Эдгар Берроуз - Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса

I had noticed that he always advanced with his dim torch to where he could place the food within my reach and as he stooped to place it upon the floor his head was about on a level with my breast. So, with the cunning of a madman, I backed into the far corner of my cell when next I heard him approaching and gathering a little slack of the great chain which held me in my hand I waited his coming, crouching like some beast of prey. As he stooped to place my food upon the ground I swung the chain above my head and crashed the links with all my strength upon his skull. Without a sound he slipped to the floor, stone dead.

Laughing and chattering like the idiot I was fast becoming (смеясь и болтая как идиот, которым я быстро становился; to chatter — болтать, тараторить ) I fell upon his prostrate form (я упал на его распростертое тело) my fingers feeling for his dead throat (/при этом/ мои пальцы наощупь искали его мертвое горло; to feel for — нащупывать, искать ощупью ). Presently they came in contact with a small chain (вскоре они натолкнулись на небольшую цепочку; to come in contact with smth. — наталкиваться на что-либо; соприкасаться с чем-либо ) at the end of which dangled a number of keys (на конце которой болталось несколько ключей; to dangle — свободно свисать, висеть ). The touch of my fingers on these keys brought back my reason (прикосновение пальцев к этим ключам вернуло мне разум; to bring back — принести обратно; восстановить ) with the suddenness of thought (с быстротой мысли). No longer was I a jibbering idiot (больше я не был невнятно бормочущим идиотом; to jibber — говорить невнятно ), but a sane, reasoning man with the means of escape within my very hands (но здоровым, разумным человеком со средствами к спасению в своих собственных руках).

chatter ['tSxtq], presently ['prezntlI], jibber ['dZIbq], reasoning ['ri: znIN]

Laughing and chattering like the idiot I was fast becoming, I fell upon his prostrate form, my fingers feeling for his dead throat. Presently they came in contact with a small chain at the end of which dangled a number of keys. The touch of my fingers on these keys brought back my reason with the suddenness of thought. No longer was I a jibbering idiot, but a sane, reasoning man with the means of escape within my very hands.

As I was groping to remove the chain from about my victim's neck (когда я наощупь /пытался/ снять цепочку с шеи моей жертвы) I glanced up into the darkness to see six pairs of gleaming eyes (я взглянул в темноту и увидел шесть пар мерцающих глаз) fixed, unwinking, upon me (которые уставились на меня, не мигая). Slowly they approached and slowly I shrank back (медленно они приближались, и медленно я пятился назад; to shrink back — отпрянуть ) from the awful horror of them (в неописуемом ужасе перед ними). Back into my corner (/отступив/ назад в свой угол) I crouched holding my hands palms out, before me (я сжался и протянул руки ладонями вперед перед собой), and stealthily on came the awful eyes (и осторожно приближались эти ужасные глаза) until they reached the dead body at my feet (пока они не приблизились к мертвому телу у моих ног). Then slowly they retreated (затем медленно они отступили) but this time with a strange grating sound (но на этот раз со странным скрипучим звуком) and finally they disappeared in some black and distant recess of my dungeon (и, наконец, они исчезли в каких-то темных и отдаленных уголках моей темницы).

unwinking ["An'wINkIN], recess [rI'ses], dungeon ['dAndZ(q)n]

As I was groping to remove the chain from about my victim's neck I glanced up into the darkness to see six pairs of gleaming eyes fixed, unwinking, upon me. Slowly they approached and slowly I shrank back from the awful horror of them. Back into my corner I crouched holding my hands palms out, before me, and stealthily on came the awful eyes until they reached the dead body at my feet. Then slowly they retreated but this time with a strange grating sound and finally they disappeared in some black and distant recess of my dungeon.

Slowly I regained my composure (медленно ко мне вернулось самообладание; composure — спокойствие, самообладание; to regain — обретать снова; возвращать себе; восстанавливать ) and finally essayed again to attempt to remove the keys from the dead body of my former jailer (и наконец, /я/ вновь попытался снять ключи с мертвого тела моего бывшего тюремщика; to essay — пробовать, пытаться ). But as I reached out into the darkness to locate it (но когда я протянул руку в темноте, чтобы найти их) I found to my horror that it was gone (то, к своему ужасу обнаружил, что оно исчезло). Then the truth flashed on me (тогда /свет/ истины озарил меня; to flash on — осенять, озарять ); the owners of those gleaming eyes had dragged my prize away from me (обладатели этих мерцающих глаз утащили мой трофей у меня) to be devoured in their neighboring lair (чтобы сожрать его рядом в своем логове); as they had been waiting for days, for weeks, for months (так, как они ожидали дни, недели, месяцы), through all this awful eternity of my imprisonment (в течение всей этой ужасной вечности моего заключения) to drag my dead carcass to their feast (чтобы утащить мое мертвое тело на свой пир).

For two days no food was brought me (два дня мне не приносили никакой пищи), but then a new messenger appeared (но затем появился новый посыльный) and my incarceration went on as before (и мое заточение продолжилось, как и раньше; to go on — продолжить, продолжать ), but not again did I allow my reason to be submerged by the horror of my position (но больше я не позволял своему разуму помутиться от ужасов моего положения; to submerge — погружаться в воду; исчезать ).

composure [kqm'pouZq], essay ['eseI], neighboring ['neIb(q)rIN], imprisonment [Im'prIz(q)nmqnt], incarceration [In" kQ: sq'reIS(q)n], submerge [sqb'mWdZ]

Slowly I regained my composure and finally essayed again to attempt to remove the keys from the dead body of my former jailer. But as I reached out into the darkness to locate it I found to my horror that it was gone. Then the truth flashed on me; the owners of those gleaming eyes had dragged my prize away from me to be devoured in their neighboring lair; as they had been waiting for days, for weeks, for months, through all this awful eternity of my imprisonment to drag my dead carcass to their feast.