Копи царя Соломона. Английский язык с Г. Р. Хаггардом. - H. Haggard

breath [breT], regiment ['redZImqnt], reach [ri:C]

"My lord, the race came down here like the breath of a storm ten thousand thousand moons ago, from the great lands which lie there beyond," and he pointed to the north. "They could travel no farther, so say the old voices of our fathers that have come down to us, the children, and so says Gagool, the wise woman, the smeller-out of witches; because of the great mountains which ring in the land," and he pointed to the snow-clad peaks. "The country, too, was good, so they settled here and grew strong and powerful, and now our numbers are like the sea sand, and when Twala the king calls up his regiments their plumes cover the plain as far as the eye of man can reach."

"And if the land is walled in with mountains (но, если страна отгорожена стеной гор; wall — стена, ограда; to wall in — обносить стеной, огораживать), who is there for the regiments to fight with (с кем же тогда воевать полкам)?"

"Nay, my lord, the country is open there (нет, мой повелитель, страна открыта /для неприятеля/ там)," and again he pointed towards the north (и снова он указал на север), "and now and again warriors sweep down upon us in clouds from a land we know not (и, время от времени, воины устремляются на нас тучами из какой-нибудь земли, о которой мы и не знаем; now and again — время от времени, иногда; to sweep down — падать камнем, устремляться вниз; cloud — облако, туча; туча, масса, тьма), and we slay them (и их-то мы и убиваем). It is the third part of the life of a man since there was a war (третья часть жизни человека прошла с тех пор, как была /последняя/ война). Many thousands died in it (многие тысячи /воинов/ погибли на ней; to die — умирать), but we destroyed those who came to eat us up (но мы уничтожили тех, кто пришел, чтобы разбить нас; to eat up — пожирать, поглощать; разрушать, разбивать/оппонента/). So, since then there has been no war (так что с того самого времени войны больше не было)."

"Your warriors must grow weary of resting on their spears (ваши воины, должно быть, устают: «им становится скучно» отдыхать на копьях; weary— усталый, изнуренный; изнывающий от скуки)."

fight [faIt], since [sIns], weary ['wIqrI], spear [spIq]

"And if the land is walled in with mountains, who is there for the regiments to fight with?"

"Nay, my lord, the country is open there," and again he pointed towards the north, "and now and again warriors sweep down upon us in clouds from a land we know not, and we slay them. It is the third part of the life of a man since there was a war. Many thousands died in it, but we destroyed those who came to eat us up. So, since then there has been no war."

"Your warriors must grow weary of resting on their spears."

"My lord, there was one war (нет, мой повелитель, была одна война), just after we destroyed the people that came down upon us (как раз после того, как мы разбили тех людей, которые напали на нас), but it was a civil war — dog eat dog (но это была гражданская война, брат восстал на брата: «собака пожирает собаку»; dog eat dog — волчий закон)."

"How was that (как это)?"

"My lord, the king, my half-brother, had a brother (мой повелитель, у нашего короля, моего сводного брата, был брат; half— половина, одна вторая; half-brother— единокровный или единоутробный брат, брат по одному из родителей) born at the same birth and of the same woman (рожденный в тот же самый день и от той же самой женщины; birth— рождение, появление на свет; роды). It is not our custom, my lord, to let twins live (не в нашем обычаи, мой повелитель, оставлять /обоих/ близнецов в живых); the weakest must always die (слабейший /из них всегда/ должен умереть). But the mother of the king hid away the weakest child (но мать короля спрятала слабейшего ребенка; to hide— прятать, скрывать), which was born the last (который был рожден последним), for her heart yearned over it (потому что ее сердце разрывалось /от жалости/ к нему; to yearn— томиться, тосковать; сочувствовать), and the child is Twala the king (этот ребенок и есть король Твала). I am his younger brother born of another wife (я его младший брат, рожденный от другой жены; young— молодой, юный; молодой, младший)."

civil [sIvl], half-brother ['hQ:f"brADq], birth [bq:T], yearn [jq:n]

"My lord, there was one war, just after we destroyed the people that came down upon us, but it was a civil war — dog eat dog."

"How was that?"

"My lord, the king, my half-brother, had a brother born at the same birth and of the same woman. It is not our custom, my lord, to let twins live; the weakest must always die. But the mother of the king hid away the weakest child, which was born the last, for her heart yearned over it, and the child is Twala the king. I am his younger brother born of another wife."

"My lord, Kafa, our father, died when we came to manhood (мой повелитель, Кафа, наш отец, умер, когда мы достигли зрелого возраста; manhood — возмужалость, зрелость), and my brother Imotu was made king in his place (и мой брат Имоту стал королем вместо него; in place of — вместо), and for a space reigned and had a son by his favorite wife (и некоторое время правил и родил сына: «имел сына» от своей любимой жены; space — пространство; интервал времени, промежуток; reign — правление, царствование; to reign — царствовать). When the babe was three years old (когда ребенку исполнилось три года), just after the great war, during which no man could sow or reap (как раз после великой войны, во время которой ни один человек = никто не мог ни сеять, ни жать), a famine came upon the land (в стране наступил голод), and the people murmured because of the famine (и люди стали роптать из-за голода; to murmur — производить легкий шум, журчать; роптать, ворчать), and looked round like a starved lion for something to rend (и стали смотреть по сторонам, подобно изголодавшемуся льву, которой ищет жертву: «что-то чтобы разорвать»; to rend — отдирать; рвать, разрывать). Then it was that Gagool, the wise and terrible woman, who does not die (тогда именно Гагула, мудрая и ужасная женщина, которая не умирает), proclaimed to the people, saying (обратилась к народу, сообщив; to proclaim — провозглашать, объявлять), `The king Imotu is no king (король Имоту — не /законный/ король).' And at the time Imotu was sick with a wound (в то время Имоту был ранен: «был больным от раны»; sick — больной, болезненный; нездоровый), and lay in his hut not able to move (и лежал в своей хижине, неспособный пошевелиться).

manhood ['mxnhud], reign [reIn], famine ['fxmIn], proclaim [prq'kleIm]

"My lord, Kafa, our father, died when we came to manhood, and my brother Imotu was made king in his place, and for a space reigned and had a son by his favorite wife. When the babe was three years old, just after the great war, during which no man could sow or reap, a famine came upon the land, and the people murmured because of the famine, and looked round like a starved lion for something to rend. Then it was that Gagool, the wise and terrible woman, who does not die, proclaimed to the people, saying, `The king Imotu is no king.' And at the time Imotu was sick with a wound, and lay in his hut not able to move.

"Then Gagool went into a hut and led out Twala, my half-brother, and the twin brother of the king (тогда Гагула зашла в хижину и вывела Твалу, моего сводного брата и брата-близнеца короля), whom she had hidden since he was born among the caves and rocks (которого она прятала с самого рождения: «с того момента, как он был рожден», среди пещер и скал), and, stripping the `moocha' (waist-cloth) off his loins (и, сдернув "муча" /набедренную повязку; waist — талия/ с его бедер), showed the people of the Kukuanas the mark of the sacred snake coiled round his waist (показала кукуанскому народу знак священной змеи, обвившейся вокруг его талии; to coil — свертывать кольцом/веревку, канат и т.п./; извиваться), wherewith the eldest son of the king is marked at birth (которым отмечается при рождении старший из сыновей короля; to mark — ставить знак, метку), and cried out loud (и громко прокричала), `Behold, your king, whom I have saved for you even to this day (смотрите, вот ваш король, которого я сберегала для вас до этого самого дня)!'

twin [twIn], waistcloth ['weIstklOT], loin [lOIn], sacred ['seIkrId], coil [kOIl], wherewith [weq'wIT]

"Then Gagool went into a hut and led out Twala, my half-brother, and the twin brother of the king, whom she had hidden since he was born among the caves and rocks, and, stripping the `moocha' (waist-cloth) off his loins, showed the people of the Kukuanas the mark of the sacred snake coiled round his waist, wherewith the eldest son of the king is marked at birth, and cried out loud, `Behold, your king, whom I have saved for you even to this day!'