Mark Twain - Английский язык с Марком Твеном. Принц и нищий (Mark Twain. The Prince and the Pauper)

In pursuance of the first plan (для исполнения первого плана; to pursue — преследовать; следовать неотступно за; выполнять, совершать), he proposed to put a 'clime' upon the king's leg (он предполагал поставить «клайм» на ногу короля), rightly judging (справедливо полагая) that that would mortify him to the last and perfect degree (что это уязвит его до крайней и совершенной степени); and as soon as the clime should operate (и как только «клайм» начнет действовать), he meant to get Canty's help (он намеревался заручиться помощью Кэнти; to mean — иметь в виду; to get — раздобыть), and force the king to expose his leg in the highway (и принудить короля показывать свою ногу на большой дороге) and beg for alms (и просить подаяния). 'Clime' was the cant term for a sore («клайм» был жаргонным выражением для язвы), artificially created (искусственно созданной). To make a clime (чтобы сделать клайм), the operator made a paste or poultice of unslaked lime, soap, and the rust of old iron (изготовитель делал пасту или припарку из негашеной извести, мыла и ржавчины со старого железа), and spread it upon a piece of leather (и намазывали ее на кусок кожи), which was then bound tightly upon the leg (который был затем повязан крепко на ногу; to bind — вязать). This would presently fret off the skin (это бы вскоре заставило кожу слезть; to fret — разъедать; off — прочь), and make the flesh raw and angry-looking (и сделать плоть кровоточащей и воспаленной); blood was then rubbed upon the limb (кровь затем бывала растерта на конечности), which, being fully dried (которая, будучи полностью высохшей), took on a dark and repulsive color (принимала темный и отталкивающий цвет; to take on — принять: «взять на»). Then a bandage of soiled rags (затем бандаж из грязных лохмотьев) was put on in a cleverly careless way (бывал надет в продуманно неопрятном виде; to put on — надевать: «класть на») which would allow the hideous ulcer (что позволяло омерзительной язве) to be seen (быть видимой) and move the compassion of the passer-by (и вызывать сострадание прохожего; to move — двигать; растрогать).

serviceable [`sə:vısəbl], vulgarity [vAl`gærıtı], artificially [a:tı`fıʃəlı]

All attempts to make the king serviceable to the troop had failed. He had stubbornly refused to act; moreover, he was always trying to escape. He had been thrust into an unwatched kitchen, the first day of his return; he not only came forth empty-handed, but tried to rouse the housemates. He was sent out with a tinker to help him at his work; he would not work; moreover, he threatened the tinker with his own soldering-iron; and finally both Hugo and the tinker found their hands full with the mere matter of keeping him from getting away. He delivered the thunders of his royalty upon the heads of all who hampered his liberties or tried to force him to service. He was sent out, in Hugo's charge, in company with a slatternly woman and a diseased baby, to beg; but the result was not encouraging — he declined to plead for the mendicants, or be a party to their cause in any way.

Thus several days went by; and the miseries of this tramping life, and the weariness and sordidness and meanness and vulgarity of it, became gradually and steadily so intolerable to the captive that he began at last to feel that his release from the hermit's knife must prove only a temporary respite from death, at best.

But at night, in his dreams, these things were forgotten, and he was on his throne, and master again. This, of course, intensified the sufferings of the awakening — so the mortifications of each succeeding morning of the few that passed between his return to bondage and the combat with Hugo, grew bitterer, and harder and harder to bear.

The morning after that combat, Hugo got up with a heart filled with vengeful purposes against the king. He had two plans in particular. One was to inflict upon the lad what would be, to his proud spirit and 'imagined' royalty, a peculiar humiliation; and if he failed to accomplish this, his other plan was to put a crime of some kind upon the king and then betray him into the implacable clutches of the law.

In pursuance of the first plan, he proposed to put a 'clime' upon the king's leg, rightly judging that that would mortify him to the last and perfect degree; and as soon as the clime should operate, he meant to get Canty's help, and force the king to expose his leg in the highway and beg for alms. 'Clime' was the cant term for a sore, artificially created. To make a clime, the operator made a paste or poultice of unslaked lime, soap, and the rust of old iron, and spread it upon a piece of leather, which was then bound tightly upon the leg. This would presently fret off the skin, and make the flesh raw and angry-looking; blood was then rubbed upon the limb, which, being fully dried, took on a dark and repulsive color. Then a bandage of soiled rags was put on in a cleverly careless way which would allow the hideous ulcer to be seen and move the compassion of the passer-by.

Hugo got the help of the tinker (Хьюго получил помощь = взял себе в помощь того ремесленника; to get — раздобыть) whom the king had cowed with the soldering-iron (которого король усмирял паяльным прутом); they took the boy out on a tinkering tramp (они взяли мальчика на ремесленную прогулку = на работу бродячего лудильщика; to take — брать), and as soon as they were out of sight of the camp (и как только они оказались вне видимости лагеря) they threw him down (они бросили его вниз = на землю; to throw — бросать) and the tinker held him (и ремесленник держал его; to hold — держать) while Hugo bound the poultice (пока Хьюго повязывал припарку; to bind — вязать) tight and fast upon his leg (крепко и прочно на его ногу).

The king raged and stormed (король гневался и бушевал), and promised to hang the two (и обещал повесить обоих) the moment the scepter was in his hand again (в момент = когда скипетр будет в его руке снова); but they kept a firm grip upon him (но они держали крепкую хватку на нем; to keep — держать, хранить) and enjoyed his impotent struggling (и наслаждались его беспомощной борьбой) and jeered at his threats (и насмехались над его угрозами). This continued until the poultice began to bite (это продолжалось, пока припарка не начала кусаться; to begin — начинать); and in no long time its work would have been perfected (и в недолгое время ее работа была бы завершена), if there had been no interruption (если бы не было помехи). But there was (но была = она); for about this time (ибо около этого времени) the 'slave' who had made the speech denouncing England's laws («раб», который произнес речь, осуждающую английские законы), appeared on the scene (появился на сцене = на месте происшествия) and put an end to the enterprise (и положил конец предприятию; to put — класть), and stripped off the poultice and bandage (и содрал припарку и бандаж).