из темного мира)? Not without a 'prize' to offer them (не без «награды», чтобы предложить им).
mouse [maus] sarcophagus [sR`kOfqgqs] contemplated [`kOntqmpleItId]
Breathing heavily, he ran up the spiral ramp. Up and up he ran, until the rest of the palace lay far below him, until he reached the door which dwarfed him, until he stopped and looked and wondered, until he knew he'd reached his goal. The huge sign pulsed regularly, like a living heart itself, and it bathed Corum's face and body and armour in its red-gold light. Corum pushed at the door, but it was like a mouse pushing at the door of a sarcophagus. He could not move it.
He needed aid. He contemplated his left hand — the Hand of Kwll. Could he summon help from the dark world? Not without a 'prize' to offer them.
But then the Hand of Kwll bunched itself into a fist and began to glow with a light (но тут Рука Кулла сама сжалась в кулак и стала испускать свет; to bunch — образовывать пучки, гроздья; сбивать/ся/ в кучу, скапливаться; to glow — светиться, пылать, гореть) that blinded Corum and made him stretch his arm away as far as it would go, flinging his other arm over his eyes (который ослепил Корума и заставил его вытянуть руку в сторону насколько возможно, закрывая другой рукой глаза; to fling — бросать/ся/, кидать/ся/). He felt the Hand of Kwll rise into the air and then strike at the mighty door (он почувствовал, как Рука Кулла поднялась в воздух и затем нанесла удар по огромной двери; mighty — могущественный; мощный; объемистый, громадный). He heard a sound like the tolling of bells (он услышал звук, похожий на звон колоколов). He heard a crack as if the Earth herself had split (он услышал треск, будто сама Земля раскололась). And then the Hand of Kwll was limp by his side and he opened his eyes and saw that a crack had appeared in the door (затем Рука Кулла упала безвольно /сбоку/, он открыл глаза и увидел, что в двери появилась трещина; limp — мягкий, нежесткий, безвольный). It was a small crack in the bottom of the right corner (это была маленькая трещина внизу правого угла), but it was large enough for Corum to wriggle through (но она была достаточно большой, чтобы Корум пролез через /нее/; to wriggle — извивать/ся/; пробираться ползком).
`Now you are aiding me as I would wish to be aided (теперь ты помогаешь мне так, как я хотел бы /чтобы мне помогали/), he murmured to the hand (прошептал он руке). He got down on his knees and crawled through the crack (он опустился на колени и прополз через трещину).
wriggle [`rIg (q) l] crawled [krLl]
But then the Hand of Kwll bunched itself into a fist and began to glow with a light that blinded Corum and made him stretch his arm away as far as it would go, flinging his other arm over his eyes. He felt the Hand of Kwll rise into the air and then strike at the mighty door. He heard a sound like the tolling of bells. He heard a crack as if the Earth herself had split. And then the Hand of Kwll was limp by his side and he opened his eyes and saw that a crack had appeared in the door. It was a small crack in the bottom of the right corner, but it was large enough for Corum to wriggle through.
`Now you are aiding me as I would wish to be aided, he murmured to the hand. He got down on his knees and crawled through the crack.
Another ramp stretched upwards over a gulf of sparkling emptiness (еще один пандус тянулся вверх над пропастью сверкавшей пустоты; gulf — залив; бездна, пропасть). Strange sounds filled the air, rising and dying, coming close and then falling away (странные звуки наполняли воздух, усиливаясь и затихая, приближаясь, а затем отдаляясь; to fall away — спадать, уменьшаться; чахнуть). There were hints of menace here, hints of beauty (в них были намеки на опасность = незримо присутствовали опасность и красота), hints of death, hints of everlasting life (смерть и вечная жизнь), hints of terror, hints of tranquility (ужас и спокойствие). Corum made to draw his sword and then realised the uselessness of such an action (Корум попытался вытащить меч и тут осознал бесполезность такого действия). He set foot on the ramp and began to climb again (он ступил ногой на пандус и снова принялся подниматься).
menace [`menIs] tranquility [trxNk`wIlItI]
Another ramp stretched upwards over a gulf of sparkling emptiness. Strange sounds filled the air, rising and dying, coming close and then falling away. There were hints of menace here, hints of beauty, hints of death, hints of everlasting life, hints of terror, hints of tranquility. Corum made to draw his sword and then realised the uselessness of such an action. He set foot on the ramp and began to climb again.
A wind seemed to spring up and his scarlet robe flew out behind him (казалось, поднялся ветер, и его алый плащ развевался позади него). Cool breezes wafted him and hot winds scoured his skin (прохладный ветерок обдувал его, а горячие = жаркие ветра обжигали кожу; to waft — нести/сь/, доносить/ся/ /о звуках, запахах и т. д. /; дуть /о ветре/; to scour — чистить, тереть, отдраивать). He saw faces all around him and many of the faces he thought he recognised (он видел повсюду вокруг лица, и ему показалось, он узнал многие из этих лиц). Some of the faces were huge and some were infinitely tiny (некоторые лица были огромными, другие — бесконечно крохотными). Eyes watched him (глаза следили за ним). Lips grinned (губы ухмылялись). A sorrowful moaning came and went (скорбный стон раздавался и смолкал). A dark cloud engulfed him (темное облако поглотило его). A tinkling as of glass bells ringing filled his ears (звон, словно /звук/ звенящих стеклянных колокольчиков, наполнил его уши). A voice called his name and it echoed and echoed and echoed away forever (какой-то голос назвал его имя, и эхо все повторяло и повторяло его). A rainbow surrounded him, entered him and made his whole body flash with colour (радуга окружила его, проникла в него и заставила все его тело сверкать /разными/ цветами). Steadily he continued his walk up the long ramp (он неуклонно продолжал подъем по длинному пандусу).
scoured [`skauqd] infinitely [`InfInItlI] echoed [`ekqud]
A wind seemed to spring up and his scarlet robe flew out behind him. Cool breezes wafted him and hot winds scoured his skin. He saw faces all around him and many of the faces he thought he recognised. Some of the faces were huge and some were infinitely tiny. Eyes watched him. Lips grinned. A sorrowful moaning came and went. A dark cloud engulfed him. A tinkling as of glass bells ringing filled his ears. A voice called his name and it echoed and echoed and echoed away forever. A rainbow surrounded him, entered him and made his whole body flash with colour. Steadily he continued his walk up the long ramp.
And now he saw he was coming to a platform that was at the end of the ramp but which hung over the gulf (он увидел, что подходит к помосту, который находится в конце пандуса, но висит над пропастью). There was nothing beyond it (после него = за ним ничего не было).
On the platform was a dais (на помосте было возвышение; dais — помост, возвышение). On the dais was a plinth and on the plinth was something that throbbed and gave forth rays (на возвышении — постамент, а на постаменте находилось что-то, что пульсировало/билось и испускало лучи).
Transfixed by these rays were several Mabden warriors (несколько мабденских воинов /стояли/, парализованные этими лучами; to transfix — пронзать, прокалывать; пригвоздить, приковать к месту). Their bodies were frozen in attitudes of reaching for the source of the rays (их тела были заморожены в положении протягивания к = они застыли, пытаясь достать источник лучей; to freeze), but their eyes moved as they saw Corum approach the dais (но их глаза двинулись, когда они увидели, что Корум приближается к возвышению). Pain was in those eyes, and curiosity, and a warning (в тех глазах были боль, любопытство и предостережение).
