plunge [plAndZ], steadfast ['stedfQ:st], farewell [feq'wel]
I lost no time in explanation, but plunged immediately into a discussion of our plans for the immediate future. It was decided that I was to try to make Helium while Kantos Kan was to enter the palace and dispatch Sab Than. If successful he was then to follow me. He set my compass for me, a clever little device which will remain steadfastly fixed upon any given point on the surface of Barsoom, and bidding each other farewell we rose together and sped in the direction of the palace which lay in the route which I must take to reach Helium.
As we neared the high tower a patrol shot down from above (когда мы приблизились к высокой башне, сверху опустился патруль; to shoot — стрелять; внезапно появиться, пронестись, промелькнуть, промчаться), throwing its piercing searchlight full upon my craft (направляя пронизывающий /луч/ прожектора прямо на мое судно; searchlight — прожектор), and a voice roared out a command to halt (и голос проревел команду остановиться), following with a shot (за которой последовал выстрел) as I paid no attention to his hail (так как я не обратил внимания на его оклик). Kantos Kan dropped quickly into the darkness (Кантос Кан быстро нырнул в темноту; to drop — капать; падать; опускаться, снижаться), while I rose steadily and at terrific speed raced through the Martian sky (я же упорно поднимался и на ужасающей скорости мчался по марсианскому небу) followed by a dozen of the air-scout craft (преследуемый дюжиной судов воздушной разведки) which had joined the pursuit (которые присоединились к погоне), and later by a swift cruiser carrying a hundred men and a battery of rapid-fire guns (а затем и быстроходным крейсером, на борту которого было сто человек и батарея скорострельных орудий: «который нес…»). By twisting and turning my little machine (бросая из стороны в сторону и поворачивая свою маленькую машину), now rising and now falling (то поднимаясь, то опускаясь), I managed to elude their search-lights most of the time (я умудрялся избегать света их прожекторов бóльшую часть времени), but I was also losing ground by these tactics (но из-за этой тактики я также терял скорость: «сдавал позиции»; to lose ground — отступать, уступатьпространство), and so I decided to hazard everything (и поэтому я решил рискнуть всем; to hazard — рисковать, ставитьнакарту) on a straight-away course and leave the result to fate and the speed of my machine (/избрав/ прямой курс и предоставив итог судьбе и скорости моей машины).
searchlight ['sWtSlaIt], cruiser ['kru:zq], elude [I'lu:d]
As we neared the high tower a patrol shot down from above, throwing its piercing searchlight full upon my craft, and a voice roared out a command to halt, following with a shot as I paid no attention to his hail. Kantos Kan dropped quickly into the darkness, while I rose steadily and at terrific speed raced through the Martian sky followed by a dozen of the air-scout craft which had joined the pursuit, and later by a swift cruiser carrying a hundred men and a battery of rapid-fire guns. By twisting and turning my little machine, now rising and now falling, I managed to elude their search-lights most of the time, but I was also losing ground by these tactics, and so I decided to hazard everything on a straight-away course and leave the result to fate and the speed of my machine.
Kantos Kan had shown me a trick of gearing (Кантос Кан показал мне одну хитрость управления; to gear —включать, приводить в движение /механизм/; gear —шестерня; передаточный механизм, привод), which is known only to the navy of Helium (которая известна только морякам Гелиума), that greatly increased the speed of our machines (которая значительно увеличила скорость наших машин), so that I felt sure I could distance my pursuers (поэтому я был уверен, что смогу оставить далеко позади своих преследователей; to distance — оставлятьдалекопозади) if I could dodge their projectiles for a few moments (если я смогу уворачиваться от их снарядов несколько мгновений; to dodge — увертываться, уклоняться).
As I sped through the air the screeching of the bullets around me convinced me (пока я мчался в воздухе, свист пуль вокруг меня убеждал меня; to screech — скрипеть, визжать) that only by a miracle could I escape (что только чудом я могу спастись), but the die was cast (но жребий был брошен), and throwing on full speed I raced a straight course toward Helium (и, включив полную скорость, я мчался по прямому курсу к Гелиуму). Gradually I left my pursuers further and further behind (постепенно я оставлял своих преследователей все дальше и дальше сзади), and I was just congratulating myself on my lucky escape (и я уже поздравлял себя со счастливым избавлением), when a well-directed shot from the cruiser exploded at the prow of my little craft (когда меткий снаряд с крейсера взорвался у носа моего маленького суденышка; well-directed — меткий, точный; shot — выстрел; снаряд). The concussion nearly capsized her (сотрясение почти опрокинуло его; concussion — сотрясение, удар; to capsize — опрокидывать), and with a sickening plunge she hurtled downward through the dark night (и с вызывающим дурноту броском оно ринулось вниз сквозь мрак ночи).
gearing ['gIqrIN], pursuer [pq'sju:q], congratulating [kqn"grxtju'leItIN], capsize [kxp'saIz]
Kantos Kan had shown me a trick of gearing, which is known only to the navy of Helium, that greatly increased the speed of our machines, so that I felt sure I could distance my pursuers if I could dodge their projectiles for a few moments.
As I sped through the air the screeching of the bullets around me convinced me that only by a miracle could I escape, but the die was cast, and throwing on full speed I raced a straight course toward Helium. Gradually I left my pursuers further and further behind, and I was just congratulating myself on my lucky escape, when a well-directed shot from the cruiser exploded at the prow of my little craft. The concussion nearly capsized her, and with a sickening plunge she hurtled downward through the dark night.
How far I fell before I regained control of the plane (насколько низко я упал, прежде чем вновь обрел контроль над самолетом) I do not know, but I must have been very close to the ground (я не знаю, но я, должно быть, находился очень близко от земли) when I started to rise again (когда я начал подниматься снова), as I plainly heard the squealing of animals below me (так как я ясно слышал визг животных подо мной). Rising again I scanned the heavens for my pursuers (поднявшись вновь, я осмотрел небеса /в поисках/ своих преследователей), and finally making out their lights far behind me (и, наконец, разглядев их огни далеко позади себя; to make out — разобрать, увидеть), saw that they were landing, evidently in search of me (увидел, что они приземляются, очевидно, разыскивая меня).
plainly ['pleInlI], scan [skxn], landing ['lxndIN]
How far I fell before I regained control of the plane I do not know, but I must have been very close to the ground when I started to rise again, as I plainly heard the squealing of animals below me. Rising again I scanned the heavens for my pursuers, and finally making out their lights far behind me, saw that they were landing, evidently in search of me.
Not until their lights were no longer discernible (и только после того, как их огни были более неразличимы) did I venture to flash my little lamp upon my compass (я отважился осветить маленькой лампой свой компас), and then I found to my consternation (и тогда я обнаружил к своему ужасу; consternation— ужас; испуг; оцепенение /от страха/) that a fragment of the projectile had utterly destroyed my only guide (что осколок снаряда полностью уничтожил мой единственный указатель), as well as my speedometer (а также мой спидометр). It was true I could follow the stars in the general direction of Helium (правда, я мог следовать по звездам в общем направлении к Гелиуму), but without knowing the exact location of the city (но, не зная точного расположения города) or the speed at which I was traveling (или скорости, с которой я путешествовал) my chances for finding it were slim (мои шансы найти его были ничтожны; slim— стройный, тонкий, худой /обыкн. о людях, животных/; /разг./ слабый, скудный, небольшой, незначительный).
discernible [dI'sWnqbl], consternation ["kOnstq'neIS(q)n], speedometer [spI'dOmItq]
Not until their lights were no longer discernible did I venture to flash my little lamp upon my compass, and then I found to my consternation that a fragment of the projectile had utterly destroyed my only guide, as well as my speedometer. It was true I could follow the stars in the general direction of Helium, but without knowing the exact location of the city or the speed at which I was traveling my chances for finding it were slim.
