Английский язык с Конаном-варваром
Шрифт:
scowl [skaul], shadow ['aedu], lengthen ['len]
The shadows were lengthening when they reached the river and peered through the masking bushes. They could see up and down the river for about a mile each way. The sullen stream lay bare and empty. Conan scowled across at the other shore. "We've got to take another chance here. We've got to swim the river. We don't know whether they've crossed or not. The woods over there may be alive with them. We've got to risk it. We're about six miles south of Gwawela."
He wheeled and ducked as a bowstring twanged (он перевернулся и быстро наклонился, когда тренькнула тетива лука). Something like a white flash of light streaked through the bushes (что-то, словно белая вспышка света, пронеслось сквозь кусты). Balthus knew it was an arrow (Балтус знал, это была стрела). Then with a tigerish bound Conan was through the bushes (затем тигриным прыжком Конан был = бросился через кусты). Balthus caught the gleam of steel as he whirled his sword (Балтус
twang [twae], caught [k: t], death [de]
He wheeled and ducked as a bowstring twanged. Something like a white flash of light streaked through the bushes. Balthus knew it was an arrow. Then with a tigerish bound Conan was through the bushes. Balthus caught the gleam of steel as he whirled his sword, and heard a death scream. The next instant he had broken through the bushes after the Cimmerian.
A Pict with a shattered skull lay face-down on the ground, his fingers spasmodically clawing at the grass (пикт с раздробленным черепом лежал лицом вниз на земле, его пальцы спазматически цеплялись за траву; to claw — цепляться). Half a dozen others were swarming about Conan, swords and axes lifted (полдюжины других толпились вокруг Конана /с/ поднятыми мечами и топорами). They had cast away their bows, useless at such deadly close quarters (они отбросили свои луки, бесполезные на таком ужасно близком расстоянии). Their lower jaws were painted white, contrasting vividly with their dark faces (их нижние челюсти были окрашены белым, контрастируя четко с их темными лицами), and the designs on their muscular breasts differed from any Balthus had ever seen (а рисунки на их мускулистых грудных клетках отличались от любых, /которые/ Балтус когда-либо видел).
spasmodically [spaez'mdkl], useless ['ju: sls], quarter ['kw: t]
A Pict with a shattered skull lay face-down on the ground, his fingers spasmodically clawing at the grass. Half a dozen others were swarming about Conan, swords and axes lifted. They had cast away their bows, useless at such deadly close quarters. Their lower jaws were painted white, contrasting vividly with their dark faces, and the designs on their muscular breasts differed from any Balthus had ever seen.
One of them hurled his ax at Balthus and rushed after it with lifted knife (один из них бросил свой топор в Балтуса и бросился /вслед/ за ним с поднятым ножом). Balthus ducked and then caught the wrist that drove the knife licking at his throat (Балтус пригнулся и затем поймал запястье, которое направило нож, нанося удар в его горло = и нанес удар ему в горло). They went to the ground together, rolling over and over (они пошли = упали на землю вместе, перекатываясь и перекатываясь). The Pict was like a wild beast, his muscles hard as steel strings (пикт был как дикий зверь, его мускулы крепки, как стальные канаты).
One of them hurled his ax at Balthus and rushed after it with lifted knife. Balthus ducked and then caught the wrist that drove the knife licking at his throat. They went to the ground together, rolling over and over. The Pict was like a wild beast, his muscles hard as steel strings.
Balthus was striving to maintain his hold on the wild man's wrist and bring his own ax into play (Балтус старался удержать /свою/ хватку на запястье дикаря и пустить в ход свой /собственный/ топор), but so fast and furious was the struggle that each attempt to strike was blocked (но такой быстрой и яростной была борьба, что каждая попытка ударить блокировалась). The Pict was wrenching furiously to free his knife hand (пикт извивался яростно, /чтобы/ освободить свою руку с ножом), was clutching at Balthus' ax, and driving his knees at the youth's groin (вцепился в топор Балтуса и давил /своими/ коленями в пах юноши). Suddenly he attempted to shift his knife to his free hand (вдруг он попытался перехватить /свой/ нож в /его/ свободную руку), and in that instant Balthus, struggling up on one knee, split the painted head with a desperate blow of his ax (и в это мгновение Балтус, встав на одно колено, раскроил раскрашенную голову отчаянным / страшным ударом своего топора).
wrist [rst], maintain [men'ten], wrench [ren]
Balthus was striving to maintain his hold on the wild man's wrist and bring his own ax into play, but so fast and furious was the struggle that each attempt to strike was blocked. The Pict was wrenching furiously to free his knife hand, was clutching at Balthus' ax, and driving his knees at the youth's groin. Suddenly he attempted to shift his knife to his free hand, and in that instant Balthus, struggling up on one knee, split the painted head with a desperate blow of his ax.
He sprang up and glared wildly about for his companion, expecting to see him overwhelmed by numbers (он вскочил и дико огляделся для = в поисках своего спутника, ожидая увидеть его, подавленного численностью = превосходящим противником). Then he realized the full strength and ferocity of the Cimmerian (/и/ тогда он осознал полную силу и свирепость киммерийца). Conan bestrode two of his attackers, shorn half asunder by that terrible broadsword (Конан
42
Здесь уместно вспомнить аквилонскую пословицу: «Не трогай пикта, пока лежит тихо». Не в рифму, но смертельно.
overwhelmed [uv'welmd], abandon ['baendn], posture ['ps]
He sprang up and glared wildly about for his companion, expecting to see him overwhelmed by numbers. Then he realized the full strength and ferocity of the Cimmerian. Conan bestrode two of his attackers, shorn half asunder by that terrible broadsword. As Balthus looked he saw the Cimmerian beat down a thrusting shortsword, avoid the stroke of an ax with a cat-like side-wise spring which brought him within arm's length of a squat savage stooping for a bow. Before the Pict could straighten, the red sword flailed down and clove him from shoulder to midbreastbone, where the blade stuck. The remaining warriors rushed in, one from either side. Balthus hurled his ax with an accuracy that reduced the attackers to one, and Conan, abandoning his efforts to free his sword, wheeled and met the remaining Pict with his bare hands. The stocky warrior, a head shorter than his tall enemy, leaped in, striking with his ax, at the same time stabbing murderously with his knife. The knife broke on the Cimmerian's mail, and the ax checked in midair as Conan's fingers locked like iron on the descending arm. A bone snapped loudly, and Balthus saw the Pict wince and falter. The next instant he was swept off his feet, lifted high above the Cimmerian's head — he writhed in midair for an instant, kicking and thrashing, and then was dashed headlong to the earth with such force that he rebounded, and then lay still, his limp posture telling of splintered limbs and a broken spine.
"Come on!" Conan wrenched his sword free and snatched up an ax (давай / ну же! — Конан провернул свой меч свободный = провернув, высвободил меч и выхватил топор). "Grab a bow and a handful of arrows, and hurry (хватай лук и пригорошню стрел — и поспеши)! We've got to trust to our heels again (мы должны снова довериться нашим ногам). That yell was heard (этот крик был услышан). They'll be here in no time (они будут здесь мигом; in no time — мигом, мгновенно, очень скоро: «в никакое время»). If we tried to swim now, they'd feather us with arrows before we reached midstream (если бы мы попытались поплыть сейчас, они бы утыкали нас стрелами, до того, как мы добрались бы до середины реки)!"