Английский язык с М. Муркоком

становимся жертвами неведения, которое погубило вадагов; to succumb — поддаваться, стать жертвой). Can we defend the castle, Beldan (мы сможем защитить замок, Белдан)?

clouded [`klaudId] dozen [`dAz (q) n] succumb [sq`kAm] ignorance [`Ignqrqns]

Corum's face clouded and he seemed to be thinking a dozen thoughts at once.

`Do you recognise the force? Who are they? Mabden?

`Mabden, without doubt. I think they might be warriors of the Pony Tribes.

`The folk against whom this Margravate was built?

`Aye. But they have not bothered us for a hundred years.

Corum smiled grimly.

`Perhaps we all, in time, succumb to the ignorance that killed the Vadhagh. Can we defend the castle, Beldan?

`If it is a small force, Prince Corum (если это небольшое войско, принц Корум). The Pony Tribes are normally disunited (племена на пони обычно разобщены) and their warriors rarely move in bands of more than twenty or thirty (и их воины редко передвигаются в отрядах более двадцати-тридцати /человек/).

`And do you think it is a small force (ты думаешь, это маленькое войско)?

Beldan shook his head (Белдан покачал головой).

`No, Prince Corum, I fear it is a large one (нет, принц Корум, боюсь, это большое войско).

`You had best alert the warriors (тебе лучше привести в готовность воинов; to alert — привести в состояние готовности, поднять по тревоге; предупредить). What about the bat creatures (как насчет летучих мышей)?

`They sleep in winter (они спят зимой). Nothing will wake them (ничто не разбудит их).

`What are your normal methods of defence (какие ваши обычные способы обороны)?

disunited [, dIsjH`naItId] alert [q`lq: t] defence [dI`fens]

`If it is a small force, Prince Corum. The Pony Tribes are normally disunited and their warriors rarely move in bands of more than twenty or thirty.

`And do you think it is a small force?

Beldan shook his head.

`No, Prince Corum, I fear it is a large one.

`You had best alert the warriors. What about the bat creatures?

`They sleep in winter. Nothing will wake them.

`What are your normal methods of defence?

Beldan bit his lip (Белдан прикусил губу).

`Well (ну)?

`We have none to speak of (у нас нет никаких /способов/, чтобы говорить о = не о чем говорить). It has been so long since we needed to consider such things (это было так давно, когда нам нужно было принимать во внимание = думать о подобных вещах). The Pony Tribes still fear the power of Lywm-an-Esh (племена на пони до сих пор боятся могущества Лиум-ан-Эш) — their fear is even superstitious since the land retreated beyond the horizon (их страх /стал/ даже суеверным, с тех пор как /наша/ земля отступила за горизонт). We relied on that fear (мы полагались на этот страх; to rely).

`Then do your best, Beldan (тогда делай все, что можешь, Белдан; to do one`s best — сделать все от себя зависящее, проявить максимум энергии), and I'll join you shortly, when I've taken a look at these warriors first (а я присоединюсь к тебе вскоре, когда = только взгляну на этих воинов сначала). They may not come in war, for all we know (они, может, идут не в войне = не с воинственными намерениями, кто знает; for all — хотя, несмотря на).

superstitious [, sjHpq`stISqs] horizon [hq`raIz (q) n] relied [rI`laId]

Beldan bit his lip.

`Well?

`We have none to speak of. It has been so long since we needed to consider such things. The Pony Tribes still fear the power of Lywm-an-Esh — their fear is even superstitious since the land retreated beyond the horizon. We relied on that fear.

`Then do your best, Beldan, and I'll join you shortly, when I've taken a look at these warriors first. They may not come in war, for all we know.

Beldan raced away down the steps (Белдан помчался вниз по лестнице) and Corum climbed the tower and opened the door and went out on to the battlements (а Корум поднялся на башню, открыл дверь и вышел на зубчатую стену).

He saw that the tide was beginning to go out (он увидел, что отлив начинается; to go out — выходить; заканчиваться; происходить /об отливе/) and that when it did the natural causeway between the mainland and the castle would be exposed (и что когда он произойдет, естественная дамба/гать между материком и замком обнажится). The sea was grey and chill, the shore was bleak (море было серым и холодным, берег унылым; bleak — открытый всем ветрам, промозглый; унылый). And the warriors were there (и там были воины).

They were shaggy men on shaggy ponies (они были косматыми людьми на косматых лошадках) and they had helmets of iron with visors of brass (у них были шлемы из железа с латунными масками; visor — козырек /фуражки/; забрало /шлема/; маска) beaten into the form of savage and evil faces (выкованными в форме свирепых, злых лиц; to beat — бить, колотить; ковать). They had cloaks of wolfskin or wool (плащи из волчьей шкуры или шерсти), byrnies of iron (кольчуги из железа), jackets of leather (куртки из кожи), trews of blue, red or yellow cloth bound around the feet and up to the knees with thongs (штаны из синей, красной и желтой ткани были перевязаны от ступней и до колен ремнями; to bind — связывать, обвязывать, перевязывать; trews — узкие штаны /одежда шотландских горцев/). They were armed with spears, bows, axes, clubs (они были вооружены копьями, луками, топорами и дубинами). And each man had a sword strapped to the saddle of his pony (у каждого был меч, привязанный ремнем к седлу его лошади). They were all new swords, Corum judged (они все были новыми мечами, решил Корум), for they glinted as if freshly forged (потому что сверкали, словно только что выкованные; to glint — вспыхивать, сверкать; ярко блестеть; to forge — выковывать), even in the dull light of that winter's day (даже в тусклом свете того зимнего дня).

visor [`vaIzq] leather [`leDq] trews [trHz] forged [fLGd]

Beldan raced away down the steps and Corum climbed the tower and opened the door and went out on to the battlements.

He saw that the tide was beginning to go out and that when it did the natural causeway between the mainland and the castle would be exposed. The sea was grey and chill, the shore was bleak. And the warriors were there.

They were shaggy men on shaggy ponies and they had helmets of iron with visors of brass beaten into the form of savage and evil faces. They had cloaks of wolfskin or wool, byrnies of iron, jackets of leather, trews of blue, red or yellow cloth bound around the feet and up to the knees with thongs. They were armed with spears, bows, axes, clubs. And each man had a sword strapped to the saddle of his pony. They were all new swords, Corum judged, for they glinted as if freshly forged, even in the dull light of that winter's day.