Джон Толкиен - Английский язык с Дж. Р. Р. Толкиеном. Хоббит

insect [ˈɪnsekt] watch-fire [ˈwɔtʃfaɪǝ] whirr [wǝ:]

“Insect eyes” he thought, “not animal eyes, only they are much too big. ” Although it was not yet very cold, they tried lighting watch-fires at night, but they soon gave that up. It seemed to bring hundreds and hundreds of eyes all round them, though the creatures, whatever they were, were careful never to let their bodies show in the little flicker of the flames. Worse still it brought thousands of dark-grey and black moths, some nearly as big as your hand, flapping and whirring round their ears. They could not stand that, nor the huge bats, black as a top-hat, either; so they gave up fires and sat at night and dozed in the enormous uncanny darkness. All this went on for what seemed to the hobbit ages upon ages; and he was always hungry, for they were extremely careful with their provisions. Even so, as days followed days, and still the forest seemed just the same, they began to get anxious. The food would not last for ever: it was in fact already beginning to get low.

They tried shooting at the squirrels (они пытались стрелять в белок), and they wasted many arrows (и они растратили /впустую/ много стрел) before they managed (до того, как им удалось) to bring one down on the path (подстрелить одну /белку/ на тропу; to bring down — свалить, сломать; подстрелить, сбить ). But when they roasted it (но когда они поджарили ее), it proved horrible to taste (она оказалась ужасной на вкус; toprove—доказывать, подверждать; оказываться ), and they shot no more squirrels (и больше белок они не стреляли). They were thirsty too (они также испытывали жажду), for they had none too much water (так как у них было не очень много воды с собой), and in all the time (и за все это время) they had seen neither spring nor stream (они не видели ни ручья, ни речки). This was their state (таковым было их состояние) when one day (когда однажды) they found their path blocked by a running water (когда они обнаружили, что их тропа перекрыта потоком воды: «проточной водой»). It flowed fast and strong (поток был быстрым и сильным; to flow — течь, литься ) but not very wide (но не очень широким) right across the way (как раз через их путь), and it was black (и он был черным), or looked it in the gloom (или выглядел черным во мраке). It was well that Beorn had warned them against it (хорошо, что Беорн предупредил их о нем), or they would have drunk from it (а то они бы выпили из него), whatever its colour (несмотря на его цвет; whatever — какой бы ни, любой ), and filled some of their emptied skins at its bank (и наполнили бы несколько из опустевших бурдюков у его берегов). As it was (теперь же: «как это было») they only thought of how to cross it (они думали только о том, как пересечь его) without wetting themselves in its water (не замочившись в его воде). There had been a bridge of wood across (был там /когда-то/ деревянный мост через /него/), but it had rotted (но он прогнил; to rot — гнить, портиться, погибать ) and fallen (и упал) leaving only the broken posts near the bank (оставив только разломанные столбы у берега). Bilbo kneeling on the brink (Бильбо опустился на колени на отвесном берегу; to kneel — становиться на колени, стоять на коленях, a knee — колено ) and peering forward cried (и, всматриваясь вперед, закричал): “There is a boat against the far bank (у дальнего берега есть лодка)! Now why couldn’t it have been this side (ну так почему же она не могла бы быть у этого берега)!”

“How far away do you think it is (насколько она далека, как вы думаете)?” asked Thorin (спросил Торин), for by now they knew (так как к этому времени они знали) Bilbo had the sharpest eyes among them (что у Бильбо самое острое среди них всех зрение).

arrow [ˈærǝʋ] kneeling [ˈni: lɪŋ] squirrel [ˈskwɪrǝl]

They tried shooting at the squirrels, and they wasted many arrows before they managed to bring one down on the path. But when they roasted it, it proved horrible to taste, and they shot no more squirrels. They were thirsty too, for they had none too much water, and in all the time they had seen neither spring nor stream. This was their state when one day they found their path blocked by a running water. It flowed fast and strong but not very wide right across the way, and it was black, or looked it in the gloom. It was well that Beorn had warned them against it, or they would have drunk from it, whatever its colour, and filled some of their emptied skins at its bank. As it was they only thought of how to cross it without wetting themselves in its water. There had been a bridge of wood across, but it had rotted and fallen leaving only the broken posts near the bank. Bilbo kneeling on the brink and peering forward cried: “There is a boat against the far bank! Now why couldn’t it have been this side!”

“How far away do you think it is?” asked Thorin, for by now they knew

Bilbo had the sharpest eyes among them.

“Not at all far (вовсе не далеко). I shouldn’t think above twelve yards ( не думаю, что больше двенадцати ярдов; yard — ярд, мера длины = 3 фута = 91, 44 см ). ”

“Twelve yards (двенадцать ярдов)! I should have thought it was thirty at least (я бы подумал, что по крайней мере в тридцати), but my eyes don’t see as well (но мои глаза не видят так хорошо) as they used a hundred years ago (как они видели сотню лет назад; used (to) — привыкший ). Still twelve yards is as good as a mile (все же, двенадцать ярдов это все равно что миля; as goodas — фактически, в сущности; mile — миля = 1605 м ). We can’t jump it (мы не можем перепрыгнуть через него), and we daren’t try to wade or swim (и мы не посмеем попробовать перейти его в брод или переплыть). ”

“Can any of you throw a rope (кто-нибудь из вас может бросить веревку)?” “What’s the good of that (какая в этом польза)? The boat is sure to be tied up (лодка наверняка привязана), even if we could hook it (даже если мы и сумеем подцепить ее; hook — крюк ), which I doubt (в чем я сомневаюсь). ”

“I don’t believe it is tied (я не думаю, что она привязана), ” said Bilbo, “though of course I can’t be sure in this light (хотя, конечно, я не могу быть уверен при таком свете); but it looks to me (но мне кажется) as if it was just drawn up on the bank (что она только вытянута на берег; to draw (drew, drawn) — тянуть ), which is low just there (который там низок, как раз там) where the path goes down into the water (где тропа идет вниз, в воду). ”

“Dori is the strongest (Дори самый сильный), but Fili is the youngest (но Фили — самый молодой) and still has the best sight (и все еще обладает наилучшим зрением), ” said Thorin. “Come here Fili (подойди сюда, Фили), and see if you can see the boat Mr. Baggins is talking about (и посмотри, видишь ли ты лодку, о которой говорит мистер Бэггинс). ”

yard [jɑ: d] youngest [ˈjʌŋɡɪst] tied [taɪd]

“Not at all far. I shouldn’t think above twelve yards. ”

“Twelve yards! I should have thought it was thirty at least, but my eyes don’t see as well as they used a hundred years ago. Still twelve yards is as good as a mile. We can’t jump it, and we daren’t try to wade or swim. ” “Can any of you throw a rope?”

“What’s the good of that? The boat is sure to be tied up, even if we could hook it, which I doubt. ”

“I don’t believe it is tied, ” said Bilbo, “though of course I can’t be sure in this light; but it looks to me as if it was just drawn up on the bank, which is low just there where the path goes down into the water. ” “Dori is the strongest, but Fili is the youngest and still has the best sight, ” said Thorin. “Come here Fili, and see if you can see the boat Mr. Baggins is talking about. ”

Fili thought he could (Фили показалось, что он может); so when he had stared a long while (и тогда, пока он пристально смотрел долгое время) to get an idea of the direction (чтобы хоть как-то представить направление; idea — идея, мысль, представление ), the others brought him a rope (остальные принесли ему веревку). They had several with them (у них с собой было несколько /веревок/), and on the end of the longest (и на конце самой длинной) they fastened one of the large iron hooks (они закрепили один из больших железных крюков) they had used for catching their packs (которые они использовали для прикрепления своих тюков; to catch (caught) — поймать, схватить; зацепить ) to the straps about their shoulders (к ремням на плечах). Fili took this in his hand (Фили взял веревку с крюком: «это» в свою руку), balanced it for a moment (покачал ее какое-то мгновение; to balance — балансировать, уравновешивать ), and then flung it across the stream (и затем метнул ее через поток; to fling (flung) — метать, бросать, швырять ).

Splash it fell in the water (с всплеском она упала в воду)!

“Not far enough (недолет: «недостаточно далеко»)!” said Bilbo who was peering forward (сказал Бильбо, который вглядывался вперед). “A couple of feet (пара футов) and you would have dropped it on to the boat (и вы попали бы ей: «и вы уронили бы ее» в лодку; to drop — капать; падать; ронять ). Try again (попытайтесь снова). I don’t suppose (я не предполагаю) the magic is strong enough (что колдовство достаточно сильное) to hurt you (чтобы навредить вам), if you just touch a bit of wet rope (если вы только прикоснетесь к кусочку мокрой веревки). ”