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

bounteous ['bauntIqs], priceless ['praIslIs], traverse ['trxvWs], monstrosity [mOn'strOsItI], threaten [Tretn]

For two days I waited there for Kantos Kan, but as he did not come I started off on foot in a northwesterly direction toward a point where he had told me lay the nearest waterway. My only food consisted of vegetable milk from the plants which gave so bounteously of this priceless fluid.

Through two long weeks I wandered, stumbling through the nights guided only by the stars and hiding during the days behind some protruding rock or among the occasional hills I traversed. Several times I was attacked by wild beasts; strange, uncouth monstrosities that leaped upon me in the dark, so that I had ever to grasp my long-sword in my hand that I might be ready for them. Usually my strange, newly acquired telepathic power warned me in ample time, but once I was down with vicious fangs at my jugular and a hairy face pressed close to mine before I knew that I was even threatened.

What manner of thing was upon me I did not know (что за существо напало на меня, — я не знал), but that it was large and heavy and many-legged I could feel (но то, что оно было большим, тяжелым и со множеством ног, я мог чувствовать). My hands were at its throat (мои руки оказались на его горле) before the fangs had a chance to bury themselves in my neck (прежде, чем его клыки получили возможность погрузиться в мою шею), and slowly I forced the hairy face from me (и медленно я оттолкнул от себя волосатую морду; to force — заставлять; вытеснять ) and closed my fingers, vise-like, upon its windpipe (и сомкнул пальцы, подобно тискам, на его горле; windpipe — дыхательное горло, трахея; pipe — трубка ).

Without sound we lay there (без единого звука лежали мы там), the beast exerting every effort (зверь изо всех сил старался; to exert — прилагать; effort — усилие; to exert every effort — прилагать все усилия ) to reach me with those awful fangs (достать меня этими ужасными клыками), and I straining to maintain my grip (а я напрягался, чтобы удержать свою хватку; to strain — напрягать ) and choke the life from it (и задушить его; to choke — душить; to choke the life out — задушить до смерти ) as I kept it from my throat (пока я держал его подальше от своего горла). Slowly my arms gave to the unequal struggle (медленно мои руки /начали/ уступать в неравной борьбе; to give — давать; уступать ), and inch by inch the burning eyes and gleaming tusks (и дюйм за дюймом горящие глаза и сверкающие клыки) of my antagonist crept toward me (моего противника надвигались на меня), until, as the hairy face touched mine again (пока, когда волосатое лицо вновь прикоснулось к моему), I realized that all was over (я понял, что все кончено). And then a living mass of destruction (а затем живая масса разрушительной /силы/; destruction — разрушение; причина гибели ) sprang from the surrounding darkness full upon the creature (выпрыгнула из окружающей тьмы прямо на это создание) that held me pinioned to the ground (которое держало меня прижатым к земле; to pinion — подрезать или связывать крылья; связывать /руки/; крепко привязывать; pinion — оконечность птичьего крыла ). The two rolled growling upon the moss (оба, рыча, скатились на мох), tearing and rending one another in a frightful manner (разрывая и раздирая друг друга ужасным образом), but it was soon over (но вскоре все было кончено) and my preserver stood with lowered head (и мой спаситель стоял с опущенной головой; preserver — хранитель, спаситель ) above the throat of the dead thing which would have killed me (над горлом мертвого существа, которое чуть не убило меня).

throat [Trout], windpipe ['wIndpaIp], maintain [meIn'teIn], unequal [An'i: kwql], pinion ['pInjqn], preserver [prI'zWvq]

What manner of thing was upon me I did not know, but that it was large and heavy and many-legged I could feel. My hands were at its throat before the fangs had a chance to bury themselves in my neck, and slowly I forced the hairy face from me and closed my fingers, vise-like, upon its windpipe.

Without sound we lay there, the beast exerting every effort to reach me with those awful fangs, and I straining to maintain my grip and choke the life from it as I kept it from my throat. Slowly my arms gave to the unequal struggle, and inch by inch the burning eyes and gleaming tusks of my antagonist crept toward me, until, as the hairy face touched mine again, I realized that all was over. And then a living mass of destruction sprang from the surrounding darkness full upon the creature that held me pinioned to the ground. The two rolled growling upon the moss, tearing and rending one another in a frightful manner, but it was soon over and my preserver stood with lowered head above the throat of the dead thing which would have killed me.

The nearer moon, hurtling suddenly above the horizon and lighting up the Barsoomian scene (ближняя луна, взметнувшаяся внезапно над горизонтом и осветившая барсумианский пейзаж), showed me that my preserver was Woola (показала мне, что моим спасителем был Вула), but from whence he had come, or how found me (но откуда он появился или как нашел меня), I was at a loss to know (я затруднялся ответить: «знать»; to be at a loss — растеряться, быть в затруднении ). That I was glad of his companionship it is needless to say (то, что я был рад его обществу, нет нужды и говорить), but my pleasure at seeing him was tempered by anxiety (но мое удовольствие при виде его умерялось беспокойством; to temper — умерять, сдерживать ) as to the reason of his leaving Dejah Thoris (по поводу причины, по которой он оставил Дежу Торис). Only her death I felt sure, could account for his absence from her (только ее смерть, я был уверен, могла объяснить то, что он оставил ее: «его отcутствие от нее»), so faithful I knew him to be to my commands (настолько преданно, я знал, он повиновался моим приказаниям).

needless ['ni: dlIs], temper ['tempq], absence ['xbsqns]

The nearer moon, hurtling suddenly above the horizon and lighting up the Barsoomian scene, showed me that my preserver was Woola, but from whence he had come, or how found me, I was at a loss to know. That I was glad of his companionship it is needless to say, but my pleasure at seeing him was tempered by anxiety as to the reason of his leaving Dejah Thoris. Only her death I felt sure, could account for his absence from her, so faithful I knew him to be to my commands.