Ray Bradbury - Английский язык с Р. Брэдбери. И грянул гром

"I see," said Eckels. "Then it wouldn't pay for us even to touch the grass?"

"Correct. Crushing certain plants could add up infinitesimally. A little error here would multiply in sixty million years, all out of proportion. Of course maybe our theory is wrong. Maybe Time can't be changed by us. Or maybe it can be changed only in little subtle ways. A dead mouse here makes an insect imbalance there, a population disproportion later, a bad harvest further on, a depression, mass starvation, and finally, a change in social temperament in far-flung countries. Something much more subtle, like that. Perhaps only a soft breath, a whisper, a hair, pollen on the air, such a slight, slight change that unless you looked close you wouldn't see it. Who knows? Who really can say he knows? We don't know. We're guessing. But until we do know for certain whether our messing around in Time can make a big roar or a little rustle in history, we're being careful. This Machine, this Path, your clothing and bodies, were sterilized, as you know, before the journey. We wear these oxygen helmets so we can't introduce our bacteria into an ancient atmosphere."

"How do we know which animals to shoot (как мы узнаем, /в/ каких животных стрелять) ?"

"They're marked with red paint (они отмечены красной краской) ," said Travis. "Today, before our journey (сегодня, перед нашим путешествием) , we sent Lesperance here back with the Machine (мы послали Лесперанса сюда /назад/ на Машине) . He came to this particular era and followed certain animals (он прибыл в эту самую эру и проследил за определенными животными) ."

"Studying them (изучая их) ?"

"Right," said Lesperance. "I track them through their entire existence (я прослеживаю их через всю их жизнь) , noting which of them lives longest (замечая, кто из них живет дольше всего) . Very few (/таких/ очень мало) . How many times they mate (сколько раз они спариваются) . Not often (нечасто) . Life's short (жизнь коротка) . When I find one that's going to die (когда я нахожу животное, которое должно умереть: one здесь замещает существительное animal) when a tree falls on him (когда на него упадет дерево) , or one that drowns in a tar pit (или которое утонет в смоляной яме) , I note the exact hour, minute, and second (я отмечаю точный час, минуту и секунду) . I shoot a paint bomb (я стреляю красящей бомбой) . It leaves a red patch on his side (она оставляет красное пятно на его боку) . We can't miss it (мы не можем не заметить его: to miss — упустить) . Then I correlate our arrival in the Past so (затем я рассчитываю наше прибытие в прошлое так: to correlate — устанавливать соотношение) that we meet the Monster not more than two minutes before he would have died anyway (что мы встретим чудовище не более чем за две минуты до того, как оно все равно умрет) . This way, we kill only animals with no future (таким образом, мы убиваем только животных без будущего) , that are never going to mate again (которые никогда больше не спарятся) . You see how careful we are (вы видите, как мы осторожны) ?"

"How do we know which animals to shoot?"

"They're marked with red paint," said Travis. "Today, before our journey, we sent Lesperance here back with the Machine. He came to this particular era and followed certain animals."

"Studying them?"

"Right," said Lesperance. "I track them through their entire existence, noting which of them lives longest. Very few. How many times they mate. Not often. Life's short, When I find one that's going to die when a tree falls on him, or one that drowns in a tar pit, I note the exact hour, minute, and second. I shoot a paint bomb. It leaves a red patch on his side. We can't miss it. Then I correlate our arrival in the Past so that we meet the Monster not more than two minutes before he would have died anyway. This way, we kill only animals with no future, that are never going to mate again. You see how careful we are?"

"But if you come back this morning in Time (но если вы ездили этим утром назад во времени) ," said Eckels eagerly (горячо, взволнованно) , you must've bumped into us (вы должны были наткнуться на нас: to bump — удариться, врезаться) , our Safari! How did it turn out (как оно /сафари/ прошло) ? Was it successful (было успешным) ? Did all of us get through — alive (все мы прошли через это и остались живы) ?"

Travis and Lesperance gave each other a look (переглянулись) .

"That'd be a paradox (это был бы парадокс) ," said the latter. "Time doesn't permit that sort of mess (время не допускает такой путаницы) — a man meeting himself (человек, встречающий самого себя) . When such occasions threaten (когда такие случаи угрожают = когда возникает угроза таких случаев) , Time steps aside (время отходит в сторону) . Like an airplane hitting an air pocket (как самолет, попадающий в воздушную яму: air — воздух, pocket — карман, мешок, air pocket — воздушная яма) . You felt the Machine jump just before we stopped (вы почувствовали, как машина подпрыгнула как раз перед тем, как мы остановились) ? That was us passing ourselves on the way back to the Future (это мы миновали самих себя по пути назад в Будущее) . We saw nothing (мы ничего не видели) . There's no way of telling if this expedition was a success (невозможно рассказать, была ли эта экспедиция успешной) , if we got our monster (получили ли мы = убили ли своего монстра) , or whether all of us — meaning you, Mr. Eckels — got out alive (или вернулись ли все мы — имея в виду вас, мистер Экельс, живыми: to get out — выходить) ."

Eckels smiled palely (бледно улыбнулся) .

"Cut that (прекратите) ," said Travis sharply (резко) . "Everyone on his feet (все на ноги = всем встать) !"

They were ready to leave the Machine (они были готовы покинуть Машину) .

"But if you come back this morning in Time," said Eckels eagerly, you must've bumped into us, our Safari! How did it turn out? Was it successful? Did all of us get through-alive?"

Travis and Lesperance gave each other a look.

"That'd be a paradox," said the latter. "Time doesn't permit that sort of mess — a man meeting himself. When such occasions threaten, Time steps aside. Like an airplane hitting an air pocket. You felt the Machine jump just before we stopped? That was us passing ourselves on the way back to the Future. We saw nothing. There's no way of telling if this expedition was a success, if we got our monster, or whether all of us — meaning you, Mr. Eckels — got out alive."

Eckels smiled palely.

"Cut that," said Travis sharply. "Everyone on his feet!"

They were ready to leave the Machine.

The jungle was high (джунгли были высокими) and the jungle was broad (широкими) and the jungle was the entire world forever and forever (были целым миром навеки) . Sounds like music and sounds like flying tents filled the sky (звуки, подобные музыке, и звуки, подобные летающим палаткам = хлопанью парусины наполняли небо) , and those were pterodactyls soaring with cavernous gray wings (и это были птеродактили, парящие на пористых серых крыльях) , gigantic bats of delirium and night fever (гигантские летучие мыши из бреда и ночного кошмара: fever — жар, лихорадка) .

Eckels, balanced on the narrow Path (балансировавший на узкой Тропе) , aimed his rifle playfully (прицелился из своей винтовки в шутку) .

"Stop that!" said Travis. "Don't even aim for fun (даже ради шутки не цельтесь) , blast you (черт вас побери: to blast — проклинать) ! If your guns should go off (если ваши ружья выстрелят) — "

Eckels flushed (покраснел) . "Where's our Tyrannosaurus (где наш тиранозавр) ?"

Lesperance checked his wristwatch (посмотрел на свои наручные часы: to check — проверять) . "Up ahead (впереди) . We'll bisect his trail in sixty seconds (мы пересечем его след через шестьдесят секунд: to bisect — делить пополам, разрезать) . Look for the red paint (ищите красную краску = красное пятно) ! Don't shoot till we give the word (не стреляйте, пока мы не дадим команду: to give word — отдать распоряжение) . Stay on the Path (оставайтесь на Тропе) . Stay on the Path!"

They moved forward in the wind of morning (они двинулись навстречу утреннему ветру) .

The jungle was high and the jungle was broad and the jungle was the entire world forever and forever. Sounds like music and sounds like flying tents filled the sky, and those were pterodactyls soaring with cavernous gray wings, gigantic bats of delirium and night fever.

Eckels, balanced on the narrow Path, aimed his rifle playfully.

"Stop that!" said Travis. "Don't even aim for fun, blast you! If your guns should go off — "

Eckels flushed. "Where's our Tyrannosaurus?"

Lesperance checked his wristwatch. "Up ahead, We'll bisect his trail in sixty seconds. Look for the red paint! Don't shoot till we give the word. Stay on the Path. Stay on the Path!"

They moved forward in the wind of morning.

"Strange (странно) ," murmured (пробормотал) Eckels. "Up ahead, sixty million years (впереди шестьдесят миллионов лет) , Election Day over (день выборов прошел) . Keith made President (Кейт стал Президентом: одно из значений слова to make — становиться) . Everyone celebrating (все празднуют) . And here we are (и вот мы здесь) , a million years lost (миллиона лет нет: lost — потерянный) , and they don't exist (и они не существуют) . The things we worried about for months, a lifetime (вещи, о которых мы беспокоились месяцами, всю жизнь) , not even born or thought of yet (даже не появились на свет или о них еще и не думали) ."