Ray Bradbury: Английский язык с Р. Брэдбери. И грянул гром

Embedded in the mud (втоптанная в грязь: to embed — вставлять, вмуровывать) , glistening green and gold and black, was a butterfly (сияющая зеленым, золотым и черным, лежала бабочка) , very beautiful and very dead (очень красивая и совершенно мертвая) .

"Not a little thing like that (не такая малость) ! Not a butterfly!" cried Eckels.

It fell to the floor (она упала на пол) , an exquisite thing, a small thing that could upset balances (изящная, маленькая вещица, которая смогла нарушить равновесие: to upset — опрокинуть) and knock down a line of small dominoes and then big dominoes and then gigantic dominoes (и опрокинуть ряд маленьких костяшек домино, а потом больших, а потом гигантских) , all down the years across Time (сквозь года вдоль времени: down the years — сквозь года) . Eckels' mind whirled (закружилась голова, мысли спутались: to whirl — кружиться) . It couldn't change things (она /бабочка/ не могла изменить положение вещей) . Killing one butterfly couldn't be that important (убийство одной бабочки не могло быть таким важным) ! Could it?

But the immediate thing was the sign painted on the office wall, the same sign he had read earlier today on first entering. Somehow, the sign had changed:

TYME SEFARI INC.

SEFARIS TU ANY YEER EN THE PAST.

YU NAIM THE ANIMALL.

WEE TAEK YU THAIR.

YU SHOOT ITT.

Eckels felt himself fall into a chair. He fumbled crazily at the thick slime on his boots. He held up a clod of dirt, trembling, "No, it can't be. Not a little thing like that. No!"

Embedded in the mud, glistening green and gold and black, was a butterfly, very beautiful and very dead.

"Not a little thing like that! Not a butterfly!" cried Eckels.

It fell to the floor, an exquisite thing, a small thing that could upset balances and knock down a line of small dominoes and then big dominoes and then gigantic dominoes, all down the years across Time. Eckels' mind whirled. It couldn't change things. Killing one butterfly couldn't be that important! Could it?

His face was cold (его лицо похолодело) . His mouth trembled, asking (рот задрожал, спрашивая) : "Who — who won the presidential election yesterday (кто выиграл президентские выборы вчера) ?"

The man behind the desk laughed (человек за письменным столом засмеялся) . "You joking (вы шутите) ? You know very well (вы /сами/ знаете очень хорошо) . Deutscher, of course! Who else (кто же еще) ? Not that fool weakling Keith (не тот же глупый слабак Кейт: weak — слабый, weakling — слабый человек) . We got an iron man now, a man with guts (мы заполучили железного человека, человека с характером: guts — кишки, сила воли, характер /в русском языке, наоборот, говорят «кишка тонка»/) !" The official stopped (служащий остановился) . "What's wrong (что не так) ?"

Eckels moaned (застонал) . He dropped to his knees (он упал на колени) . He scrabbled at the golden butterfly with shaking fingers (он хватался за золотистую бабочку трясущимися пальцами: to scrabble — карабкаться, цепляться) . "Can't we," he pleaded to the world, to himself, to the officials, to the Machine (умолял он мир, сам себя, служащих, Машину) , "can't we take it back, can't we make it alive again (не можем ли мы отнести ее назад, снова оживить: «сделать живой») ? Can't we start over (не можем ли мы начать сначала) ? Can't we —"

He did not move (он не двигался) . Eyes shut, he waited, shivering (глаза закрыты, он ждал, дрожа) . He heard Travis breathe loud in the room (он слышал, как Тревис громко дышит в комнате) ; he heard Travis shift his rifle (он слышал, как Тревис перекладывает ружье: to shift — двигать) , click the safety catch (нажимает на предохранитель) , and raise the weapon (и поднимает ружье) .

There was a sound of thunder (и грянул гром) .

His face was cold. His mouth trembled, asking: "Who — who won the presidential election yesterday?"

The man behind the desk laughed. "You joking? You know very well. Deutscher, of course! Who else? Not that fool weakling Keith. We got an iron man now, a man with guts!" The official stopped. "What's wrong?"

Eckels moaned. He dropped to his knees. He scrabbled at the golden butterfly with shaking fingers. "Can't we," he pleaded to the world, to himself, to the officials, to the Machine, "can't we take it back, can't we make it alive again? Can't we start over? Can't we —"

He did not move. Eyes shut, he waited, shivering. He heard Travis breathe loud in the room; he heard Travis shift his rifle, click the safety catch, and raise the weapon.

There was a sound of thunder.