Илья Франк - Английский язык с Р. Киплингом. Истории просто так

wax [wxks], precious ['preSqs], weigh [weI]

THIS is the story of Taffimai Metallumai carved on an old tusk a very long time ago by the Ancient Peoples. If you read my story, or have it read to you, you can see how it is all told out on the tusk. The tusk was part of an old tribal trumpet that belonged to the Tribe of Tegumai. The pictures were scratched on it with a nail or something, and then the scratches were filled up with black wax, but all the dividing lines and the five little rounds at the bottom were filled with red wax. When it was new there was a sort of network of beads and shells and precious stones at one end of it; but now that has been broken and lost — all except the little bit that you see. The letters round the tusk are magic — Runic magic — and if you can read them you will find out something rather new. The tusk is of ivory — very yellow and scratched. It is two feet long and two feet round, and weighs eleven pounds nine ounces.

THERE runs a road by Merrow Down (бежит дорога у Мерроу Даун; to run — бежать, тянуться ) — A grassy track to-day it is (сегодня это заросшая травой тропа) — An hour out of Guildford town (она в часе ходьбы от города Гилдфорда), Above the river Wey it is (над рекой Уэй).

road [rqud], grassy ['grRsI], town [taun]

THERE runs a road by Merrow Down — A grassy track to-day it is — An hour out of Guildford town, Above the river Wey it is.

Here, when they heard the horse-bells ring (здесь, когда они = древние Бритты слышали звон колокольчиков лошадей), The ancient Britons dressed and rode (древние Бритты = они наряжались и ехали; to ride — ехать, скакать /верхом/ ) To watch the dark Phoenicians bring (чтобы посмотреть на то, как смуглые Финикийцы везут) Their goods along the Western Road (свои товары по Западной Дороге).

ancient ['eInSqnt], Briton [brItn], watch [wOC]

Here, when they heard the horse-bells ring, The ancient Britons dressed and rode To watch the dark Phoenicians bring Their goods along the Western Road.

And here, or hereabouts, they met (и здесь, или поблизости, они встречались) To hold their racial talks and such (чтобы вести межродовые / межплеменные переговоры и /для/ того подобного) — To barter beads for Whitby jet (чтобы выменивать бусы на черный янтарь Уитби), And tin for gay shell torques and such (а олово на пестрые крученые металлические ожерелья, украшенные ракушками и тому подобное; torque — крученое металлическое ожерелье, браслет /было распространено у бриттов и галлов/ ).

racial ['reIS(q)l], barter ['bRtq], torque [tLk]

And here, or hereabouts, they met To hold their racial talks and such — To barter beads for Whitby jet, And tin for gay shell torques and such.

But long and long before that time (но задолго-задолго до того времени) (When bison used to roam on it (когда здесь еще бродили зубры; bison — зубр /Bison bonasus/ )) Did Taffy and her Daddy climb (забирались Тэффи и ее Папочка) That down, and had their home on it (на этот холм, и у них на нем был их дом).

bison [baIsn], roam [rqum], climb [klaIm]

But long and long before that time (When bison used to roam on it) Did Taffy and her Daddy climb That down, and had their home on it.

Then beavers built in Broadstonebrook (тогда бобры застроили ручей Бродстоун [111] Переводится как: широкий камень, квадер, тесаный камень. ) And made a swamp where Bramley stands (и сделали болото, где стоит Брэмли) And bears from Shere would come and look (и медведи приходили из Шира и искали) For Taffimai where Shamley stands (Тэффимай там, где стоит Шемли).

built [bIlt], bear [bFq], stand [stxnd]

Then beavers built in Broadstonebrook And made a swamp where Bramley stands And bears from Shere would come and look For Taffimai where Shamley stands.

The Wey, that Taffy called Wagai (Уэй, которую Тэффи называла Вагай), Was more than six times bigger then (была тогда более, чем в шесть раз больше); And all the Tribe of Tegumai (а все Племя Тегумая) They cut a noble figure then (они производили = производило тогда благородное впечатление; to cut a figure — производить впечатление )!

cut [kAt], noble [nqubl], figure ['fIgq]

The Wey, that Taffy called Wagai, Was more than six times bigger then; And all the Tribe of Tegumai They cut a noble figure then!

HOW THE ALPHABET WAS MADE

Как был создан алфавит

THE week after Taffimai Metallumai (через неделю после того, как Тэффимай Металлумай) (we will still call her Taffy, Best Beloved (мы по-прежнему будем называть ее Тэффи, Самые Любименькие)) made that little mistake about her Daddy’s spear (совершила эту маленькую ошибку в отношении Папочкиной остроги) and the Stranger-man and the picture-letter and all (и Незнакомца, и письма-картинки, и всего прочего), she went carp-fishing again with her Daddy (она снова пошла со своим Папочкой на рыбалку / ловлю карпов). Her Mummy wanted her to stay at home (ее Мамочка хотела, чтобы она осталась дома) and help hang up hides to dry on the big drying-poles outside their Neolithic Cave (и помогла ей развешивать шкуры для сушки на больших шестах для сушки перед их Неолитической Пещерой), but Taffy slipped away down to her Daddy quite early (но Тэффи очень рано улизнула к своему Папочке; to slip away — ускользнуть, улизнуть ), and they fished (и они стали ловить рыбу). Presently she began to giggle (некоторое время спустя она начала хихикать), and her Daddy said (а ее Папочка сказал), ‘Don’t be silly, child (ребенок, не глупи; silly — глупый ).’

early ['WlI], presently ['prezntlI], giggle [gIgl]

THE week after Taffimai Metallumai (we will still call her Taffy, Best Beloved) made that little mistake about her Daddy’s spear and the Stranger-man and the picture-letter and all, she went carp-fishing again with her Daddy. Her Mummy wanted her to stay at home and help hang up hides to dry on the big drying-poles outside their Neolithic Cave, but Taffy slipped away down to her Daddy quite early, and they fished. Presently she began to giggle, and her Daddy said, ‘Don’t be silly, child.’

‘But wasn’t it inciting (но разве это было не захватывающе)!’ said Taffy (сказала Тэффи). ‘Don’t you remember (разве ты не помнишь) how the Head Chief puffed out his cheeks (как Главный Вождь раздувал щеки), and how funny the nice Stranger-man looked with the mud in his hair (и как смешно выглядел милый Незнакомец с грязью в волосах)?’