Редьярд Киплинг - Английский с Редьярдом Киплингом. Рикки-Тикки-Тави / Rudyard Kipling. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Petersen Sahib came in on his clever she-elephant Pudmini; he had been paying off other camps among the hills, for the season was coming to an end, and there was a native clerk sitting at a table under a tree, to pay the drivers their wages. As each man was paid he went back to his elephant, and joined the line that stood ready to start. The catchers, and hunters, and beaters, the men of the regular Keddah, who stayed in the jungle year in and year out, sat on the backs of the elephants that belonged to Petersen Sahib’s permanent force, or leaned against the trees with their guns across their arms, and made fun of the drivers who were going away, and laughed when the newly caught elephants broke the line and ran about.

Big Toomai went up to the clerk with Little Toomai behind him(Большой Тумаи подошел к писарю вместе с Маленьким Тумаи, /державшимся/ позади него) , and Machua Appa, the head tracker(и Мачуа Аппа, главный охотник; head – голова; главный, старший; to track – следить, прослеживать, выслеживать; tracker – охотник, выслеживающий диких зверей ) , said in an undertone to a friend of his(сказал своему другу, понизив голос; undertone – пониженный голос ) , “There goes one piece of good elephant stuff at least(вот идет хороший слоновый материал = материал для нашего дела; piece – кусок, кусочек; stuff – материя; материал, вещество; least – наименьший; at least – по меньшей мере, по крайней мере ) . It’s a pity to send that young jungle-cock to melt in the plains(жаль отправлять этого молодой петушка джунглей прозябать в долинах; to melt – таять; слабеть, исчезать; зд.: прозябать ) .”

Now Petersen Sahib had ears all over him(теперь = надо сказать , что Петерсен Сахиб имел уши над собой = отличался острым слухом) , as a man must have who listens to the most silent of all living things(как и должен иметь человек = подобает человеку , который /привык/ прислушиваться к /движению/ самого бесшумного из всех живых существ) – the wild elephant(дикого слона) . He turned where he was lying all along on Pudmini’s back and said(он повернулся, лежа на спине Падмини, и сказал; all along – / разг. / все время, всегда ) , “What is that(что такое) ? I did not know of a man among the plains-drivers who had wit enough to rope even a dead elephant(я не знал о человеке среди погонщиков с долин, который был бы достаточно сообразителен, чтобы опутать веревкой даже мертвого слона; plain – равнина; to wit – ведать, знать; wit – разум, ум; to have wit – быть сообразительным; to rope – связывать веревкой ) .”

Big Toomai went up to the clerk with Little Toomai behind him, and Machua Appa, the head tracker, said in an undertone to a friend of his, “There goes one piece of good elephant stuff at least. It’s a pity to send that young jungle-cock to melt in the plains.”

Now Petersen Sahib had ears all over him, as a man must have who listens to the most silent of all living things – the wild elephant. He turned where he was lying all along on Pudmini’s back and said, “What is that? I did not know of a man among the plains-drivers who had wit enough to rope even a dead elephant.”

“This is not a man, but a boy(это не взрослый человек, а мальчик) . He went into the Keddah at the last drive(он вошел в кеддах во время последнего гона) , and threw Barmao there the rope(и бросил Бармао веревку; to throw – бросать, кидать ) , when we were trying to get that young calf with the blotch on his shoulder away from his mother(когда мы пытались оттащить того слоненка с пятном на плече от его матери; blotch – прыщ; клякса, пятно; to get away – оттащить ) .”

Machua Appa pointed at Little Toomai(Мачуа Аппа показал пальцем на Маленького Тумаи; to point – указывать, показывать пальцем ) , and Petersen Sahib looked(Петерсен Сахиб посмотрел /на него/) , and Little Toomai bowed to the earth(и Маленький Тумаи поклонился до земли; to bow – гнуться, сгибаться; склонять / ся / , кланяться ).

“He threw a rope(он кинул веревку; to throw ) ? He is smaller than a picket-pin(он меньше колышка в загоне) . Little one, what is thy name(малыш, как тебя зовут) ?” said Petersen Sahib.

“This is not a man, but a boy. He went into the Keddah at the last drive, and threw Barmao there the rope, when we were trying to get that young calf with the blotch on his shoulder away from his mother.”

Machua Appa pointed at Little Toomai, and Petersen Sahib looked, and Little Toomai bowed to the earth.

“He threw a rope? He is smaller than a picket-pin. Little one, what is thy name?” said Petersen Sahib.

Little Toomai was too frightened to speak(Маленький Тумаи был слишком испуган, чтобы говорить) , but Kala Nag was behind him(но Кала Наг был позади него) , and Toomai made a sign with his hand(и Тумаи сделал знак рукой) , and the elephant caught him up in his trunk and held him level with Pudmini’s forehead(а слон схватил его своим хоботом и поднял вровень со лбом Падмини; to catch; to hold; level – / прил. / плоский, ровный; находящийся на одном уровне / с чем-либо /) , in front of the great Petersen Sahib(перед великим Петерсеном Сахибом) . Then Little Toomai covered his face with his hands(затем Маленький Тумаи закрыл лицо руками) , for he was only a child(потому что он был всего лишь ребенком) , and except where elephants were concerned(и когда дело не касалось слонов: «и за исключением, где касалось слонов»; to concern – касаться, относиться ) , he was just as bashful as a child could be(он был так же робок, как мог быть ребенок = как и все другие дети; bashful – застенчивый, робкий, скромный ).

Little Toomai was too frightened to speak, but Kala Nag was behind him, and Toomai made a sign with his hand, and the elephant caught him up in his trunk and held him level with Pudmini’s forehead, in front of the great Petersen Sahib. Then Little Toomai covered his face with his hands, for he was only a child, and except where elephants were concerned, he was just as bashful as a child could be.

“Oho(ого) !” said Petersen Sahib, smiling underneath his mustache(улыбаясь в усы; to smile – улыбаться ) , “and why didst thou teach thy elephant that trick(а зачем ты научил своего слона этому фокусу) ? Was it to help thee steal green corn from the roofs of the houses when the ears are put out to dry(не для того ли, чтобы помогать тебе воровать зеленое зерно с крыш домов, когда колосья раскладывают сушиться; ear – ухо; колос / у злаковых / ; dry – сухой; to dry – сушить / ся /) ?”

“Not green corn, Protector of the Poor(не зеленое зерно, Покровитель Бедных; to protect – защищать ) , – melons(/а/ дыни) ,” said Little Toomai, and all the men sitting about broke into a roar of laughter(и все сидевшие вокруг разразились хохотом; to break – ломать, разбивать; разразиться; roar – рев; хохот; roar of laughter – взрыв смеха, хохота ) . Most of them had taught their elephants that trick when they were boys(большинство из них учили своих слонов этому трюку, когда были мальчишками; to teach ) . Little Toomai was hanging eight feet up in the air(Маленький Тумаи висел на восемь футов в воздухе; to hang – висеть ) , and he wished very much that he were eight feet underground(но очень хотел бы /оказаться/ на восемь футов под землей; to wish – желать, хотеть ).

“Oho!” said Petersen Sahib, smiling underneath his mustache, “and why didst thou teach thy elephant that trick? Was it to help thee steal green corn from the roofs of the houses when the ears are put out to dry?”