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

'Long live the true king!'

For five minutes the air quaked with shouts and the crash of musical instruments, and was white with a storm of waving handkerchiefs; and through it all a ragged lad, the most conspicuous figure in England, stood, flushed and happy and proud, in the center of the spacious platform, with the great vassals of the kingdom kneeling around him.

Then all rose, and Tom Canty cried out:

'Now, O my king, take these regal garments back, and give poor Tom, thy servant, his shreds and remnants again.'

The Lord Protector spoke up:

'Let the small varlet be stripped and flung into the Tower.'

But the new king, the true king, said:

'I will not have it so. But for him I had not got my crown again — none shall lay a hand upon him to harm him. And as for thee, my good uncle, my Lord Protector, this conduct of thine is not grateful toward this poor lad, for I hear he hath made thee a duke' — the Protector blushed — 'yet he was not a king; wherefore, what is thy fine title worth now? To-morrow you shall sue to me, through him, for its confirmation, else no duke, but a simple earl, shalt thou remain.'

Under this rebuke, his grace the Duke of Somerset retired a little from the front for the moment. The king turned to Tom, and said, kindly:

'My poor boy, how was it that you could remember where I hid the Seal when I could not remember it myself?'

'Ah, my king, that was easy, since I used it divers days.'

'Used it — yet could not explain where it was?'

'I did not know it was that they wanted. They did not describe it, your majesty.'

'Then how used you it?'

The red blood began to steal up into Tom's cheeks, and he dropped his eyes and was silent.

'Speak up, good lad, and fear nothing,' said the king. 'How used you the Great Seal of England?'

Tom stammered a moment, in a pathetic confusion, then got it out:

'To crack nuts with!'

Poor child, the avalanche of laughter that greeted this, nearly swept him off his feet. But if a doubt remained in any mind that Tom Canty was not the king of England and familiar with the august appurtenances of royalty, this reply disposed of it utterly.

Meantime the sumptuous robe of state had been removed from Tom's shoulders to the king's, whose rags were effectively hidden from sight under it. Then the coronation ceremonies were resumed; the true king was anointed and the crown set upon his head, whilst cannon thundered the news to the city, and all London seemed to rock with applause.

MILES HENDON was picturesque enough (Майлс Хендон был живописным достаточно) before he got into the riot on London Bridge (прежде чем он забрался в беспорядок на Лондонском мосту; to get — забираться) — he was more so (он был более так = стал еще более живописным) when he got out of it (когда он выбрался из него). He had but little money (он имел лишь немного денег) when he got in (когда он забрался внутрь), none at all when he got out (никаких совсем, когда он выбрался наружу). The pickpockets had stripped him (карманники обчистили его) of his last farthing (от его последнего фартинга).

But no matter (но неважно), so he found his boy (лишь бы он отыскал своего мальчика; to find — найти). Being a soldier (будучи солдатом), he did not go at his task (он не принялся за свою задачу) in a random way (случайным образом = наобум), but set to work (но принялся за работу; to set — приниматься), first of all (прежде всего), to arrange his campaign (чтобы организовать свою кампанию = составить план кампании).

What would the boy naturally do (что бы мальчик естественно = скорее всего делал)? Where would he naturally go (куда бы он скорее всего пошел)? Well (ну) — argued Miles (рассудил Майлс) — he would naturally go to his former haunts (он бы скорее всего пошел в свои прежние прежние места; haunt — излюбленное место, убежище, логово), for that is the instinct of unsound minds (ибо это инстинкт нездоровых умов), when homeless and forsaken (когда (они) бездомны и покинуты), as well as of sound ones (так же как и здоровых /умов/). Whereabouts were his former haunts (где же были его прежние прибежища)? His rags (его лохмотья), taken together with the low villain (вместе с низким негодяем; to take — брать) who seemed to know him (который, казалось, знал его; to seem — казаться) and who even claimed to be his father (и который даже заявлял быть его отцом = что он его отец), indicated that his home (указывало /на то/, что его дом) was in one or other (был в одном или другом) of the poorest and meanest districts of London (из беднейших и самых захудалых районов Лондона). Would the search for him be difficult (были бы поиск его трудным), or long (или долгим)? No, it was likely (нет, он был вероятен) to be easy and brief (оказаться простым и недолгим). He would not hunt for the boy (он не станет охотиться за мальчиком), he would hunt for a crowd (он станет охотиться за толпой); in the center of a big crowd (в центре большой толпы) or a little one (или маленькой /толпы/), sooner or later (рано или поздно: «скорее или позже») he should find his poor little friend, sure (он должен найти своего бедного маленького друга, точно); and the mangy mob (а паршивая толпа) would be entertaining itself (развлекалась бы; to entertain — развлекать) with pestering and aggravating the boy (тем, чтобы донимать и изводить мальчика), who would be proclaiming himself king (который бы провозглашал себя королем), as usual (как обычно). Then Miles Hendon would cripple some of those people (затем Майлс Хендон отделал бы некоторых из этих людей; to cripple — увечить), and carry off his little ward (и унес бы прочь своего маленького подопечного), and comfort and cheer him with loving words (и успокоил бы и приободрил бы его любящими словами), and the two (и эти двое = они) would never be separated any more (никогда бы не были разделены больше).

So Miles started on his quest (так что Майлс пустился на свои поиски). Hour after hour (час зв часом) he tramped through back alleys (он бродил по задним = глухим переулкам) and squalid streets (и убогим улочкам), seeking groups and crowds (ища группы и толпы), and finding no end of them (и находя их без конца: «никакого конца их»), but never any sign of the boy (но никогда ни признака мальчика). This greatly surprised him (это чрезвычайно удивило его), but did not discourage him (но не обескуражило его). To his notion (по его мнению), there was nothing the matter with his plan of campaign (дело было не в его плане кампании; nothing — ничего; matter — дело); the only miscalculation about it (единственный просчет в нем = в плане) was that the campaign was becoming a lengthy one (было /то/, что кампания становилась продолжительной), whereas he had expected it to be short (в то время как он ожидал ее быть короткой = что она будет короткой).