season ['sJzn], terrible ['terqbl], inhumane ["Inhju(:)'meIn], vehemently ['vJImqntlI],
apparently [q'pxr(q)ntlI]
“It was Gage who saw it first, whining and skulking around the house. He tried to drive it away. He threw sticks and small rocks at it, and hit it several times. But it wouldn't go. It smelled the food, of course. It was little more than a bag of bones. People put them out beside the road to die at the end of the summer season, you know. A terrible, inhumane thing.”
“Better to fry their nerves?” Halston asked.
Drogan ignored that and went on. He hated cats. He always had. When the cat refused to be driven away, he had instructed Gage to put out poisoned food. Large, tempting dishes of Calo cat food spiked with Tri-Dormal-G, as a matter of fact. The cat ignored the food. At that point Amanda Drogan had noticed the cat and had insisted they take it in. Drogan had protested vehemently, but Amanda — had gotten her way. She always did, apparently.
“But shefound out (но она поплатилась: «узнала = испытала все на себе»),” Drogan said. “She brought it inside herself, in her arms (она внесла его внутрь сама, на своих руках). It was purring, just as it is now (он = кот урчалтак же, как сейчас). But it wouldn't come near me (но он ни разу и близко не подходил ко мне). It never has... yet (он никогда /не подходил/ до сих пор). She poured it a saucer of milk (она налила ему молока в блюдце: «блюдце молока»). 'Oh, look at the poor thing, it's starving (о, посмотрите на бедняжку, она умирает с голоду),' she cooed (ворковала она). She and Carolyn both cooed over it (она и Кэролайн, обе ворковали над ним). Disgusting (отвратительно). It was their way of getting back at me, of course (несомненно, это был их способ отомстить мне; way — путь; способ; to get back at smb. — наказывать /кого-либо/; мстить /кому-либо/). They knew the way I've felt about felines (они знали, что я чувствую = какяотношусь к кошкам; way — путь; манера; способ; feline — животноеизсемействакошачьих; кошка; to know; to feel) ever since the Tri-Dormal-G testing program twenty years ago (со времени /проведения/ программы испытаний три-дормал-Ждвадцать лет назад). They enjoyed teasing me, baiting me with it (им нравилось дразнить меня, изводить меня этим; to bait — травить; дразнить; изводить).” He looked at Halston grimly (он мрачно взглянул на Хэлстона; grim — жестокий; страшный, мрачный). “But they paid (но они поплатились).”
In mid-May, Gage had gotten up to set breakfast and found Amanda Drogan lying at the foot of the main stairs in a litter of broken crockery and Little Friskies (в середине мая, Гейдж встал, чтобы подать завтрак, и нашел Аманду Дроган, лежащей у подножия главной лестницы среди осколков разбитой посуды и/кормадлякошек/ “Литл Фрискис”: «в мусоре из разбитой посуды и…»; to set — ставить; накрывать /на стол/). Her eyes bulged sightlessly up at the ceiling (ее глаза слепо выпячивались = таращились в потолок; to bulge — выдаваться, выпячиваться). She had bled a great deal from the mouth and nose (изо рта и из носа вытекло много крови; a great deal — много; to bleed — кровоточить; терять кровь). Her back was broken, both legs were broken (ее позвоночник был сломан, обе ноги были сломаны; back — спина; позвоночник; to break), and her neck had been literally shattered like glass (а шея была буквально раздробленной, как стекло).
saucer ['sLsq], both [bqVT], bulge [bAlG], literally ['lIt(q)rqlI]
“But she found out,” Drogan said. “She brought it inside herself, in her arms. It was purring, just as it is now. But it wouldn't come near me. It never has...yet. She poured it a saucer of milk. 'Oh, look at the poor thing, it's starving,' she cooed. She and Carolyn both cooed over it. Disgusting. It was their way of getting back at me, of course. They knew the way I've felt about felines ever since the Tri-Dormal-G testing program twenty years ago. They enjoyed teasing me, baiting me with it.” He looked at Halston grimly. “But they paid.”
In mid-May, Gage had gotten up to set breakfast and found Amanda Drogan lying at the foot of the main stairs in a litter of broken crockery and Little Friskies. Her eyes bulged sightlessly up at the ceiling. She had bled a great deal from the mouth and nose. Her back was broken, both legs were broken, and her neck had been literally shattered like glass.
“It slept in her room (он = кот спал в ее комнате; to sleep),” Drogan said. “She treated it like a baby (она обращалась с ним как с ребенком)... 'Is oo hungwy, darwing (/Are you hungry, darling/; ты голоден, дорогой)? Does oo need to go out and do poopoos (тебе нужно выйти на улицу и покакать; to do a poopoo употребляется в разговоре с детьми)!' Obscene, coming from an old battle-axlike my sister (/звучит/ вульгарно, /если/ исходит от /такой/ суровой старухи, как моя сестра; obscene — отвратительный; непристойный, вульгарный; battle-ax /амер., сленг/ — бой-баба). I think it woke her up, meowing (я думаю, он разбудил ее, мяукая = своим мяуканьем;to wake up). She got his dish (она взяла его миску). She used to say that Sam didn't really like his Friskies unless they were wetted down with a little milk (она часто говорила, что Сэму не очень нравится его “Фрискис”, если не дольешь немного молока: «не смочишь их = его небольшим количеством молока»; used to — вспом. глагол, обозначает регулярные, привычные действия или состояния в прошлом; really — действительно; очень; to wet — мочить, увлажнять). So she was planning to go downstairs (поэтому она собиралась сойти вниз; to plan — планировать; намереваться). The cat was rubbing against her legs (кот терся об ее ноги). She was old, not too steady on her feet (она была старой, не очень твердо /держалась/ на ногах). Half asleep (спросонок: «наполовину/почти спящая»). They got to the head of the stairs and the cat got in front of her... tripped her (они добрались до лестничной площадки и кот попал = бросился ей под ноги, сделал ей подножку; to get to — добраться до чего-либо; попасть /оказаться в каком-либо месте, положении/; head — голова; верхняя часть чего-либо покатого; to trip — спотыкаться; ставить подножку)...”
Yes, it could have happened that way, Halston thought (да, это могло произойти именно так, подумал Хэлстон). In his mind's eye he saw the old woman falling forward and outward, too shocked to scream (мысленно он представил: «своим мысленным взором он увидел» = /как/ старая женщина падает вперед /и вниз/, слишком потрясенная/пораженная, чтобы кричать; to see — видеть; вообразить, представить; outward — наружу, за пределы). The Friskies spraying out as she tumbled head over heels to the bottom (корм разлетается, когда она кувыркается = летит вверх тормашками вниз; to spray — брызгать, распылять; to tumble — падать; кувыркаться), the bowl smashing (миска разбивается вдребезги). At last she comes to rest at the bottom (наконец она останавливается у подножия /лестницы/;bottom — низ; основание), the old bones shattered, the eyes glaring (старые кости раздроблены, взгляд остекленевший;eye — глаз; взгляд; to glare— ослепительно сверкать; уставиться, пристально смотреть), the nose and ears trickling blood (из носа и ушей течет кровь; to trickle — течь тонкой струйкой, сочиться; капать). And the purring cat begins to work its way down the stairs (и мурлыкающий кот начинает прокладывать себе дорогу = пробираться вниз по лестнице; to work — работать; продвигаться, пробираться), contentedly munching Little Friskies (удовлетворенно = с удовольствием поедая “Литл Фрискис”; content — довольный; to munch — жевать, чавкать)...
obscene [Ob'sI(:)n], baffle ['bxfl], meow [mjH], thought [TLt], blood [blAd], munch [mAnC]
“It slept in her room,” Drogan said. “She treated it like a baby...'Is oo hungwy, darwing? Does oo need to go out and do poopoos!' Obscene, coming from an old baffle-ax like my sister. I think it woke her up, meowing. She got his dish. She used to say that Sam didn't really like his Friskies unless they were wetted down with a little milk. So she was planning to go downstairs. The cat was rubbing against her legs. She was old, not too steady on her feet. Half asleep. They got to the head of the stairs and the cat got in front of her... tripped her ...”
Yes, it could have happened that way, Halston thought. In his mind's eye he saw the old woman falling forward and outward, too shocked to scream. The Friskies spraying out as she tumbled head over heels to the bottom, the bowl smashing. At last she comes to rest at the bottom, the old bones shattered, the eyes glaring, the nose and ears trickling blood. And the purring cat begins to work its way down the stairs, contentedly munching Little Friskies...
