Английский язык с Конаном-варваром - Роберт Говард

asleep [əˈsli: p], youth [ju: Ɵ], wound [wʋnd]

The man did not reply. Wondering if he had fallen asleep, Balthus reached out and grasped his shoulder. To his amazement, the man crumpled under his touch and slumped down in the canoe. Twisting his body half about, Balthus groped for him, his heart shooting into his throat. His fumbling fingers slid over the man's throat — only the youth's convulsive clenching of his jaws choked back the cry that rose to his lips. His finger encountered a gaping, oozing wound — his companion's throat had been cut from ear to ear.

In that instant of horror and panic Balthus started up — and then a muscular arm out of the darkness locked fiercely about his throat, strangling his yell (в этот миг ужаса и паники Балтус вскочил — а затем мускулистая рука из темноты сомкнулась яростно на его горле, подавляя его вопль). The canoe rocked wildly (каноэ дико затряслось). Balthus' knife was in his hand, though he did not remember jerking it out of his boot, and he stabbed fiercely and blindly (нож Балтуса был в его руке, хотя он не помнил, /как/ выхватил его из сапога, и он яростно и вслепую вонзил /его/). He felt the blade sink deep, and a fiendish yell rang in his ear, a yell that was horribly answered (он почувствовал, /как/ лезвие погрузилось глубоко, и злодейский вопль = вопль злодея раздался в его ухе, вопль, который был ужасно отвечен = на который пришел ужасный ответ). The darkness seemed to come to life about him (темнота, казалось, ожила вокруг него; to come to life — оживать). A bestial clamor rose on all sides, and other arms grappled him (звериный крик поднялся со всех сторон, и другие руки обхватили его). Borne under a mass of hurtling bodies the canoe rolled sidewise shone (/несомое/ под массой столкнувшихся тел каноэ качнулось вбок), but before he went under with it но прежде чем он перевернулся с ним), something cracked against Balthus' head (что-то ударилось о голову Балтуса) and the night was briefly illuminated by a blinding burst of fire before it gave way to a blackness where not even stars (и ночь на короткое время осветилась ослепляющей вспышкой огня, прежде чем она уступила /место/ черноте, где не светили даже звезды; to give way — уступать, отступать, поддаваться, сдаваться; to shine — светить).

darkness [ˈdɑ: knɪs], yell [jel], shone [ʃɔn]

In that instant of horror and panic Balthus started up — and then a muscular arm out of the darkness locked fiercely about his throat, strangling his yell. The canoe rocked wildly. Balthus' knife was in his hand, though he did not remember jerking it out of his boot, and he stabbed fiercely and blindly. He felt the blade sink deep, and a fiendish yell rang in his ear, a yell that was horribly answered. The darkness seemed to come to life about him. A bestial clamor rose on all sides, and other arms grappled him. Borne under a mass of hurtling bodies the canoe rolled sidewise, but before he went under with it, something cracked against Balthus' head and the night was briefly illuminated by a blinding burst of fire before it gave way to a blackness where not even stars shone.

4. The Beasts of Zogar Sag

(Звери Зогар Сага)

Fires dazzled Balthus again as he slowly recovered his senses (огни ослепили Балтуса опять, когда он медленно пришел в сознание / в чувство; to recover one’s senses — приходить в сознание: «вновь обретать свои чувства»). He blinked, shook his head (он заморгал, потряс головой; to shake). Their glare hurt his eyes (их яркий свет причинял боль его глазам; to hurt — ушибить, причинять боль). A confused medley of sound rose about him, growing more distinct as his senses cleared (беспорядочная мешанина звуков поднялась вокруг него, становясь более разборчивой, по мере того, как его чувства прояснялись). He lifted his head and stared stupidly about him (он поднял /свою/ голову и посмотрел глупо = тупо вокруг себя = по сторонам). Black figures hemmed him in, etched against crimson tongues of flame (черные фигуры окружали его, четко очерченные против = на фоне кровавых языков пламени; to etch — гравировать, запечатлевать; hem — ободок, кайма; край, кромка; to hem — ограничивать (что-л. определенными границами); окружать).

sense [sens], rose [rəuz], hem [hem]

Fires dazzled Balthus again as he slowly recovered his senses. He blinked, shook his head. Their glare hurt his eyes. A confused medley of sound rose about him, growing more distinct as his senses cleared. He lifted his head and stared stupidly about him. Black figures hemmed him in, etched against crimson tongues of flame.

Memory and understanding came in a rush (память и понимание пришли в спешке = быстро). He was bound upright to a post in an open space, ringed by fierce and terrible figures (он был привязан вертикально к столбу на открытом пространстве, окруженный свирепыми и ужасными фигурами; to bind — вязать, привязывать, связывать). Beyond that ring fires burned, tended by naked, dark-skinned women (за этим кругом горели костры, /за которыми/ присматривали обнаженные темнокожие женщины; to tend — присматривать, ухаживать). Beyond the fires he saw huts of mud and wattle, thatched with brush (за кострами он увидел хижины из глины и прутьев, крытые кустарником). Beyond the huts there was a stockade with a broad gate (за хижинами был частокол с широкими воротами). But he saw these things only incidentally (но он видел эти вещи лишь мельком). Even the cryptic dark women with their curious coiffures were noted by him only absently (даже таинственные темные женщины с их любопытными прическами были замечены им лишь рассеянно). His full attention was fixed in awful fascination on the men who stood glaring at him (его полное = все внимание было сосредоточено, в ужасной притягательности, на мужчинах, которые стояли уставясь на него).

post [pəust], space [speɪs], cryptic [ˈkrɪptɪk]

Memory and understanding came in a rush. He was bound upright to a post in an open space, ringed by fierce and terrible figures. Beyond that ring fires burned, tended by naked, dark-skinned women. Beyond the fires he saw huts of mud and wattle, thatched with brush. Beyond the huts there was a stockade with a broad gate. But he saw these things only incidentally. Even the cryptic dark women with their curious coiffures were noted by him only absently. His full attention was fixed in awful fascination on the men who stood glaring at him.

Short men, broad-shouldered, deep-chested, lean-hipped низкорослые мужчины, широкоплечие, с широкой грудью, с узкими бедрами), they were naked except for scanty loin-clouts (они были обнажены за исключением скудной набедренной повязки; except for — за исключением). The firelight brought out the play of their swelling muscles in bold relief (свет костра подчеркивало / выделяло игру их вздымающихся мускулов очень рельефно; to bring out — выявлять, обнаруживать; in relief — рельефно). Their dark faces were immobile (их темные лица были неподвижны), but their narrow eyes glittered with the fire that burns in the eyes of a stalking tiger (но их узкие глаза сверкали огнем, которые горит в глазах подкрадывающегося тигра). Their tangled manes were bound back with bands of copper (их спутанные гривы были перетянуты сзади лентами / полосками меди). Swords and axes were in their hands (мечи и топоры были в их руках). Crude bandages banded the limbs of some (грубые повязки перехватывали конечности некоторых), and smears of blood were dried on their dark skins (и пятна крови высохли на их темных шкурах). There had been fighting, recent and deadly (они сражались, недавно и смертельно).

naked [neɪkɪd], immobile [ɪˈməubaɪl], recent [ri: snt]

Short men, broad-shouldered, deep-chested, lean-hipped, they were naked except for scanty loin-clouts. The firelight brought out the play of their swelling muscles in bold relief. Their dark faces were immobile, but their narrow eyes glittered with the fire that burns in the eyes of a stalking tiger. Their tangled manes were bound back with bands of copper. Swords and axes were in their hands. Crude bandages banded the limbs of some, and smears of blood were dried on their dark skins. There had been fighting, recent and deadly.

His eyes wavered away from the steady glare of his captors, and he repressed a cry of horror (его глаза отвернулись от твердого взгляда его пленителей, и он подавил крик ужаса). A few feet away there rose a low, hideous pyramid: it was built of gory human heads (/в/ нескольких футах прочь = от него возвышалась низкая отвратительная пирамида, она была построена из окровавленных человеческих голов; to build — строить). Dead eyes glared glassily up the black sky (мертвые глаза смотрели стеклянно = остекленевшим взглядом вверх в черное небо). Numbly he recognized the countenances which were turned toward him (оцепенев, он узнал лица, которые были повернуты к нему; numb — онемелый, оцепенелый, неподвижный). They were the heads of the men who had followed Conan into the forest (они = это были головы людей, которые последовали за Конаном в лес). He could not tell if the Cimmerian's head were among them (он не мог сказать, была ли голова Конана среди них). Only a few faces were visible to him (лишь несколько лиц были видимы ему). It looked to him as if there must be ten or eleven heads at least (/это/ ему показалось, что как будто там должно быть, по крайней мере, десять-одиннадцать голов). A deadly sickness assailed him (ужасная тошнота охватила его). He fought a desire to retch (он боролся с желанием вырвать; to retch — рыгать; тужиться (при рвоте)). Beyond the heads lay the bodies of half a dozen Picts (за головами лежали тела полудюжины пиктов), and he was aware of a fierce exultation at the sight (и он осознавал = испытывал яростное торжество при виде /этого/; to be aware of — осознавать, знать, отдавать себе отчет). The forest runners had taken toll, at least (по крайней мере, лесные разведчики собрали дань; to take toll — собрать пошлину).

steady [ˈstedɪ], captor [ˈkæptə], hideous [ˈhɪdɪəs]

His eyes wavered away from the steady glare of his captors, and he repressed a cry of horror. A few feet away there rose a low, hideous pyramid: it was built of gory human heads. Dead eyes glared glassily up the black sky. Numbly he recognized the countenances which were turned toward him. They were the heads of the men who had followed Conan into the forest. He could not tell if the Cimmerian's head were among them. Only a few faces were visible to him. It looked to him as if there must be ten or eleven heads at least. A deadly sickness assailed him. He fought a desire to retch. Beyond the heads lay the bodies of half a dozen Picts, and he was aware of a fierce exultation at the sight. The forest runners had taken toll, at least.

Twisting his head away from the ghastly spectacle (отвернув /свою/ голову от мерзкого зрелища), he became aware that another post stood near him он понял / заметил, что еще один столб стоял возле него) — a stake painted black as was the one to which he was bound (столб, окрашенный в черный цвет, как и тот, к которому был привязан он). A man sagged in his bonds there, naked except for his leathern breeks (мужчина, обвисший в своих путах там, обнаженный за исключением его кожаных штанов), whom Balthus recognized as one of Conan's woodsmen которого = в котором Балтус узнал, /как/ одного из лесовиков Конана). Blood trickled from his mouth, oozed sluggishly from a gash in his side (кровь сочилась из его рта, вытекала медленно из глубокой раны в боку; sluggish — вялый; медленный, неторопливый). Lifting his head as he licked his livid lips (подняв /свою/ голову, когда он облизывал /свои/ мертвенно-бледные губы), he muttered, making himself heard with difficulty above the fiendish clamor of the Picts: "So they got you, too (он пробормотал, делая себя услышанным = стараясь быть услышанным, с трудом /перекрывая/ злодейский гул пиктов: значит, они взяли тебя тоже; to get — взять, поймать, достать, заполучить)!"