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

Dejah Thoris related many interesting facts and legends (Дежа Торис рассказала много интересных фактов и легенд) concerning this lost race of noble and kindly people (касающихся этой пропавшей расы благородных и добрых людей). She said that the city in which we were camping (она сказала, что город, в котором мы расположились) was supposed to have been a center of commerce and culture known as Korad (был, предположительно, центром торговли и культуры, известным как Корад). It had been built upon a beautiful, natural harbor (он был выстроен у прекрасной, естественной гавани), landlocked by magnificent hills (защищенной великолепными холмами; landlocked — окруженный сушей, закрытый ). The little valley on the west front of the city, she explained (небольшая долина перед городом с западной стороны, объяснила она), was all that remained of the harbor (это было все, что осталось от гавани), while the pass through the hills to the old sea bottom (тогда как проход через холмы ко дну древнего моря) had been the channel through which the shipping passed up to the city's gates (был каналом, по которому суда подходили к городским воротам).

vicissitude [vI'sIsItju: d], readjustment ["ri: q'dZAstmqnt], magnificent [mxg'nIfIs(q)nt]

These ancient Martians had been a highly cultivated and literary race, but during the vicissitudes of those trying centuries of readjustment to new conditions, not only did their advancement and production cease entirely, but practically all their archives, records, and literature were lost.

Dejah Thoris related many interesting facts and legends concerning this lost race of noble and kindly people. She said that the city in which we were camping was supposed to have been a center of commerce and culture known as Korad. It had been built upon a beautiful, natural harbor, landlocked by magnificent hills. The little valley on the west front of the city, she explained, was all that remained of the harbor, while the pass through the hills to the old sea bottom had been the channel through which the shipping passed up to the city's gates.

The shores of the ancient seas were dotted with just such cities (берега древнего моря были усеяны как раз такими городами), and lesser ones, in diminishing numbers (а меньшие /по размерам/ и в меньшем количестве), were to be found converging toward the center of the oceans (можно было найти сходящимися к центру океанов; to converge — сходиться в одной точке ), as the people had found it necessary to follow the receding waters (так как людям стало необходимо следовать за отступающей водой; to find it necessary — считать необходимым; to recede — отступать, пятиться ) until necessity had forced upon them their ultimate salvation, the so-called Martian canals (пока нужда не заставила их /прибегнуть/ к последнему /средству/ спасения, к так называемым Марсианским каналам).

We had been so engrossed in exploration of the building and in our conversation (мы были так поглощены исследованием здания и нашим разговором; to engross — завладевать вниманием, поглощать ) that it was late in the afternoon before we realized it (что наступил вечер, прежде чем мы осознали это). We were brought back to a realization of our present conditions (нас вернул к осознанию нашей нынешней ситуации) by a messenger bearing a summons from Lorquas Ptomel (посланник, /который/ принес распоряжение Лоркваса Птомеля; summons — вызов; требование быть где-либо ) directing me to appear before him forthwith (предписывающее мне явиться к нему немедленно; forthwith — тотчас, немедленно ). Bidding Dejah Thoris and Sola farewell, and commanding Woola to remain on guard (простившись с Дежа Торис и Солой и приказав Вуле оставаться на страже), I hastened to the audience chamber (я поспешил в зал для аудиенций), where I found Lorquas Ptomel and Tars Tarkas seated upon the rostrum (где я нашел Лоркваса Птомеля и Тарса Таркаса, сидящими на возвышении).

diminishing [dI'mInISIN],converging [kqn'vWdZIN], conversation ["kOnvq'seISn], forthwith ['fO: TwID]

The shores of the ancient seas were dotted with just such cities, and lesser ones, in diminishing numbers, were to be found converging toward the center of the oceans, as the people had found it necessary to follow the receding waters until necessity had forced upon them their ultimate salvation, the so-called Martian canals.

We had been so engrossed in exploration of the building and in our conversation that it was late in the afternoon before we realized it. We were brought back to a realization of our present conditions by a messenger bearing a summons from Lorquas Ptomel directing me to appear before him forthwith. Bidding Dejah Thoris and Sola farewell, and commanding Woola to remain on guard, I hastened to the audience chamber, where I found Lorquas Ptomel and Tars Tarkas seated upon the rostrum.

As I entered and saluted (когда я вошел и поздоровался; to salute — приветствовать, здороваться ), Lorquas Ptomel signaled to me to advance (Лорквас Птомель сделал мне знак приблизиться), and, fixing his great, hideous eyes upon me, addressed me thus (и, устремив на меня взгляд своих огромных, ужасных глаз, обратился ко мне следующим образом):

"You have been with us a few days (ты провел с нами несколько дней), yet during that time you have by your prowess won a high position among us (однако за это время благодаря твоей доблести ты достиг высокого положения среди нас). Be that as it may (но как бы там ни было), you are not one of us; you owe us no allegiance (ты — не один из нас, у тебя нет морального долга хранить нам верность; to owe — быть должным; иметь моральный долг; allegiance — верность, преданность ).

salute [sq'lu: t], allegiance [q'li: dZ(q)ns]

As I entered and saluted, Lorquas Ptomel signaled to me to advance, and, fixing his great, hideous eyes upon me, addressed me thus:

"You have been with us a few days, yet during that time you have by your prowess won a high position among us. Be that as it may, you are not one of us; you owe us no allegiance.