length [leŋƟ], crafty [krɑ: ftɪ], jealous [ˈʤeləs]
Behind him lay the dense jungles of the black lands beyond Kush, where fantastic orchids blazed amid foliage of somber dark green, where fierce black tribes hacked a precarious living out of the smothering bush, and where the silence of the dank, shadowed jungle pathways was broken only by the coughing snarl of the hunting leopard, the grunt of the wild pig, the brassy trumpeting of the elephant, or the sudden scream of an angered ape. For over a year, Conan had dwelt there as the war chief of the powerful Bamula tribe. At length the crafty black priests, jealous of his rise to power and resentful of his undisguised contempt for their bloodthirsty gods and their cruel, sanguinary rites, had poisoned the minds of the Bamula warriors against their white-skinned leader.
It had come about in this wise (это произошло таким образом; to come about — происходить, случаться). A time of long, unbroken drought had come upon the tribes of the jungle (время долгой непрерывной засухи навалилось на племена джунглей; to come upon — напасть на, навалиться на). With the shrinking of the rivers and the drying up of the water holes had come red, roaring war (с пересыханием рек и высыханием водяных скважин пришла кровавая, яростная война), as the ebon tribes locked in desperate battle to secure the few remaining sources of the precious fluid (когда черные: «эбеновые» племена сцепились в отчаянной битве, чтобы защитить немногие оставшиеся запасы драгоценной жидкости). Villages went up in flame; whole clans had been slaughtered and left to rot (поселки сгорали в пламени, целые кланы были убиты и оставлены на вымирание; to rot — гнить, разлагаться; деградировать). Then, in the wake of drought, famine, and war, had come plague to sweep the land (затем после засухи, голода и войны пришла чума, чтобы вымести землю = пронестись / пройтись метлой по земле; to sweep — сметать, смывать, «смахивать», сбрасывать интенсивным движением, нестись, мчаться, проноситься; in the wake of — на поводу у, в кильватере, впоследствии).
drought [draut], war [wɔ: ], famine [ˈfæmɪn]
It had come about in this wise. A time of long, unbroken drought had come upon the tribes of the jungle. With the shrinking of the rivers and the drying up of the water holes had come red, roaring war, as the ebon tribes locked in desperate battle to secure the few remaining sources of the precious fluid. Villages went up in flame; whole clans had been slaughtered and left to rot. Then, in the wake of drought, famine, and war, had come plague to sweep the land.
The malicious tongues of the cunning priests laid these terrors to Conan (злые языки хитроумных жрецов свалили эти ужасы на Конана / приписали эти ужасы Конану). It was he, they swore, who had brought these disasters upon Bamula (это был он = именно он, клялись они, /кто/ принес эти бедствия /на/ Бамуле;[13] to swear). The gods were angry that a pale-skinned outlander had usurped the ornate stool of a long line of Bamula chieftains (боги были сердиты, что бледнолицый[14] иноземец узурпировал богато украшенное кресло длинной череды бамульских вождей). Conan, they persisted, must be flayed and slain with a thousand ingenious torments upon the black altars of the devil-gods of the jungle (с Конана, настаивали они, нужно содрать кожу и убить тысячей изобретательных пыток на черных алтарях дьявольских божков джунглей; to flay — свежевать, сдирать кожу), or all the people would perish (или все люди погибнут).
malicious [məˈɪʃəls], stool [stu: l], disaster [dɪˈzɑ: stə]
The malicious tongues of the cunning priests laid these terrors to Conan. It was he, they swore, who had brought these disasters upon Bamula. The gods were angry that a pale-skinned outlander had usurped the ornate stool of a long line of Bamula chieftains. Conan, they persisted, must be flayed and slain with a thousand ingenious torments upon the black altars of the devil-gods of the jungle, or all the people would perish.
Not relishing so grim a fate, Conan had made a swift, devastating reply (не одобряя такой ужасной участи, Конан дал быстрый разрушительный ответ). A thrust through the body with his great northern broadsword had finished the high priest (удар насквозь /тела/ его огромным северным палашом прикончил верховного жреца). Then he had toppled the bloodstained wooden idol of the Bamula deity upon the other shamans and fled into the darkness of the surrounding jungle (потом он опрокинул окровавленного деревянного идола бамульского божества на других шаманов и убежал во тьму окружающих джунглей; to flee — убегать, исчезать). He had groped his way for many weary leagues northward (он искал /свой/ путь много утомительных лиг к северу), until he reached the region where the crowding forest thinned out and gave way to the open grasslands (пока /не/ не достиг района, где теснящий = густой лес поредел и уступил открытым лугам; to give way — уступать, поддаваться, отступать). Now he meant to cross the savanna on foot to reach the kingdom of Kush (теперь он намеревался пересечь саванну пешком, чтобы достичь королевства Куш), where his barbaric strength and the weight of his sword might find him employment in the service of the dusky monarchs of that ancient land (где его варварская сила и вес его меча могли найти ему работу на службе /у/ смуглых монархов той древней земли; to mean — иметь в виду, подразумевать, намереваться).
reply [rɪˈplaɪ], priest [pri: st], ancient [ˈeɪnʃənt]
Not relishing so grim a fate, Conan had made a swift, devastating reply. A thrust through the body with his great northern broadsword had finished the high priest. Then he had toppled the bloodstained wooden idol of the Bamula deity upon the other shamans and fled into the darkness of the surrounding jungle. He had groped his way for many weary leagues northward, until he reached the region where the crowding forest thinned out and gave way to the open grasslands. Now he meant to cross the savanna on foot to reach the kingdom of Kush, where his barbaric strength and the weight of his sword might find him em- ployment in the service of the dusky monarchs of that ancient land.
Suddenly his thoughts were snatched away from contemplation of the past by a thrill of danger (вдруг его мысли были оторваны от размышлений о прошлом дрожью опасности; to snatch — срывать, вырывать). Some primal instinct of survival alerted him to the presence of peril (некий изначальный инстинкт выживания предупредил его о присутствии опасности). He halted and stared about him through the long shadows cast by the setting sun (он остановился и пристально посмотрел вокруг себя сквозь длинные тени, отбрасываемые заходящим солнцем; to stare — пристально смотреть, уставиться, вглядываться). As the hairs of his nape bristled with the touch of unseen menace, the giant barbarian searched the air with sensitive nostrils and probed the gloom with smoldering eyes (когда волоски /на/ /его/ затылке встали дыбом с = от касания невидимой угрозы, гигантский варвар исследовал воздух чувствительными ноздрями и прощупал мрак горящими глазами). Although he could neither see nor smell anything, the mysterious sense of danger of the wilderness-bred told him that peril was near (хотя он /не/ мог ни увидеть, ни учуять чего-либо / ничего, таинственное чувство опасности дико-взращенного = выросшего среди дикой природы поведало ему, что опасность /была/ близко). He felt the feathery touch of invisible eyes and he whirled to glimpse a pair of large orbs, glowing in the gloom (он ощутил легкое касание невидимых глаз, и он повернулся, чтобы увидеть пару больших глаз, пылающих во мраке; to feel — чувствовать (себя), ощущать).
primal [ˈpraɪməl], cast [kɑ: st], bristle [brɪsl]
Suddenly his thoughts were snatched away from contemplation of the past by a thrill of danger. Some primal instinct of survival alerted him to the presence of peril. He halted and stared about him through the long shadows cast by the setting sun. As the hairs of his nape bristled with the touch of unseen menace, the giant barbarian searched the air with sensitive nostrils and probed the gloom with smoldering eyes. Although he could neither see nor smell anything, the mysterious sense of danger of the wilderness-bred told him that peril was near. He felt the feathery touch of invisible eyes and he whirled to glimpse a pair of large orbs, glowing in the gloom.
Almost in the same instant, the blazing eyes vanished (почти в то же самое мгновение пылающие глаза исчезли). So short had been his glimpse and so utter the disappearance that he was tempted to shrug off the sight as a product of his imagination (таким кратким был его взгляд, и таким совершенным исчезновение, что он был склонен отбросить видение, как порождение его фантазии). He turned and went forward again, but now he was on the alert (он повернулся и пошел вперед снова, но теперь он был начеку; on the alert — начеку). As he continued his journey, flaming eyes opened again amid the thick shadows of dense grasses, to follow his silent progress (когда он продолжил свой путь, пылающие глаза раскрылись снова среди густых теней густой травы, чтобы проследить /за/ его безмолвным продвижением). Tawny, sinuous forms glided after him on soundless feet (темно-желтые волнистые формы скользнули за ним на бесшумных лапах; tawny — рыжевато- коричневый; темно-желтый). The lions of Kush were on his track, lusting for hot blood and fresh flesh (львы Куша были на его следе = шли по его следу, сильно желая горячей крови и свежего мяса; to be on the track of — преследовать, идти по следу, напасть на след кого-л., to lust for — страстно желать).
almost [ˈɔ: lməust], product [ˈprɔdəkt], again [əˈɡe(ɪ)n]
Almost in the same instant, the blazing eyes vanished. So short had been his glimpse and so utter the disappearance that he was tempted to shrug off the sight as a product of his imagination. He turned and went forward again, but now he was on the alert. As he continued his journey, flaming eyes opened again amid the thick shadows of dense grasses, to follow his silent progress. Tawny, sinuous forms glided after him on soundless feet. The lions of Kush were on his track, lusting for hot blood and fresh flesh.
2. The Circle of Death
(Кру г смерти)
An hour later, night had fallen over the savanna (часом позже ночь опустилась над саванной; to fall — падать), save for a narrow band of sunset glow along the western horizon (кроме узкой полосы закатного зарева вдоль западного горизонта), against which an occasional small, gnarled tree of the veldt stood up in black silhouette (на фоне которого случайное маленькое искривленное деревце степи поднималось черным силуэтом). And Conan had almost reached the limits of his endurance (а Конан почти достиг пределов своей выносливости). Thrice lionesses had rushed upon him out of the shadows to right or to left (трижды львицы набрасывались на него из теней справа или слева). Thrice he had driven them off with the flying death of his arrows (трижды он заставлял их отступить летящей смертью его стрел; to drive off — заставить отступить, сдерживать). Although it was hard to shoot straight in the gathering dark (хотя /это/ было трудно стрелять метко в собирающейся темноте), an explosive snarl from the charging cats had thrice told him of hits (несдержанный рык /от/ нападающих кошек трижды сообщал ему об ударах/выпадах), although he had no way of knowing whether he had slain or only wounded the deadly predators (хотя он имел никакого способа = хотя у него не было способа узнать убил ли он или только ранил смертоносных хищников).
