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

'I tell ye again (я говорю вам снова = повторяю вам), you pack of unmannerly curs (вы, куча невоспитанных дворняг), I am the Prince of Wales (я принц Уэльский)! And all forlorn and friendless as I be (и совершенно брошен я и без друзей), with none to give me word of grace or help me in my need (и никого, кто бы произнес слово милости или помог мне в моей нужде), yet will not I be driven from my ground (и все же я не буду смещен со своей земли = буду стоять на своем), but will maintain it (но удержу ее)!'

'Though thou be prince or no prince (будь ты принц или не принц) 'tis all one (это все одно = все равно), thou be'st a gallant lad (ты доблестный малый), and not friendless neither (и не без друзей тоже)! Here stand I by thy side to prove it (вот стою я у твоей стороны = возле тебя чтобы доказать это); and mind I tell thee thou might'st have a worser friend than Miles Hendon and yet not tire thy legs with seeking (и, клянусь тебе, Майлс Хендон не худший из тех, кого ты мог бы найти себе в качестве друга, не слишком утомив себя поисками). Rest thy small jaw, my child, I talk the language of these base kennel-rats like to a very native (дай отдохнуть своей маленькой челюсти = языку, дитя мое, я говорю на языке этих подлых крыс не хуже, чем носитель языка).'

height [haıt], crimson [`krımz(ə)n], whirling [`wə:lıŋ]

By midnight the revelry was at its height. Now came one of those picturesque spectacles so admired in that old day. A description of it is still extant in the quaint wording of a chronicler who witnessed it:

'Space being made, presently entered a baron and an earl appareled after the Turkish fashion in long robes of bawdkin powdered with gold; hats on their heads of crimson velvet, with great rolls of gold, girded with two swords, called simitars, hanging by great bawdricks of gold. Next came yet another baron and another earl, in two long gowns of yellow satin, traversed with white satin, and in every bend of white was a bend of crimson satin, after the fashion of Russia, with furred hats of gray on their heads; either of them having an hatchet in their hands, and boots with pykes (points a foot long), 'turned up. And after them came a knight, then the Lord High Admiral, and with him five nobles, in doublets of crimson velvet, voyded low on the back and before to the cannel-bone, laced on the breasts with chains of silver; and, over that, short cloaks of crimson satin, and on their heads hats after the dancers' fashion, with pheasants' feather in them. These were appareled after the fashion of Prussia. The torch-bearers, which were about an hundred, were appareled in crimson satin and green, like Moors, their faces black. Next came in a mommarye. Then the minstrels, which were disguised, danced; and the lords and ladies did wildly dance also, that it was a pleasure to behold.'

And while Tom, in his high seat, was gazing upon this 'wild' dancing, lost in admiration of the dazzling commingling of kaleidoscopic colors which the whirling turmoil of gaudy figures below him presented, the ragged but real Little Prince of Wales was proclaiming his rights and his wrongs, denouncing the impostor, and clamoring for admission at the gates of Guildhall! The crowd enjoyed this episode prodigiously, and pressed forward and craned their necks to see the small rioter. Presently they began to taunt him and mock at him, purposely to goad him into a higher and still more entertaining fury. Tears of mortification sprung to his eyes, but he stood his ground and defied the mob right royally. Other taunts followed, added mockings stung him, and he exclaimed:

'I tell ye again, you pack of unmannerly curs, I am the Prince of Wales! And all forlorn and friendless as I be, with none to give me word of grace or help me in my need, yet will not I be driven from my ground, but will maintain it!'

'Though thou be prince or no prince 'tis all one, thou be'st a gallant lad, and not friendless neither! Here stand I by thy side to prove it; and mind I tell thee thou might'st have a worser friend than Miles Hendon and yet not tire thy legs with seeking. Rest thy small jaw, my child, I talk the language of these base kennel-rats like to a very native.'

The speaker was a sort of Don Caesar de Bazan in dress (говорящий был кем-то вроде дона Сезара де Базана по одежде), aspect (выражению лица), and bearing (и манере держаться). He was tall, trim-built, muscular (он был высокий, хорошо сложенный, мускулистый). His doublet and trunks (его камзол и штаны) were of rich material (были из богатого материала), but faded and threadbare (но полинявшие и протертые до ниток; thread — нить), and their gold-lace adornments were sadly tarnished (а их золотые галуны прискорбно потускнели); his ruff was rumpled and damaged (его воротник был мятый и рваный; ruff — жесткий /сильно накрахмаленный/ гофрированный круглый воротник); the plume in his slouched hat (перо в его шляпе со свисающими полями; to slouch — сутулиться; опускаться, свисать /о полях шляпы/) was broken and had a bedraggled and disreputable look (было сломано и имело испачканный и сомнительный вид; disreputable — недостойный уважения; дискредитирующий, бесчестящий; позорный); at his side he wore a long rapier in a rusty iron sheath (на боку он носил длинную рапиру в заржавленных железных ножнах; to wear — носить); his swaggering carriage (его самодовольная манера держаться; to swagger — расхаживать с важным видом; важничать; чваниться) marked him at once as a ruffler of the camp (отмечала его сразу как задиру лагеря = выдавала в нем лихого забияку). The speech of this fantastic figure was received with an explosion of jeers and laughter (речь этого гротескного персонажа была принята со взрывом издевок и смеха). Some cried (некоторые закричали), ''Tis another prince in disguise (это еще один принц в маскарадном костюме)!' ''Ware thy tongue, friend (последи за своим языком, друг), belike he is dangerous (похоже, он опасен)!' 'Marry, he looketh it — mark his eye (гляди-ка, как он смотрит)!' 'Pluck the lad from him — to the horse-pond wi' the cub (оторвите мальчишку от него — в лошадиный пруд этого щенка: «с этим щенком»; wi’ = with)!'

Instantly a hand was laid upon the prince (мгновенно рука была положена на принца; to lay — класть), under the impulse of this happy thought (под импульсом этой счастливой = удачной мысли); as instantly (также мгновенно) the stranger's long sword (длинный меч незнакомца) was out (был наружу = вытащен) and the meddler went to the earth under a sounding thump (и вмешавшийся отправился на землю под звонким ударом; went от to go — идти) with the flat of it (плоской стороной его). The next moment a score of voices shouted (в следующий момент голосов двадцать закричали; score — двадцать, устар.) 'Kill the dog (убейте пса)! kill him (убейте его)! kill him (убейте его)!' and the mob closed in on the warrior (и толпа закрылась на = обступила воина), who backed himself against a wall (который оперся на стену) and began to lay about him with his long weapon like a madman (и начал укладывать (нападавших) вокруг себя как бешеный; to begin — начинать). His victims sprawled this way and that (его жертвы растянулись, растягивались туда и сюда = валились в разные стороны), but the mob-tide poured over their prostrate forms (но прилив толпы переливался через их лежащие ничком тела; tide — прилив) and dashed itself against the champion with undiminished fury (и бился о победителя с неиссякающим гневом). His moments seemed numbered (его часы = момены казалось, были сочтены), his destruction certain (его гибель — верной), when suddenly a trumpet-blast sounded (когда внезапно звук трубы прозвучал; trumpet — труба), a voice shouted (голос прокричал), 'Way for the king's messenger (дорогу королевскому гонцу)!' and a troop of horsemen came charging down upon the mob (и отряд всадников проскакал по толпе), who fled out of harm's reach (которая убежала от греха подальше: «за пределы доступности вреда»; to flee — спасаться бегством; reach — предел досягаемости) as fast as their legs could carry them (так быстро как их ноги могли унести их). The bold stranger (отважный незнакомец) caught up the prince in his arms (подхватил принца в руки; to catch up — подхватить, догнать), and was soon far away from danger and the multitude (и был скоро прочь = далеко от опасности и толпы).