Английский язык с М. Муркоком - Майкл Муркок

volition [vəˈlɪʃ (ə) n] clumsy [ˈklʌmzɪ] innocent [ˈɪnəs (ə) nt] numerous [ˈnju:m (ə) rəs]

But the fingers were locked on the throat. Corum could feel himself squeezing the life from the king.

Corum shouted for help before he realised that the warriors thought that he was attacking the king on his own volition. He drew his sword and hacked around him as they attacked with their oddly-wrought clubs. They were plainly unused to battle, for their actions were clumsy and without proper co-ordination.

Suddenly the hand released King Temgol-Lep and Corum saw that he was dead.

His new hand had murdered a kindly and innocent creature! And it had ruined his chances of getting help from the Ragha-da-Kheta. It might even have killed him, for the warriors were very numerous.

Standing over the corpse of the king, he swept his sword this way and that, striking limbs from bodies, cutting into heads. Blood gushed everywhere and covered him, but he fought on.

Then, suddenly, there were no more living warriors (потом вдруг больше не осталось живых воинов). He stood in the courtyard while the gentle sun heat down and the fountain played and he looked at all the corpses (он стоял во внутреннем дворе, мягкое солнце светило, фонтан журчал, и смотрел на все эти трупы; to heat — нагревать/ся/, согревать/ся/; to play — играть, переливаться; бить, извергать /о струе, шланге, фонтане и т. д. /). He raised his gauntleted alien hand and spat on it (он поднял чуждую руку в латной перчатке и плюнул на нее; to spit).

`Oh, evil thing (порождение зла: «злая вещь»)! Rhalina was right (Ралина была права)! You have made me a murderer (ты сделала меня убийцей)!

But the hand was his again, it had no life of its own (но рука снова была его, у нее не было своей собственной жизни). He flexed the six fingers (Корум согнул шесть пальцев). It was now like any ordinary limb (рука была теперь, как любая обычная конечность).

Save for the splashing of the water from the fountain, the courtyard was silent (не считая плескания воды в фонтане, во внутреннем дворе было тихо; save for — за исключением, кроме).

Corum looked back at the dead king and shuddered (Корум оглянулся на мертвого короля и содрогнулся). He raised his sword (поднял меч). He would cut the Hand of Kwll from him (он отсечет себе руку Кулла). Better to be crippled than to be the slave of so evil a thing (лучше покалечиться = стать калекой, чем быть рабом такой злой вещи)!

And then the ground fell away from him and he plunged downwards (затем земля исчезла под ним, и он полетел вниз; to fall away — покидать, исчезать) to fall with a crash upon the back of a beast that spat and clawed at him (упал с грохотом на спину зверя, который плюнул и оцарапал его; to claw — царапать, скрести, рвать когтями).

murderer [ˈmə: dərə] ground [ɡraund] clawed [klɔ:d]

Then, suddenly, there were no more living warriors. He stood in the courtyard while the gentle sun heat down and the fountain played and he looked at all the corpses. He raised his gauntleted alien hand and spat on it.

`Oh, evil thing! Rhalina was right! You have made me a murderer!

But the hand was his again, it had no life of its own. He flexed the six fingers. It was now like any ordinary limb.

Save for the splashing of the water from the fountain, the courtyard was silent.

Corum looked back at the dead king and shuddered. He raised his sword. He would cut the Hand of Kwll from him. Better to be crippled than to be the slave of so evil a thing!

And then the ground fell away from him and he plunged downwards to fall with a crash upon the back of a beast that spat and clawed at him.

CHAPTER THREE (глава третья)

The Dark Things Come (порождения тьмы приходят)

Corum saw daylight above and then the flagstone slid back (Корум видел дневной свет наверху, затем плита сдвинулась обратно; to slide — скользить, плавно двигаться) and he was in darkness with the beast that dwelled in the pit beneath the courtyard (и он остался в темноте со зверем, что обитал в яме под внутренним двором). It was snarling in a corner somewhere (он рычал/ворчал где-то в углу). He prepared to defend himself against it (Корум приготовился защищаться от него).

Then the snarling stopped and there was silence for a moment (потом рычание прекратилось, и на миг наступила тишина).

Corum waited (ждал).

He heard a shuffling (он услышал шарканье /ног/; to shuffle — перемешивать, перемещать; волочить ноги). He saw a spark (увидел искру). The spark became a flame (искра превратилась в пламя). The flame came from a wick that burned in a clay vessel full of oil (пламя исходило от фитиля, который горел в глиняном сосуде, наполненном маслом).

The clay vessel was held by a filthy hand (глиняный сосуд держала грязная рука; filthy — грязный, отвратительный, мерзкий). And the hand belonged to a hairy creature whose eyes were full of anger (рука принадлежала мохнатому существу, глаза которого были наполены гневом).

`Who are you (кто ты)? Corum said.

snarling [ˈsnɑ:lɪŋ] spark [spɑ:k] filthy [ˈfɪlƟɪ]

Corum saw daylight above and then the flagstone slid back and he was in darkness with the beast that dwelled in the pit beneath the courtyard. It was snarling in a corner somewhere. He prepared to defend himself against it.

Then the snarling stopped and there was silence for a moment.

Corum waited.

He heard a shuffling. He saw a spark. The spark became a flame. The flame came from a wick that burned in a clay vessel full of oil.

The clay vessel was held by a filthy hand. And the hand belonged to a hairy creature whose eyes were full of anger.

`Who are you? Corum said.

The creature shuffled again and placed the crude lamp in a niche on the wall (существо пошло, снова шаркая ногами, и поставило грубый светильник в нишу в стене). Corum saw that the chamber was covered in dirty straw (Корум увидел, что /пол/ комнаты покрыт грязной соломой). There was a pitcher and a plate and, at the far end, a heavy iron door (там были кувшин и тарелка и, в дальнем углу, тяжелая железная дверь). The place reeked of human excrement (то место воняло человеческими испражнениями).

`Can you understand me (ты можешь понимать меня)? Corum still spoke the Nhadragh tongue (по-прежнему говорил на надрагском языке).

`Stop your gabbling (хватит тараторить; to gabble — говорить неясно и быстро, бормотать; гоготать). The creature spoke distinctly, as if he did not expect Corum to know what he was saying (существо говорило отчетливо, словно полагало, что Корум не знает, что оно говорит; to expect — ожидать, надеяться; полагать). He had spoken in the Low Speech (оно говорило на упрощенном языке). `You will be like me soon (ты скоро будешь таким, как я).

Corum made no reply (не ответил). He sheathed his sword and walked about the cell, inspecting it (он вложил в ножны меч и прошелся по темнице, осматривая ее; cell — ячейка; тюремная камера; клетка, отсек). There seemed no obvious way of escape (очевидного пути бегства не было = казалось, отсюда не вырваться). Above him he heard footsteps on the flagstones of the courtyard (над собой он услышал шаги по плитам внутреннего двора). He heard, quite clearly, the voices of the Ragha-da-Kheta (он услышал, вполне четко, голоса рага-да-кета). They were agitated, almost hysterical (они были взволнованными, почти истеричными).

niche [nɪʧ] straw [strɔ:] sheathed [ʃi:ðd] hysterical [hɪˈsterɪk (ə) l]

The creature shuffled again and placed the crude lamp in a niche on the wall. Corum saw that the chamber was covered in dirty straw. There was a pitcher and a plate and, at the far end, a heavy iron door. The place reeked of human excrement.

`Can you understand me? Corum still spoke the Nhadragh tongue.

`Stop your gabbling. The creature spoke distinctly, as if he did not expect Corum to know what he was saying. He had spoken in the Low Speech. `You will be like me soon.

Corum made no reply. He sheathed his sword and walked about the cell, inspecting it. There seemed no obvious way of escape. Above him he heard footsteps on the flagstones of the courtyard. He heard, quite clearly, the voices of the Ragha-da-Kheta. They were agitated, almost hysterical.

The creature cocked his head and listened (существо подняло голову и прислушалось).

`So that is what happened (так вот что произошло), he mused, staring at Corum and grinning to himself (проговорил он задумчиво, пристально глядя на Корума и ухмыляясь самому себе = своим мыслям). `You killed the feeble little coward, eh (ты убил этого хилого маленького труса, да; feeble — немощный, хилый; ничтожный)? Hm, well I don't resent your company nearly so much (хм, что ж, мне не будет неприятна твоя компания настолько; to resent — негодовать, возмущаться; не нравиться). Though your stay will be short, I fear (хотя, боюсь, твое пребывание /здесь/ будет недолгим). I wonder how they will destroy you (интересно, как они уничтожат тебя) …