scene [si:n], region [ˈri:ʤ(ǝ)n], weapon [ˈwepǝn], senile [ˈsi:naɪl]
Looking down on this very scene, there stood upon the fourth of May, eighteen hundred and forty-seven, a solitary traveller. His appearance was such that he might have been the very genius or demon of the region. An observer would have found it difficult to say whether he was nearer to forty or to sixty. His face was lean and haggard, and the brown parchment-like skin was drawn tightly over the projecting bones; his long, brown hair and beard were all flecked and dashed with white; his eyes were sunken in his head, and burned with an unnatural lustre; while the hand which grasped his rifle was hardly more fleshy than that of a skeleton. As he stood, he leaned upon his weapon for support, and yet his tall figure and the massive framework of his bones suggested a wiry and vigorous constitution. His gaunt face, however, and his clothes, which hung so baggily over his shrivelled limbs, proclaimed what it was that gave him that senile and decrepit appearance. The man was dying — dying from hunger and from thirst.
He had toiled painfully down the ravine, and on to this little elevation (он с трудом спустился по этому оврагу и взобрался на это небольшое возвышение; to toil — с трудом идти, тащиться; painfully — болезненно, мучительно; ravine — ущелье; лощина, овраг), in the vain hope of seeing some signs of water (в тщетной надежде увидеть хоть какие-то следы воды). Now the great salt plain stretched before his eyes (теперь перед его глазами простиралась великая соляная равнина), and the distant belt of savage mountains (опоясанная вдали неприступными горами: «и далекий пояс диких гор»; savage — дикий; находящийся в природном состоянии), without a sign anywhere of plant or tree, which might indicate the presence of moisture (на которой нигде не было видно ни травинки, ни дерева, что могло бы послужить признаком присутствия воды; sign — знак; признак; plant — растение; to indicate — служить признаком; означать; moisture — влага). In all that broad landscape there was no gleam of hope (эта широкая панорама не несла для него ни тени надежды: «во всем этом широком ландшафте не было ни проблеска надежды»; gleam — проблеск). North, and east, and west he looked with wild questioning eyes (диким взором он пытливо: «дикими вопрошающими глазами он» посмотрел на север, и на восток, и на запад), and then he realised that his wanderings had come to an end (и затем он понял, что его странствиям пришел конец), and that there, on that barren crag, he was about to die (и что здесь, на этой голой скале, ему предстоит умереть; crag — скала, утес). "Why not here, as well as in a feather bed, twenty years hence (почему бы не здесь, а не на пуховой перине двадцатью годами позже; hence — отсюда, прочь; с этих пор, с этого времени, впредь)," he muttered, as he seated himself in the shelter of a boulder (пробормотал он, усаживаясь под укрытием валуна).
Before sitting down, he had deposited upon the ground his useless rifle (прежде чем усесться, он положил на землю свою бесполезную винтовку; to deposit — класть, размещать), and also a large bundle tied up in a grey shawl (а также большой узел, завязанный серой шалью), which he had carried slung over his right shoulder (который он нес, перебросив через правое плечо; to sling — бросать; вешать/перебрасывать через плечо). It appeared to be somewhat too heavy for his strength (казалось, узел был тяжеловат для его сил: «несколько слишком тяжел…»), for in lowering it, it came down on the ground with some little violence (так как, когда он его опустил, узел тяжело шмякнулся на землю; violence — сила, применение силы). Instantly there broke from the grey parcel a little moaning cry (тотчас же из серого узла раздался слабый полустон-полувскрик; to break — разразиться; начаться внезапно; to moan — стонать; cry — крик, вопль), and from it there protruded a small, scared face (и из него высунулось маленькое перепуганное личико; to protrude — высовываться), with very bright brown eyes, and two little speckled, dimpled fists (с блестящими: «очень яркими» карими глазами, и два грязных пухлых кулачка; to speckle — испещрять, пятнать; to dimple — образовывать углубление).
salt [sɔ:lt], wandering [ˈwɔnd(ǝ)rɪŋ], feather [ˈfeðǝ], rifle [raɪfl]
He had toiled painfully down the ravine, and on to this little elevation, in the vain hope of seeing some signs of water. Now the great salt plain stretched before his eyes, and the distant belt of savage mountains, without a sign anywhere of plant or tree, which might indicate the presence of moisture. In all that broad landscape there was no gleam of hope. North, and east, and west he looked with wild questioning eyes, and then he realised that his wanderings had come to an end, and that there, on that barren crag, he was about to die. "Why not here, as well as in a feather bed, twenty years hence," he muttered, as he seated himself in the shelter of a boulder.
Before sitting down, he had deposited upon the ground his useless rifle, and also a large bundle tied up in a grey shawl, which he had carried slung over his right shoulder. It appeared to be somewhat too heavy for his strength, for in lowering it, it came down on the ground with some little violence. Instantly there broke from the grey parcel a little moaning cry, and from it there protruded a small, scared face, with very bright brown eyes, and two little speckled, dimpled fists.
"You've hurt me!" said a childish voice reproachfully (ты мне сделал больно, — с упреком сказал детский голос).
"Have I though," the man answered penitently (даже если сделал, — покаянно ответил он), "I didn't go for to do it (я не нарочно: «не хотел делать этого»; to go for — стремиться к /чему-либо/)." As he spoke he unwrapped the grey shawl (при этих словах: «пока он говорил» он развернул серую шаль) and extricated a pretty little girl of about five years of age (и выпутал из нее очаровательную маленькую девчушку лет пяти; to extricate — вытаскивать, освобождать, выпутывать), whose dainty shoes and smart pink frock with its little linen apron all bespoke a mother's care (изящные туфельки которой и нарядное розовое платьице с полотняным передничком выдавали материнскую заботу; smart — сильный, резкий, интенсивный; нарядный, модный, элегантный; to bespeak — обнаруживать, свидетельствовать). The child was pale and wan (ребенок был бледен и изнурен; wan — бледный, изнуренный; болезненный), but her healthy arms and legs showed that she had suffered less than her companion (но, судя по крепким ручкам и ножкам, перенесла: «но ее здоровые руки и ноги показывали, что претерпела» она меньше, чем ее спутник; to suffer —страдать; испытывать, претерпевать).
"How is it now?" he answered anxiously (еще болит? — обеспокоенно спросил он: «как он теперь? — он ответил обеспокоенно»), for she was still rubbing the towsy golden curls which covered the back of her head (так как она все еще потирала затылок под спутанными золотистыми кудряшками; to cover — закрывать, покрывать; back — тыльная часть, задняя часть; head — голова; back of the head — затылок).
"Kiss it and make it well (поцелуй, и все пройдет; well — хорошо)," she said, with perfect gravity (сказала она абсолютно серьезно; perfect — абсолютный, совершенный; gravity — серьезность), shoving the injured part up to him (подставляя ему ушибленное место; to shove — пихать; совать; part — часть тела). "That's what mother used to do (так всегда делала мама). Where's mother (где мама)?"
though [ðǝu], unwrap [ʌnˈræp], shawl [ʃɔ:l], linen [ˈlɪnɪn], apron [ˈeɪpr(ǝ)n]
"You've hurt me!" said a childish voice reproachfully.
"Have I though," the man answered penitently, "I didn't go for to do it." As he spoke he unwrapped the grey shawl and extricated a pretty little girl of about five years of age, whose dainty shoes and smart pink frock with its little linen apron all bespoke a mother's care. The child was pale and wan, but her healthy arms and legs showed that she had suffered less than her companion.
"How is it now?" he answered anxiously, for she was still rubbing the towsy golden curls which covered the back of her head.
"Kiss it and make it well," she said, with perfect gravity, shoving the injured part up to him. "That's what mother used to do. Where's mother?"
"Mother's gone (мамы больше нет: «мама ушла»). I guess you'll see her before long (я думаю, ты ее скоро увидишь; to guess — полагать, считать)."
"Gone, eh!" said the little girl (ушла? — сказала маленькая девочка). "Funny, she didn't say good-bye (забавно, что она не сказала «до свиданья»); she 'most always did (она почти всегда прощалась; 'most = almost) if she was just goin' over to Auntie's for tea (даже если она просто выходила к тете на чай), and now she's been away three days (а теперь ее нет три дня). Say, it's awful dry, ain't it (ужасно жарко, да?; dry — сухой)? Ain't there no water, nor nothing to eat (разве тут нет воды или чего-нибудь поесть)?"
"No, there ain't nothing, dearie (нет, ничего нет, дорогая). You'll just need to be patient awhile (надо потерпеть: «тебе просто нужно быть терпеливой» немного), and then you'll be all right (а потом все будет хорошо: «ты будешь в порядке»). Put your head up agin me like that (прислони ко мне голову, вот так; agin = against), and then you'll feel bullier (и ты почувствуешь себя лучше; bully — амер., первоклассный, великолепный). It ain't easy to talk when your lips is like leather (нелегко говорить, когда губы сухие, как бумага: «губы как кожа»), but I guess I'd best let you know how the cards lie (но я думаю, мне лучше рассказать тебе: «дать тебе знать», как у нас обстоят дела: «как лежат карты»). What's that you've got (что там у тебя)?"
"Pretty things! fine things (смотри, какие хорошенькие, смотри, какие прекрасные: «хорошенькие вещи! прекрасные вещи»)!» cried the little girl enthusiastically, holding up two glittering fragments of mica (с энтузиазмом воскликнула маленькая девочка, показывая два блестящих кусочка слюды; hold up — показывать). "When we goes back to home I'll give them to brother Bob (когда мы вернемся обратно домой, я подарю их брату Бобу)."
awful [ˈɔ:f(ǝ)l], dearie [ˈdɪǝrɪ], patient [ˈpeɪʃ(ǝ)nt], enthusiastically [ɪnˌƟju:zɪˈæstɪk(ǝ)lɪ]
"Mother's gone. I guess you'll see her before long."
"Gone, eh!" said the little girl. "Funny, she didn't say good-bye; she 'most always did if she was just goin' over to Auntie's for tea, and now she's been away three days. Say, it's awful dry, ain't it? Ain't there no water, nor nothing to eat?"
"No, there ain't nothing, dearie. You'll just need to be patient awhile, and then you'll be all right. Put your head up agin me like that, and then you'll feel bullier. It ain't easy to talk when your lips is like leather, but I guess I'd best let you know how the cards lie. What's that you've got?"
"Pretty things! fine things!" cried the little girl enthusiastically, holding up two glittering fragments of mica. "When we goes back to home I'll give them to brother Bob."
