Эдвард Лир - Книга бессмыслицы

He fed them on snails (кормил их улитками),

And weighed them in scales (взвешивал их на весах),

That wonderful Person of Sparta (удивительный, поразительный).

There was an Old Person of Sparta,

Who had twenty-one sons and one 'darter';

He fed them on snails,

And weighed them in scales,

That wonderful Person of Sparta.

There was an Old Man at a casement (в створном окне),

Who held up his hands in amazement (держал руки вверх, всплеснул руками в изумлении);

When they said, 'Sir, you'll fall (сэр, вы упадете)!

He replied, 'Not at all! (он ответил: "Вовсе нет")

That incipient (начинающийся, зарождающийся) Old Man at a casement.

There was an Old Man at a casement,

Who held up his hands in amazement;

When they said, 'Sir, you'll fall!

He replied, 'Not at all!

That incipient Old Man at a casement.

There was an Old Person of Burton,

Whose answers were rather uncertain (чьи ответы были довольно неопределенными, сомнительными);

When they said, 'How d'ye do (Как вы поживаете = здравствуйте; d'ye — разг. отdo you )?

He replied (ответил), 'Who are you (кто вы)?

That distressing (огорчительный, досадный) Old Person of Burton.

There was an Old Person of Burton,

Whose answers were rather uncertain;

When they said, 'How d'ye do?

He replied, 'Who are you?

That distressing Old Person of Burton.

There was an Old Person of Ems,

Who casually fell in the Thames (случайно упал в Темзу);

And when he was found (когда он был найден)

They said he was drowned (сказали, что он был утонувшим = что утонул),

That unlucky Old Person of Ems (невезучий).

There was an Old Person of Ems,

Who casually fell in the Thames;

And when he was found

They said he was drowned,

That unlucky Old Person of Ems.

There was an Old Person of Ewell,

Who chiefly subsisted on gruel (главный образом кормился, жил на жидкой каше);

But to make it more nice (чтобы сделать ее лучше, вкуснее)

He inserted some mice (он поместил, добавил несколько мышей; mouse — мышь ),

Which refreshed (что подкрепило, освежило) that Old Person of Ewell.

There was an Old Person of Ewell,

Who chiefly subsisted on gruel;

But to make it more nice

He inserted some mice,

Which refreshed that Old Person of Ewell.

There was a Young Lady of Parma ([город в Италии]),

Whose conduct grew calmer and calmer (чье поведение становилось тише и тише);

When they said, 'Are you dumb (немая)?

She merely (только, единственно) said, 'Hum! (Хм!)

That provoking Young Lady of Parma (вызывающая).

There was a Young Lady of Parma,

Whose conduct grew calmer and calmer;

When they said, 'Are you dumb?

She merely said, 'Hum!

That provoking Young Lady of Parma.

There was an Old Man of Aôsta ([город в Италии]),

Who possessed a large cow, but he lost her (владел большой коровой, но потерял ее; lose — терять );

But they said, 'Don't you see (ты /разве/ не видишь)

She has rushed up a tree (/что/ она бросилась, залезла на дерево)?

You invidious (возмутительный) Old Man of Aôsta!

There was an Old Man of Aôsta,

Who possessed a large cow, but he lost her;

But they said, 'Don't you see

She has rushed up a tree?

You invidious Old Man of Aôsta!

There was an Old Man, on whose nose (на чьем носе),

Most birds of the air could repose (многие птицы небесные могли передохнуть);

But they all flew away (все улетели; fly — летать )

At the closing of day (к концу дня),

Which relieved (что облегчило, утешило) that Old Man and his nose.

There was an Old Man, on whose nose,

Most birds of the air could repose;

But they all flew away

At the closing of day,

Which relieved that Old Man and his nose.

There was a Young Lady of Clare ([город в Северной Ирландии]),

Who was sadly pursued by a bear (к сожалению, преследовалась медведем);

When she found she was tired (когда она обнаружила, /что/ она была уставшей),

She abruptly expired (внезапно скончалась),

That unfortunate Lady of Clare (неудачливая).

There was a Young Lady of Clare,

Who was sadly pursued by a bear;

When she found she was tired,

She abruptly expired,

That unfortunate Lady of Clare.

There was an Old Man of Kildare,

Who climbed into a very old chair (забрался на очень старый стул);

When he said, — "Here I stays, — (здесь я останусь)

till the end of my days, (до конца моих дней)"

That immovable (непреклонный, неподвижный) Man of Kildare.

There was an Old Man of Kildare,

Who climbed into a very old chair;

When he said, — "Here I stays, —

till the end of my days,"

That immovable Man of Kildare.

There was an Old Man of New York,

Who murdered himself with a fork (убил себя вилкой);

But nobody cried (никто не плакал)

Though he very soon died (хотя он очень скоро умер), –

For that silly (из-за того глупого) Old Man of New York.

There was an Old Man of New York,

Who murdered himself with a fork;

But nobody cried

Though he very soon died, —

For that silly Old Man of New York.

There was an Old Sailor (матрос) of Compton,

Whose vessel a rock it once bump'd on (чье судно на гору однажды наскочило);