Роберт Говард – Английский язык с Конаном-варваром (страница 36)
Balthus faltered in his stride, and clammy sweat beaded his flesh (Балтус споткнулся на /его/ бегу, и липкий пот украсил капельками его тело =
stride [straɪd], clammy [klæmɪ], sweat [swet]
Balthus faltered in his stride, and clammy sweat beaded his flesh. But Conan did not hesitate; he darted around a bend in the trail and disappeared, and Balthus, panicky at finding himself alone with that awful scream still shuddering through the forest in grisly echoes, put on an extra burst of speed and plunged after him.
The Aquilonian slid to a stumbling halt, almost colliding with the Cimmerian who stood in the trail over a crumpled body (аквилонец перешел в спотыкающуюся остановку =
halt [hɔ: lt], stood [stu: d], corpse [kɔ: ps]
The Aquilonian slid to a stumbling halt, almost colliding with the Cimmerian who stood in the trail over a crumpled body. But Conan was not looking at the corpse which lay there in the crimson-soaked dust. He was glaring into the deep woods on either side of the trail.
Balthus muttered a horrified oath (Балтус пробормотал испуганное ругательство). It was the body of a man which lay there in the trail (это было тело мужчины, которое лежало там на тропинке =
boot [bu: t], razor [ˈreɪzə], indicate [ˈɪndɪkeɪt]
Balthus muttered a horrified oath. It was the body of a man which lay there in the trail, a short, fat man, clad in the gilt-worked boots and (despite the heat) the ermine-trimmed tunic of a wealthy merchant. His fat, pale face was set in a stare of frozen horror; his thick throat had been slashed from ear to ear as if by a razor- sharp blade. The short sword still in its scabbard seemed to indicate that he had been struck down without a chance to fight for his life.
"A Pict?" Balthus whispered, as he turned to peer into the deepening shadows of the forest (пикт? — прошептал Балтус, когда он обернулся, /чтобы/ всмотреться в густеющие тени леса).
Conan shook his head and straightened to scowl down at the dead man (Конан отрицательно покачал /своей/ головой и выпрямился, /чтобы/ посмотреть сердито /вниз/ на мертвого человека =
"A forest devil (лесной дух: «дьявол»). This is the fifth, by Crom (это /есть/ пятый, /клянусь/ Кромом)!"
"What do you mean (что ты имеешь в виду;
"Did you ever hear of a Pictish wizard called Zogar Sag (ты когда-нибудь слышал о пиктском чародее, называемым =
Balthus shook his head uneasily (Балтус покачал /своей/ головой беспокойно;
turn [tə: n], fifth [fɪfƟ], scowl [skaul]
"A Pict?" Balthus whispered, as he turned to peer into the deepening shadows of the forest.
Conan shook his head and straightened to scowl down at the dead man. "A forest devil. This is the fifth, by Crom!"
"What do you mean?"
"Did you ever hear of a Pictish wizard called Zogar Sag?" Balthus shook his head uneasily.
"He dwells in Gwawela, the nearest village across the river (он живет в Гвавеле, ближайшем поселке за рекой). Three months ago he hid beside this road and stole a string of pack-mules from a pack-train bound for the fort — drugged their drivers, somehow (три месяца назад он спрятался возле этой дороги и украл караван вьючных мулов из вьючного обоза, направлявшегося в форт, отравил их погонщиков каким-то образом;
village [ˈvɪlɪʤ], river [ˈrɪvə], month [mʌnƟ]
"He dwells in Gwawela, the nearest village across the river. Three months ago he hid beside this road and stole a string of pack-mules from a pack-train bound for the fort — drugged their drivers, somehow. The mules belonged to this man" — Conan casually indicated the corpse with his foot — "Tiberias, a merchant of Velitrium. They were loaded with ale-kegs, and old Zogar stopped to guzzle before he got across the river. A woodsman named Soractus trailed him, and led Valannus and three soldiers to where he lay dead drunk in a thicket. At the importunities of Tiberias, Valannus threw Zogar Sag into a cell, which is the worst insult you can give a Pict. He managed to kill his guard and escape, and sent back word that he meant to kill Tiberias and the five men who captured him in a way that would make Aquilonians shudder for centuries to come.
"Well, Soractus and the soldiers are dead (ну, Сорактус и солдаты мертвы). Soractus was killed on the river, the soldiers in the very shadow of the fort (Сорактус был убит на реке, солдаты в самой тени форта =
very [ˈverɪ], victim [ˈvɪktɪm], altar [ˈɔ: ltə]
"Well, Soractus and the soldiers are dead. Soractus was killed on the river, the soldiers in the very shadow of the fort. And now Tiberias is dead. No Pict killed any of them. Each victim — except Tiberias, as you see — lacked his head — which no doubt is now ornamenting the altar of Zogar Sag's particular god."
"How do you know they weren't killed by the Picts?" demanded Balthus (как =