Arthur Conan Doyle - Английский язык с Конан Дойлем. Этюд в багровых тонах (ASCII-IPA)

wanderer ['wOnd(@)r@], entreaty [In'tri:tI], [en'tri:tI], breast [brest]

It was a strange sight had there been anything but the buzzards to see it. Side by side on the narrow shawl knelt the two wanderers, the little prattling child and the reckless, hardened adventurer. Her chubby face, and his haggard, angular visage were both turned up to the cloudless heaven in heartfelt entreaty to that dread being with whom they were face to face, while the two voices — the one thin and clear, the other deep and harsh — united in the entreaty for mercy and forgiveness. The prayer finished, they resumed their seat in the shadow of the boulder until the child fell asleep, nestling upon the broad breast of her protector. He watched over her slumber for some time, but Nature proved to be too strong for him. For three days and three nights he had allowed himself neither rest nor repose. Slowly the eyelids drooped over the tired eyes, and the head sunk lower and lower upon the breast, until the man's grizzled beard was mixed with the gold tresses of his companion, and both slept the same deep and dreamless slumber.

Had the wanderer remained awake for another half hour (если бы путник заснул получасом позже: «остался бы бодрствующим еще на полчаса») a strange sight would have met his eyes (его глазам предстало бы странное зрелище: «странный вид встретился бы его глазам») . Far away on the extreme verge of the alkali plain (далеко вдали, на самом краю соляной равнины) there rose up a little spray of dust (поднялось маленькое облачко пыли; spray — мелкие брызги) , very slight at first, and hardly to be distinguished from the mists of the distance (совсем маленькое сначала, едва отличимое от дымки на горизонте) , but gradually growing higher and broader (но постепенно разрастающееся все выше и шире) until it formed a solid, well-defined cloud (пока не превратилось в плотное облако с хорошо различимыми краями) . This cloud continued to increase in size (это облако продолжало увеличиваться в размере) until it became evident (пока не стало ясно; evident — явный, очевидный; ясный) that it could only be raised by a great multitude of moving creatures (что единственным источником его возникновения могло быть великое множество передвигающихся по равнине существ: «что оно могло быть поднято только большим количеством движущихся существ») . In more fertile spots the observer would have come to the conclusion (в более плодородной местности наблюдатель пришел бы к выводу) that one of those great herds of bisons which graze upon the prairie land was approaching him (что к нему приближалось одно из тех больших стад бизонов, что пасутся среди прерий) . This was obviously impossible in these arid wilds (но в этой безводной пустоши это было, очевидно, невозможно) . As the whirl of dust drew nearer to the solitary bluff (по мере того как облако пыли приближалось к одинокому утесу; whirl — вихрь; завихрение; to draw — подходить, приближаться; bluff — отвесная скала, крутой утес) upon which the two castaways were reposing (на котором отдыхали двое несчастных; castaway — потерпевший кораблекрушение; изгнанник; to cast — бросать; away — прочь) , the canvas-covered tilts of waggons and the figures of armed horsemen began to show up through the haze (в нем стали вырисовываться парусиновые крыши повозок и фигуры вооруженных всадников; tilt — склон; haze — легкий туман; дымка) , and the apparition revealed itself as being a great caravan upon its journey for the West (и явление оказалось большим караваном на своем пути на Запад; to reveal itself — появиться, обнаружиться) . But what a caravan (но что за караваном) ! When the head of it had reached the base of the mountains (когда его авангард достиг основания горы) , the rear was not yet visible on the horizon (хвост еще не показался на горизонте) . Right across the enormous plain stretched the straggling array (через огромную равнину беспорядочным потоком тянулись; to straggle — быть беспорядочно разбросанным; straggling — беспорядочный, разбросанный; array — масса, совокупность) , waggons and carts (крытые повозки и телеги) , men on horseback (люди верхом) , and men on foot (и люди пешком) . Innumerable women who staggered along under burdens (бесчисленные женщины, которые брели, согнувшись под тяжестью ноши; to stagger — шататься; идти шатаясь; burden — ноша; груз; тяжесть) , and children who toddled beside the waggons (и дети, семенящие рядом с повозками; to toddle — ковылять, учиться ходить) or peeped out from under the white coverings (или выглядывающие из-под их белых навесов; covering — полог, навес) . This was evidently no ordinary party of immigrants (это явно была не обыкновенная группа эмигрантов) , but rather some nomad people (но, скорее, какой-то кочевой народ) who had been compelled from stress of circumstances to seek themselves a new country (вынужденный под давлением обстоятельств искать себе новую родину) . There rose through the clear air a confused clattering and rumbling from this great mass of humanity (в ясном воздухе над этим людским сборищем плыл смешанный гул; to rise — подниматься; to clatter — сильно греметь, грохотать; шуметь; to rumble — громыхать, грохотать) , with the creaking of wheels and the neighing of horses (в котором звучали скрип колес и ржание лошадей) . Loud as it was, it was not sufficient to rouse the two tired wayfarers above them (как он ни был громок, этого шума оказалось недостаточно, чтобы разбудить двух усталых путников над ним) .

bison [baIsn], nomad ['n@um&d], neigh [neI]

Had the wanderer remained awake for another half hour a strange sight would have met his eyes. Far away on the extreme verge of the alkali plain there rose up a little spray of dust, very slight at first, and hardly to be distinguished from the mists of the distance, but gradually growing higher and broader until it formed a solid, well-defined cloud. This cloud continued to increase in size until it became evident that it could only be raised by a great multitude of moving creatures. In more fertile spots the observer would have come to the conclusion that one of those great herds of bisons which graze upon the prairie land was approaching him. This was obviously impossible in these arid wilds. As the whirl of dust drew nearer to the solitary bluff upon which the two castaways were reposing, the canvas-covered tilts of waggons and the figures of armed horsemen began to show up through the haze, and the apparition revealed itself as being a great caravan upon its journey for the West. But what a caravan! When the head of it had reached the base of the mountains, the rear was not yet visible on the horizon. Right across the enormous plain stretched the straggling array, waggons and carts, men on horseback, and men on foot. Innumerable women who staggered along under burdens, and children who toddled beside the waggons or peeped out from under the white coverings. This was evidently no ordinary party of immigrants, but rather some nomad people who had been compelled from stress of circumstances to seek themselves a new country. There rose through the clear air a confused clattering and rumbling from this great mass of humanity, with the creaking of wheels and the neighing of horses. Loud as it was, it was not sufficient to rouse the two tired wayfarers above them.