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

But as we neared Zodanga their personal quarrels were submerged by their greater hatred for the red men, and especially for the Zodangans, who had for years waged a ruthless campaign of extermination against the green men, directing special attention toward despoiling their incubators.

Now that we were before Zodanga (теперь, когда мы были перед Зодангой) the task of obtaining entry to the city devolved upon me (задача получить доступ в город легла на меня; to devolve upon — переходить ), and directing Tars Tarkas to hold his forces in two divisions out of earshot of the city (и, посоветовав Тарсу Таркасу держать свои войска /разделенными/ на две группы вне пределов слышимости из города; earshot — предел слышимости; out of earshot — вне пределов слышимости ), with each division opposite a large gateway (так, чтобы каждая группа /находилась/ напротив больших ворот), I took twenty dismounted warriors and approached one of the small gates (я взял двадцать пеших воинов и подошел к одним из меньших ворот) that pierced the walls at short intervals (которые были пробиты в стенах: «пронизывали стены» с небольшими интервалами). These gates have no regular guard (у этих ворот нет постоянной стражи), but are covered by sentries (но их защищают часовые; to cover — прикрывать ), who patrol the avenue that encircles the city just within the walls (которые патрулируют улицу, которая окружает город как раз с внутренней стороны стен) as our metropolitan police patrol their beats (так, как наша городская полиция патрулирует свои участки; beat — район патрулирования ).

obtain [qb'teIn], earshot ['IqSOt], sentry ['sentrI]

Now that we were before Zodanga the task of obtaining entry to the city devolved upon me, and directing Tars Tarkas to hold his forces in two divisions out of earshot of the city, with each division opposite a large gateway, I took twenty dismounted warriors and approached one of the small gates that pierced the walls at short intervals. These gates have no regular guard, but are covered by sentries, who patrol the avenue that encircles the city just within the walls as our metropolitan police patrol their beats.

The walls of Zodanga are seventy-five feet in height and fifty feet thick (стены Зоданги имеют семьдесят пять футов в высоту, а толщину — пятьдесят футов). They are built of enormous blocks of carborundum (они построены из огромных блоков карборунда), and the task of entering the city seemed, to my escort of green warriors, an impossibility (и задача попасть в город казалась для сопровождавших меня зеленых воинов невыполнимой; impossibility — невозможность ). The fellows who had been detailed to accompany me (люди, которые были назначены, чтобы сопровождать меня) were of one of the smaller hordes (были из одного из меньших племен), and therefore did not know me (и поэтому не знали меня).

Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked (поставив трех из них лицом к стене со сцепленными руками), I commanded two more to mount to their shoulders (я приказал еще двоим взобраться им на плечи), and a sixth I ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two (а шестому я дал указание взобраться на плечи верхних двух). The head of the topmost warrior towered over forty feet from the ground (голова самого верхнего воина находилась на высоте: «возвышалась» более сорока футов от земли).

carborundum ["kQ: bq'rAndqm], detailed ['di: teIld], topmost ['tOpmoust]

The walls of Zodanga are seventy-five feet in height and fifty feet thick. They are built of enormous blocks of carborundum, and the task of entering the city seemed, to my escort of green warriors, an impossibility. The fellows who had been detailed to accompany me were of one of the smaller hordes, and therefore did not know me.

Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked, I commanded two more to mount to their shoulders, and a sixth I ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two. The head of the topmost warrior towered over forty feet from the ground.

In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps (таким способом из десяти воинов я создал: «построил» последовательность из трех ступенек; series — ряд, последовательность ) from the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man (от земли к плечам верхнего воина). Then starting from a short distance behind them (затем, разогнавшись с небольшого расстояния позади них) I ran swiftly up from one tier to the next (я быстро взбежал от одного яруса к другому), and with a final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest (и при последнем прыжке с широких плеч самого верхнего из них; bound — прыжок, скачок ) I clutched the top of the great wall (я ухватился за верх большой стены) and quietly drew myself to its broad expanse (и бесшумно подтянулся на ее широкую поверхность). After me I dragged six lengths of leather (за собой я тянул шесть кусков кожаных ремней; length — длина; отрезок; leather — кожа, ремень ) from an equal number of my warriors (/принадлежавших/ такому же числу моих воинов). These lengths we had previously fastened together (эти куски мы предварительно скрепили между собой), and passing one end to the topmost warrior (и, передав один конец верхнему воину) I lowered the other end cautiously (я осторожно опустил другой конец) over the opposite side of the wall toward the avenue below (на противоположную сторону стены на улицу внизу). No one was in sight (никого не было видно), so, lowering myself to the end of my leather strap (поэтому, спустившись до конца моего кожаного ремня), I dropped the remaining thirty feet to the pavement below (я спрыгнул с высоты оставшихся тридцати футов на землю).

clutch [klAtS], leather ['leDq], previously ['pri: vjqslI]

In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps from the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man. Then starting from a short distance behind them I ran swiftly up from one tier to the next, and with a final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest I clutched the top of the great wall and quietly drew myself to its broad expanse. After me I dragged six lengths of leather from an equal number of my warriors. These lengths we had previously fastened together, and passing one end to the topmost warrior I lowered the other end cautiously over the opposite side of the wall toward the avenue below. No one was in sight, so, lowering myself to the end of my leather strap, I dropped the remaining thirty feet to the pavement below.