Книга бессмыслицы

Лир Эдвард

There was an Old Man of the Wrekin

Whose shoes made a horrible creaking

But they said, 'Tell us whether,

Your shoes are of leather,

Or of what, you Old Man of the Wrekin?

30

There was a Young Lady whose eyes (чьи глаза),

Were unique as to colour and size (были

уникальны, что до цвета и размера = что касается…, в отношении…);

When she opened them wide (когда она открывала их широко),

People all turned aside (люди все отворачивались),

And started away in surprise (и бросались прочь в изумлении, удивившись).

There was a Young Lady whose eyes,

Were unique as to colour and size;

When she opened them wide,

People all turned aside,

And started away in surprise.

31

There was a Young Lady of Norway (из Норвегии),

Who casually sat on a doorway (случайно = как-то сидела в проходе);

When the door squeezed her flat (когда дверь сжала ее плоской = стиснула ее так, что она стала плоской),

She exclaimed (воскликнула), 'What of that ([ну и] что с того)?

This courageous (эта храбрая) Young Lady of Norway.

There was a Young Lady of Norway,

Who casually sat on a doorway;

When the door squeezed her flat,

She exclaimed, 'What of that?

This courageous Young Lady of Norway.

32

There was an Old Man of Vienna (из Вены),

Who lived upon Tincture of Senna (жил за счет настойки сенны = питался настойкой сенны);

When that did not agree (когда это не соответствовало, не подходило),

He took Camomile Tea (он брал /принимал/ ромашковый чай; take— брать),

That nasty (противный) Old Man of Vienna.

There was an Old Man of Vienna,

Who lived upon Tincture of Senna;

When that did not agree,

He took Camomile Tea,

That nasty Old Man of Vienna.

33

There was an Old Person whose habits (чьи привычки),

Induced him to feed upon rabbits (побудили его питаться кроликами);

When he'd eaten eighteen (когда от съел восемнадцать),

He turned perfectly green (превратился: «обратился» в совершенно зеленого = совсем позеленел),

Upon which he relinquished those habits (после чего он бросил те привычки; relinquish — оставлять, сдаваться, отступать).

There was an Old Person whose habits,

Induced him to feed upon rabbits;

When he'd eaten eighteen,

He turned perfectly green,

Upon which he relinquished those habits.

34

There was an Old Person of Dover,

Who rushed through a field of blue Clover (мчался через поле синего клевера; сравните: he is/lives in clover — он живет припеваючи, каксырвмаслекатается);

But some very large bees (но несколько очень крупных пчел),

Stung his nose and his knees (ужалили его нос и колени; sting — жалить),

So he very soon went back to Dover (так что он очень скоро вернулся назад).

There was an Old Person of Dover,

Who rushed through a field of blue Clover;

But some very large bees,

Stung his nose and his knees,

So he very soon went back to Dover.

35

There was an Old Man of Marseilles (из Марселя),

Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils (дочери которого носили бутылочно-зеленые /цвета зеленого бутылочного стекла/ вуали);

They caught several Fish (поймали несколько рыб; catch — поймать, ловить),

Which they put in a dish (которых они положили на блюдо; put — класть),

And sent to their Pa' at Marseilles (и отправили своему папе; send — отправить).

There was an Old Man of Marseilles,

Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils;

They caught several Fish,

Which they put in a dish,

And sent to their Pa' at Marseilles.

36

There was an Old Person of Cadiz (из Кадиса — город в Испании),

Who was always polite to all ladies (который был всегда вежлив со всеми дамами);

But in handing his daughter (но, подавая руку своей дочери, когда вел за руку свою дочь),