wanderer ['wOnd(@) [email protected]], identity [aI'dentItI], refuse [rI'fju:z]
"I am Jefferson Hope," he said. "You remember me."
The Mormon looked at him with undisguised astonishment — indeed, it was difficult to recognize in this tattered, unkempt wanderer, with ghastly white face and fierce, wild eyes, the spruce young hunter of former days. Having, however, at last, satisfied himself as to his identity, the man's surprise changed to consternation.
"You are mad to come here," he cried. "It is as much as my own life is worth to be seen talking with you. There is a warrant against you from the Holy Four for assisting the Ferriers away."
"I don't fear them, or their warrant," Hope said, earnestly. "You must know something of this matter, Cowper. I conjure you by everything you hold dear to answer a few questions. We have always been friends. For God's sake, don't refuse to answer me."
"What is it?" the Mormon asked uneasily (в чем дело, — неохотно спросил мормон; uneasily — беспокойно; тревожно). "Be quick (поторопись: «будь скор»). The very rocks have ears and the trees eyes (даже у скал есть: «самые скалы имеют» уши, а у деревьев — глаза)."
"What has become of Lucy Ferrier (что стало с Люси Феррьер)?"
"She was married yesterday to young Drebber (ее вчера выдали замуж за молодого Дреббера). Hold up, man, hold up, you have no life left in you (эй, держись, дружище, ты на ногах не стоишь: «в тебе не осталось жизни»)."
"Don't mind me," said Hope faintly (не обращай на меня внимания, — едва слышно сказал Хоуп; faintly — слабо; едва). He was white to the very lips (он побледнел так, что даже губы побелели: «он был бледен до самых губ»), and had sunk down on the stone against which he had been leaning (и осел на камень, на который опирался; to sink — опускаться, падать). "Married, you say (замуж, говоришь)?"
"Married yesterday (вчера вышла замуж)— that's what those flags are for on the Endowment House (вот почему эти флаги на Доме пожертвований; endowment — вклад, дар, пожертвование). There was some words between young Drebber and young Stangerson as to which was to have her (молодой Дреббер и молодой Стенджерсон изрядно поспорили, кому она должна достаться; there was some words between young Drebber and young Stangerson… = young Drebber and young Stangerson had some words…; to have words — поссориться, крупно поговорить). They'd both been in the party that followed them (они оба были в том отряде, что выследил их; to follow — преследовать, гнаться), and Stangerson had shot her father (и Стенджерсон застрелил ее отца; to shoot — стрелять), which seemed to give him the best claim (так что, казалось, у него на нее больше прав; best — лучший; claim — требование; претензия; притязание); but when they argued it out in council (но когда они вынесли спор на совет; to argue — приводить доводы; обсуждать), Drebber's party was the stronger (сторона Дреббера оказалась сильнее), so the Prophet gave her over to him (и Пророк отдал ее ему). No one won't have her very long though (да она никому надолго не достанется), for I saw death in her face yesterday (так как я вчера видел печать смерти на ее лице). She is more like a ghost than a woman (она больше походит на привидение, чем на женщину). Are you off, then (ты что, уходишь)?"
endowment [In' [email protected]], claim [kleIm], ghost [ [email protected]]
"What is it?" the Mormon asked uneasily. "Be quick. The very rocks have ears and the trees eyes."
"What has become of Lucy Ferrier?"
"She was married yesterday to young Drebber. Hold up, man, hold up, you have no life left in you."
"Don't mind me," said Hope faintly. He was white to the very lips, and had sunk down on the stone against which he had been leaning. "Married, you say?"
"Married yesterday — that's what those flags are for on the Endowment House. There was some words between young Drebber and young Stangerson as to which was to have her. They'd both been in the party that followed them, and Stangerson had shot her father, which seemed to give him the best claim; but when they argued it out in council, Drebber's party was the stronger, so the Prophet gave her over to him. No one won't have her very long though, for I saw death in her face yesterday. She is more like a ghost than a woman. Are you off, then?"
"Yes, I am off," said Jefferson Hope, who had risen from his seat (да, ухожу, — сказал Джефферсон Хоуп, поднявшись: «который поднялся со своего сиденья»). His face might have been chiselled out of marble (его лицо могло быть высечено из мрамора), so hard and set was its expression (таким окаменевшим и неподвижным было его выражение), while its eyes glowed with a baleful light (в то время как глаза горели мрачным светом; baleful —злой; мрачный; зловещий).
"Where are you going (куда ты направляешься)?"
"Never mind," he answered (не твое дело: «не обращай внимания», — ответил он); and, slinging his weapon over his shoulder (и, закинув винтовку: «оружие» на плечо), strode off down the gorge and so away into the heart of the mountains to the haunts of the wild beasts (зашагал вниз по ущелью в глубь гор, туда, где обитали лишь дикие звери: «к логовам диких зверей»; haunt — логово; место кормежки диких животных). Amongst them all there was none so fierce and so dangerous as himself (среди всех них не нашлось бы ни одного, который был бы так же яростен и опасен, как он).
risen ['ri:z(@)n], chisel [tSIzl], weapon [' [email protected]]
"Yes, I am off," said Jefferson Hope, who had risen from his seat. His face might have been chiselled out of marble, so hard and set was its expression, while its eyes glowed with a baleful light.
"Where are you going?"
"Never mind," he answered; and, slinging his weapon over his shoulder, strode off down the gorge and so away into the heart of the mountains to the haunts of the wild beasts. Amongst them all there was none so fierce and so dangerous as himself.
The prediction of the Mormon was only too well fulfilled (предсказание мормона сбылось в точности: «было только слишком хорошо исполнено»). Whether it was the terrible death of her father or the effects of the hateful marriage into which she had been forced (была ли причиной ужасная смерть ее отца или виноват был ненавистный брак, к которому ее принудили), poor Lucy never held up her head again (бедная Люси так и не воспрянула духом; to hold up one's head — гордо держать голову; иметь чувство собственного достоинства), but pined away and died within a month (но зачахла от тоски, и не прошло и месяца, как умерла: «умерла в течение месяца»). Her sottish husband, who had married her principally for the sake of John Ferrier's property (ее пьяница-муж, женившийся на ней, главным образом, ради собственности Джона Феррьера; sottish — глупый, тупой, бестолковый; отупевший от пьянства), did not affect any great grief at his bereavement (и не пытался изображать скорбь: «великое горе» по поводу своей утраты; to affect — делать вид, прикидываться); but his other wives mourned over her (но его другие жены оплакивали ее), and sat up with her the night before the burial, as is the Mormon custom (и просидели с ней ночь перед похоронами по обычаю мормонов). They were grouped round the bier in the early hours of the morning (они сидели вокруг гроба ранним утром: «в ранние часы утра»; to group — группироваться, собираться), when, to their inexpressible fear and astonishment (когда, к их невыразимому ужасу и удивлению), the door was flung open (дверь распахнулась; to fling — совершать резкие, неконтролируемые движения), and a savage-looking, weather-beaten man in tattered garments strode into the room (и одичалый, потрепанный человек в рваной одежде вошел в комнату; savage — дикий; находящийся в природном состоянии; weather-beaten — загорелый; обветренный; видавший виды; потрепанный; to tatter — превращаться в лохмотья; рваться в клочья; to stride — шагать большими шагами). Without a glance or a word to the cowering women (даже не глянув на отпрянувших женщин и не сказав им ни слова; to cower — сжиматься, съеживаться), he walked up to the white silent figure which had once contained the pure soul of Lucy Ferrier (он подошел к белому безмолвному телу, в котором когда-то обитала несчастная душа Люси Феррьер; to contain — содержать в себе). Stooping over her, he pressed his lips reverently to her cold forehead (склонившись над ней, он благоговейно прикоснулся губами к ее холодному лбу; to press — прижимать), and then, snatching up her hand, he took the wedding-ring from her finger (а затем, схватив ее руку, он снял с ее пальца обручальное кольцо). "She shall not be buried in that," he cried with a fierce snarl (она не будет похоронена с этим, — прорычал он; snarl — рык, рычание), and before an alarm could be raised sprang down the stairs and was gone (и прежде чем успели поднять тревогу, он бросился вниз по лестнице и исчез; to spring — прыгать; бросаться). So strange and so brief was the episode (этот эпизод был таким странным и коротким), that the watchers might have found it hard to believe it themselves or persuade other people of it (что свидетели могли бы не поверить себе и не убедили бы других), had it not been for the undeniable fact that the circlet of gold which marked her as having been a bride had disappeared (если бы не неоспоримый факт исчезновения золотого колечка, свидетельствовавшего о том, что она была невестой; to mark — отмечать).
mourn [mO:n], burial [' [email protected]], bier [ [email protected]], circlet [' [email protected]:klIt]
The prediction of the Mormon was only too well fulfilled. Whether it was the terrible death of her father or the effects of the hateful marriage into which she had been forced, poor Lucy never held up her head again, but pined away and died within a month. Her sottish husband, who had married her principally for the sake of John Ferrier's property, did not affect any great grief at his bereavement; but his other wives mourned over her, and sat up with her the night before the burial, as is the Mormon custom. They were grouped round the bier in the early hours of the morning, when, to their inexpressible fear and astonishment, the door was flung open, and a savage-looking, weather-beaten man in tattered garments strode into the room. Without a glance or a word to the cowering women, he walked up to the white silent figure which had once contained the pure soul of Lucy Ferrier. Stooping over her, he pressed his lips reverently to her cold forehead, and then, snatching up her hand, he took the wedding-ring from her finger. "She shall not be buried in that," he cried with a fierce snarl, and before an alarm could be raised sprang down the stairs and was gone. So strange and so brief was the episode, that the watchers might have found it hard to believe it themselves or persuade other people of it, had it not been for the undeniable fact that the circlet of gold which marked her as having been a bride had disappeared.
For some months Jefferson Hope lingered among the mountains (несколько месяцев Джефферсон Хоуп бродил по горам; to linger — задерживаться), leading a strange wild life (ведя странную, дикую жизнь), and nursing in his heart the fierce desire for vengeance which possessed him (и лелея в своем сердце яростную жажду мести, обуявшую его; desire — страстное желание; to possess — овладевать, захватывать). Tales were told in the City of the weird figure which was seen prowling about the suburbs (в городе ходили слухи о загадочном силуэте, не раз виденном в пригородах; tale — рассказ; басни, россказни; weird — таинственный, жуткий; странный; figure — личность, фигура; to prowl — красться, бродить), and which haunted the lonely mountain gorges (и обитавшем в глухих горных ущельях; to haunt — жить, обитать). Once a bullet whistled through Stangerson's window and flattened itself upon the wall within a foot of him (однажды пуля просвистела через окно Стенджерсона и расплющилась о стену в футе от него). On another occasion, as Drebber passed under a cliff a great boulder crashed down on him (другой раз, когда Дреббер проходил под скалой, огромный камень рухнул на него; boulder — валун, глыба, большой камень; to crash — с грохотом рушиться), and he only escaped a terrible death by throwing himself upon his face (и он избежал ужасной смерти, только бросившись ничком на землю). The two young Mormons were not long in discovering the reason of these attempts upon their lives (два молодых мормона недолго искали причину этих покушений на их жизни; to discover — обнаруживать, раскрывать, узнавать), and led repeated expeditions into the mountains in the hope of capturing or killing their enemy (и неоднократно организовывали экспедиции в горы в надежде схватить или убить своего врага; to lead — вести; возглавить; to repeat — повторять), but always without success (но каждый раз безуспешно). Then they adopted the precaution of never going out alone or after nightfall (затем они из предосторожности взяли за правило: «приняли предосторожность» никогда не выходить из дома в одиночку или после наступления ночи), and of having their houses guarded (и организовали охрану своих домов: «приняли предосторожность … не выходить … и иметь свои дома охраняемыми»). After a time they were able to relax these measures (через некоторое время они стали соблюдать эти правила не так строго: «смогли ослабить эти меры»), for nothing was either heard or seen of their opponent (так как их врага не было ни видно, ни слышно), and they hoped that time had cooled his vindictiveness (и они надеялись, что время остудило его мстительность; vindictive — мстительный).
