Елизавета Хейнонен - The Book of Riddles. Лексические задачки

“Come in,” said the old woman. “As for your money, you can keep it. Humans may need money, but I don’t.”

“You wouldn’t be a witch, would you?” asked the traveller, studying her ugly face.

“The very same. They call me the Bony Leg. But you need not to be afraid of me. I won’t do you any harm.”

As for your money, you can keep it.Что до ваших денег, то можете оставить их себе; humansлюди ( в отличие от других существ ); may need money, but I don ’ tмогут нуждаться в деньгах, но я в них не нуждаюсь; You wouldn ’ t be a witch, would you? А ты, случаем, не ведьма?; uglyуродливый; The very same. Она самая; bonyкостлявый; костяной; do harmпричинять вред

“You can warm your chilly bones by the fire, and even stay for the night, but I have one condition,” continued the witch.

“Name it.”

“You must solve one of my riddles.”

“Deal! Ask your riddle.”

“How can a man go eight days without sleep?”

“Oh, that’s very simple. I think I could do that,” said the man, and went on to explain.

conditionусловие; Name it.Назови его; Deal!Договорились!; explainобъяснять

What did he say? How can a man go eight days without sleep? Solve this rebus to find out.

If the witch was disappointed, she didn’t show it.

“Well done,” she said, laying the table. “It is always a pleasure to share a meal with a clever man.”

disappointedразочарованный; showпоказывать; well done здесь : молодец ( похвала ); lay the tableнакрывать на стол; pleasureудовольствие; share a mealразделить трапезу (с кем-либо)

The next morning, the man went to the kitchen to say goodbye to the witch.

“It’s a pity you are leaving,” said the Bony Leg. “I’d rather you didn't go so soon. It is hard to find such good company nowadays. Do you mind if ask you another riddle? If you don’t solve it, you will stay with me for three months and three days.”

The traveller seemed to hesitate.

I’d ratherя бы предпочла; nowadaysв наши дни; do you mind ifты не возражаешь, если; hesitateколебаться, быть в нерешительности ◊ The traveller seemed to hesitate.Казалось, путник колеблется.

“Three months is a long time,” he said. “But, alright. Ask your riddle.”

“Here it is: If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven't got me. What am I?”

The traveler told her. There was nothing to do but to let him go.

shareделиться, поделиться с кем-либо; There was nothing to do but to let him go.Ничего не оставалось, кроме как отпустить его.

And you, dear reader, do you know the answer to this riddle? If you don’t, this rebus may give you a clue.

This is a story about a hunter who was unfortunate enough to be captured by cannibals. The cannibals brought him to their village, and tied him to a pole. After a while, they started to make a fire. One of the cannibals approached the prisoner, and asked him his name.

captureзахватить; взять в плен; hunterохотник; unfortunateнезадачливый ◊ who was unfortunate enough to be captured by cannibalsкоторому не повезло оказаться в плену у каннибалов; villageдеревня; tie toпривязывать к; poleшест; after a whileчерез некоторое время; approachприближаться к; prisonerпленник

“What do you need my name for?” asked the prisoner, hopefully. “Maybe they are not going to eat me, after all? Otherwise, they wouldn’t ask me my name,” he thought.

His heart sank when he heard the answer.

Maybe they are not going to eat me, after all?Может быть, они всё же не станут меня есть?; otherwiseиначе, в противном случае; sink(sank, sunk) опускаться; погружаться ◊ his heart sankу него душа ушла в пятки

What did the cannibals want his name for?

“Last night, I went to the theater,” said Mr. Smith to a fellow employee. “Your wife was also there. She coughed so loud that other people in the audience couldn’t help staring at her. She must be very ill.”

“Not at all.”

illnessболезнь; fellow employeeсослуживец; coughкашлять; other people in the audience couldn’t help staring at herдругие зрители не могли не смотреть на неё; not at allвовсе нет

If the woman wasn’t ill, why was she coughing? What was the matter with her? This rebus may help you find the right answer.

Once upon a time, there lived a king who had a daughter, a beautiful princess. So beautiful she was that princes from all over the world would come to ask for her hand in marriage. The girl, however, did not like the idea of getting married, so much so that she would not allow any of the suitors to come near her. She would always say that only the one she touched would become her husband.

once upon a time, there livedжил-был некогда ( зачин сказок ); from all over the worldсо всего мира; would come ask for her hand in marriageприезжали просить её руки ( модальный would указывает здесь на то , что действие происходило многократно ); howeverоднако; so much soнастолько (ей не нравилась эта идея, что); allowпозволять; suitorпоклонник; she would always sayона постоянно твердила; touchприкасаться ◊ only the one she touchedтолько тот, до которого она дотронется