Whenever he spoke of his house he always said “we,” and spoke almost in the plural, like a king speaking. I wish I could put down all he said exactly as he said it, for to me it was most fascinating. It seemed to have in it a whole history of the country. He grew excited as he spoke, and walked about the room pulling his great white moustache and grasping anything on which he laid his hands as though he would crush it by main strength. One thing he said which I shall put down as nearly as I can; for it tells in its way the story of his race:—
“We Szekelys have a right to be proud, (Мы, секеи, имеем право гордиться; right — право, proud — гордый) for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races (потому что в наших жилах течёт кровь многих храбрых родов; veins — вены, races — роды, народы) who fought as the lion fights, (которые сражались, как сражается лев; fought — сражались) for lordship. (за право властвовать; lordship — господство) Here, in the whirlpool of European races, (здесь, в водовороте европейских народов; whirlpool — водоворот) the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit (угорское племя принесло с Исландии боевой дух; bore down — принесло, spirit — дух) which Thor and Wodin gave them, (который Тор и Один даровали им; Wodin — Один (архаич.)) which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent (который их берсерки проявляли с такой свирепой яростью; Berserkers — берсерки, fell — свирепый, жестокий, intent — намерение) on the seaboards of Europe, (на прибрежных землях Европы; seaboards — морские побережья) ay, and of Asia and Africa too, (да, и Азии, и Африки тоже; ay — да (архаич.)) till the peoples thought that the were-wolves themselves had come. (пока народы не начинали думать, что прибыли сами оборотни; were-wolves — оборотни (архаич.)) Here, too, when they came, they found the Huns, (и здесь, когда они пришли, они нашли гуннов; Huns — гунны) whose warlike fury had swept the earth like a living flame, (чья воинственная ярость сметала землю, как живое пламя; warlike — воинственный, fury — ярость) till the dying peoples held that in their veins ran the blood of those old witches, (пока умирающие народы не решили, что в их жилах течёт кровь тех древних ведьм; held — считали, witches — ведьмы) who, expelled from Scythia had mated with the devils in the desert. (которые, изгнанные из Скифии, якобы сочетались с демонами в пустыне; expelled — изгнанные, mated — сочетались, devils — демоны) Fools, fools! (Глупцы, глупцы!; fools — глупцы) What devil or what witch was ever so great as Attila, (какой демон или какая ведьма когда-либо была столь велика, как Аттила; great — великий) whose blood is in these veins?” (чья кровь течёт в этих жилах; veins — вены)
“We Szekelys have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights, for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Wodin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the were-wolves themselves had come. Here, too, when they came, they found the Huns, whose warlike fury had swept the earth like a living flame, till the dying peoples held that in their veins ran the blood of those old witches, who, expelled from Scythia had mated with the devils in the desert. Fools, fools! What devil or what witch was ever so great as Attila, whose blood is in these veins?”
He held up his arms. (Он поднял руки; held up — поднял) “Is it a wonder that we were a conquering race; (Разве удивительно, что мы были народом-завоевателем; conquering — завоевательный) that we were proud; (что мы были горды; proud — гордый) that when the Magyar, the Lombard, the Avar, the Bulgar, or the Turk poured his thousands on our frontiers, (что когда мадьяр, ломбард, авар, болгарин или турок обрушивал свои тысячи на наши границы; poured — обрушивал, frontiers — границы) we drove them back?” (мы отбрасывали их назад; drove back — отбрасывать) “Is it strange that when Arpad and his legions swept through the Hungarian fatherland (Разве странно, что когда Арпад и его легионы пронеслись по венгерской родине; swept — стремительно прошли, fatherland — родина) he found us here when he reached the frontier; (он нашёл нас здесь, когда достиг границы; reached — достиг) that the Honfoglalas was completed there?” (что эпоха Обретения родины завершилась там; Honfoglalas — древнее название завоевания мадьярами Венгрии) “And when the Hungarian flood swept eastward, (И когда венгерская волна пошла на восток; flood — поток, нашествие) the Szekelys were claimed as kindred by the victorious Magyars, (секии были признаны роднёй победоносными мадьярами; kindred — родственные) and to us for centuries was trusted the guarding of the frontier of Turkey-land; (и нам на века доверили охрану границы Турецкой земли; guarding — охрана) ay, and more than that, (да, и больше того; ay — да (архаич.)) endless duty of the frontier guard, (бесконечную службу пограничной стражи; duty — служба) for, as the Turks say, ‘water sleeps, and enemy is sleepless.’” (ибо, как говорят турки: «вода спит, а враг —не дремлет»; sleepless — неспящий)
He held up his arms. “Is it a wonder that we were a conquering race; that we were proud; that when the Magyar, the Lombard, the Avar, the Bulgar, or the Turk poured his thousands on our frontiers, we drove them back? Is it strange that when Arpad and his legions swept through the Hungarian fatherland he found us here when he reached the frontier; that the Honfoglalas was completed there? And when the Hungarian flood swept eastward, the Szekelys were claimed as kindred by the victorious Magyars, and to us for centuries was trusted the guarding of the frontier of Turkey-land; ay, and more than that, endless duty of the frontier guard, for, as the Turks say, ‘water sleeps, and enemy is sleepless.’
Who more gladly than we throughout the Four Nations received the ‘bloody sword,’ (Кто охотнее нас во всех Четырёх Нациях принимал «кровавый меч»; bloody sword — кровавый меч (военный призыв)) or at its warlike call flocked quicker to the standard of the King? (или по его воинственному зову быстрее стекался под знамя Короля; flocked — стекались, standard — знамя) When was redeemed that great shame of my nation, (Когда был искуплён тот великий позор моего народа; redeemed — искуплён) the shame of Cassova, (позор Косово; Cassova — Косово (архаич.)) when the flags of the Wallach and the Magyar went down beneath the Crescent? (когда знамёна волохов и мадьяр пали под Полумесяцем; Crescent — символ Османской империи) Who was it but one of my own race (Кем, если не одним из моего рода; race — род) who as Voivode crossed the Danube (который, будучи воеводой, пересёк Дунай; Voivode — воевода (истор.)) and beat the Turk on his own ground? (и разбил турка на его собственной земле; beat — победил) This was a Dracula indeed! (Вот это и был настоящий Дракула!; indeed — воистину) Woe was it that his own unworthy brother, (Горе в том, что его собственный недостойный брат; unworthy — недостойный) when he had fallen, (когда он пал; fallen — пал) sold his people to the Turk (продал свой народ турку; sold — продал) and brought the shame of slavery on them!” (и навлёк на них позор рабства; slavery — рабство)
Who more gladly than we throughout the Four Nations received the ‘bloody sword,’ or at its warlike call flocked quicker to the standard of the King? When was redeemed that great shame of my nation, the shame of Cassova, when the flags of the Wallach and the Magyar went down beneath the Crescent? Who was it but one of my own race who as Voivode crossed the Danube and beat the Turk on his own ground? This was a Dracula indeed! Woe was it that his own unworthy brother, when he had fallen, sold his people to the Turk and brought the shame of slavery on them!
Was it not this Dracula, indeed, (Разве не этот Дракула, воистину; indeed — воистину) who inspired that other of his race (который вдохновил другого из своего рода; inspired — вдохновил) who in a later age again and again brought his forces over the great river into Turkey-land; (который в более позднюю эпоху вновь и вновь переправлял свои силы через великую реку в Турецкую землю; forces — войска) who, when he was beaten back, came again, and again, and again, (который, когда его отбрасывали назад, приходил снова, и снова, и снова; beaten back — оттеснён) though he had to come alone from the bloody field (хотя ему приходилось возвращаться одному с кровавого поля; bloody — кровавый) where his troops were being slaughtered, (где его войска подвергались резне; slaughtered — зарезаны, уничтожены) since he knew that he alone could ultimately triumph! (поскольку он знал, что только он один может в конце концов одержать победу; ultimately — в конечном итоге, triumph — победить) They said that he thought only of himself. (Говорили, что он думал лишь о себе; thought — думал) Bah! what good are peasants without a leader?” (Ба! что толку от крестьян без предводителя; peasants — крестьяне, leader — предводитель)
