In the population of Transylvania there are four distinct nationalities: Saxons in the South, and mixed with them the Wallachs, who are the descendants of the Dacians; Magyars in the West, and Szekelys in the East and North. I am going among the latter, who claim to be descended from Attila and the Huns. This may be so, for when the Magyars conquered the country in the eleventh century they found the Huns settled in it. I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be very interesting. (Mem., I must ask the Count all about them.)
I did not sleep well, (Я плохо спал) though my bed was comfortable enough, (хотя моя кровать была достаточно удобной) for I had all sorts of queer dreams. (потому что мне снились всевозможные странные сны; queer — странный) There was a dog howling all night under my window, (Под моим окном всю ночь выл пёс) which may have had something to do with it; (что могло быть с этим связано) or it may have been the paprika, (или причиной могла быть паприка) for I had to drink up all the water in my carafe, (потому что мне пришлось выпить всю воду из графина) and was still thirsty. (и я всё равно испытывал жажду; thirsty — жаждущий) Towards morning I slept (Под утро я заснул) and was wakened by the continuous knocking at my door, (и был разбужен непрерывным стуком в дверь; continuous — непрерывный) so I guess I must have been sleeping soundly then. (так что, думаю, я тогда спал крепко; soundly — крепко)
I did not sleep well, though my bed was comfortable enough, for I had all sorts of queer dreams. There was a dog howling all night under my window, which may have had something to do with it; or it may have been the paprika, for I had to drink up all the water in my carafe, and was still thirsty. Towards morning I slept and was wakened by the continuous knocking at my door, so I guess I must have been sleeping soundly then.
I had for breakfast more paprika, (На завтрак у меня было ещё блюдо с паприкой) and a sort of porridge of maize flour (и своего рода каша из кукурузной муки) which they said was “mamaliga,” (которую, как они сказали, называют «мамалыга») and egg-plant stuffed with forcemeat, (и баклажан, фаршированный мясным фаршем) a very excellent dish, (очень превосходное блюдо; excellent — отличное) which they call “impletata.” (которое они называют «имплетата») (Mem., get recipe for this also.) (Памятка: достать рецепт и этого блюда) I had to hurry breakfast, (Мне пришлось поторопиться с завтраком) for the train started a little before eight, (потому что поезд отправлялся немного раньше восьми) or rather it ought to have done so, (или, вернее, должен был отправляться) for after rushing to the station at 7:30 (потому что, примчавшись на станцию в 7:30) I had to sit in the carriage for more than an hour before we began to move. (я был вынужден сидеть в вагоне больше часа, прежде чем мы тронулись) It seems to me that the further east you go (Мне кажется, чем дальше на восток едешь) the more unpunctual are the trains. (тем более непунктуальными становятся поезда; unpunctual — непунктуальный) What ought they to be in China? (Какими же они должны быть тогда в Китае?)
I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was “mamaliga,” and egg-plant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call “impletata.” (Mem., get recipe for this also.) I had to hurry breakfast, for the train started a little before eight, or rather it ought to have done so, for after rushing to the station at 7:30 I had to sit in the carriage for more than an hour before we began to move. It seems to me that the further east you go the more unpunctual are the trains. What ought they to be in China?
All day long we seemed to dawdle through a country (Весь день казалось, что мы плетёмся по стране; to dawdle — плестись, тащиться медленно) which was full of beauty of every kind. (которая была полна всевозможной красоты) Sometimes we saw little towns or castles (Иногда мы видели маленькие городки или замки) on the top of steep hills (на вершинах крутых холмов) such as we see in old missals; (такие, какие мы видим в старинных богослужебных книгах; missal — богослужебная книга) sometimes we ran by rivers and streams (иногда мы ехали вдоль рек и ручьёв) which seemed from the wide stony margin on each side of them (которые, судя по широким каменистым берегам по обе стороны) to be subject to great floods. (были подвержены сильным наводнениям; subject to — подверженный) It takes a lot of water, (Нужно много воды) and running strong, (и стремительно текущей) to sweep the outside edge of a river clear. (чтобы полностью очистить внешний край русла реки; sweep clear — вычистить, смести дочиста)
All day long we seemed to dawdle through a country which was full of beauty of every kind. Sometimes we saw little towns or castles on the top of steep hills such as we see in old missals; sometimes we ran by rivers and streams which seemed from the wide stony margin on each side of them to be subject to great floods. It takes a lot of water, and running strong, to sweep the outside edge of a river clear.
At every station there were groups of people, (На каждой станции стояли группы людей) sometimes crowds, (иногда целые толпы) and in all sorts of attire. (и во всевозможных нарядах; attire — одежда) Some of them were just like the peasants at home (Некоторые из них были точь-в-точь как крестьяне у нас дома) or those I saw coming through France and Germany, (или те, которых я видел, проезжая через Францию и Германию) with short jackets and round hats and home-made trousers; (в коротких куртках, круглых шляпах и самодельных брюках) but others were very picturesque. (но другие были очень живописными; picturesque — колоритный, живописный) The women looked pretty, (Женщины выглядели мило) except when you got near them, (если не подходить к ним слишком близко) but they were very clumsy about the waist. (но в районе талии они были очень неуклюжими; clumsy — неуклюжий) They had all full white sleeves (У всех у них были широкие белые рукава) of some kind or other, (какого-то вида) and most of them had big belts (и у большинства были большие пояса) with a lot of strips of something fluttering from them (с множеством каких-то лент, свисающих с них; fluttering — развевающихся) like the dresses in a ballet, (как в балетных костюмах) but of course there were petticoats under them. (но, конечно, под ними были подъюбники; petticoat — нижняя юбка)
At every station there were groups of people, sometimes crowds, and in all sorts of attire. Some of them were just like the peasants at home or those I saw coming through France and Germany, with short jackets and round hats and home-made trousers; but others were very picturesque. The women looked pretty, except when you got near them, but they were very clumsy about the waist. They had all full white sleeves of some kind or other, and most of them had big belts with a lot of strips of something fluttering from them like the dresses in a ballet, but of course there were petticoats under them.
The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, (Самыми странными, которых мы видели, были словаки) who were more barbarian than the rest, (которые выглядели более варварски, чем остальные; barbarian — варварский) with their big cow-boy hats, (со своими большими шляпами ковбойского типа) great baggy dirty-white trousers, (огромными мешковатыми грязно-белыми штанами; baggy — мешковатый) white linen shirts, (белыми льняными рубахами) and enormous heavy leather belts, (и огромными тяжёлыми кожаными поясами) nearly a foot wide, (почти фут шириной) all studded over with brass nails. (полностью утыканными латунными гвоздями; studded — усеянный) They wore high boots, (Они носили высокие сапоги) with their trousers tucked into them, (с брюками, заправленными внутрь) and had long black hair (и у них были длинные чёрные волосы) and heavy black moustaches. (и густые чёрные усы) They are very picturesque, (Они очень живописны) but do not look prepossessing. (но не выглядят располагающе; prepossessing — производящий приятное впечатление) On the stage they would be set down at once (На сцене их сразу бы представили) as some old Oriental band of brigands. (как какую-нибудь древнюю восточную шайку разбойников) They are, however, I am told, very harmless (Однако, как мне сказали, они очень безобидны) and rather wanting in natural self-assertion. (и немного лишены естественной уверенности в себе; wanting in — недостающий в)
The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, who were more barbarian than the rest, with their big cow-boy hats, great baggy dirty-white trousers, white linen shirts, and enormous heavy leather belts, nearly a foot wide, all studded over with brass nails. They wore high boots, with their trousers tucked into them, and had long black hair and heavy black moustaches. They are very picturesque, but do not look prepossessing. On the stage they would be set down at once as some old Oriental band of brigands. They are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion.
