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

aloft [q'lOft], mere [mIq], confront [kqn'frAnt], edge [edZ]

Clambering quickly aloft I grasped the edge of the eaves and drew myself to the surface of the roof above. As I gained my feet I was confronted by the sentry on duty, into the muzzle of whose revolver I found myself looking.

"Who are you and whence came you?" he cried.

"I am an air scout, friend, and very near a dead one, for just by the merest chance I escaped falling to the avenue below," I replied.

"But how came you upon the roof, man? No one has landed or come up from the building for the past hour. Quick, explain yourself, or I call the guard."

"Look you here, sentry, and you shall see how I came and how close a shave I had to not coming at all," I answered, turning toward the edge of the roof, where, twenty feet below, at the end of my strap, hung all my weapons.

The fellow, acting on impulse of curiosity (парень, поддавшись порыву любопытства; impulse — порыв, побуждение; to act on impulse — поддаваться порыву ), stepped to my side and to his undoing (шагнул ко мне и к своей гибели; undoing — гибель, причина гибели ), for as he leaned to peer over the eaves (так как, когда он наклонился, чтобы заглянуть за карниз) I grasped him by his throat and his pistol arm (я схватил его за горло и за руку с пистолетом) and threw him heavily to the roof (и с силой бросил его на крышу). The weapon dropped from his grasp (оружие выпало из его руки: «из его захвата»), and my fingers choked off his attempted cry for assistance (а мои пальцы приглушили его крик: «попытку закричать» о помощи). I gagged and bound him (я заткнул ему кляпом рот и связал его; to gag — вставлять кляп; gag — затычка, кляп ) and then hung him over the edge of the roof (а затем подвесил его за краем крыши) as I myself had hung a few moments before (так, как я сам висел несколькими мгновениями ранее). I knew it would be morning before he would be discovered (я знал, что наступит утро прежде, чем его обнаружат), and I needed all the time that I could gain (а мне нужно было все время, которое я мог выиграть = а мне нужно было выиграть как можно больше времени).

impulse ['ImpAls], undoing [An'du: IN], assistance [q'sIst(q)ns]

The fellow, acting on impulse of curiosity, stepped to my side and to his undoing, for as he leaned to peer over the eaves I grasped him by his throat and his pistol arm and threw him heavily to the roof. The weapon dropped from his grasp, and my fingers choked off his attempted cry for assistance. I gagged and bound him and then hung him over the edge of the roof as I myself had hung a few moments before. I knew it would be morning before he would be discovered, and I needed all the time that I could gain.

Donning my trappings and weapons I hastened to the sheds (надев свою амуницию и оружие, я поспешил к ангарам; to don — надевать ), and soon had out both my machine and Kantos Kan 's (и вскоре вывел наружу обе машины — мою и Кантоса Кана). Making his fast behind mine I started my engine (прикрепив его машину сзади своей, я запустил двигатель; fast — крепкий, прочный; to make fast — закреплять, привязывать; to start the engine — запускать двигатель ), and skimming over the edge of the roof (и, легко скользнув за край крыши; to skim — легко и плавно скользить ) I dove down into the streets of the city (я нырнул вниз к улицам города; to dive — прыгать в воду, нырять ) far below the plane usually occupied by the air patrol (намного ниже уровня, на котором обычно находился воздушный патруль; plane — плоскость, уровень ). In less than a minute I was settling safely upon the roof of our apartment beside the astonished Kantos Kan (менее чем через минуту я благополучно опустился на крышу наших апартаментов рядом с изумленным Кантосом Канном; to settle — устраиваться; поселяться; опускаться, садиться ).

engine ['endZIn], occupy ['OkjupaI]

Donning my trappings and weapons I hastened to the sheds, and soon had out both my machine and Kantos Kan 's. Making his fast behind mine I started my engine, and skimming over the edge of the roof I dove down into the streets of the city far below the plane usually occupied by the air patrol. In less than a minute I was settling safely upon the roof of our apartment beside the astonished Kantos Kan.

I lost no time in explanation (я не стал терять времени на объяснения), but plunged immediately into a discussion of our plans for the immediate future (но немедленно приступил к обсуждению наших планов на ближайшее будущее; to plunge into — пускаться, начинать: «нырять в» ). It was decided that I was to try to make Helium (было решено, что я попытаюсь добраться до Гелиума) while Kantos Kan was to enter the palace and dispatch Sab Than (в то время, как Кантос Кан должен был пробраться во дворец и расправиться с Сабом Таном; to dispatch — разделываться, расправляться ). If successful he was then to follow me (в случае удачи он должен будет последовать за мной). He set my compass for me (он настроил мой компас для меня), a clever little device (хитроумное маленькое устройство) which will remain steadfastly fixed upon any given point on the surface of Barsoom (которое будет оставаться постоянно нацеленным на любую заданную точку на поверхности Барсума; steadfast — постоянный, устойчивый ), and bidding each other farewell (и, попрощавшись друг с другом) we rose together and sped in the direction of the palace (мы взмыли вверх вместе и поспешили в направлении дворца; to speed ) which lay in the route which I must take to reach Helium (который лежал по маршруту, по которому я должен следовать, чтобы добраться до Гелиума).

plunge [plAndZ], steadfast ['stedfQ: st], farewell [feq'wel]

I lost no time in explanation, but plunged immediately into a discussion of our plans for the immediate future. It was decided that I was to try to make Helium while Kantos Kan was to enter the palace and dispatch Sab Than. If successful he was then to follow me. He set my compass for me, a clever little device which will remain steadfastly fixed upon any given point on the surface of Barsoom, and bidding each other farewell we rose together and sped in the direction of the palace which lay in the route which I must take to reach Helium.