Эдвард Лир - Книга бессмыслицы

There was an Old Man in a tree,

Who was horribly bored by a Bee;

When they said, 'Does it buzz?

He replied, 'Yes, it does!

'It's a regular brute of a Bee!

There was an Old Man with a flute (с флейтой),

A sarpint ran into his boot (змий вполз в его ботинок; sarpint (устар.) = serpent; run — бежать );

But he played day and night (играл день и ночь),

Till the sarpint took flight (обратился в бегство; take — брать ),

And avoided (избегал) that man with a flute.

There was an Old Man with a flute,

A sarpint ran into his boot;

But he played daay and night,

Till the sarpint took flight,

And avoided that man with a flute.

There was a Young Lady whose chin (чей подбородок),

Resembled the point of a pin (напоминал кончик булавки);

So she had it made sharp (так что = поэтому она сделала его острым, заострила),

And purchased a harp (приобрела арфу),

And played several tunes (играла несколько /целый ряд/ мелодий) with her chin (своим подбородком).

There was a Young Lady whose chin,

Resembled the point of a pin;

So she had it made sharp,

And purchased a harp,

And played several tunes with her chin.

There was an Old Man of Kilkenny (город в Северной Ирландии),

Who never had more than a penny (никогда не имел больше, чем пенни);

He spent all that money (потратил все те деньги),

In onions and honey (на лук и мёд),

That wayward (своенравный) Old Man of Kilkenny.

There was an Old Man of Kilkenny,

Who never had more than a penny;

He spent all that money,

In onions and honey,

That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.

There was an Old Person of Ischia (город в Италии),

Whose conduct grew friskier and friskier (поведение становилось все игривее, резвее; grow — расти, увеличиваться; frisk — прыжок, скачок );

He danced hornpipes and jigs (танцевал хорнпайпы и джиги; hornpipe: «рожковыйсвисток, дудка» — волынка; английскийматросскийтанец ),

And ate thousands of figs (ел тысячи фиг; eat — есть, кушать ),

That lively (полный жизни, энергичный) Old Person of Ischia.

There was an Old Person of Ischia,

Whose conduct grew friskier and friskier;

He danced hornpipes and jigs,

And ate thousands of figs,

That lively Old Person of Ischia.

There was an Old Man in a boat (в лодке),

Who said, 'I'm afloat (на плаву), I'm afloat!

When they said, 'No! you ain't (ты не /на плаву/; ain't — сокр. отis not; are not; has not; have not )!

He was ready to faint (готов был упасть в обморок),

That unhappy (несчастный) Old Man in a boat.

There was an Old Man in a boat,

Who said, 'I'm afloat, I'm afloat!

When they said, 'No! you ain't!

He was ready to faint,

That unhappy Old Man in a boat.

There was a Young Lady of Portugal,

Whose ideas were excessively nautical (чьи идеи были чрезмерно, чересчур мореходными):

She climbed up a tree (взобралась на дерево),

To examine the sea (чтобы изучать /рассматривать/ море),

But declared she would never leave Portugal (но заявила, что она никогда не покинет Португалию).

There was a Young Lady of Portugal,

Whose ideas were excessively nautical:

She climbed up a tree,

To examine the sea,

But declared she would never leave Portugal.

There was an Old Man of Moldavia,

Who had the most curious behaviour (самое = крайне чудное /странное/ поведение);

For while he was able (ибо, пока он был способен),

He slept on a table (он спал на столе; sleep — спать ).

That funny (смешной, забавный) Old Man of Moldavia.

There was an Old Man of Moldavia,

Who had the most curious behaviour;

For while he was able,

He slept on a table.

That funny Old Man of Moldavia.

There was an Old Man of Madras (город в Индии),

Who rode on a cream-coloured ass (ездил на ишаке кремового цвета; ride — ездитьверхом );

But the length of its ears (но длина его /осла/ ушей),

So promoted his fears (так /сильно/ пробуждало, провоцировало, увеличивало: «продвигало» его /человека/ страхи),

That it killed (что это убило) that Old Man of Madras.

There was an Old Man of Madras,

Who rode on a cream-coloured ass;

But the length of its ears,

So promoted his fears,

That it killed that Old Man of Madras.

There was an Old Person of Leeds,

Whose head was infested with beads (чья голова кишела бусинами);

She sat on a stool (сидела на табурете),

And ate gooseberry fool (и ела крыжовниковое пюре; fool— вид десерта типа киселя или компота со сливками ),

Which agreed with (гармонировало с; agree — соглашаться ) that person of Leeds.

There was an Old Person of Leeds,

Whose head was infested with beads;

She sat on a stool,

And ate gooseberry fool,

Which agreed with that person of Leeds.

There was an Old Man of Peru,

Who never knew what he should do (который никогда не знал, что ему следует делать);

So he tore off his hair (поэтому он рвал свои волосы; tear — рвать ),

And behaved like a bear (и вел себя, как медведь),

That intrinsic (своеобразный: «внутренний, присущий, особенный») Old Man of Peru.

There was an Old Man of Peru,