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

likelihood ['laIklIhud], atrophy ['xtrqfI], injury ['IndZqrI], precious ['preSqs]

Had a green Martian woman desired to show dislike or contempt, she would, in all likelihood, have done it with a sword thrust or a movement of her trigger finger; but as their sentiments are mostly atrophied it would have required a serious injury to have aroused such passions in them. Sola, let me add, was an exception; I never saw her perform a cruel or uncouth act, or fail in uniform kindliness and good nature. She was indeed, as her fellow Martians had said of her, an atavism; a dear and precious reversion to a former type of loved and loving ancestor.

Seeing that the prisoner seemed the center of attraction (видя, что пленница, казалось, /являлась/ центром притяжения; attraction — притяжение, тяготение ) I halted to view the proceedings (я остановился, чтобы посмотреть на судебное разбирательство; proceeding — судебное разбирательство ). I had not long to wait (мне не пришлось долго ждать) for presently Lorquas Ptomel and his retinue of chieftains approached the building (так как вскоре Лорквас Птомель и его свита вождей подошли к зданию) and, signing the guards to follow with the prisoner, entered the audience chamber (и, сделав знак стражникам следовать за ними вместе с пленницей, /они/ вошли в зал для аудиенций). Realizing that I was a somewhat favored character (осознавая, что я был в некоторой степени привилегированной персоной; favored — привилегированный; character — характер; фигура, личность ), and also convinced that the warriors did not know of my proficiency in their language (а также убежденный, что воины не знали о моем владении их языком; proficiency — опытность, умение ), as I had pleaded with Sola to keep this a secret (так как я упросил Солу сохранять это в секрете; to plead with — призывать, просить ) on the grounds that I did not wish to be forced to talk with the men (под предлогом того, что я не хотел быть принужденным разговаривать с людьми; on the grounds — по причине, на основании ) until I had perfectly mastered the Martian tongue (пока я в совершенстве не овладею марсианским языком), I chanced an attempt to enter the audience chamber and listen to the proceedings (я рискнул /совершить/ попытку войти в зал для аудиенций и послушать разбирательство).

attraction [q'trxkS(q)n], proceeding [prq'si: dIN], proficiency [prq'fIS(q)nsI], perfectly ['pWfIktlI], tongue [tAN]

Seeing that the prisoner seemed the center of attraction I halted to view the proceedings. I had not long to wait for presently Lorquas Ptomel and his retinue of chieftains approached the building and, signing the guards to follow with the prisoner, entered the audience chamber. Realizing that I was a somewhat favored character, and also convinced that the warriors did not know of my proficiency in their language, as I had pleaded with Sola to keep this a secret on the grounds that I did not wish to be forced to talk with the men until I had perfectly mastered the Martian tongue, I chanced an attempt to enter the audience chamber and listen to the proceedings.

The council squatted upon the steps of the rostrum (совет восседал на ступеньках трибуны; to squat — сидеть на корточках; сидеть; rostrum — трибуна, кафедра ), while below them stood the prisoner and her two guards (в то время как пленница и две ее стражницы стояли внизу). I saw that one of the women was Sarkoja (я увидел, что одной из женщин была Саркоджа), and thus understood how she had been present at the hearing of the preceding day (и таким образом понял, как она могла присутствовать на слушаниях предыдущим днем; hearing — слух; слушание дела ), the results of which she had reported to the occupants of our dormitory last night (о результатах которого она сообщила обитателям нашей спальни прошлой ночью; occupant — житель, обитатель ). Her attitude toward the captive was most harsh and brutal (ее отношение к пленнице было в высшей степени жестоким и грубым). When she held her (когда она держала ее), she sunk her rudimentary nails into the poor girl's flesh (она вонзала свои рудиментарные ногти в тело: «плоть» бедной девушки), or twisted her arm in a most painful manner (или выкручивала ей руку самым болезненным образом; to twist — крутить, скручивать ). When it was necessary to move from one spot to another (когда нужно было перейти от одного места к другому) she either jerked her roughly (она либо грубо дергала ее), or pushed her headlong before her (либо толкала ее перед собой головой вперед). She seemed to be venting upon this poor defenseless creature (она, казалось, изливала на это бедное беззащитное создание; to vent — выпускать; давать выход, изливать ) all the hatred, cruelty, ferocity, and spite of her nine hundred years (всю ненависть, жестокость, свирепость и злобу /всех/ ее девятисот лет; spite — злоба ), backed by unguessable ages of fierce and brutal ancestors (подкрепленную невообразимыми веками /существования/ ее жестоких и грубых предков; to back — подкреплять, поддерживать; to guess — догадываться, предполагать; unguessable — непредвиденный, не предполагаемый ).

rostrum ['rOstrqm], roughly ['rAflI], defenseless [dI'fenslIs], ancestor ['xnsqstq]

The council squatted upon the steps of the rostrum, while below them stood the prisoner and her two guards. I saw that one of the women was Sarkoja, and thus understood how she had been present at the hearing of the preceding day, the results of which she had reported to the occupants of our dormitory last night. Her attitude toward the captive was most harsh and brutal. When she held her, she sunk her rudimentary nails into the poor girl's flesh, or twisted her arm in a most painful manner. When it was necessary to move from one spot to another she either jerked her roughly, or pushed her headlong before her. She seemed to be venting upon this poor defenseless creature all the hatred, cruelty, ferocity, and spite of her nine hundred years, backed by unguessable ages of fierce and brutal ancestors.

The other woman was less cruel (другая женщина была менее жестокой) because she was entirely indifferent (потому что она была совершенно безразличной); if the prisoner had been left to her alone (если бы пленницу оставили только на нее), and fortunately she was at night (как, к счастью, ее оставляли ночью), she would have received no harsh treatment (она не подвергалась бы грубому обращению; to receive — получать ), nor, by the same token, would she have received any attention at all (и, если /судить/ по этому же признаку, не получала бы вообще никакого внимания; token — знак; признак ).