"How do we know which animals to shoot?"
"They're marked with red paint," said Travis. "Today, before our journey, we sent Lesperance here back with the Machine. He came to this particular era and followed certain animals."
"Studying them?"
"Right," said Lesperance. "I track them through their entire existence, noting which of them lives longest. Very few. How many times they mate. Not often. Life's short, When I find one that's going to die when a tree falls on him, or one that drowns in a tar pit, I note the exact hour, minute, and second. I shoot a paint bomb. It leaves a red patch on his side. We can't miss it. Then I correlate our arrival in the Past so that we meet the Monster not more than two minutes before he would have died anyway. This way, we kill only animals with no future, that are never going to mate again. You see how careful we are?"
"But if you come back this morning in Time (но если вы ездили этим утром назад во времени)," said Eckels eagerly (горячо, взволнованно), you must've bumped into us (вы должны были наткнуться на нас: to bump — удариться, врезаться), our Safari! How did it turn out (как оно /сафари/ прошло)? Was it successful (было успешным)? Did all of us get through — alive (все мы прошли через это и остались живы)?"
Travis and Lesperance gave each other a look (переглянулись).
"That'd be a paradox (это был бы парадокс)," said the latter. "Time doesn't permit that sort of mess (время не допускает такой путаницы) — a man meeting himself (человек, встречающий самого себя). When such occasions threaten (когда такие случаи угрожают = когда возникает угроза таких случаев), Time steps aside (время отходит в сторону). Like an airplane hitting an air pocket (как самолет, попадающий в воздушную яму: air — воздух, pocket — карман, мешок, air pocket — воздушная яма). You felt the Machine jump just before we stopped (вы почувствовали, как машина подпрыгнула как раз перед тем, как мы остановились)? That was us passing ourselves on the way back to the Future (это мы миновали самих себя по пути назад в Будущее). We saw nothing (мы ничего не видели). There's no way of telling if this expedition was a success (невозможно рассказать, была ли эта экспедиция успешной), if we got our monster (получили ли мы = убили ли своего монстра), or whether all of us — meaning you, Mr. Eckels — got out alive (или вернулись ли все мы — имея в виду вас, мистер Экельс, живыми: to get out — выходить)."
Eckels smiled palely (бледно улыбнулся).
"Cut that (прекратите)," said Travis sharply (резко). "Everyone on his feet (все на ноги = всем встать)!"
They were ready to leave the Machine (они были готовы покинуть Машину).
"But if you come back this morning in Time," said Eckels eagerly, you must've bumped into us, our Safari! How did it turn out? Was it successful? Did all of us get through-alive?"
Travis and Lesperance gave each other a look.
"That'd be a paradox," said the latter. "Time doesn't permit that sort of mess — a man meeting himself. When such occasions threaten, Time steps aside. Like an airplane hitting an air pocket. You felt the Machine jump just before we stopped? That was us passing ourselves on the way back to the Future. We saw nothing. There's no way of telling if this expedition was a success, if we got our monster, or whether all of us — meaning you, Mr. Eckels — got out alive."
Eckels smiled palely.
"Cut that," said Travis sharply. "Everyone on his feet!"
They were ready to leave the Machine.
The jungle was high (джунгли были высокими) and the jungle was broad (широкими) and the jungle was the entire world forever and forever (были целым миром навеки). Sounds like music and sounds like flying tents filled the sky (звуки, подобные музыке, и звуки, подобные летающим палаткам = хлопанью парусины наполняли небо), and those were pterodactyls soaring with cavernous gray wings (и это были птеродактили, парящие на пористых серых крыльях), gigantic bats of delirium and night fever (гигантские летучие мыши из бреда и ночного кошмара: fever — жар, лихорадка).
Eckels, balanced on the narrow Path (балансировавший на узкой Тропе), aimed his rifle playfully (прицелился из своей винтовки в шутку).
"Stop that!" said Travis. "Don't even aim for fun (даже ради шутки не цельтесь), blast you (черт вас побери: to blast — проклинать)! If your guns should go off (если ваши ружья выстрелят) — "
Eckels flushed (покраснел). "Where's our Tyrannosaurus (где наш тиранозавр)?"
Lesperance checked his wristwatch (посмотрел на свои наручные часы: to check — проверять). "Up ahead (впереди). We'll bisect his trail in sixty seconds (мы пересечем его след через шестьдесят секунд: to bisect — делить пополам, разрезать). Look for the red paint (ищите красную краску = красное пятно)! Don't shoot till we give the word (не стреляйте, пока мы не дадим команду: to give word — отдать распоряжение). Stay on the Path (оставайтесь на Тропе). Stay on the Path!"
They moved forward in the wind of morning (они двинулись навстречу утреннему ветру).
The jungle was high and the jungle was broad and the jungle was the entire world forever and forever. Sounds like music and sounds like flying tents filled the sky, and those were pterodactyls soaring with cavernous gray wings, gigantic bats of delirium and night fever.
Eckels, balanced on the narrow Path, aimed his rifle playfully.
"Stop that!" said Travis. "Don't even aim for fun, blast you! If your guns should go off — "
Eckels flushed. "Where's our Tyrannosaurus?"
Lesperance checked his wristwatch. "Up ahead, We'll bisect his trail in sixty seconds. Look for the red paint! Don't shoot till we give the word. Stay on the Path. Stay on the Path!"
They moved forward in the wind of morning.
"Strange (странно)," murmured (пробормотал) Eckels. "Up ahead, sixty million years (впереди шестьдесят миллионов лет), Election Day over (день выборов прошел). Keith made President (Кейт стал Президентом: одно из значений слова to make — становиться). Everyone celebrating (все празднуют). And here we are (и вот мы здесь), a million years lost (миллиона лет нет: lost — потерянный), and they don't exist (и они не существуют). The things we worried about for months, a lifetime (вещи, о которых мы беспокоились месяцами, всю жизнь), not even born or thought of yet (даже не появились на свет или о них еще и не думали)."
"Safety catches off, everyone (всем снять ружья с предохранителя: safety catch — предохранительная задвижка)!" ordered (приказал) Travis. "You, first shot (ваш первый выстрел), Eckels. Second, Billings, Third, Kramer."
"I've hunted tiger, wild boar, buffalo, elephant (я охотился на тигра, дикого кабана, буйвола, слона), but now, this is it (но сейчас другое дело: this is it — 1) вот оно; началось 2) вот и все; и больше к этому нечего добавить)," said Eckels. "I'm shaking like a kid (я дрожу как ребенок: kid — козленок, ребенок /разг./)."
"Ah," said Travis.
Everyone stopped (все остановились).
Travis raised his hand (поднял руку). "Ahead (впереди)," he whispered (прошептал). "In the mist (в тумане). There he is. There's His Royal Majesty now (вот Его Королевское Величество сейчас)."
The jungle was wide (джунгли были обширными) and full of twitterings, rustlings, murmurs, and sighs (и полными щебетания, шорохов, бормотания и вздохов).
Suddenly it all ceased (внезапно все прекратилось), as if someone had shut a door (как будто кто-то закрыл дверь).
Silence (тишина).
A sound of thunder (звук грома).
"Strange," murmured Eckels. "Up ahead, sixty million years, Election Day over. Keith made President. Everyone celebrating. And here we are, a million years lost, and they don't exist. The things we worried about for months, a lifetime, not even born or thought of yet."
"Safety catches off, everyone!" ordered Travis. "You, first shot, Eckels. Second, Billings, Third, Kramer."
