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

relax [rı`læks], vicious [`vıSəs], quality [`kwOlıtı]

And pleased with this jest, he removed the chair from the table, took his stand behind the king, and proceeded to wait upon him in the courtliest way he was capable of.

When the king ate, the rigor of his royal dignity relaxed a little, and with his growing contentment came a desire to talk. He said:

'I think thou callest thyself Miles Hendon, if I heard thee aright?'

'Yes, sire,' Miles replied then observed to himself, 'If I must humor the poor lad's madness, I must sire him, I must majesty him, I must not go by halves, I must stick at nothing that belongeth to the part I play, else shall I play it ill and work evil to this charitable and kindly cause.'

The king warmed his heart with a second glass of wine, and said: 'I would know thee — tell me thy story. Thou hast a gallant way with thee, and a noble — art nobly born?'

'We are of the tail of the nobility, good your majesty. My father is a baronet — one of the smaller lords, by knight service — Sir Richard Hendon, of Hendon Hall, by Monk's Holm in Kent.'

'The name has escaped my memory. Go on — tell me thy story.'

''Tis not much, your majesty, yet perchance it may beguile a short half-hour for want of a better. My father, Sir Richard, is very rich, and of a most generous nature. My mother died whilst I was yet a boy. I have two brothers: Arthur, my elder, with a soul like to his father's; and Hugh, younger than I, a mean spirit, covetous, treacherous, vicious, underhanded — a reptile. Such was he from the cradle; such was he ten years past, when I last saw him — a ripe rascal at nineteen, I being twenty then, and Arthur twenty-two. There is none other of us but the Lady Edith, my cousin — she was sixteen, then — beautiful, gentle, good, the daughter of an earl, the last of her race, heiress of a great fortune and a lapsed title. My father was her guardian. I loved her and she loved me; but she was betrothed to Arthur from the cradle, and Sir Richard would not suffer the contract to be broken. Arthur loved another maid, and bade us be of good cheer and hold fast to the hope that delay and luck together would some day give success to our several causes. Hugh loved the Lady Edith's fortune, though in truth he said it was herself he loved — but then 'twas his way, alway, to say one thing and mean the other. But he lost his arts upon the girl; he could deceive my father, but none else. My father loved him best of us all, and trusted and believed him; for he was the youngest child and others hated him — these qualities being in all ages sufficient to win a parent's dearest love; and he had a smooth persuasive tongue, with an admirable gift of lying — and these be qualities which do mightily assist a blind affection to cozen itself. I was wild — in troth I might go yet farther and say very wild, though 'twas a wildness of an innocent sort, since it hurt none but me, brought shame to none, nor loss, nor had in it any taint of crime or baseness, or what might not beseem mine honorable degree.

'Yet did my brother Hugh turn these faults to good account (и все же мой брат Хью воспользовался моими ошибками: «повернул эти ошибки на хороший счет») — he seeing that our brother Arthur's health was but indifferent (он, видя, что здоровье нашего брата Артура было всего лишь слабым; indifferent — безразличный; незначительный; плохой, неважный), and hoping the worst might work him profit (и надеясь, что худшее может выработать = доставить ему прибыль) were I swept out of the path (если бы я был сметен = убран с пути; to sweep — мести) — so (так что) — but 'twere a long tale (но была бы долгая история), good my liege (мой повелитель), and little worth the telling (и мало стоящая рассказа). Briefly, then (вкратце, тогда), this brother did deftly magnify my faults (этот брат ловко приумножил мои ошибки) and make them crimes (сделал их преступлениями); ending his base work with finding a silken ladder in mine apartments (завершая свою подлую работу нахождением шелковой лестницы в моей комнате) — conveyed thither by his own means (принесенную туда им самим = его средствами) — and did convince my father by this (и все-таки убедил моего отца этим), and suborned evidence of servants (и подкупленным свидетельством слуг) and other lying knaves (и других лгущих мошенников), that I was minded to carry off my Edith and marry with her (что я собирался увезти прочь = похитить мою Эдит и жениться на ней), in rank defiance of his will (в отъявленном пренебрежении его волей).

'Three years of banishment from home and England (три года изгнания из дома и Англии) might make a soldier and a man of me (могли бы сделать солдата и человека из меня), my father said (мой отец сказал), and teach me some degree of wisdom (и научить меня некоторой степени мудрости). I fought out (я воевал; to fight — сражаться) my long probation (мой длинный испытательный срок) in the continental wars (в континентальных войнах), tasting sumptuously of hard knocks, privation, and adventure (пробуя на вкус тяжелые удары (судьбы), нужду и приключения; sumptuously — великолепно); but in my last battle I was taken captive (но в моей последней битве я был взят пленником), and during the seven years that have waxed and waned since then (и в течение семи лет, которые прошли с тех пор), a foreign dungeon hath harbored me (иностранная темница приютила меня). Through wit and courage (через разум и отвагу) I won to the free air at last (я пробился к вольному воздуху наконец), and fled hither straight (и убежал сюда прямо; to flee — спасаться бегством); and am but just arrived (и я только что прибыл), right poor in purse and raiment (совершенно бедный кошельком и одеждой), and poorer still in knowledge of what these dull seven years have wrought at Hendon Hall (и еще беднее в знании о том, что эти унылые семь лет сделали в Хендон-Холле; wrought — устар. вместо worked — от to work — работать), its people and belongings (с его людьми и имуществом). So please you, sir, my meager tale is told (извольте, сэр, моя тощая = бедная содержанием сказка рассказана; to tell — рассказывать).'

'Thou hast been shamefully abused (с тобой постыдно плохо обошлись; to abuse — плохо обращаться)!' said the little king, with a flashing eye (сказал маленький король, со сверкающим взором). 'But I will right thee (но я воздам тебе по справедливости; to right — исправить, защитить права) — by the cross will I (клянусь крестом, я сделаю это)! The king hath said it (король сказал это).'