Дети кукурузы
Шрифт:
blank [blxNk], amen ["R'men], mania ['meInIq], sacrifice ['sxkrIfaIs], acre ['eIkq]
The third book was blank.
Standing behind the pulpit, Burt thought about it.
Something had happened in 1964. Something to do with religion, and corn… and children.
Dear God we beg thy blessing on the crop. For Jesus' sake, amen.
And the knife raised high to sacrifice the lamb — but had it been a lamb? Perhaps a religious mania had swept them. Alone, all alone, cut off from the outside world by hundreds of square miles of the rustling secret corn. Alone under seventy million acres of blue sky. Alone under the watchful eye of God, now a strange green God, a God of corn, grown old and strange and hungry. He Who Walks Behind the Rows.
Burt felt a chill creep into his flesh (Берт
Vicky, let me tell you a story (Вики, хочешь: «позволь» я расскажу тебе историю). It's about Amos Deigan (она об Амосе Дейгане), who was born Richard Deigan on 4 September 1945 (который родился Ричардом Дейганом 4 сентября 1945). He took the name Amos in 1964 (он взял имя Амос в 1964), fine Old Testament name, Amos (красивое имя из Ветхого Завета — Амос; fine— тонкий; изящный, красивый; хороший, прекрасный), one of the minor prophets (один из малых пророков; minor— незначительный, второстепенный; меньший; младший; theMinor Prophets — малые пророки /малые пророческие писания Ветхого Завета: книги пророков Даниила, Осии, Иоиля, Амоса и др./). Well, Vicky, what happened (так вот, Вики, случилось то) — don't laugh (не смейся) — is that Dick Deigan and his friends (что этот Дик Дэйган и его друзья) — Billy Renfrew, George Kirk, Roberta Wells, and Eddie Hollis among others (и Эдди Холлис среди прочих) — they got religion and they killed off their parents (они ударились в религию и поубивали своих родителей). All of them (всех до одного: «всех из них»). Isn't that a scream (вот умора, правда; scream— крик, вопль; /разг./ умора, прикол)? Shot them in their beds (пристрелили их в их кроватях; toshoot), knifed them in their bathtubs (зарезали их в их ваннах; knife — нож), poisoned their suppers (отравили их ужины; poison— яд, отрава), hung them (повесили их; tohang), or disembowelled them, for all I know (или, может, выпотрошили их; bowels— кишки; внутренние органы; forallIknow— может быть, почем знать, кто его знает).
Why (почему)? The corn (кукуруза). Maybe it was dying (возможно, она погибала). Maybe they got the idea somehow (может быть, им почему-то пришла в голову идея) that it was dying because there was too much sinning (что она погибает, потому что было слишком много прегрешений; sin — грех; tosin— грешить). Not enough sacrifice (недостаточно жертвоприношений). They would have done it in the corn, in the rows (они, наверное, совершали их в кукурузе, меж рядов: «в рядах»; wouldhaveиспользуется для выражения предположения о прошлом).
prophet ['prOfIt], poison ['pOIzn], disembowel ["dIsIm'bauql], sacrifice ['sxkrIfaIs]
Burt felt a chill creep into his flesh.
Vicky, let me tell you a story. It's about Amos Deigan, who was born Richard Deigan on 4 September 1945. He took the name Amos in 1964, fine Old Testament name, Amos, one of the minor prophets. Well, Vicky, what happened — don't laugh — is that Dick Deigan and his friends—Billy Renfrew, George Kirk, Roberta Wells, and Eddie Hollis among others—they got religion and they killed off their parents. All of them. Isn't that a scream? Shot them in their beds, knifed them in their bathtubs, poisoned their suppers, hung them, or disembowelled them, for all I know.
Why? The corn. Maybe it was dying. Maybe they got the idea somehow that it was dying because there was too much sinning. Not enough sacrifice. They would have done it in the corn, in the rows.
And somehow, Vicky (и каким-то образом/почему-то, Вики), I'm quite sure of this (я совершенно в этом уверен), somehow they decided that nineteen was as old as any of them could live (почему-то они решили, что девятнадцать лет — это столько, сколько любой из них
But let's look at Rachel Stigman (но давай взглянем на Рэйчел Стигмен), who was Donna Stigman until 1964 (которая была Донной Стигмен до 1964). She turned nineteen on 21 June (ей исполнилось девятнадцать 21-го июня), just about a month ago (лишь около месяца назад). Moses Richardson was born on 29 July (Моисей Ричардсон родился 29 июля) — just three days from today he'll be nineteen (всего через 3 дня: «всего лишь три дня от сегодня» ему исполнится девятнадцать). Any idea what's going to happen to hole Moses on the twenty-ninth (что, ты думаешь: «/есть/ какая-нибудь идея /относительно того/, что», случиться со святым Моисеем 29-го)?
I can guess (я догадываюсь: «я могу угадать»).
Burt licked his lips (Берт облизнул губы), which felt dry (которые пересохли: «ощущались сухими»; tofeel).
hero ['hIqrqu], Moses ['mquzIz], idea [aI'dIq]
And somehow, Vicky, I'm quite sure of this, somehow they decided that nineteen was as old as any of them could live. Richard “Amos” Deigan, the hero of our little story, had his nineteenth birthday on 4 September 1964 — the date in the book. I think maybe they killed him. Sacrificed him in the corn. Isn't that a silly story?
But let's look at Rachel Stigman, who was Donna Stigman until 1964. She turned nineteen on 21 June, just about a month ago. Moses Richardson was born on 29 July — just three days from today he'll be nineteen. Any idea what's going to happen to ole Mose on the twenty-ninth?
I can guess.
Burt licked his lips, which felt dry.
One other thing, Vicky (и еще одно, Вики). Look at this (взгляни сюда). We have Job Gilman (Clayton) born on 6 September 1964 (мы знаем: «имеем», /что/Иов Джилмен (Клэйтон) родился 6 сентября 1964). No other births until 16 June 1965 (и ни одного рождения до 16 июля 1965). A gap of ten months (перерыв в 10 месяцев; gap— пролом, брешь; пробел; промежуток). Know what I think (знаешь, что я думаю)? They killed all the parents (они убили всех родителей), even the pregnant ones (даже беременных), that's what I think (вот, что я думаю). And one of them got pregnant in October of 1964 (и одна из них забеременела в октябре 1964) and gave birth to Eve (и родила Еву; birth — рождение, появление на свет). Some sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl (какая-нибудь шестнадцати- или семнадцатилетняя девушка). Eve. The first woman (первая женщина).
He thumbed back through the book feverishly (он лихорадочно пролистал книгу назад; tothumbthrough— листать книгу /особенно пользуясь большим пальцем/; fever— жар, лихорадка; нервное возбуждение) and found the Eve Tobin entry (и нашел запись о Еве Тобин). Below it (под ней): “Adam Greenlaw, b. July 11, 1965”.
They'd be just eleven now (им только недавно должно было исполнится /по/ одиннадцать), he thought and his flesh began to crawl (подумал он, и у него по телу побежали мурашки; tocrawl— ползать; бегать по телу /о мурашках/). And maybe they're out there (и возможно они здесь). Someplace (где-нибудь).
gap [gxp], pregnant ['pregnqnt], feverish ['fJvqrIS]
One other thing, Vicky. Look at this. We have Job Gilman (Clayton) born on 6 September 1964. No other births until 16 June 1965. A gap of ten months. Know what I think? They killed all the parents, even the pregnant ones, that's what I think. And one of them got pregnant in October of 1964 and gave birth to Eve. Some sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. Eve. The first woman.
He thumbed back through the book feverishly and found the Eve Tobin entry. Below it: “Adam Greenlaw, b. July 11, 1965”.