifice, which, with its domes and towers, dominated the whole city. He saw no one moving in the streets or looking out of the windows, though the sun was already coming up. The silence that reigned there might have been that of a dead and deserted city. A narrow stone stair ascended the wall near him; down this he went.
Houses shouldered so closely to the wall (дома
curtain [k:tn], ivory ['avr], dais ['des]
Houses shouldered so closely to the wall that halfway down the stair, he found himself within arm's length of a window and halted to peer in. There were no bars, and the silk curtains were caught back with satin cords. He looked into a chamber whose walls were hidden by dark velvet tapestries. The floor was covered with thick rugs, and there were benches of polished ebony and an ivory dais heaped with furs.
He was about to continue his descent (он /уже/ собирался продолжать спуск; to be about to — намереваться), when he heard the sound of someone approaching in the street below (когда он услышал звук, словно кто-то приближается по улице внизу). Before the unknown person could round a corner and see him on the stair (прежде чем неизвестная личность смогла свернуть за угол и увидеть его на лестнице), he stepped quickly across the intervening space and dropped lightly into the room (он быстро шагнул через разделяющее пространство и легко опустился в комнату; to intervene — вмешиваться; находиться между; lightly — слегка; легко, без труда; to drop — капать; опускаться), drawing his scimitar (обнажая кривую саблю; to draw — рисовать; выхватывать, обнажать /об оружии/). He stood for an instant statue-like (мгновение он стоял /неподвижно/, как статуя); then, as nothing happened (затем, так как ничего не произошло), he was moving across the rugs toward an arched doorway (он двинулся по коврам к арочному дверному проему), when a hanging was drawn aside (когда портьера была отдернута в сторону; hanging — смертная казнь через повешение; портьера;to draw aside — отводить в сторону), revealing a cushioned alcove (открыв альков с подушками) from which a slender, dark-haired girl regarded him with languid eyes (с которого его разглядывала томными глазами стройная, темноволосая девушка; languid — слабый, ослабевший; вялый; медлительный).
descent [d'sent], intervening [nt'vi:n], languid ['laewd]
He was about to continue his descent, when he heard the sound of someone approaching in the street below. Before the unknown person could round a corner and see him on the stair, he stepped quickly across the intervening space and dropped lightly into the room, drawing his scimitar. He stood for an instant statue-like; then, as nothing happened, he was moving across the rugs toward an arched doorway, when a hanging was drawn aside, revealing a cushioned alcove from which a slender, dark-haired girl regarded him with languid eyes.
Conan glared at her tensely (Конан
She was undoubtedly a member of a white race (она несомненно была представительницей белой расы; member — член; представитель), though her skin was very dark (хотя ее кожа была очень смуглой). Her square-cut hair was black as midnight (ее ровно подстриженные волосы были черны, как ночь: «как полночь»), her only garment a wisp of silk about her supple hips (/а/ ее единственным одеянием /был/ клочок шелка вокруг ее гибких бедер; wisp — пучок; клочок).
momentarily ['mumntrl], smother ['smd], square [skwe]
Conan glared at her tensely, expecting her momentarily to start screaming. But she merely smothered a yawn with a dainty hand, rose from the alcove, and leaned negligently against the hanging which she held with one hand.
She was undoubtedly a member of a white race, though her skin was very dark. Her square-cut hair was black as midnight, her only garment a wisp of silk about her supple hips.
Presently she spoke (теперь = тут она заговорила), but the tongue was unfamiliar to him (но язык был незнаком ему), and he shook his head (и он покачал головой; to shake one’s head — качать головой). She yawned again (она снова зевнула), stretched lithely (гибко потянулась) and, without any show of fear or surprise (и не проявляя страха или удивления), shifted to a language he did understand (перешла на язык, который он понимал), a dialect of Yuetshi which sounded strangely archaic (диалект юэтшийцев, который звучал удивительно архаично).
"Are you looking for someone (ты кого-то ищешь; to look for — искать)?" she asked, as indifferently as if the invasion of her chamber by an armed stranger were the most common thing imaginable (так безразлично, словно вторжение в ее спальню вооруженного незнакомца было самым обычным делом, которое можно вообразить; indifferently — одинаково; спокойно, безразлично; chamber — комната; спальня; common — общий; обычный; to imagine — воображать).
"Who are you (кто ты)?" he demanded (спросил он).
tongue [t], yawn [j:n], archaic [:'kek]
Presently she spoke, but the tongue was unfamiliar to him, and he shook his head. She yawned again, stretched lithely and, without any show of fear or surprise, shifted to a language he did understand, a dialect of Yuetshi which sounded strangely archaic.
"Are you looking for someone?" she asked, as indifferently as if the invasion of her chamber by an armed stranger were the most common thing imaginable.
"Who are you?" he demanded.