Английский язык с Р. Э. Говардом
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"Surely he sees us (наверняка он нас видит)," muttered Conan (проворчал Конан). "Why does he not charge us (почему он не нападает на нас; to charge — заряжать; нападать)? He could break this window with ease (он легко мог бы разбить это окно)."
Murilo realized that Conan supposed the mirror to be a window through which they were looking (Мурило понял, что Конан считает зеркало окном, через которое они заглядывают).
"He does not see us (он не видит нас)," answered the priest (ответил жрец). "We are looking into the chamber above us (мы смотрим в комнату над нами). That door that Thak is guarding is the one at the head of these stairs (та дверь, которую сторожит Так, — это дверь
suppose [s'puz], arrangement ['renmnt], transmit [traenz'mt]
"Surely he sees us," muttered Conan. "Why does he not charge us? He could break this window with ease."
Murilo realized that Conan supposed the mirror to be a window through which they were looking.
"He does not see us," answered the priest. "We are looking into the chamber above us. That door that Thak is guarding is the one at the head of these stairs. It is simply an arrangement of mirrors. Do you see those mirrors on the walls? They transmit the reflection of the room into these tubes, down which other mirrors carry it to reflect it at last on an enlarged scale in this great mirror."
Murilo realized that the priest must be centuries ahead of his generation, to perfect such an invention (Мурило понял, что жрец, должно быть, на века опередил свое поколение, выполнив такое изобретение; to be ahead of — опережать; to perfect — совершенствовать; развивать, улучшать; выполнять, завершать, заканчивать); but Conan put it down to witchcraft and troubled his head no more about it (а Конан приписал это колдовству и больше не забивал себе этим голову; to put smth. down to smth. — приписывать что-л. чему-л., относить что-л. на чей-то счет; to trouble — беспокоить, тревожить).
"I constructed these pits for a place of refuge as well as a dungeon (я построил эти подземелья в качестве убежища, а заодно и подземной тюрьмы; refuge — убежище; прибежище;place of refuge — пристанище; as well as — так же как, а также; заодно и)," the priest was saying (говорил жрец). "There are times when I have taken refuge here (бывают времена = иногда я укрывался здесь; to take refuge — укрываться) and, through these mirrors, watched doom fall upon those who sought me with ill intent (и через эти зеркала наблюдал, как гибель постигала/обрушивалась на тех, кто искал меня со злым умыслом; doom — рок, судьба; гибель; кончина, смерть;to fall upon — нападать, обрушиваться; выпадать, доставаться; to seek — искать)."
"But why is Thak watching that door (но почему Так наблюдает за той дверью)?" demanded Murilo (спросил Мурило).
century ['senr], perfect [p'fekt], trouble [trbl], refuge ['refju:]
Murilo realized that the priest must be centuries ahead of his generation, to perfect such an invention; but Conan put it down to witchcraft and troubled his head no more about it.
"I constructed these pits for a place of refuge as well as a dungeon," the priest was saying. "There are times when I have taken refuge here and, through these mirrors, watched doom fall upon those who sought me with ill intent."
"But why is Thak watching that door?" demanded Murilo.
"He must have heard the falling of the grating in the tunnel (он,
"And while he waits, what are we to do (а пока он ждет, что делать нам)?" demanded Murilo.
lesson [lesn], taught [t:t], mimic ['mmk]
"He must have heard the falling of the grating in the tunnel. It is connected with bells in the chambers above. He knows someone is in the pits, and he is waiting for him to come up the stairs. Oh, he has learned well the lessons I taught him. He has seen what happened to men who come through that door, when I tugged at the rope that hangs on yonder wall, and he waits to mimic me."
"And while he waits, what are we to do?" demanded Murilo.
"There is naught we can do, except watch him (нет ничего, что мы можем сделать = мы не можем сделать ничего, кроме как следить за ним). As long as he is in that chamber (пока он находится в этой комнате), we dare not ascend the stairs (мы не смеем подняться по лестнице). He has the strength of a true gorilla and could easily tear us all to pieces (у него сила настоящей гориллы, и он мог бы легко разорвать нас на куски). But he does not need to exert his muscles (но ему нет нужды напрягать свои мускулы; to exert — приводить в действие; прилагать усилия); if we open that door he has but to tug that rope, and blast us into eternity (если мы откроем эту дверь, ему нужно лишь дернуть ту веревку и отправить нас в вечность; to blast — взрывать; сдуть)."
"How (каким образом)?"
"I bargained to help you escape (я договаривался о том, чтобы помочь вам выбраться; to bargain — торговаться; договориться)," answered the priest (ответил жрец); "not to betray my secrets (а не выдавать свои секреты)."
naught [n:t], eternity ['t:nt], bargain ['b:n]
"There is naught we can do, except watch him. As long as he is in that chamber, we dare not ascend the stairs. He has the strength of a true gorilla and could easily tear us all to pieces. But he does not need to exert his muscles; if we open that door he has but to tug that rope, and blast us into eternity."
"How?"
"I bargained to help you escape," answered the priest; "not to betray my secrets."
Murilo started to reply, then stiffened suddenly (Мурило начал отвечать, потом вдруг застыл). A stealthy hand had parted the curtains of one of the doorways (чья-то рука украдкой раздвинула шторы одного из дверных проемов; stealthy — незаметный, скрытый, тайный). Between them appeared a dark face whose glittering eyes fixed menacingly on the squat form in the scarlet robe (между ними появилось смуглое лицо, сверкающие глаза которого угрожающе уставились на сидящую на корточках фигуру в алом одеянии).