Stephen King - Английский язык с Стивеном Кингом Кошка из ада

Halston spoke to it (заговорил с ним = котом).

"I have never blown a hit once I took it on, kitty (я никогда не проваливал задания, за которое взялся, киска; to blow — дуть; упустить /возможность, шанс/; проиграть; проворонить ). This could be a first (это могло бы стать первым). I'm getting my hands back (скоро я снова обрету руки). Five minutes, ten at most (/еще/ пять, ну, от силы десять минут). You want my advice (хочешь совет)? Go out the window (выпрыгивай в окно). They're all open (они все открыты). Go out and take your tail with you (убирайся и уноси с собой свой хвост)."

The cat stared at him (кот таращился на него).

eighth [eItθ], pupil ['pjHp(q)l], advice [qd'vaIs]

Halston tried his hands again and got them to move an eighth of an inch before they fell back.

Not yet. But soon.

A soft thud on the seatback beside him. Halston turned his head and looked into the black-white face, the glowing eyes with their huge dark pupils.

Halston spoke to it.

"I have never blown a hit once I took it on, kitty. This could be a first. I'm getting my hands back. Five minutes, ten at most. You want my advice? Go out the window. They're all open. Go out and take your tail with you."

The cat stared at him.

Halston tried his hands again (еще раз проверил руки). They came up, trembling wildly (они поднялись, отчаянно трясясь). Half an inch (на пол-дюйма). An inch. He let them fall back limply (он позволил им вяло шлепнуться обратно). They slipped off his lap and thudded to the Plymouth's seat (они соскользнули с его колен и ударились о сиденье машины). They glimmered there palely, like large tropical spiders (они бледно мерцали там, словно огромные тропические пауки).

The cat was grinning at him (кот ухмылялся, глядя на него).

Did I make a mistake (я сделал ошибку)?, he wondered confusedly (подумал он спутано/как сквозь сон). He was a creature of hunch (он был существом/человеком интуиции; hunch — толчок; подозрение, предчувствие; интуиция ), and the feeling that he had made one was suddenly overwhelming (и чувство, что он в чем-то ошибся: «сделал ошибку», стало вдруг неодолимым = внезапно охватило его со всей силой; to overwhelm — преодолеть; подавить; переполнять, овладевать /о чувствах/ ). Then the cat's body tensed (тут кошачье тело напряглось), and even as it leaped (и в ту секунду, когда кот прыгнул; even — плоский, ровный; точный; точно, ровно, как раз ), Halston knew what it was going to do (Хэлстон понял, что тот собирается сделать) and he opened his mouth to scream (и открыл рот, чтобы закричать).

The cat landed on Halston's crotch, claws out, digging (кот опустился ему на промежность, выпуская когти и впиваясь /ими в тело/).

confusedly [kqn'fjHzIdlI], creature ['krJCq], overwhelming ["qVvq'welmIN]

Halston tried his hands again. They came up, trembling wildly. Half an inch. An inch. He let them fall back limply. They slipped off his lap and thudded to the Plymouth's seat. They glimmered there palely, like large tropical spiders.

The cat was grinning at him.

Did I make a mistake?, he wondered confusedly. He was a creature of hunch, and the feeling that he had made one was suddenly overwhelming. Then the cat's body tensed, and even as it leaped, Halston knew what it was going to do and he opened his mouth to scream.

The cat landed on Halston's crotch, claws out, digging.

At that moment, Halston wished he had been paralyzed (в этот момент Хэлстон пожелал /действительно/ быть парализованным = пожалел, что он и вправду не парализован). The pain was gigantic, terrible (боль была гигантская, ужасная/кошмарная). He had never suspected that there could be such pain in the world (он даже представить себе не мог, что на свете существует подобная боль; to suspect — подозревать; предполагать, допускать ). The cat was a spitting coiled spring of fury, clawing at his balls (кот был одним шипящим комком: «сжатой пружиной» ярости, вонзающей когти в его яйца; to coil — свертывать кольцом, спиралью /веревку, проволоку/; ball — шар ).

Halston did scream, his mouth yawning open (закричал, широко раскрыв рот), and that was when the cat changed direction and leaped at his face (и тогда кот развернулся: «изменил направление» и прыгнул на его лицо), leaped at his mouth (на его рот). And at that moment Halston knew that it was something more than a cat (в этот самый момент Хэлстон осознал, что это /действительно/ нечто большее, чем просто кот). It was something possessed of a malign, murderous intent (это — злобное существо, охваченное стремлением убивать: «нечто, одержимое злобным стремлением убивать»; murderous intent — намерение совершить убийство ).

He caught one last glimpse of that black-and-white face below the flattened ears (он в последний раз увидел эту черно-белую морду под плотно прижатыми /к голове/ ушами; to catch — ловить; поймать; glimpse — проблеск, слабый свет; быстрый взгляд; беглый взгляд; to flatten — делать плоским, ровным ), its eyes enormous and filled with lunatic hate (с громадными, наполненными сумасшедшей ненавистью глазами). It had gotten rid of the three old people and now it was going to get rid of John Halston (он = кот уже избавился от трех стариков, и теперь собирался избавится от Джона Хэлстона).

gigantic [GaI'gxntIk], possessed [pq'zest], malign [mq'laIn]

At that moment, Halston wished he had been paralyzed. The pain was gigantic, terrible. He had never suspected that there could be such pain in the world. The cat was a spitting coiled spring of fury, clawing at his balls.

Halston did scream, his mouth yawning open, and that was when the cat changed direction and leaped at his face, leaped at his mouth. And at that moment Halston knew that it was something more than a cat. It was something possessed of a malign, murderous intent.

He caught one last glimpse of that black-and-white face below the flattened ears, its eyes enormous and filled with lunatic hate. It had gotten rid of the three old people and now it was going to get rid of John Halston.