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

occasion [q'keIZn], importunity ["ImpO:'tju: nItI], passable ['pQ: sqbl]

I had observed on the two occasions when I had seen her that the prisoner exchanged words with her guards, and this convinced me that they spoke, or at least could make themselves understood by a common language. With this added incentive I nearly drove Sola distracted by my importunities to hasten on my education and within a few more days I had mastered the Martian tongue sufficiently well to enable me to carry on a passable conversation and to fully understand practically all that I heard.

At this time our sleeping quarters were occupied by three or four females (в это время наше спальное помещение занимали три или четыре женщины) and a couple of the recently hatched young (и двое из недавно вылупившегося молодняка; couple — пара; два ), beside Sola and her youthful ward, myself, and Woola the hound (кроме Солы, ее юного подопечного, меня и Вулы, собаки). After they had retired for the night it was customary for the adults to carry on a desultory conversation (после того, как они отправлялись спать, в обычае у взрослых было вести отрывочный разговор; desultory — несвязный, отрывочный ) for a short time before lapsing into sleep (короткое время прежде, чем они проваливались в сон; to lapse into — впадать ), and now that I could understand their language (и теперь, когда я мог понимать их язык) I was always a keen listener (я всегда был очень внимательным слушателем; keen — острый; живо интересующийся ), although I never proffered any remarks myself (хотя сам я никогда не делал никаких замечаний; to proffer — предлагат ь).

couple [kApl], although [O: l'Dou], proffer ['prOfq]

At this time our sleeping quarters were occupied by three or four females and a couple of the recently hatched young, beside Sola and her youthful ward, myself, and Woola the hound. After they had retired for the night it was customary for the adults to carry on a desultory conversation for a short time before lapsing into sleep, and now that I could understand their language I was always a keen listener, although I never proffered any remarks myself.

On the night following the prisoner's visit to the audience chamber (в ночь, последовавшую за посещением пленницей зала для аудиенций) the conversation finally fell upon this subject (разговор, наконец, перешел на эту тему; to fall on — распространяться, ложиться ), and I was all ears on the instant (и я мгновенно превратился в слух; to be all ears — во все уши слушать ). I had feared to question Sola relative to the beautiful captive (я опасался расспрашивать Солу относительно прекрасной пленницы), as I could not but recall the strange expression I had noted upon her face (так как я не мог не вспоминать то странное выражение, которое я заметил на ее лице; to recall — вызывать обратно; припоминать ) after my first encounter with the prisoner (после моей первой встречи с пленницей). That it denoted jealousy I could not say (я не мог сказать, означало ли оно ревность; to denote — указывать; выражать, обозначать ), and yet, judging all things by mundane standards as I still did (и все же, оценивая все по земным меркам, как я по-прежнему делал; to judge — судить; составлять мнение, оценивать; mundane — земное ), I felt it safer to affect indifference in the matter (я полагал, что /будет/ безопаснее изображать безразличие в этом вопросе; to affect — притворяться, делать вид ) until I learned more surely Sola's attitude toward the object of my solicitude (пока я более точно не разузнаю отношение Солы к предмету моей озабоченности; to know full surely — твердо знать; solicitude — заботливость, озабоченность ).

captive ['kxptIv], jealousy ['dZelqsI], solicitude [sq'lIsItju: d]

On the night following the prisoner's visit to the audience chamber the conversation finally fell upon this subject, and I was all ears on the instant. I had feared to question Sola relative to the beautiful captive, as I could not but recall the strange expression I had noted upon her face after my first encounter with the prisoner. That it denoted jealousy I could not say, and yet, judging all things by mundane standards as I still did, I felt it safer to affect indifference in the matter until I learned more surely Sola's attitude toward the object of my solicitude.

Sarkoja, one of the older women who shared our domicile (Саркоджа, одна из старших женщин, которые делили с нами кров; domicile — постоянное место жительства ), had been present at the audience as one of the captive's guards (присутствовала на аудиенции в качестве одной из стражниц пленницы), and it was toward her the question turned (и именно к ней был обращен вопрос).

"When," asked one of the women, "will we enjoy the death throes of the red one (когда, — спросила одна из женщин, мы насладимся предсмертными муками этой красной; throe — судорога; агония, предсмертная судорога )? or does Lorquas Ptomel, Jed, intend holding her for ransom (или же Лорквас Птомель, джед, намеревается держать ее ради выкупа; ransom — выкуп )?"

"They have decided to carry her with us back to Thark (они решили отвезти ее вместе с нами в Тарк), and exhibit her last agonies at the great games before Tal Hajus (и продемонстрировать ее последнюю агонию на больших играх перед Талом Хаджусом)," replied Sarkoja.

"What will be the manner of her going out (каким образом она умрет; to go out — выходить; кончаться )?" inquired Sola. "She is very small and very beautiful (она очень маленькая и очень красивая); I had hoped that they would hold her for ransom (я надеялась, что они будут держать ее ради выкупа)."

domicile ['dOmIsaIl], throe [Trou], inquire [In'kwaIq]

Sarkoja, one of the older women who shared our domicile, had been present at the audience as one of the captive's guards, and it was toward her the question turned.

"When," asked one of the women, "will we enjoy the death throes of the red one? or does Lorquas Ptomel, Jed, intend holding her for ransom?"

"They have decided to carry her with us back to Thark, and exhibit her last agonies at the great games before Tal Hajus," replied Sarkoja.