Эдвард Лир - Книга бессмыслицы

People all turned aside (люди все отворачивались),

And started away in surprise (и бросались прочь в изумлении, удивившись).

There was a Young Lady whose eyes,

Were unique as to colour and size;

When she opened them wide,

People all turned aside,

And started away in surprise.

There was a Young Lady of Norway (из Норвегии),

Who casually sat on a doorway (случайно = как-то сидела в проходе);

When the door squeezed her flat (когда дверь сжала ее плоской = стиснула ее так, что она стала плоской),

She exclaimed (воскликнула), 'What of that ([ну и] что с того)?

This courageous (эта храбрая) Young Lady of Norway.

There was a Young Lady of Norway,

Who casually sat on a doorway;

When the door squeezed her flat,

She exclaimed, 'What of that?

This courageous Young Lady of Norway.

There was an Old Man of Vienna (из Вены),

Who lived upon Tincture of Senna (жил за счет настойки сенны = питался настойкой сенны);

When that did not agree (когда это не соответствовало, не подходило),

He took Camomile Tea (он брал /принимал/ ромашковый чай; take— брать ),

That nasty (противный) Old Man of Vienna.

There was an Old Man of Vienna,

Who lived upon Tincture of Senna;

When that did not agree,

He took Camomile Tea,

That nasty Old Man of Vienna.

There was an Old Person whose habits (чьи привычки),

Induced him to feed upon rabbits (побудили его питаться кроликами);

When he'd eaten eighteen (когда от съел восемнадцать),

He turned perfectly green (превратился: «обратился» в совершенно зеленого = совсем позеленел),

Upon which he relinquished those habits (после чего он бросил те привычки; relinquish — оставлять, сдаваться, отступать ).

There was an Old Person whose habits,

Induced him to feed upon rabbits;

When he'd eaten eighteen,

He turned perfectly green,

Upon which he relinquished those habits.

There was an Old Person of Dover,

Who rushed through a field of blue Clover (мчался через поле синего клевера; сравните: he is/lives in clover — он живет припеваючи, каксырвмаслекатается );

But some very large bees (но несколько очень крупных пчел),

Stung his nose and his knees (ужалили его нос и колени; sting — жалить ),

So he very soon went back to Dover (так что он очень скоро вернулся назад).

There was an Old Person of Dover,

Who rushed through a field of blue Clover;

But some very large bees,

Stung his nose and his knees,

So he very soon went back to Dover.

There was an Old Man of Marseilles (из Марселя),

Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils (дочери которого носили бутылочно-зеленые /цвета зеленого бутылочного стекла/ вуали);

They caught several Fish (поймали несколько рыб; catch — поймать, ловить ),

Which they put in a dish (которых они положили на блюдо; put — класть ),

And sent to their Pa' at Marseilles (и отправили своему папе; send — отправить ).

There was an Old Man of Marseilles,

Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils;

They caught several Fish,

Which they put in a dish,

And sent to their Pa' at Marseilles.

There was an Old Person of Cadiz (из Кадиса — город в Испании),

Who was always polite to all ladies (который был всегда вежлив со всеми дамами);

But in handing his daughter (но, подавая руку своей дочери, когда вел за руку свою дочь),

He fell into the water (он упал в воду; fall — падать ),

Which drowned (что [и] утопило) that Old Person of Cadiz.

There was an Old Person of Cadiz,

Who was always polite to all ladies;

But in handing his daughter,

He fell into the water,

Which drowned that Old Person of Cadiz.

There was an Old Person of Basing,

Whose presence of mind was amazing (чье хладнокровие: «присутствие духа» было удивительным);

He purchased a steed (купил /боевого/ коня, рысака),

Which he rode at full speed (на котором он скакал со всей: «с полной» скоростью; ride— скакать ),

And escaped from (и спасся бегством от) the people of Basing.

There was an Old Person of Basing,

Whose presence of mind was amazing;

He purchased a steed,

Which he rode at full speed,

And escaped from the people of Basing.

There was an Old Man of Quebec (из Квебека),

A beetle ran over his neck (жук пробежал по его шее);

But he cried (закричал), 'With a needle (с иглой),

I'll slay you (умервщлю тебя), O beadle! (церковный сторож)

That angry (злой) Old Man of Quebec.

There was an Old Man of Quebec,

A beetle ran over his neck;

But he cried, 'With a needle,

I'll slay you, O beadle!

That angry Old Man of Quebec.

There was an Old Person of Philæ,

Whose conduct was scroobious and wily (чье поведение быть странным и лукавым);

He rushed up a Palm (бросился на Пальму),

When the weather was calm (когда погода была тихой),

And observed all the ruins (наблюдал за развалинами) of Philæ.

There was an Old Person of Philæ,

Whose conduct was scroobious and wily;

He rushed up a Palm,

When the weather was calm,

And observed all the ruins of Philæ.

The was a Young Lady of Bute,

Who played on a silver-gilt flute (играла на покрытой серебром флейте);

She played several jigs (несколько джиг),

To her uncle's white pigs (для ее дяди белых свиней),

That amusing (забавная) Young Lady of Bute.

The was a Young Lady of Bute,

Who played on a silver-gilt flute;

She played several jigs,

To her uncle's white pigs,

That amusing Young Lady of Bute.

There was a Young Lady whose nose (чей нос),

Was so long that it reached to her toes (такой длинный, что доставал по пальцев ее ног);

So she hired (наняла) an Old Lady,

Whose conduct was steady (чье поведение/сопровождение было твердым, устойчивым, равномерным),

To carry that wonderful nose (чтобы носить этот замечательный нос).

There was a Young Lady whose nose,

Was so long that it reached to her toes;

So she hired an Old Lady,

Whose conduct was steady,

To carry that wonderful nose.

There was a Young Lady of Turkey,

Who wept when the weather was murky (погода была мрачной; weep — плакать, рыдать );

When the day turned out fine (день оказывался ясным),

She ceased to repine (прекращала роптать, ворчать),

That capricious Young Lady of Turkey (капризная).

There was a Young Lady of Turkey,

Who wept when the weather was murky;

When the day turned out fine,

She ceased to repine,

That capricious Young Lady of Turkey.

There was an Old Man of Apulia ([город в Италии]),

Whose conduct was very peculiar (чье поведение было весьма специфическим, особенным)

He fed twenty sons (кормил двадцать сыновей; feed— кормить ),

Upon nothing but buns (ничем, кроме булок с изюмом),

That whimsical Man of Apulia (эксцентричный).

There was an Old Man of Apulia,

Whose conduct was very peculiar

He fed twenty sons,

Upon nothing but buns,

That whimsical Man of Apulia.

There was an Old Man with a poker (кочергой),

Who painted his face with red oker (покрасил его лицо красной охрой /от ochre/)

When they said, 'You're a Guy (Чучело)!

He made no reply (не дал никакого ответа),

But knocked them all down (сбил их всех с ног) with his poker.

Guy— Гай Фокс (наиболее активный участник Порохового Заговора, его чучело сжигается 5-го ноября — в годовщину раскрытия заговора)

There was an Old Man with a poker,

Who painted his face with red oker

When they said, 'You're a Guy!

He made no reply,

But knocked them all down with his poker.

There was an Old Person of Prague (из Праги),

Who was suddenly seized with the Plague (был захвачен Чумой);