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

refuse [rı`fju:z], feverishly [`fi:vərıSlı], furnish [`fə:nıS]

As she lay thinking and mourning, the suggestion began to creep into her mind that there was an undefinable something about this boy that was lacking in Tom Canty, mad or sane. She could not describe it, she could not tell just what it was, and yet her sharp mother-instinct seemed to detect it and perceive it. What if the boy were really not her son, after all? Oh, absurd! She almost smiled at the idea, spite of her griefs and troubles. No matter, she found that it was an idea that would not 'down', but persisted in haunting her. It pursued her, it harassed her, it clung to her, and refused to be put away or ignored. At last she perceived that there was not going to be any peace for her until she should devise a test that should prove, dearly and without question, whether this lad was her son or not, and so banish these wearing and worrying doubts. Ah, yes, this was plainly the right way out of the difficulty; therefore, she set her wits to work at once to contrive that test. But it was an easier thing to propose than to accomplish. She turned over in her mind one promising test after another, but was obliged to relinquish them all — none of them were absolutely sure, absolutely perfect; and an imperfect one could not satisfy her. Evidently she was racking her head in vain — it seemed manifest that she must give the matter up. While this depressing thought was passing through her mind, her ear caught the regular breathing of the boy, and she knew he had fallen asleep. And while she listened, the measured breathing was broken by a soft, startled cry, such as one utters in a troubled dream. This chance occurrence furnished her instantly with a plan worth all her labored tests combined. She at once set herself feverishly, but noiselessly, to work to relight her candle, muttering to herself, 'Had I but seen him then, I should have known! Since that day, when he was little, that the powder burst in his face, he hath never been startled of a sudden out of his dreams or out of his thinkings, but he hath cast his hand before his eyes, even as he did that day, and not as others would do it, with the palm inward, but always with the palm turned outward — I have seen it a hundred times, and it hath never varied nor ever failed. Yes, I shall soon know now!'

By this time she had crept to the slumbering boy's side (к этому времени она подползла к боку дремлющего мальчика), with the candle shaded in her hand (с затененной свечой в руке). She bent heedfully and warily over him (она склонилась внимательно и осторожно над ним; to bend — гнуть(ся)), scarcely breathing (едва дыша), in her suppressed excitement (в подавленном возбуждении), and suddenly flashed the light in his face (и внезапно вспыхнула светом в его лицо) and struck the floor by his ear (и ударила в пол у его уха) with her knuckles (костяшками пальцев). The sleeper's eyes sprung wide open (глаза спящего раскрылись широко; to spring — прыгать; open — открытый), and he cast a startled stare about him (и он бросил испуганный взгляд вокруг себя) — but he made no special movement with his hands (но он не сделал никакого особого движения своими руками).

The poor woman was smitten almost helpless with surprise and grief (бедная женщина была поражена почти беспомощно от изумления и горя = чуть не лишилась чувств от изумления и горя; to smite — разбить, крушить); but she contrived to hide her emotions (но она постаралась скрыть свои эмоции), and to soothe the boy to sleep again (и успокоить мальчика чтобы уснуть опять); then she crept apart (затем она отползла прочь) and communed miserably with herself upon the disastrous result of her experiment (и поговорила удрученно сама с собой о страшном результате ее эксперимента; disaster — бедствие; disastrous — бедственный, гибельный, пагубный). She tried to believe that her Tom's madness had banished this habitual gesture of his (она старалась поверить, что безумство Тома подавило это его обычное движение); but she could not do it (но она не могла сделать этого). 'No (нет),' she said (она сказала), 'his hands are not mad (его руки не безумны), they could not unlearn so old a habit in so brief a time (они не могли отучиться от такой старой привычки за столь короткое время). Oh, this is a heavy day for me (о, это тяжелый день для меня)!'

Still, hope was as stubborn now as doubt had been before (все же надежда была такой же упрямой, как сомнение было ранее); she could not bring herself to accept (она не могла заставить себя принять) the verdict of the test (результат проверки); she must try the thing again (она должна испытать это снова) — the failure must have been only an accident (провал, должно быть, был всего лишь случайностью); so she startled the boy out of his sleep a second and a third time (так что она испугала мальчика из сна = пугала и будила мальчика во второй и в третий раз), at intervals (с перерывами) — with the same result which had marked the first test (с тем же самым результатом, который отметила первая проверка) — then she dragged herself to bed (затем она потащилась в кровать), and fell sorrowfully asleep (и с грустью заснула), saying (говоря), 'But I cannot give him up (но я не могу бросить его) — oh, no, I cannot (о нет, я не могу) — he must be my boy (он должен быть моим мальчиком = он, должно быть (все же), мой мальчик)!'

The poor mother's interruptions having ceased (/когда/ прерывания бедной матери прекратились = когда она перестала будить принца; to cease — прекращать(ся)), and the prince's pains having gradually lost their power to disturb him (и (когда) боли принца постепенно утратили свою силу беспокоить его), utter weariness at last sealed his eyes in a profound and restful sleep (крайняя усталость наконец закрыла ему глаза в глубокий и освежающий сон; to seal — закрыть, замазать, скрепить печатью). Hour after hour slipped away (час за часом ускользал прочь), and still he slept like the dead (и все еще он спал как мертвый; to sleep — спать). Thus four or five hours passed (так прошло четыре или пять часов). Then his stupor began to lighten (затем его оцепенение стало ослабевать: «смягчаться»). Presently, while half asleep and half awake (вскоре, будучи наполовину спящим и наполовину бодрствующим; while — пока), he murmured (он пробормотал):