"Put them on my heels, of course," said Shasta. |
- Надеваю, конечно, - сказал Шаста. |
"I do know that much." |
- Уж это я знаю. |
"Then you can take them off and put them in the saddlebag. |
- Сними их и положи в переметную суму. |
We may be able to sell them when we get to Tashbaan. |
Продадим в Ташбаане. |
Ready? |
Снял? |
And now I think you can get up." |
Ну, садись в седло. |
"Ooh! You're a dreadful height," gasped Shasta after his first, and unsuccessful, attempt. |
- Ох, какой ты высокий! - с трудом выговорил Шаста после первой неудачной попытки. |
"I'm a horse, that's all," was the reply. |
- Я конь, что поделаешь, - сказал конь. |
"Anyone would think I was a haystack from the way you're trying to climb up me! |
- А ты на меня лезешь, как на стог сена. |
There, that's better. |
Вот, так получше! |
Now sit up and remember what I told you about your knees. |
Теперь распрямись и помни насчет коленей. |
Funny to think of me who has led cavalry charges and won races having a potato-sack like you in the saddle! |
Смешно, честное слово! На мне скакали в бой великие воины, и дожил я до такого мешка! |
However, off we go." |
Что ж, поехали, - и он засмеялся, но не сердито. |
It chuckled, not unkindly. And it certainly began their night journey with great caution. |
Конь превзошел себя, так он был осторожен. |
First of all it went just south of the fisherman's cottage to the little river which there ran into the sea, and took care to leave in the mud some very plain hoof-marks pointing South. |
Сперва он пошел на Юг, старательно оставляя следы на глине, и начал переходить вброд речку, текущую в море, но на самой ее середине повернул и пошел против течения. |
But as soon as they were in the middle of the ford it turned upstream and waded till they were about a hundred yards farther inland than the cottage. Then it selected a nice gravelly bit of bank which would take no footprints and came out on the Northern side. Then, still at a walking pace, it went Northward till the cottage, the one tree, the donkey's stable, and the creek - everything, in fact, that Shasta had ever known - had sunk out of sight in the grey summer-night darkness. They had been going uphill and now were at the top of the ridge - that ridge which had always been the boundary of Shasta's known world. |
Потом он вышел на каменистый берег - там следов не оставишь - и долго двигался шагом, пока хижина, стойло, дерево - словом все, что знал Шаста - не растворилось в серой мгле июльской ночи. |
He could not see what was ahead except that it was all open and grassy. |
Тогда Шаста понял, что они уже на вершине холма, отделявшего от него мир. |
It looked endless: wild and lonely and free. |
Он не мог толком разобрать, что впереди - как будто и впрямь весь мир, очень большой, пустой, бесконечный. |
"I say!" observed the Horse. "What a place for a gallop, eh!" |
- Ах, - обрадовался конь, - самое место для галопа! |
"Oh don't let's," said Shasta. |
- Ой, не надо! - сказал Шаста. |
"Not yet. I don't know how to - please, Horse. |
- Я еще не могу... пожалуйста, конь! |
I don't know your name." |
Да, как тебя зовут? |
"Breehy-hinny-brinny-hooky-hah," said the Horse. |
- И-йо-го-го-и-га-га-га-а!.. |
"I'll never be able to say that," said Shasta. |
- Мне не выговорить, - сказал Шаста. |
"Can I call you Bree?" |
- Можно я буду звать тебя Игого? |
"Well, if it's the best you can do, I suppose you must," said the Horse. "And what shall I call you?" |
- Что ж, зови, если иначе не можешь, - согласился конь. -А тебя как называть? |
"I'm called Shasta." |
- Шаста. |
"H'm," said Bree. "Well, now, there's a name that's really hard to pronounce. |
- Да... Вот это и впрямь не выговоришь. |
But now about this gallop. It's a good deal easier than trotting if you only knew, because you don't have to rise and fall. |
А насчет галопа ты не бойся, он легче рыси, не надо подниматься-опускаться. |
Grip with your knees and keep your eyes straight ahead between my ears. |
Сожми меня коленями (это называется шенкеля) и смотри прямо между ушей. |
Don't look at the ground. |
Только не гляди вниз! |
If you think you're going to fall just grip harder and sit up straighter. |
Если покажется, что падаешь, сожми сильнее, выпрями спину. |
Ready? |
Готов? |
Now: for Narnia and the North." |
Ну, во имя Нарнии!.. |
CHAPTER TWO A WAYSIDE ADVENTURE |
2. |
IT was nearly noon on the following day when Shasta was wakened by something warm and soft moving over his face. |
Солнце стояло высоко, когда Шаста проснулся, ибо что-то теплое и влажное прикоснулось к его щеке. |
He opened his eyes and found himself staring into the long face of a horse; its nose and lips were almost touching his. He remembered the exciting events of the previous night and sat up. But as he did so he groaned. |
Открыв глаза, он увидел длинную конскую морду, вспомнил вчерашние события, сел, и громко застонал. |
"Ow, Bree," he gasped. "I'm so sore. |
- Ой, - еле выговорил он, - все у меня болит. |
All over. |
Все как есть. |
I can hardly move." |
Еле двигаюсь. |
"Good morning, small one," said Bree. |
- Здравствуй, маленький друг, - сказал конь. |
"I was afraid you might feel a bit stiff. |
Ты не бойся, это не от ушибов, ты и у пал-то раз десять, все на траву. |
It can't be the falls. You didn't have more than a dozen or so, and it was all lovely, soft springy turf that must have been almost a pleasure to fall on. And the only one that might have been nasty was broken by that gorse bush. |
Даже приятно... Правда, один раз ты отлетел далеко, но угодил в куст. |