Edgar Burroughs - Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса

earthly ['WTlI], pinion ['pInIqn], gesticulate [dZe'stIkjuleIt], brain [breIn]

The thing, which more nearly resembled our earthly men than it did the Martians I had seen, held me pinioned to the ground with one huge foot, while it jabbered and gesticulated at some answering creature behind me. This other, which was evidently its mate, soon came toward us, bearing a mighty stone cudgel with which it evidently intended to brain me.

The creatures were about ten or fifteen feet tall, standing erect (эти существа были ростом десять или пятнадцать футов, когда стояли прямо), and had, like the green Martians, an intermediary set of arms or legs (и имели, как и зеленые марсиане, промежуточный набор рук или ног; set— комплект, набор ), midway between their upper and lower limbs (посередине между верхними и нижними конечностями). Their eyes were close together and non-protruding (их глаза были расположены близко друг к другу и глубоко посажены: «не навыкате»); their ears were high set (их уши находились высоко), but more laterally located than those of the Martians (но были дальше смещены вбок, чем у марсиан), while their snouts and teeth were strikingly like those of our African gorilla (при этом их морды и зубы были поразительно схожи с /мордой и зубами/ нашей африканской гориллы; snout— рыло, мордаживотного ). Altogether they were not unlovely (в целом они не были отталкивающими; unlovely— неприятный, противный ) when viewed in comparison with the green Martians (если рассматривать их в сравнении с зелеными марсианами).

strikingly ['straIkINlI], comparison [kqm'pxrIs(q)n]

The creatures were about ten or fifteen feet tall, standing erect, and had, like the green Martians, an intermediary set of arms or legs, midway between their upper and lower limbs. Their eyes were close together and non-protruding; their ears were high set, but more laterally located than those of the Martians, while their snouts and teeth were strikingly like those of our African gorilla. Altogether they were not unlovely when viewed in comparison with the green Martians.

The cudgel was swinging in the arc which ended upon my upturned face (дубинка поворачивалась по дуге, конец которой приходился на мое обращенное вверх лицо: «которая оканчивалась на…») when a bolt of myriad-legged horror (когда стремительное, как молния, воплощение ужаса с мириадом ног; bolt— молния ) hurled itself through the doorway full upon the breast of my executioner (метнулось через дверной проем прямо на грудь моего убийцы; executioner— палач; убийца ). With a shriek of fear the ape which held me (с криком ужаса обезьяна, которая держала меня) leaped through the open window (выпрыгнула через открытое окно), but its mate closed in a terrific death struggle with my preserver (но ее напарник сошелся в ужасной смертельной схватке с моим спасителем; preserver— хранитель, спаситель ), which was nothing less than my faithful watch-thing (которым оказался не кто иной, как мой верный сторожевой зверь; nothinglessthan— нечтоиноекак ); I cannot bring myself to call so hideous a creature a dog (я не могу заставить себя назвать столь ужасное существо собакой).

cudgel ['kAdZ(q)l], executioner ["eksI'kju:Snq], terrific [tq'rIfIk], hideous ['hIdIqs], creature ['kri:tSq]

The cudgel was swinging in the arc which ended upon my upturned face when a bolt of myriad-legged horror hurled itself through the doorway full upon the breast of my executioner. With a shriek of fear the ape which held me leaped through the open window, but its mate closed in a terrific death struggle with my preserver, which was nothing less than my faithful watch-thing; I cannot bring myself to call so hideous a creature a dog.

As quickly as possible I gained my feet (так быстро, как только мог, я вскочил на ноги) and backing against the wall (и, прижавшись спиной к стене) I witnessed such a battle as it is vouchsafed few beings to see (я стал свидетелем такой битвы, какую немногим живым существам выпадает на долю увидеть; to vouchsafe — удостаивать, снисходить ). The strength, agility, and blind ferocity of these two creatures is approached by nothing known to earthly man (к силе, ловкости и слепой ярости этих двух существ не может приблизиться ничто, известное земному человеку). My beast had an advantage in his first hold (мое животное получило преимущество при первом захвате; hold — удерживание, захват ), having sunk his mighty fangs far into the breast of his adversary (так как его могучие клыки глубоко погрузились в грудь его противника); but the great arms and paws of the ape (но огромные руки и лапы обезьяны), backed by muscles far transcending those of the Martian men I had seen (поддерживаемые мускулами/при поддержке мускулов = снабженныемускулами , которые намного превосходили мускулы марсиан, которых я видел; to back — поддерживать; to transcend — превосходить ), had locked the throat of my guardian and slowly were choking out his life (сжали горло моего стража и медленно душили его; to choke — душить; to choke the life out of smb. — задушитького-либодосмерти ), and bending back his head and neck upon his body (и так сгибали ему голову и шею, /придавливая/ назад к телу), where I momentarily expected the former to fall limp at the end of a broken neck (что я ежеминутно ожидал, что последний упадет, в конце концов, обмякший, со сломанной шеей; momentarily — каждуюминуту; limp — мягкий, нежесткий; at the end — вконцеконцов ).

vouchsafe [vautS'seIf], transcending [trxn'sendIN], agility [q'GIlItI], ferocity [fq'rOsItI], advantage [q'dvQ:ntIG], adversary ['xdvqs(q)rI]

As quickly as possible I gained my feet and backing against the wall I witnessed such a battle as it is vouchsafed few beings to see. The strength, agility, and blind ferocity of these two creatures is approached by nothing known to earthly man. My beast had an advantage in his first hold, having sunk his mighty fangs far into the breast of his adversary; but the great arms and paws of the ape, backed by muscles far transcending those of the Martian men I had seen, had locked the throat of my guardian and slowly were choking out his life, and bending back his head and neck upon his body, where I momentarily expected the former to fall limp at the end of a broken neck.

In accomplishing this the ape was tearing away the entire front of its breast (стремясь довести это /дело/ до конца, обезьяна разрывала себе всю переднюю часть груди; to accomplish — выполнять; завершать; to tear away — отрывать, вырывать ), which was held in the vise-like grip of the powerful jaws (которую держал, как в тисках, захват могучих челюстей; vise — тиски, клещи; grip — схватывание, сжатие ). Back and forth upon the floor they rolled (туда и сюда катались они по полу; back and forth — тудаисюда; вперединазад: «обратноивперед» ), neither one emitting a sound of fear or pain (и ни один из них не издавал ни звука страха или боли; to emit — испускать, издавать ). Presently I saw the great eyes of my beast bulging completely from their sockets (вскоре я увидел, что глаза моего животного полностью вылезают из орбит; presently — вскоре; to bulge — выпячиваться, выпирать ) and blood flowing from its nostrils (и кровь течет из его ноздрей). That he was weakening perceptibly was evident (то, что он заметно слабеет, было очевидно), but so also was the ape (но также /ослабевала/ и обезьяна), whose struggles were growing momentarily less (чье сопротивление с каждой минутой становилось слабее; struggle — борьба, сопротивление ).

accomplish [q'kOmplIS], bulge [bAldZ], perceptibly [pq'septqblI]

In accomplishing this the ape was tearing away the entire front of its breast, which was held in the vise-like grip of the powerful jaws. Back and forth upon the floor they rolled, neither one emitting a sound of fear or pain. Presently I saw the great eyes of my beast bulging completely from their sockets and blood flowing from its nostrils. That he was weakening perceptibly was evident, but so also was the ape, whose struggles were growing momentarily less.

Suddenly I came to myself (внезапно я пришел в себя) and, with that strange instinct which seems ever to prompt me to my duty (и, /следуя/ тому странному инстинкту, который, как кажется, вечно подталкивает меня к /выполнению/ моего долга; toprompt— побуждать ), I seized the cudgel, which had fallen to the floor at the commencement of the battle (я схватил дубинку, которая упала на пол в начале схватки), and swinging it with all the power of my earthly arms (и взмахнув ею со всей силой моих земных рук) I crashed it full upon the head of the ape (я обрушил ее прямо на голову обезьяны; tocrash— рушиться; сшумомразбивать ), crushing his skull as though it had been an eggshell (раскалывая ее череп так, как будто это была яичная скорлупа).

instinct ['InstINkt], seize [si:z], commencement [kq'mensmqnt]

Suddenly I came to myself and, with that strange instinct which seems ever to prompt me to my duty, I seized the cudgel, which had fallen to the floor at the commencement of the battle, and swinging it with all the power of my earthly arms I crashed it full upon the head of the ape, crushing his skull as though it had been an eggshell.