And his mount! How can earthly words describe it! It towered ten feet at the shoulder; had four legs on either side; a broad flat tail, larger at the tip than at the root, and which it held straight out behind while running; a gaping mouth which split its head from its snout to its long, massive neck.
Like its master, it was entirely devoid of hair, but was of a dark slate color and exceeding smooth and glossy. Its belly was white, and its legs shaded from the slate of its shoulders and hips to a vivid yellow at the feet. The feet themselves were heavily padded and nailless, which fact had also contributed to the noiselessness of their approach, and, in common with a multiplicity of legs, is a characteristic feature of the fauna of Mars. The highest type of man and one other animal, the only mammal existing on Mars, alone have well-formed nails, and there are absolutely no hoofed animals in existence there.
Behind this first charging demon trailed nineteen others (следом за первым нападающим демоном тянулись девятнадцать других), similar in all respects (подобные /ему/ во всех отношениях), but, as I learned later, bearing individual characteristics peculiar to themselves (но, как я узнал позднее, имеющие индивидуальные характеристики, свойственные только им); precisely as no two of us are identical (точно так же, как не бывает двух из нас, совершенно одинаковых) although we are all cast in a similar mold (хотя все мы созданы по одному подобию: «отлиты по схожей форме»; to cast — лить, отливать; similar — похожий, подобный; mold — форма). This picture, or rather materialized nightmare (эта картина, или скорее, материализовавшийся кошмар), which I have described at length (которую я так подробно описал; at length — детально, подробно), made but one terrible and swift impression on me as I turned to meet it (произвела на меня лишь единое ужасающее и молниеносное впечатление, когда я повернулся, и она предстала передо мной; swift— быстрый; незамедлительный).
peculiar [pI'kjHljq], although [Ll'Dou], nightmare ['naItmeq]
Behind this first charging demon trailed nineteen others, similar in all respects, but, as I learned later, bearing individual characteristics peculiar to themselves; precisely as no two of us are identical although we are all cast in a similar mold. This picture, or rather materialized nightmare, which I have described at length, made but one terrible and swift impression on me as I turned to meet it.
Unarmed and naked as I was (хотя я был нагим и безоружным), the first law of nature manifested itself (основной закон природы проявил себя) in the only possible solution of my immediate problem (/дав/ мне единственно возможное решение моей непосредственной проблемы; solution — решение; разрешение), and that was to get out of the vicinity of the point of the charging spear (а оно состояло в том, чтобы убраться за пределы досягаемости острия нацеленного на меня копья; vicinity — соседство, близость; to charge — нападать, атаковать). Consequently I gave a very earthly and at the same time superhuman leap (в результате я совершил очень земной и в то же время сверхчеловеческий прыжок; consequently — следовательно, в результате) to reach the top of the Martian incubator (чтобы допрыгнуть до верха марсианского инкубатора; to reach — достичь), for such I had determined it must be (так именно этим, я решил, он должен быть).
immediate [I'mJdjqt], vicinity [vI'sInItI], consequently ['kOnsIkwqntlI]
Unarmed and naked as I was, the first law of nature manifested itself in the only possible solution of my immediate problem, and that was to get out of the vicinity of the point of the charging spear. Consequently I gave a very earthly and at the same time superhuman leap to reach the top of the Martian incubator, for such I had determined it must be.
My effort was crowned with a success (мое усилие увенчалось успехом; to crown — венчать; увенчивать; crown — венок; корона) which appalled me no less than it seemed to surprise the Martian warriors (который ужаснул меня не менее сильно, чем, как казалось, удивил марсианских воинов; to appall — ужасать, устрашать), for it carried me fully thirty feet into the air (так как оно /усилие/ подняло меня в воздух на целых тридцать футов) and landed me a hundred feet from my pursuers and on the opposite side of the enclosure (и опустило меня в ста футах от моих преследователей на противоположную сторону ограждения).
I alighted upon the soft moss easily and without mishap (я опустился на мягкий мох легко и благополучно; to alight — опускаться, спускаться; mishap — неудача; without mishap — благополучно), and turning saw my enemies lined up along the further wall (и, повернувшись, увидел, что мои враги выстроились в ряд вдоль дальней стены). Some were surveying me with expressions (некоторые рассматривали меня с выражением; to survey — обозревать, рассматривать), which I afterward discovered, marked extreme astonishment (которое, как я позже обнаружил, означало крайнее удивление), and the others were evidently satisfying themselves that I had not molested their young (а другие, по-видимому, были довольны тем, что я не потревожил их детенышей; to satisfy — удовлетворять; доставлять удовольствие; to molest — приставать, досаждать).
survey [sW'veI], astonishment [qs'tOnISmqnt], molest [mo'lest]
My effort was crowned with a success which appalled me no less than it seemed to surprise the Martian warriors, for it carried me fully thirty feet into the air and landed me a hundred feet from my pursuers and on the opposite side of the enclosure.
I alighted upon the soft moss easily and without mishap, and turning saw my enemies lined up along the further wall. Some were surveying me with expressions, which I afterward discovered, marked extreme astonishment and the others were evidently satisfying themselves that I had not molested their young.
They were conversing together in low tones (они переговаривались между собой тихими голосами; to converse — разговаривать), and gesticulating and pointing toward me (жестикулируя и указывая на меня). Their discovery that I had not harmed the little Martians (то, что они заметили, что я не нанес вреда маленьким марсианам; discovery — обнаружение, раскрытие; to discover — обнаруживать), and that I was unarmed (и что я был не вооружен), must have caused them to look upon me with less ferocity (должно быть, заставило их смотреть на меня менее свирепо: «с меньшей свирепостью»); but, as I was to learn later, the thing which weighed most in my favor was my exhibition of hurdling (но, как мне предстояло узнать позднее, самым важным обстоятельством, которое послужило мне на пользу, стала моя демонстрация прыжков; to weigh — взвешивать; иметь вес, влиять; hurdling — барьерный бег).
gesticulate [Ges'tIkjuleIt], unarmed ['An'Q: md], hurdling ['hWdlIN]
They were conversing together in low tones, and gesticulating and pointing toward me. Their discovery that I had not harmed the little Martians, and that I was unarmed, must have caused them to look upon me with less ferocity; but, as I was to learn later, the thing which weighed most in my favor was my exhibition of hurdling.
While the Martians are immense (так как марсиане огромны; immense — безмерный, очень большой, огромный), their bones are very large (то кости их очень большие) and they are muscled only in proportion to the gravitation which they must overcome (и их мускулатура развита всего лишь пропорциональна силе притяжения, которую они должны преодолевать). The result is that they are infinitely less agile and less powerful (результатом является то, что они гораздо менее проворны и сильны; infinitely — бесконечно, безгранично; agile — подвижный), in proportion to their weight, than an Earth man (по отношению к их весу, чем земной человек), and I doubt that were one of them suddenly to be transported to Earth (и я сомневаюсь в том, что если бы один из них был внезапно перенесен на Землю) he could lift his own weight from the ground (что он смог бы поднять свой собственный вес от земли); in fact, I am convinced that he could not do so (фактически, я убежден, что он не смог бы сделать это).
gravitation ["grxvI'teISn], transport [trxns'pO: t], weight [weIt]
While the Martians are immense, their bones are very large and they are muscled only in proportion to the gravitation which they must overcome. The result is that they are infinitely less agile and less powerful, in proportion to their weight, than an Earth man, and I doubt that were one of them suddenly to be transported to Earth he could lift his own weight from the ground; in fact, I am convinced that he could not do so.
My feat then was as marvelous upon Mars as it would have been upon Earth (мое достижение, таким образом, было таким же чудесным на Марсе, каким оно было бы на Земле; feat — подвиг; ловкий трюк, проделка), and from desiring to annihilate me (и от желания уничтожить меня; to annihilate — уничтожать) they suddenly looked upon me as a wonderful discovery (они внезапно /пришли к тому, что/ стали смотреть на меня, как на чудесное открытие) to be captured and exhibited among their fellows (которое следует захватить и продемонстрировать своим сотоварищам; to exhibit — показывать; выставлять; экспонировать на выставке).
The respite my unexpected agility had given me (передышка, которую моя неожиданная ловкость дала мне; respite — передышка, отсрочка) permitted me to formulate plans for the immediate future (позволила мне построить: «сформулировать» планы на ближайшее будущее) and to note more closely the appearance of the warriors (и внимательнее присмотреться к внешности воинов), for I could not disassociate these people in my mind (потому что я не мог отделить в своем сознании этих людей) from those other warriors who, only the day before, had been pursuing me (от тех других воинов, которые всего лишь день тому назад преследовали меня).
marvellous ['mRvIlqs], annihilate [q'naIqleIt], appearance [q'pIqrqns]
My feat then was as marvelous upon Mars as it would have been upon Earth, and from desiring to annihilate me they suddenly looked upon me as a wonderful discovery to be captured and exhibited among their fellows.
The respite my unexpected agility had given me permitted me to formulate plans for the immediate future and to note more closely the appearance of the warriors, for I could not disassociate these people in my mind from those other warriors who, only the day before, had been pursuing me.
I noted that each was armed with several other weapons (я заметил, что каждый был вооружен несколькими другими /видами/ оружия) in addition to the huge spear which I have described (в дополнение к огромному копью, которое я уже описал). The weapon which caused me to decide against an attempt at escape by flight (оружие, которое заставило меня отказаться от попытки спастись бегством; to decide against — отклонить, решить отрицательно); was evidently a rifle of some description (было, по-видимому, ружьем какого-то вида), and which I felt, for some reason (и с которым, я чувствовал, по какой-то причине), they were peculiarly efficient in handling (они обращались с особой ловкостью: «были особенно ловки в обращении»; peculiarly — особенно, больше обычного; efficient — действенный, результативный, эффективный; умелый; handling — обхождение, обращение; to handle— обходиться, обращаться).
