Майкл Муркок - Английский язык с М. Муркоком

When the worst of the winter had gone (когда наихудшее = самое холодное /время/ зимы прошло), but before spring elected to show herself (но до того, как весна решила показаться), when there was still snow on the rocks below the castle (когда снег еще лежал на скалах внизу замка) and few birds sang in the grey skies above the bare and distant forests of the mainland (и мало птиц пело в серых небесах над голыми и далекими лесами материка); when the sea had exhausted itself and now washed sullen and dark around the cliffs (когда море выдохлось и теперь плескалось печально и мрачно около утесов; to exhaust — истощать/ся/, исчерпывать/ся/; sullen — печальный, мрачный; гнетущий; dark — темный, мрачный; хмурый ), that was when the strange Mabden were seen riding out of the black trees in the late morning (/именно/ тогда были увидены странные мабдены, выезжавшие из-за черных деревьев = леса поздним утром), their breath steaming and their horses stumbling on the icy ground (их дыхание клубилось = изо рта у них шел пар, их лошади спотыкались на обледеневшей земле), their harness and their arms rattling (сбруи и оружие позвякивали).

brawling [ˈbrɔ:lɪŋ] fundamental [, fʌndəˈmentl] exhausted [ɪɡˈzɔ:stɪd] icy [ˈaɪsɪ]

Yet Corum and Rhalina, a man and a woman of alien species, hardly noticed the winter's brawling. They sang songs to each other and wrote simple sonnets concerning the depth and passion of their love. It was a madness that was upon them (if madness is that which denies certain fundamental realities) but it was a pleasant madness, a sweet madness. Yet madness it was.

When the worst of the winter had gone, but before spring elected to show herself, when there was still snow on the rocks below the castle and few birds sang in the grey skies above the bare and distant forests of the mainland; when the sea had exhausted itself and now washed sullen and dark around the cliffs, that was when the strange Mabden were seen riding out of the black trees in the late morning, their breath steaming and their horses stumbling on the icy ground, their harness and their arms rattling.

It was Beldan who saw them first (Белдан увидел их первым) as he went on to the battlements to stretch his legs (когда вышел на зубчатую стену размять свои ноги; battlements — зубчатая стена, стена с бойницами; to stretch legs — разминаться, разминать ноги; to stretch — тянуть/ся/, растягивать/ся/ ).

Beldan, the youth who had rescued Corum from the sea (Белдан, юноша, который спас Корума из моря), turned and went hastily back into the tower (развернулся и вернулся поспешно в башню) and began to run down the steps until a figure blocked his way laughing at him (побежал вниз по лестнице, пока какая-то фигура не преградила ему путь, смеясь /над ним/).

`The privy is above, Beldan, not below (уединение наверху, Белдан, а не внизу; privy — тайный, скрытый; укромный уголок )!

Beldan drew a breath and spoke slowly (Белдан сделал /глубокий/ вдох и заговорил медленно; to draw; to speak ).

`I was on the way to your apartments, Prince Corum (я был на пути = направлялся к твоим покоям, принц Корум). I have seen them from the battlements (я видел их со стен). There is a large force (большое войско; force — сила; войска ).

rescued [ˈreskju:d] hastily [ˈheɪstɪlɪ] privy [ˈprɪvɪ] apartments [əˈpɑ:tmənts]

It was Beldan who saw them first as he went on to the battlements to stretch his legs.

Beldan, the youth who had rescued Corum from the sea, turned and went hastily back into the tower and began to run down the steps until a figure blocked his way laughing at him.

`The privy is above, Beldan, not below!

Beldan drew a breath and spoke slowly.

`I was on the way to your apartments, Prince Corum. I have seen them from the battlements. There is a large force.

Corum's face clouded and he seemed to be thinking a dozen thoughts at once (лицо Корума помрачнело, казалось, он обдумывал дюжину мыслей сразу; to cloud — покрывать/ся/ облаками, тучами; омрачать/ся/ ).

`Do you recognise the force (ты узнаешь это войско; to recognise — признавать; опознавать )? Who are they (кто они)? Mabden?

`Mabden, without doubt (мабдены, несомненно: «без сомнения»). I think they might be warriors of the Pony Tribes (думаю, они могут быть воинами = по-моему, это воины племен на пони).

`The folk against whom this Margravate was built (народ, против = для защиты от которого это маркграфство создано)?

`Aye (да). But they have not bothered us for a hundred years (но они не беспокоили нас /уже/ сотню лет).

Corum smiled grimly (Корум улыбнулся мрачно).

`Perhaps we all, in time, succumb to the ignorance that killed the Vadhagh (наверно, мы все со временем становимся жертвами неведения, которое погубило вадагов; to succumb — поддаваться, стать жертвой ). Can we defend the castle, Beldan (мы сможем защитить замок, Белдан)?

clouded [ˈklaudɪd] dozen [ˈdʌz (ə) n] succumb [səˈkʌm] ignorance [ˈɪɡnərəns]

Corum's face clouded and he seemed to be thinking a dozen thoughts at once.

`Do you recognise the force? Who are they? Mabden?

`Mabden, without doubt. I think they might be warriors of the Pony Tribes.

`The folk against whom this Margravate was built?

`Aye. But they have not bothered us for a hundred years.

Corum smiled grimly.

`Perhaps we all, in time, succumb to the ignorance that killed the Vadhagh. Can we defend the castle, Beldan?

`If it is a small force, Prince Corum (если это небольшое войско, принц Корум). The Pony Tribes are normally disunited (племена на пони обычно разобщены) and their warriors rarely move in bands of more than twenty or thirty (и их воины редко передвигаются в отрядах более двадцати-тридцати /человек/).

`And do you think it is a small force (ты думаешь, это маленькое войско)?

Beldan shook his head (Белдан покачал головой).

`No, Prince Corum, I fear it is a large one (нет, принц Корум, боюсь, это большое войско).

`You had best alert the warriors (тебе лучше привести в готовность воинов; to alert — привести в состояние готовности, поднять по тревоге; предупредить ). What about the bat creatures (как насчет летучих мышей)?

`They sleep in winter (они спят зимой). Nothing will wake them (ничто не разбудит их).

`What are your normal methods of defence (какие ваши обычные способы обороны)?

disunited [, dɪsju:ˈnaɪtɪd] alert [əˈlə: t] defence [dɪˈfens]

`If it is a small force, Prince Corum. The Pony Tribes are normally disunited and their warriors rarely move in bands of more than twenty or thirty.

`And do you think it is a small force?

Beldan shook his head.

`No, Prince Corum, I fear it is a large one.

`You had best alert the warriors. What about the bat creatures?

`They sleep in winter. Nothing will wake them.

`What are your normal methods of defence?

Beldan bit his lip (Белдан прикусил губу).

`Well (ну)?

`We have none to speak of (у нас нет никаких /способов/, чтобы говорить о = не о чем говорить). It has been so long since we needed to consider such things (это было так давно, когда нам нужно было принимать во внимание = думать о подобных вещах). The Pony Tribes still fear the power of Lywm-an-Esh (племена на пони до сих пор боятся могущества Лиум-ан-Эш) — their fear is even superstitious since the land retreated beyond the horizon (их страх /стал/ даже суеверным, с тех пор как /наша/ земля отступила за горизонт). We relied on that fear (мы полагались на этот страх; to rely ).

`Then do your best, Beldan (тогда делай все, что можешь, Белдан; to do one`s best — сделать все от себя зависящее, проявить максимум энергии ), and I'll join you shortly, when I've taken a look at these warriors first (а я присоединюсь к тебе вскоре, когда = только взгляну на этих воинов сначала). They may not come in war, for all we know (они, может, идут не в войне = не с воинственными намерениями, кто знает; for all — хотя, несмотря на ).

superstitious [, sju:pəˈstɪʃəs] horizon [həˈraɪz (ə) n] relied [rɪˈlaɪd]

Beldan bit his lip.

`Well?

`We have none to speak of. It has been so long since we needed to consider such things. The Pony Tribes still fear the power of Lywm-an-Esh — their fear is even superstitious since the land retreated beyond the horizon. We relied on that fear.

`Then do your best, Beldan, and I'll join you shortly, when I've taken a look at these warriors first. They may not come in war, for all we know.

Beldan raced away down the steps (Белдан помчался вниз по лестнице) and Corum climbed the tower and opened the door and went out on to the battlements (а Корум поднялся на башню, открыл дверь и вышел на зубчатую стену).

He saw that the tide was beginning to go out (он увидел, что отлив начинается; to go out — выходить; заканчиваться; происходить /об отливе/ ) and that when it did the natural causeway between the mainland and the castle would be exposed (и что когда он произойдет, естественная дамба/гать между материком и замком обнажится). The sea was grey and chill, the shore was bleak (море было серым и холодным, берег унылым; bleak — открытый всем ветрам, промозглый; унылый ). And the warriors were there (и там были воины).