Роберт Говард – Английский язык с Конаном-варваром (страница 92)
vertebra [ˈvə: tɪbrə], exert [ɪɡˈzə: t], magnet [ˈmæɡnɪt]
And with a savage wrench he twisted Baal-pteor's head around until the ghastly face leered over the left shoulder, and the vertebrae snapped like a rotten branch.
Conan hurled the flopping corpse to the floor, turned to the sword again, and gripped the hilt with both hands, bracing his feet against the floor. Blood trickled down his broad breast from the wounds Baal-pteor's finger nails had torn in the skin of his neck. His black hair was damp, sweat ran down his face, and his chest heaved. For all his vocal scorn of Baal-pteor's strength, he had almost met his match in the inhuman Kosalan. But without pausing to catch his breath, he exerted all his strength in a mighty wrench that tore the sword from the magnet where it clung.
Another instant and he had pushed open the door from behind which the scream had sounded (еще одно мгновение — и он распахнул дверь: «толкнул открытой дверь», из-за которой раздавался крик), and was looking down a long straight corridor, lined with ivory doors (и смотрел в длинный прямой коридор с рядом дверей из слоновой кости). The other end was masked by a rich velvet curtain другой конец был скрыт богатым бархатным занавесом), and from beyond that curtain came the devilish strains of such music as Conan had never heard, not even in nightmares (и из-за этого занавеса доносились адские мелодии такой музыки, какой Конан никогда /не/ слышал, даже в кошмарах). It made the short hairs bristle on the back of his neck (она заставила короткие волоски встать дыбом на задней части его шеи =
straight [streɪt], curtain [kə: tn], bristle [brɪsl]
Another instant and he had pushed open the door from behind which the scream had sounded, and was looking down a long straight corridor, lined with ivory doors. The other end was masked by a rich velvet curtain, and from beyond that curtain came the devilish strains of such music as Conan had never heard, not even in nightmares. It made the short hairs bristle on the back of his neck. Mingled with it was the panting, hysterical sobbing of a woman. Grasping his sword firmly, he glided down the corridor.
4. Dance, Girl, Dance!
(Танцуй, девочка, танцуй!)
When Zabibi was jerked head-first through the aperture which opened in the wall behind the idol (когда Забиби была втянута головой вперед через отверстие, которое открылось в стене за идолом), her first, dizzy, disconnected thought was that her time had come (ее первой головокружительной обрывочной мыслью было, что пришло ее время). She instinctively shut her eyes and waited for the blow to fall (она инстинктивно закрыла /свои/ глаза и стала ждать удара, /который/ падет /на нее/). But instead she felt herself dumped unceremoniously onto the smooth marble floor (но вместо /этого/ она почувствовала себя сваленной =
aperture [ˈæpəʧə], smooth [smu: ð], throughout [Ɵru:ˈaut]
When Zabibi was jerked head-first through the aperture which opened in the wall behind the idol, her first, dizzy, disconnected thought was that her time had come. She instinctively shut her eyes and waited for the blow to fall. But instead she felt herself dumped unceremoniously onto the smooth marble floor, which bruised her knees and hip. Opening her eyes, she stared fearfully around her, just as a muffled impact sounded from beyond the wall. She saw a brown-skinned giant in a loin cloth standing over her, and, across the chamber into which she had come, a man sat on a divan, with his back to a rich black velvet curtain, a broad, fleshy man, with fat white hands and snaky eyes. And her flesh crawled, for this man was Totrasmek, the priest of Hanuman, who for years had spun his slimy webs of power throughout the city of Zamboula.
"The barbarian seeks to batter his way through the wall," said Totrasmek sardonically, "but the bolt will hold (варвар пытается пробить /свою/ дорогу сквозь стену, — сказал сардонически Тотрасмек, — но засов выдержит)."
The girl saw that a heavy golden bolt had been shot across the hidden door (девушка увидела, что тяжелый золотой засов был переброшен поперек спрятанной двери), which was plainly discernible from this side of the wall (которая была ясно видима с этой стороны стены). The bolt and its sockets would have resisted the charge of an elephant (засов и его скобы выдержали бы атаку слона).
hold [həuld], discernible [dɪˈsə: nəbl], resist [rɪˈzɪst]
"The barbarian seeks to batter his way through the wall," said Totrasmek sardonically, "but the bolt will hold."
The girl saw that a heavy golden bolt had been shot across the hidden door, which was plainly discernible from this side of the wall. The bolt and its sockets would have resisted the charge of an elephant.
"Go open one of the doors for him, Baal-pteor," ordered Totrasmek (пойди открой ему одну из дверей, Баал-птеор, — приказал Тотрасмек). "Slay him in the square chamber at the other end of the corridor (убей его в квадратной комнате в другом конце коридора)."
The Kosalan salaamed (косаланец низко поклонился с правой ладонью на лбу;
order [ˈɔ: də], square [skwɛə], avidly [ˈævɪdlɪ]
"Go open one of the doors for him, Baal-pteor," ordered Totrasmek. "Slay him in the square chamber at the other end of the corridor."
The Kosalan salaamed and departed by the way of a door in the side wall of the chamber. Zabibi rose, staring fearfully at the priest, whose eyes ran avidly over her splendid figure. To this she was indifferent. A dancer of Zamboula was accustomed to nakedness. But the cruelty in his eyes started her limbs to quivering.
"Again you come to me in my retreat, beautiful one," he purred with cynical hypocrisy (опять ты приходишь =
dilate [daɪˈleɪt], dancer [ˈdɑ:nsə], impossibility [ɪmˌ pɔsəˈbɪlɪtɪ]
For a Zamboulan dancer to blush would be an impossibility (для замбульской танцовщицы покраснеть от стыда было бы невозможностью =
"Fat pig (жирная свинья)! You know I did not come here for love of you (ты знаешь, /что/ я пришла сюда не ради любви к тебе)."