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

horrid ['hOrId], mirthless ['mWTlIs], reassert ["ri: q'sWt], ascendency [q'sendqnsI], portentous [pO:'tentqs], witticism ['wItIsIzm]

What words of moment were to have fallen from his lips were never spoken, as just then a young warrior, evidently sensing the trend of thought among the older men, leaped down from the steps of the rostrum, and striking the frail captive a powerful blow across the face, which felled her to the floor, placed his foot upon her prostrate form and turning toward the assembled council broke into peals of horrid, mirthless laughter.

For an instant I thought Tars Tarkas would strike him dead, nor did the aspect of Lorquas Ptomel augur any too favorably for the brute, but the mood passed, their old selves reasserted their ascendency, and they smiled. It was portentous however that they did not laugh aloud, for the brute's act constituted a side-splitting witticism according to the ethics which rule green Martian humor.

That I have taken moments to write down a part of what occurred as that blow fell (то, что у меня заняло некоторое время на то, чтобы записать часть того, что произошло, когда обрушился этот удар) does not signify that I remained inactive for any such length of time (не означает, что я оставался в бездействии подобный период времени). I think I must have sensed something of what was coming (думаю, я почувствовал что-то из того, что должно было произойти; to come — приближаться; coming — приближающийся, ожидаемый ), for I realize now that I was crouched as for a spring (так как теперь я осознаю, что я собрался, как для прыжка; to crouch — присесть, сжаться ) as I saw the blow aimed at her beautiful, upturned, pleading face (когда я увидел, что удар нацелен на ее прекрасное, обращенное вверх, молящее лицо), and ere the hand descended (и прежде чем рука опустилась; ere — прежде чем ) I was halfway across the hall (я уже был на середине зала; halfway — на полпути ).

Scarcely had his hideous laugh rang out but once (едва лишь его отвратительный смех прозвучал лишь однажды), when I was upon him (как я уже накинулся на него; to be upon — приближаться с целью нападения ). The brute was twelve feet in height and armed to the teeth (тварь была ростом в двенадцать футов и вооружена до зубов), but I believe that I could have accounted for the whole roomful (но я полагаю, что я мог бы разделаться с целой комнатой /врагов/; to account for — отчитываться, давать отчет; разделаться; account — отчет ) in the terrific intensity of my rage (в ужасном неистовстве моей ярости; intensity — интенсивность, сила ). Springing upward, I struck him full in the face (подпрыгнув вверх, я ударил его прямо по лицу) as he turned at my warning cry (когда он повернулся на мой предупреждающий крик) and then as he drew his short-sword (и затем, когда он вытащил свой короткий меч) I drew mine and sprang up again upon his breast (я вытащил свой и вновь прыгнул ему на грудь), hooking one leg over the butt of his pistol (ударив одной ногой по рукоятке его пистолета; to hook — нанести удар сбоку ) and grasping one of his huge tusks with my left hand (и схватив левой рукой один из его огромных клыков) while I delivered blow after blow upon his enormous chest (одновременно я наносил удар за ударом по его огромной груди; to deliver — посылать, метать; to deliver a blow — нанести удар ).

crouch [krautS], pleading ['pli: dIN], terrific [tq'rIfIk], hook [huk]

That I have taken moments to write down a part of what occurred as that blow fell does not signify that I remained inactive for any such length of time. I think I must have sensed something of what was coming, for I realize now that I was crouched as for a spring as I saw the blow aimed at her beautiful, upturned, pleading face, and ere the hand descended I was halfway across the hall.

Scarcely had his hideous laugh rang out but once, when I was upon him. The brute was twelve feet in height and armed to the teeth, but I believe that I could have accounted for the whole roomful in the terrific intensity of my rage. Springing upward, I struck him full in the face as he turned at my warning cry and then as he drew his short-sword I drew mine and sprang up again upon his breast, hooking one leg over the butt of his pistol and grasping one of his huge tusks with my left hand while I delivered blow after blow upon his enormous chest.

He could not use his short-sword to advantage (он не мог воспользоваться своим коротким мечом к своей выгоде; advantage — преимущество, выгода ) because I was too close to him (потому что я находился слишком близко от него), nor could he draw his pistol (также он не мог вытащить свой пистолет), which he attempted to do in direct opposition to Martian custom (что он пытался сделать в полном противоречии с марсианским обычаем; direct — прямой; direct opposition — полная противоположность ) which says that you may not fight a fellow warrior in private combat (который гласит, что вы не можете сражаться с подобным вам воином в личном поединке) with any other than the weapon with which you are attacked (никаким другим оружием, кроме того, которым вас атаковали). In fact he could do nothing but make a wild and futile attempt to dislodge me (фактически, он не мог сделать ничего, кроме как яростно и тщетно пытаться сбросить меня; to dislodge — заставить уйти; сбросить с позиции ). With all his immense bulk he was little if any stronger than I (при всем своем огромном весе он был ненамного, если вообще сильнее меня), and it was but the matter of a moment or two before he sank (и это было вопросом одной или двух минут, прежде, чем он упал; to sink — опуститься, погрузиться ), bleeding and lifeless, to the floor (окровавленный и безжизненный, на пол).

advantage [qd'vQ: ntIdZ], fellow ['felou], futile ['fju: taIl], dislodge [dIs'lOdZ], bleeding ['bli: dIN]

He could not use his short-sword to advantage because I was too close to him, nor could he draw his pistol, which he attempted to do in direct opposition to Martian custom which says that you may not fight a fellow warrior in private combat with any other than the weapon with which you are attacked. In fact he could do nothing but make a wild and futile attempt to dislodge me. With all his immense bulk he was little if any stronger than I, and it was but the matter of a moment or two before he sank, bleeding and lifeless, to the floor.