Эдвард Лир - Книга бессмыслицы

There was an Old Man with a beard (то был /жил-был/ Старый Человек с бородой),

Who said (который сказал), 'It is just as I feared (это имено /так/, как я боялся)!

Two Owls and a Hen (две совы и курица),

Four Larks and a Wren (четыре жаворонка и королёк),

Have all built their nests in my beard (все построили свои гнезда в моей бороде)!

There was an Old Man with a beard,

Who said, 'It is just as I feared!

Two Owls and a Hen,

Four Larks and a Wren,

Have all built their nests in my beard!

There was a Young Lady of Ryde (Молодая Леди из Райда),

Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied (чьи ботиночные шнурки были редко развязаны).

She purchased some clogs (купила несколько сабо /обувь на высокой деревянной подошве без задника/),

And some small spotted dogs (в мелких пятнах /мелко-пятнистых/ собак),

And frequently walked about Ryde (часто гуляла по Райду).

There was a Young Lady of Ryde,

Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied.

She purchased some clogs,

And some small spotted dogs,

And frequently walked about Ryde.

There was an Old Man with a nose (с носом),

Who said, 'If you choose to suppose (выберете предполагать /предпочтете думать/),

That my nose is too long (что мой нос слишком длинный),

You are certainly wrong (вы безусловно ошибаетесь)!

That remarkable (удивительный) Man with a nose.

There was an Old Man with a nose,

Who said, 'If you choose to suppose,

That my nose is too long,

You are certainly wrong!

That remarkable Man with a nose.

There was an Old Man on a hill (на холме),

Who seldom, if ever, stood still (редко, если когда-либо, стоял спокойно; stand — стоять );

He ran up and down (бегал вверх и вниз; run — бегать ),

In his Grandmother's gown (в платье своей бабушки),

Which adorned (которое украшало, красило) that Old Man on a hill.

There was an Old Man on a hill,

Who seldom, if ever, stood still;

He ran up and down,

In his Grandmother's gown,

Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.

There was a Young Lady whose bonnet (чей капор),

Came untied (становился развязанным, развязывался) when the birds sate upon it (когда птицы садились на него; sit— сидеть, садиться );

But she said: 'I don't care (я не забочусь = мне все равно)!

All the birds in the air (в воздухе)

Are welcome (вправе, могут = я радушно приглашаю) to sit on my bonnet!

There was a Young Lady whose bonnet,

Came untied when the birds sate upon it;

But she said: 'I don't care!

All the birds in the air

Are welcome to sit on my bonnet!

There was a Young Person of Smyrna (молодая особа из Смирны),

Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her (чья бабушка грозилась сжечь ее);

But she seized on the cat (но она ухватилась за кота, seize — хватать ),

And said, 'Granny (бабушка, бабуля), burn that (сожги то = его)!

You incongruous Old Woman (нелепая старая женщина) of Smyrna!

There was a Young Person of Smyrna,

Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her;

But she seized on the cat,

And said, 'Granny, burn that!

You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna!

There was an Old Person of Chili,

Whose conduct was painful and silly (чье поведение было мучительным /неприятным, тягостным/ и глупым),

He sate on the stairs (он сидел на ступенях),

Eating apples and pears (поедая яблоки и груши),

That imprudent (безрассудный) Old Person of Chili.

There was an Old Person of Chili,

Whose conduct was painful and silly,

He sate on the stairs,

Eating apples and pears,

That imprudent Old Person of Chili.

There was an Old Man with a gong (с гонгом),

Who bumped at it all day long (ударял по нему весь день);

But they called out (но они /люди, кто-то/ закричали), 'O law (О, силы: «закон»)!

You're a horrid old bore (ужасный /противный/ старый зануда)!

So they smashed (и потому они разбили /в лепешку, вдребезги/) that Old Man with a gong.

There was an Old Man with a gong,

Who bumped at it all day long;

But they called out, 'O law!

You're a horrid old bore!

So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.

There was an Old Lady of Chertsey,

Who made a remarkable curtsey (которая сделала удивительный: «примечательный» реверанс);

She twirled round and round (завертелась вокруг и вокруг),

Till she sunk underground ([до тех пор] пока [не] погрузилась под землю; sink — погружаться, тонуть ),

Which distressed all the people (что /крайне/ огорчило всех людей) of Chertsey.

There was an Old Lady of Chertsey,

Who made a remarkable curtsey;

She twirled round and round,

Till she sunk underground,

Which distressed all the people of Chertsey.

There was an Old Man in a tree (в /на/ дереве),

Who was horribly (ужасно) bored by a Bee («наскучен пчелой» = которому ужасно надоедала, к которому страшнот приставала пчела);

When they said (когда сказали = спросили), 'Does it buzz? (она жужжит?)

He replied (он ответил), 'Yes, it does (да, жужжит)! :

'It's a regular brute of a Bee (это зверь-пчела: «настоящая грубая скотина»)!