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

escape [Is'keIp], drove [drouv], mistaken [mI'steIk(q)n]

What was I to do? How could I escape through these mighty walls? Easily could I kill him now that I was warned, but once he was dead I could no more escape, and with the stopping of the machinery of the great plant I should die with all the other inhabitants of the planet — all, even Dejah Thoris were she not already dead. For the others I did not give the snap of my finger, but the thought of Dejah Thoris drove from my mind all desire to kill my mistaken host.

Cautiously I opened the door of my apartment (осторожно я открыл дверь своей комнаты) and, followed by Woola, sought the inner of the great doors (и, сопровождаемый Вулой, отправился искать внутренний /механизм/ больших дверей; to seek ). A wild scheme had come to me (безумный план пришел мне в голову); I would attempt to force the great locks by the nine thought waves (я попытаюсь заставить большие замки /открыться/ с помощью девяти мыслительных волн) I had read in my host's mind (которые я прочитал в мозгу моего хозяина).

Creeping stealthily through corridor after corridor (/я/ осторожно крался по коридору за коридором) and down winding runways which turned hither and thither (и по извилистым переходам, которые поворачивали в разных направлениях: «сюда и туда») I finally reached the great hall in which I had broken my long fast that morning (наконец я добрался до большого зала, в котором я прекратил свою долгую голодовку сегодня утром; fast — пост, голодание ). Nowhere had I seen my host, nor did I know where he kept himself by night (нигде я не видел своего хозяина, а также я не знал, где он остается на ночь; to keep — хранить; оставаться ).

scheme [ski: m], creep [kri: p], hither ['hIDq]

Cautiously I opened the door of my apartment and, followed by Woola, sought the inner of the great doors. A wild scheme had come to me; I would attempt to force the great locks by the nine thought waves I had read in my host's mind.

Creeping stealthily through corridor after corridor and down winding runways which turned hither and thither I finally reached the great hall in which I had broken my long fast that morning. Nowhere had I seen my host, nor did I know where he kept himself by night.

I was on the point of stepping boldly out into the room (я уже был готов смело вступить в комнату) when a slight noise behind me (когда легкий шум позади меня) warned me back into the shadows of a recess in the corridor (заставил меня: «предостерег меня» отступить назад в тень ниши в коридоре). Dragging Woola after me I crouched low in the darkness (потянув Вулу за собой, я согнулся/съежился в темноте; to crouch — припадать к земле; согнуться, сжаться ).

slight [slaIt], boldly ['bouldlI]

I was on the point of stepping boldly out into the room when a slight noise behind me warned me back into the shadows of a recess in the corridor. Dragging Woola after me I crouched low in the darkness.

Presently the old man passed close by me (тут же старик прошел рядом со мной) and as he entered the dimly lighted chamber which I had been about to pass through (и когда он вошел в тускло освещенную комнату, через которую я только что собирался пройти) I saw that he held a long thin dagger in his hand (я увидел, что он держит в руке длинный тонкий кинжал) and that he was sharpening it upon a stone (и что он точит его о камень). In his mind was the decision to inspect the radium pumps (в его мыслях было решение осмотреть радиевые насосы), which would take about thirty minutes (что должно было занять примерно тридцать минут), and then return to my bed chamber and finish me (а затем вернуться в мою спальню и прикончить меня).

dagger ['dxgq], dimly ['dImlI], sharpen ['SQ: p(q)n]

Presently the old man passed close by me, and as he entered the dimly lighted chamber which I had been about to pass through I saw that he held a long thin dagger in his hand and that he was sharpening it upon a stone. In his mind was the decision to inspect the radium pumps, which would take about thirty minutes, and then return to my bed chamber and finish me.

As he passed through the great hall and disappeared down the runway (когда он прошел через большой зал и исчез в проходе) which led to the pump-room (который вел к насосной комнате), I stole stealthily from my hiding place (я осторожно выбрался из своего укрытия) and crossed to the great door (и помчался к большой двери; to cross — пересекать ), the inner of the three which stood between me and liberty (внутренней из трех /дверей/, которые стояли между мной и свободой).

Concentrating my mind upon the massive lock (сосредоточив все мысли на массивном замке) I hurled the nine thought waves against it (я направил: «бросил» на него девять мыслительных волн). In breathless expectancy I waited (затаив дыхание, я ждал; breathless — задыхающийся, затаивший дыхание; breath — дыхание; expectancy — ожидание; breathless expectancy — напряженное ожидание; to expect — ожидать ), when finally the great door moved softly toward me (когда, наконец, большие двери мягко двинулись ко мне) and slid quietly to one side (и тихо скользнули в сторону; to slide ). One after the other the remaining mighty portals opened at my command (одна за другой мощные двери открывались по моему приказу) and Woola and I stepped forth into the darkness (и мы с Вулой шагнули вперед в темноту), free, but little better off than we had been before (свободные, но в не намного лучшем положении, чем мы были раньше), other than that we had full stomachs (за исключением того, что желудки наши были полны).

concentrating ["kOns(q)n'treItIN], breathless ['breTlIs], expectancy [Iks'pekt(q)nsI]

As he passed through the great hall and disappeared down the runway which led to the pump-room, I stole stealthily from my hiding place and crossed to the great door, the inner of the three which stood between me and liberty.

Concentrating my mind upon the massive lock I hurled the nine thought waves against it. In breathless expectancy I waited, when finally the great door moved softly toward me and slid quietly to one side. One after the other the remaining mighty portals opened at my command and Woola and I stepped forth into the darkness, free, but little better off than we had been before, other than that we had full stomachs.