Читать онлайн «Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса». Страница 95

relieve [rI'li:v], breathless ['breTlIs], butcher ['butSq]

The conversation of the guardsmen was general, and awakened no interest in me until an officer entered the room and ordered four of the men to relieve the detail who were guarding the Princess of Helium. Now, I knew, my troubles would commence in earnest and indeed they were upon me all too soon, for it seemed that the squad had scarcely left the guardroom before one of their number burst in again breathlessly, crying that they had found their four comrades butchered in the antechamber.

In a moment the entire palace was alive with people (через мгновение весь дворец заполнился людьми; alive — живой; изобилующий). Guardsmen, officers, courtiers, servants, and slaves (стражники, офицеры, придворные, слуги и рабы) ran helter-skelter through the corridors and apartments (бегали в суматохе по коридорам и комнатам; helter-skelter — беспорядочно, как попало, кое-как) carrying messages and orders, and searching for signs of the assassin (передавая донесения и приказания и разыскивая следы убийцы).

This was my opportunity (это был мой шанс) and slim as it appeared I grasped it (и каким бы незначительным он ни казался, я ухватился за него; slim — стройный, тонкий, худой; /разг./ незначительный, несущественный), for as a number of soldiers came hurrying past my hiding place (и когда несколько солдат прошли в спешке мимо моего убежища) I fell in behind them and followed through the mazes of the palace (я пристроился позади них и последовал /за ними/ по лабиринтам дворца; to fall in — становитьсявстрой) until, in passing through a great hall (пока, когда я проходил через большой зал), I saw the blessed light of day coming in through a series of larger windows (я увидел благословенный дневной свет, который проходил через ряд больших окон).

helter-skelter ["heltq'skeltq], assassin [q'sxsIn], blessed ['blesId]

In a moment the entire palace was alive with people. Guardsmen, officers, courtiers, servants, and slaves ran helter-skelter through the corridors and apartments carrying messages and orders, and searching for signs of the assassin.

This was my opportunity and slim as it appeared I grasped it, for as a number of soldiers came hurrying past my hiding place I fell in behind them and followed through the mazes of the palace until, in passing through a great hall, I saw the blessed light of day coming in through a series of larger windows.

Here I left my guides (здесь я оставил своих проводников), and, slipping to the nearest window, sought for an avenue of escape (и, проскользнув к ближайшему окну, /стал/ искать путь к бегству). The windows opened upon a great balcony (окна открывались на большой балкон) which overlooked one of the broad avenues of Zodanga (который выходил на одну из широких улиц Зоданги). The ground was about thirty feet below (земля была примерно в тридцати футах внизу), and at a like distance from the building (и примерно на таком же расстоянии от здания) was a wall fully twenty feet high (была стена высотой в целых двадцать футов), constructed of polished glass about a foot in thickness (состоящая из отполированного стекла толщиной примерно около фута). To a red Martian escape by this path would have appeared impossible (для красного марсианина бегство этим путем оказалось бы невозможным), but to me, with my earthly strength and agility (но для меня, с моей земной силой и ловкостью), it seemed already accomplished (оно уже казалось свершившимся). My only fear was in being detected before darkness fell (мой единственный страх заключался в том, что меня обнаружат до наступления темноты), for I could not make the leap in broad daylight (потому что я не мог совершить прыжок средь бела дня; in broad daylight — средьбеладня) while the court below and the avenue beyond were crowded with Zodangans (пока двор внизу и улица за ним были заполнены жителями Зоданги).

balcony ['bxlkqnI], thickness ['TIknIs], appear [q'pIq]

Here I left my guides, and, slipping to the nearest window, sought for an avenue of escape. The windows opened upon a great balcony which overlooked one of the broad avenues of Zodanga. The ground was about thirty feet below, and at a like distance from the building was a wall fully twenty feet high, constructed of polished glass about a foot in thickness. To a red Martian escape by this path would have appeared impossible, but to me, with my earthly strength and agility, it seemed already accomplished. My only fear was in being detected before darkness fell, for I could not make the leap in broad daylight while the court below and the avenue beyond were crowded with Zodangans.

Accordingly I searched for a hiding place (следовательно, я /начал/ искать укрытие; accordingly — соответственно; следовательно) and finally found one by accident (и, наконец, случайно нашел одно), inside a huge hanging ornament (внутри огромного висячего украшения) which swung from the ceiling of the hall (которое свисало с потолка зала), and about ten feet from the floor (и /заканчивалось/ примерно в десяти футах от пола). Into the capacious bowl-like vase I sprang with ease (в просторную, похожую на чашу, вазу я запрыгнул с легкостью), and scarcely had I settled down within it (и едва я успел устроиться в ней; to settle down — устраиваться) than I heard a number of people enter the apartment (как услышал, что несколько человек входят в комнату). The group stopped beneath my hiding place (группа остановилась под моим укрытием) and I could plainly overhear their every word (и я мог четко слышать каждое их слово).

"It is the work of Heliumites," said one of the men (это работа гелиумцев, — сказал один из мужчин).

"Yes, O Jeddak, but how had they access to the palace (но как они попали во дворец; access— доступ)? I could believe that even with the diligent care of your guardsmen (я мог бы поверить в то, что даже при усердном наблюдении твоих стражников; diligent — прилежный, старательный) a single enemy might reach the inner chambers (один враг мог пробраться во внутренние покои), but how a force of six or eight fighting men (но как отряд из шести или восьми воинов; force — сила; вооруженныйотряд) could have done so unobserved is beyond me (мог сделать это, /не будучи/ замеченным, — вне моего понимания; beyond — выше, сверх; beyond me — вышемоегопонимания). We shall soon know, however (мы вскоре узнаем, однако), for here comes the royal psychologist (так как вот идет королевский психолог).

accordingly [q'kO:dINlI], capacious [kq'peISqs], plainly ['pleInlI], psychologist [saI'kOlqdZIst]

Accordingly I searched for a hiding place and finally found one by accident, inside a huge hanging ornament which swung from the ceiling of the hall, and about ten feet from the floor. Into the capacious bowl-like vase I sprang with ease, and scarcely had I settled down within it than I heard a number of people enter the apartment. The group stopped beneath my hiding place and I could plainly overhear their every word.

"It is the work of Heliumites," said one of the men.

"Yes, O Jeddak, but how had they access to the palace? I could believe that even with the diligent care of your guardsmen a single enemy might reach the inner chambers, but how a force of six or eight fighting men could have done so unobserved is beyond me. We shall soon know, however, for here comes the royal psychologist."

Another man now joined the group (еще один человек теперь присоединился к группе), and, after making his formal greetings to his ruler, said (и после того, как /он/ официально поприветствовал своего правителя, сказал):

"O mighty Jeddak, it is a strange tale I read in the dead minds of your faithful guardsmen (странную историю я прочел в мертвых умах твоих верных стражников). They were felled not by a number of fighting men, but by a single opponent (они были сражены не несколькими воинами, но одним противником)."

He paused to let the full weight of this announcement impress his hearers (он сделал паузу, чтобы вся важность его сообщения дошла до сознания его слушателей; weight — значение, важность; to impress — внушать, внедрятьвсознание), and that his statement was scarcely credited (и о том, что его утверждение вряд ли вызвало доверие) was evidenced by the impatient exclamation of incredulity (свидетельствовали нетерпеливые восклицания недоверия) which escaped the lips of Than Kosis (которые сорвались с губ Тана Косиса).

"What manner of weird tale are you bringing me (что за странную историю ты рассказываешь мне; to bring — приносить; высказывать), Notan?" he cried.

announcement [q'naunsmqnt], credit ['kredIt], incredulity ["InkrI'dju:lItI]

Another man now joined the group, and, after making his formal greetings to his ruler, said:

"O mighty Jeddak, it is a strange tale I read in the dead minds of your faithful guardsmen. They were felled not by a number of fighting men, but by a single opponent."

He paused to let the full weight of this announcement impress his hearers, and that his statement was scarcely credited was evidenced by the impatient exclamation of incredulity which escaped the lips of Than Kosis.

"What manner of weird tale are you bringing me, Notan?" he cried.

"It is the truth (это правда), my Jeddak," replied the psychologist. "In fact the impressions were strongly marked on the brain of each of the four guardsmen (на самом деле, впечатления оставили очень сильный отпечаток в мозгу каждого из четырех стражников). Their antagonist was a very tall man (их противником был очень высокий человек), wearing the metal of one of your own guardsmen (носящий знаки различия одного из твоих собственных стражников), and his fighting ability was little short of marvelous (и его способность сражаться была почти чудесной; little short of smth. — почти, близкийкчему-либо) for he fought fair against the entire four (так как он честно сражался против всех четверых) and vanquished them by his surpassing skill and superhuman strength and endurance (и победил их благодаря превосходящему /их/ мастерству и сверхчеловеческой силе и выносливости; to surpass — превосходить). Though he wore the metal of Zodanga (хотя он и носил знаки различия Зоданги), my Jeddak, such a man was never seen before in this or any other country upon Barsoom (такого человека никогда прежде не видели ни в этой, ни в какой другой стране на Барсуме).

surpass [sW'pQ:s], superhuman ["sju:pq'hju:mqn], endurance [In'djuqrqns]

"It is the truth, my Jeddak," replied the psychologist. "In fact the impressions were strongly marked on the brain of each of the four guardsmen. Their antagonist was a very tall man, wearing the metal of one of your own guardsmen, and his fighting ability was little short of marvelous for he fought fair against the entire four and vanquished them by his surpassing skill and superhuman strength and endurance. Though he wore the metal of Zodanga, my Jeddak, such a man was never seen before in this or any other country upon Barsoom.

"The mind of the Princess of Helium (ум принцессы Гелиума) whom I have examined and questioned (который я исследовал и расспросил) was a blank to me (был непроницаем для меня; blank — белый; бледный, бесцветный; невыразительный, непроницаемый), she has perfect control (она полностью владеет им), and I could not read one iota of it (и я не смог прочесть ни йоты из него). She said that she witnessed a portion of the encounter (она сказала, что была свидетелем части поединка), and that when she looked (и что когда она посмотрела) there was but one man engaged with the guardsmen (там был только один человек, сражающийся: «занятый» со стражниками); a man whom she did not recognize as ever having seen (человек, которого она никогда раньше не видела: «не узнала как такого, которого видела»)."

witness ['wItnIs], portion ['pO:Sn]