Stephen King - Английский язык с С. Кингом Верхом на пуле

inspiration ["Inspq'reIS(q)n], stomach ['stAmqk], church [CWC]

“You sure?” he asked.

“Just a little tired. Been hitchhiking a long time. And sometimes I get a little carsick.” Inspiration suddenly struck. “You know what, I think you better let me out. If I get a little fresh air, my stomach will settle. Someone else will come along and —”

“I couldn't do that,” he said. “Leave you out here? No way. It could be an hour before someone came along, and they might not pick you up when they did. I got to take care of you. What's that song? Get me to the church on time, right? No way I'm letting you out. Crack your window a little, that'll help. I know it doesn't smell exactly great in here. I hung up that air freshener, but those things don't work worth a shit. Of course, some smells are harder to get rid of than others.”

I wanted to reach out for the window crank and turn it (я хотел дотянуться до оконной ручки и повернуть ее), let in the fresh air (впустить свежий воздух), but the muscles in my arm wouldn't seem to tighten (но мышцы руки, казалось, не хотели сокращаться; tight — плотный; сжатый; напряженный ). All I could do was sit there with my hands locked together (все, что я мог делать = начтоябылспособен , — это /просто/ сидеть, сжав руки вместе: «со сжатыми вместе руками»; lock — замок; запор; to lock — запиратьключом; сжимать, стискивать; соединять, сплетать ), nails biting into the backs of them (ногтями впиваясь в их тыльную сторону; to bite — кусать ). One set of muscles wouldn't work (одна группа мышц не хотела работать; set — комплект; набор; wouldn't используетсяздесьдляобозначенияупорногоневыполненияобъектомсвоихфункций ); another wouldn't stop working (другая не переставала работать). What a joke (что за шутка).

“It's like that story (похоже на ту историю),” he said. “The one about the kid who buys the almost new Cadillac for seven hundred and fifty dollars (ту, что о парне, который покупает почти новый “кадиллак” за семьсот пятьдесят долларов). You know that story, don't you (ты знаешь эту историю, не так ли)?”

bite [baIt], joke [Gquk], hundred ['hAndrqd]

I wanted to reach out for the window crank and turn it, let in the fresh air, but the muscles in my arm wouldn't seem to tighten. All I could do was sit there with my hands locked together, nails biting into the backs of them. One set of muscles wouldn't work; another wouldn't stop working. What a joke.

“It's like that story,” he said. “The one about the kid who buys the almost new Cadillac for seven hundred and fifty dollars. You know that story, don't you?”

“Yeah,” I said through my numb lips (да, — сказал я онемевшими губами). I didn't know the story (я не знал эту историю), but I knew perfectly well that I didn't want to hear it (но я знал очень хорошо, что я не хотел ее слышать), didn't want to hear any story this man might have to tell (не хотел слышать никакую историю, /которую/ этот человек мог бы рассказать). “That one's famous (эта /история/ очень известна; fame — слава, известность ).” Ahead of us the road leaped forward like a road in an old black-and-white movie (впереди нас быстро бежала дорога, как дорога в старом черно-белом кино; to leap — прыгать, скакать; forward — вперед ).

“Yeah it is, fucking famous (да, это так, чертовски известна). So the kid's looking for a car and he sees an almost brand-new Cadillac on this guy's lawn (значит так, парень ищет машину и видит почти совсем новый “кадиллак” на лужайке у одного парня).”

“I said I (я сказал, я) —”

“Yeah, and there's a sign that says for sale by owner in the window (да, и в окне табличка с надписью “ПРОДАЕТСЯ ВЛАДЕЛЬЦЕМ”).”

perfectly ['pWfIktlI], lawn [lLn], owner ['qunq]

“Yeah,” I said through my numb lips. I didn't know the story, but I knew perfectly well that I didn't want to hear it, didn't want to hear any story this man might have to tell. That one's famous. Ahead of us the road leaped forward like a road in an old black-and-white movie.

“Yeah it is, fucking famous. So the kid's looking for a car and he sees an almost brand-new Cadillac on this guy's lawn.”

“I said I —”

“Yeah, and there's a sign that says for sale by owner in the window.”

There was a cigarette parked behind his ear (за ухом у него была сигарета). He reached for it (он потянулся за ней), and when he did (и когда он /это/ сделал), his shirt pulled up in the front (его рубашка приподнялась спереди). I could see another puckered black line there (и я увидел там еще одну сморщенную черную линию), more stitches (больше стежков). Then he leaned forward to punch in the cigarette lighter (затем он наклонился вперед, чтобы нажать на прикуриватель) and his shirt dropped back into place (и его рубашка опустилась на место).

“Kid knows he can't afford no Cadillac-car (парень знает, что не может позволить себе “кадиллак”; can afford — бытьвсостояниипозволитьсебе ), can't get within a shout of a Caddy (не может находиться в пределах слышимости о “Кэдди”; shout — крик, возглас ), but he's curious, you know (но ему любопытно, ты знаешь)? So he goes over to the guy and says (итак, он подходит к парню и говорит), ‘How much does something like that go for (сколько стоит что-то вроде этого: «за сколько что-то вроде этого уйдет»)?’ And the guy, he turns off the hose he's got — cause he's washin the car, you know (а парень, значит, отключает шланг, который он держит, потому что моет машину) — and he says, ‘Kid, this is your lucky day (парень, сегодня твой счастливый день). Seven hundred and fifty bucks and you drive it away (семьсот пятьдесят баксов и ты уезжаешь на нем).’ ”

ear [Iq], pucker ['pAkq], afford [q'fLd]

There was a cigarette parked behind his ear. He reached for it, and when he did, his shirt pulled up in the front. I could see another puckered black line there, more stitches. Then he leaned forward to punch in the cigarette lighter and his shirt dropped back into place.

“Kid knows he can't afford no Cadillac-car, can't get within a shout of a Caddy, but he's curious, you know? So he goes over to the guy and says, ‘How much does something like that go for?’ And the guy, he turns off the hose he's got — cause he's washin the car, you know — and he says, ‘Kid, this is your lucky day. Seven hundred and fifty bucks and you drive it away.’ ”

The cigarette lighter popped out (прикуриватель выскочил). Staub pulled it free and pressed the coil to the end of his cigarette (вытащил его и поднес спираль к концу сигареты). He drew in smoke (он втянул дым; to draw in ) and I saw little tendrils come seeping out between the stitches holding the incision on his neck closed (и я увидел маленькие завитки = струйки , сочащиеся из швов, стягивающих разрез на его шее: «держащих закрытым/сомкнутым разрез на шее»).

“The kid, he looks in through the driver's side window (парень, он смотрит сквозь боковое стекло /со стороны/ водителя) and sees there's only seventeen thou on the odometer (и видит, что на счетчике пробега только семнадцать тысяч; thou = thousand ). He says to the guy, ‘Yeah, sure, that's as funny as a screen door in a submarine (ну да, это так же смешно, как москитная сетка на подводной лодке; screen — экран, ширма; screen door — screen door сетчатаядверь/рамаснатянутойнанеесеткойдлязащитыотнасекомых, навешиваетсявпроемевходнойдвери/ ).’ The guy says, ‘No joke, kid, pony up the cash and it's yours (никаких шуток, приятель, расплачивайся наличными, и она твоя; to pony up — /разг./ расплачиваться, оплачивать ). Hell, I'll even take a check, you got a honest face (черт, я даже возьму чек, у тебя честное лицо).’ And the kid says...”

incision [In'sIZ(q)n], submarine ["sAbmq'rJn], honest ['OnIst]

The cigarette lighter popped out. Staub pulled it free and pressed the coil to the end of his cigarette. He drew in smoke and I saw little tendrils come seeping out between the stitches holding the incision on his neck closed.

“The kid, he looks in through the driver's side window and sees there's only seventeen thou on the odometer. He says to the guy, ‘Yeah, sure, that's as funny as a screen door in a submarine.’ The guy says, ‘No joke, kid, pony up the cash and it's yours. Hell, I'll even take a check, you got a honest face.’ And the kid says...”

I looked out the window (я выглянул в окно). I had heard the story before, years ago (я все-таки слышал эту историю прежде, много лет назад), probably while I was still in junior high (наверно, когда еще ходил в младшую среднюю школу; junior high /school/ — младшая средняя школа /включает 7-9 классы средней школы/ ). In the version I'd been told the car was a Thunderbird instead of a Caddy (в версии, которую рассказывали мне, машина была “тандерберд”, а не “кэдди”), but otherwise everything was the same (но в остальном все было тем же самым). The kid says I may only be seventeen but I'm not an idiot (мне, может, только семнадцать, но я не идиот) , no one sells a car like this (никто не продает машину, как эта) , especially one with low mileage (особенно с маленьким пробегом; mileage — расстояние в милях; пробег ) , for only seven hundred and fifty bucks (всего за семьсот пятьдесят баксов). And the guy tells him he's doing it because the car smells (а парень говорит ему, что он делает это, потому что машина пахнет), you can't get the smell out (запах нельзя вывести; to get out — выходить; вынимать ), he's tried and tried and nothing will take it out (он пытался и пытался, но ничто его не убирает; to take out — вынимать; выводить ). You see he was on a business trip (дело в том, что он был в командировке: «поездке по делам»), a fairly long one, gone for at least (довольно длительной, уехал по крайней мере)...