Роберт Говард – Английский язык с Конаном-варваром (страница 93)
"Again you come to me in my retreat, beautiful one," he purred with cynical hypocrisy. "It is an unexpected honor. You seemed to enjoy your former visit so little, that I dared not hope for you to repeat it. Yet I did all in my power to provide you with an interesting experience."
For a Zamboulan dancer to blush would be an impossibility, but a smolder of anger mingled with the fear in Zabibi's dilated eyes.
"Fat pig! You know I did not come here for love of you."
"No," laughed Totrasmek, "you came like a fool, creeping through the night with a stupid barbarian to cut my throat (нет, — засмеялся Тотрасмек, — ты пришла, как дурочка, прокравшись в ночи с тупым варваром, /чтобы/ перерезать мое горло =
"You know why!" she cried, knowing the futility of trying to dissemble (ты знаешь зачем! — крикнула она, зная тщетность попыток притворяться).
"You are thinking of your lover," he laughed (ты думаешь о твоем любовнике, — засмеялся он). "The fact that you are here seeking my life shows that he quaffed the drug I gave you (тот факт =
should [ʃʋd], futility [fju:ˈtɪlɪtɪ], quaff [kwɑ:f]
"No," laughed Totrasmek, "you came like a fool, creeping through the night with a stupid barbarian to cut my throat. Why should you seek my life?"
"You know why!" she cried, knowing the futility of trying to dissemble.
"You are thinking of your lover," he laughed. "The fact that you are here seeking my life shows that he quaffed the drug I gave you. Well, did you not ask for it? And did I not send what you asked for, out of the love I bear you?"
"I asked you for a drug that would make him slumber harmlessly for a few hours," she said bitterly (я просила у тебя снадобье, которое бы усыпило его: «заставило его спать» без вреда на несколько часов, — сказала она горестно;
ask [ɑ:sk], friendship [ˈfrendʃɪp], disguise [dɪsˈɡaɪz]
"I asked you for a drug that would make him slumber harmlessly for a few hours," she said bitterly. "And you — you sent your servant with a drug that drove him mad! I was a fool ever to trust you. I might have known your protestations of friendship were lies, to disguise your hate and spite."
"Why did you wish your lover to sleep?" he retorted (для чего ты хотела, /чтобы/ твой любовник спал? — отпарировал он). "So you could steal from him the only thing he would never give you (так бы ты смогла украсть у него единственную вещь, /которую/ он никогда бы не подарил тебе) — the ring with the jewel men call the Star of Khorala (кольцо с драгоценным камнем, /который/ люди называют Звездой Хорала) — the star stolen from the queen of Ophir, who would pay a roomful of gold for its return (звездой, похищенной у королевы Офира, которая заплатила бы полную комнату золота за его возврат =
queen [kwi: n], magician [məˈʤɪʃən], forget [fəˈɡet]
"Why did you wish your lover to sleep?" he retorted. "So you could steal from him the only thing he would never give you — the ring with the jewel men call the Star of Khorala — the star stolen from the queen of Ophir, who would pay a roomful of gold for its return. He would not give it to you willingly, because he knew that it holds a magic which, when properly controlled, will enslave the hearts of any of the opposite sex. You wished to steal it from him, fearing that his magicians would discover the key to that magic and he would forget you in his conquests of the queens of the world. You would sell it back to the queen of Ophir, who understands its power and would use it to enslave me, as she did before it was stolen."
"And why do
"I understand its powers (я понимаю его силы). It would increase the power of my arts (он бы увеличил мощь моих искусств =
"Well," she snapped, "you have it now (ну, — сказала она раздраженно, — ты имеешь его теперь =
"
demand [dɪˈmɑ:nd], increase [ɪnˈkri: s], err [ə:]
"And why do
"I understand its powers. It would increase the power of my arts." "Well," she snapped, "you have it now!"
"
"Why bother to lie?" she retorted bitterly (к чему утруждать себя ложью? — отпарировала она горько). "He had it on his finger when he drove me into the streets (он имел ее на его пальце =
bother [ˈbɔðə], retort [rɪˈtɔ: t], punish [ˈpʌnɪʃ]
"Why bother to lie?" she retorted bitterly. "He had it on his finger when he drove me into the streets. He did not have it when I found him again. Your servant must have been watching the house, and have taken it from him, after I escaped him. To the devil with it! I want my lover back sane and whole. You have the ring; you have punished us both. Why do you not restore his mind to him? Can you?"
"I could," he assured her, in evident enjoyment of her distress (я мог бы, — уверил он ее в очевидном наслаждении от ее горя). He drew a phial from among his robes (он вытащил пузырек из /среди/ своих одеяний). "This contains the juice of the golden lotus (это содержит сок золотого лотоса). If your lover drank it, he would be sane again (если бы твой любовник выпил это, он был бы снова в здравом уме). Yes, I will be merciful (да, я буду милостив). You have both thwarted and flouted me, not once but many times вы оба мешали мне и попирали меня, не раз, а много раз;
assure [əˈʃuə], phial [ˈfaɪəl], thwart [Ɵwɔ: t]
"I could," he assured her, in evident enjoyment of her distress. He drew a phial from among his robes. "This contains the juice of the golden lotus. If your lover drank it, he would be sane again. Yes, I will be merciful. You have both thwarted and flouted me, not once but many times; he has constantly opposed my wishes. But I will be merciful. Come and take the phial from my hand."
She stared at Totrasmek, trembling with eagerness to seize it, but fearing it was but some cruel jest (она уставилась на Тотрасмека, дрожа от нетерпения схватить ее, но опасаясь, /что/ это была лишь какая жестокая шутка). She advanced timidly, with a hand extended (она робко двинулась вперед с протянутой рукой), and he laughed heartlessly and drew back out of her reach (а он бессердечно засмеялся и отступил за пределы /ее/ досягаемости). Even as her lips parted to curse him, some instinct snatched her eyes upward (как раз когда ее губы разжались, /чтобы/ проклясть его, какой-то инстинкт поднял ее глаза вверх). From the gilded ceiling four jade-hued vessels were falling (с позолоченного потолка падали четыре желтовато-зеленых сосуда;