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

He often read the priest's old books (он часто читал старые книги священника) and got him to explain and enlarge upon them (и упрашивал его объяснять и дополнять их). His dreamings and readings worked certain changes (его мечтания и чтение выработали определенные изменения) in him by and by (в нем постепенно). His dream-people were so fine (люди из его мечтаний были столь прекрасными; people — люди) that he grew to lament (что он стал тяготиться; to lament — жаловаться) his shabby clothing and his dirt (своей ветхой одеждой и своей грязью), and to wish to be clean and better clad (и желать быть чистым и лучше одетым). He went on playing (он продолжал играть; to go on — продолжать) in the mud just the same ( в грязи, как прежде/все равно: «прямо так же»), and enjoying it, too (и наслаждаться этим тоже); but instead of splashing around (но вместо (того, чтобы) плескаться; around — вокруг) in the Thames solely for the fun of it (в Темзе только ради веселья от этого), he began to find an added value in it (он начал находить дополнительную ценность в этом; to add — добавлять) because of the washings and cleansings it afforded (из-за мытья и очищения, (которое) оно предоставляло).

comfortable [`kAmftəb(ə)l], enough [ı`nAf], ache [eık], Thames [temz]

All Offal Court was just such another hive as Canty's house. Drunkenness, riot, and brawling were the order there, every night and nearly all night long. Broken heads were as common as hunger in that place. Yet little Tom was not unhappy. He had a hard time of it, but did not know it. It was the sort of time that all the Offal Court boys had, therefore he supposed it was the correct and comfortable thing. When he came home empty-handed at night, he knew his father would curse him and thrash him first, and that when he was done the awful grandmother would do it all over again and improve on it; and that away in the night his starving mother would slip to him stealthily with any miserable scrap of crust she had been able to save for him by going hungry herself, notwithstanding she was often caught in that sort of treason and soundly beaten for it by her husband.

No, Tom's life went along well enough, especially in summer. He only begged just enough to save himself, for the laws against mendicancy were stringent, and the penalties heavy; so he put in a good deal of his time listening to good Father Andrew's charming old tales and legends about giants and fairies, dwarfs and genii, and enchanted castles, and gorgeous kings and princes. His head grew to be full of these wonderful things, and many a night as he lay in the dark on his scant and offensive straw, tired, hungry, and smarting from a thrashing, he unleashed his imagination and soon forgot his aches and pains in delicious picturings to himself of the charmed life of a petted prince in a regal palace. One desire came in time to haunt him day and night; it was to see a real prince, with his own eyes. He spoke of it once to some of his Offal Court comrades; but they jeered him and scoffed him so unmercifully that he was glad to keep his dream to himself after that.

He often read the priest's old books and got him to explain and enlarge upon them. His dreamings and readings worked certain changes in him by and by. His dream-people were so fine that he grew to lament his shabby clothing and his dirt, and to wish to be clean and better clad. He went on playing in the mud just the same, and enjoying it, too; but instead of splashing around in the Thames solely for the fun of it, he began to find an added value in it because of the washings and cleansings it afforded.

Tom could always find something going on (Том мог всегда найти что-нибудь происходящее; to go on — происходить, продолжать) around the Maypole in Cheapside (вокруг майского шеста в Чипсайде), and at the fairs (и на ярмарках); and now and then he and the rest of London (и время от времени: «теперь и тогда» он и остальные лондонцы: «из Лондона») had a chance to see a military parade (имели шанс увидеть военный парад) when some famous unfortunate (когда какой-нибудь известный неудачник) was carried prisoner to the Tower (перевозился, (как) заключенный, в Тауэр; to carry — нести), by land or boat (по земле или в лодке). One summer's day he saw (в один летний день он видел) poor Anne Askew and three men burned at the stake (бедную Анну Эскью и трех человек, сожженных на костре; stake — здесь: столб, к которому привязывали сжигаемого) in Smithfield (в Смитфилде), and heard an ex-bishop preach a sermon (и слышал (как) бывший епископ читал проповедь; to preach — проповедовать) to them (им) which did not interest him (чтó не заинтересовало его). Yes, Tom's life was varied (да, жизнь Тома была разнообразная) and pleasant enough (и довольно приятная), on the whole (в целом).

By and by Tom's reading and dreaming about princely life (тем временем чтение и мечтание Тома о роскошной, царской жизни) wrought such a strong effect upon him (оказала такое сильное воздействие на него; wrought — устаревшее прошедшее время от work) that he began to act the prince, unconsciously (что он начал играть принца, бессознательно). His speech and manners became curiously ceremonious and courtly (его речь и манеры стали странно церемонны и учтивы), to the vast admiration and amusement of his intimates (к широкому = большому восхищению и забаве его закадычных друзей). But Tom's influence (но влияние Тома) among these young people (среди этих молодых людей) began to grow now, day by day (начало расти теперь день ото дня); and in time (и со временем) he came to be looked up to by them with a sort of wondering awe (на него стали смотреть с чем-то вроде удивленного благоговения), as a superior being (как на высшее существо). He seemed to know (он, казалось, знает; to seem — казаться) so much (так много)! and he could do such marvellous things (и он мог делать такие удивительные вещи)! and withal (и к тому же), he was so deep and wise (он был такой глубокий = загадочный и мудрый)! Tom's remarks and Tom's performances (высказывания и поступки Тома; remark — замечание; performance — исполнение) were reported (пересказывались) by the boys to their elders (мальчиками их старшим); and these, also (и эти тоже), presently began to discuss Tom Canty (теперь начали обсуждать Тома Кэнти), and to regard him (и рассматривать его) as a most gifted and extraordinary creature (как самое = в высшей степени одаренное и необыкновенное существо). Full-grown people (взрослые: «полностью выросшие» люди) brought their perplexities (шли со своими трудностями: «приносили свои проблемы») to Tom for solution (к Тому за решением), and were often astonished (и бывали часто поражены) at the wit and wisdom (остроумию и мудрости) of his decisions (его решений). In fact (на самом деле), he became a hero to all who knew him (он стал героем для всех, кто знал его) except his own family (кроме его собственной семьи) — these only saw nothing in him (эти только = только они (не) видели ничего в нем).