temple [templ], whole [həul], immense [ɪˈmens]
The castle was of staggering size, even to one who had seen the temple of the spider-god at Yezud in Zamora and the palace of King Yildiz at Aghrapur in Turan. A good part of it — one whole wing, in fact — had fallen into a featureless mass of tumbled black blocks, but the part that remained more or less intact was still the largest building that Conan had seen. Its antiquity was beyond guessing. The black onyx of which it was wrought was unlike any stone that Conan had seen in this part of the world. It must have been brought across immense distances — why, Conan could not imagine.
Some features of the bizarre architecture of the structure reminded Conan of ancient tombs in accursed Zamora (некоторые черты причудливой архитектуры строения напоминали Конану древние могилы в проклятой Заморе; to curse — проклинать). Others suggested forbidden temples that he had glimpsed in far Hyrkania during his mercenary service with the Turanians (другие напоминали запретные храмы, которые он видел в далекой Гиркании во время своей службы наемником у туранцев; to forbid — запрещать; to glimpse — бегло взглянуть, увидеть мельком). But whether the black castle had been erected primarily as a tomb, a fortress, a palace, or a temple (но был ли возведен черный замок первоначально как мавзолей, крепость, дворец или храм), or some combination of these, he could not tell (или какая-нибудь комбинация этих = их, он не мог сказать).
bizarre [bɪˈzɑ: ], during [ˈdjuərɪŋ], tell [tel]
Some features of the bizarre architecture of the structure reminded Conan of ancient tombs in accursed Zamora. Others suggested forbidden temples that he had glimpsed in far Hyrkania during his mercenary service with the Turanians. But whether the black castle had been erected primarily as a tomb, a fortress, a palace, or a temple, or some combination of these, he could not tell.
Then, too, there was a disturbing alienage about the castle that made him obscurely uneasy (там также /там/ была = ощущалась тревожная чуждость в отношении замка, которая сделала его смутно беспокойным = которая вызвала у него смутное беспокойство). Even as the facades seemed to have been built according to the canons of some alien geometry, so the interior contained baffling features (даже фасады, казалось, были построены согласно канонам какой-то чуждой геометрии, поэтому внутренняя часть содержала загадочные: «сбивающие с толку, поражающие» черты). The steps of the stairways, for example, were much broader and shallower than was required for human feet (ступени лестниц, например, были гораздо шире и чаще, чем требовалось для человеческих ступней; shallow — мелкий, мелководный; неглубокий; плоский). The doorways were too tall and too narrow, so that Conan had to turn sideways to get through them (дверные проемы были слишком высокими и слишком узкими, так что Конан имел = Конану приходилось поворачиваться боком, чтобы пройти через них; had to do — приходилось делать).
example [ɪɡˈzɑ: mpl], human [ˈhju: mən], tall [tɔ: l]
Then, too, there was a disturbing alienage about the castle that made him obscurely uneasy. Even as the facades seemed to have been built according to the canons of some alien geometry, so the interior contained baffling features. The steps of the stairways, for example, were much broader and shallower than was required for human feet. The doorways were too tall and too narrow, so that Conan had to turn sideways to get through them.
The walls were sculptured in low relief with coiling, geometrical arabesques of baffling, hypnotic complexity (стены были украшены барельефом: «низеим рельефом» со спиралеобразными, геометрическими арабесками сбивающей с толку, гипнотической сложности; sculptured — украшенный скульптурами; to coil — свертывать(ся) кольцом). Conan found that he had to wrench his gaze away from the sculptured walls by force of will (Конан обнаружил, что он имел = ему приходилось отрывать свой взгляд от украшенных скульптурами стен волевым усилием; to find — находить, обнаруживать; force — сила; will — воля), lest his mind be entrapped and held by the cryptic symbols formed by the writhing lines (чтобы его ум /не/ был захвачен и прикован непонятными символами, образованными змеевидными линиями; cryptic — загадочный, таинственный; непонятный).
low [ləu], relief [rɪˈli: f], hypnotic [hɪpˈnɔtɪk]
The walls were sculptured in low relief with coiling, geometrical arabesques of baffling, hypnotic complexity. Conan found that he had to wrench his gaze away from the sculptured walls by force of will, lest his mind be entrapped and held by the cryptic symbols formed by the writhing lines.
In fact, everything about this strange, baffling enigma in stone reminded Conan of serpents (по сути все в этой странной непостижимой загадке в = из камня напоминало Конану о змеях) — the winding corridors, the writhing decoration (извивающиеся коридоры, витиеватые украшения), and even, he thought, a faint trace of a musky, ophidian odor (и даже, он думал, слабый след мускусного змеиного запаха).
fact [fækt], strange [streɪnʤ], musky [ˈmʌskɪ]
In fact, everything about this strange, baffling enigma in stone reminded Conan of serpents — the winding corridors, the writhing decoration, and even, he thought, a faint trace of a musky, ophidian odor.
Conan halted, brows knotted (Конан остановился, брови нахмурены). Could this unknown ruin have been raised by the serpent folk of ancient Valusia? (могло /ли/ /быть, чтобы/ эти неизвестные руины были возведены змеиным народом древней Валузии?; could have been raised — возможно, был возведен — вероятность по отношению к действию в прошлом выражается could/may/might + have + причастие прошедшего времени, а если пассив, то после have идет been + причастие прошедшего времени) The day of that pre- human people lay an unthinkable interval in the past (день = дни этой дочеловеческого народа лежали = занимали невообразимый интервал /времени/ в прошлом), before the dawn of man himself, in the dim mists of time when giant reptiles ruled the earth (до истоков самого человека, в неясных туманах времени, когда гигантские рептилии правили землей). Or ever the Seven Empires arose in the days before the Cataclysm (еще раньше, чем Семь Империй возникли в дни до Катаклизма) — even before Atlantis arose from the depths of the Western Ocean — the serpent people had reigned (даже до того, как Атлантида поднялась из глубин Западного Океана — змеиный народ /уже/ царствовал; to arise — возникать, появляться). They had vanished long before the coming of man — but not entirely (они исчезли задолго до прихода человека — но не полностью).
folk [fəuk], people [pi: pl], depth [depƟ]
Conan halted, brows knotted. Could this unknown ruin have been raised by the serpent folk of ancient Valusia? The day of that pre-human people lay an unthinkable interval in the past, before the dawn of man himself, in the dim mists of time when giant reptiles ruled the earth. Or ever the Seven Empires arose in the days before the Cataclysm — even before Atlantis arose from the depths of the Western Ocean — the serpent people had reigned. They had vanished long before the coming of man — but not entirely.
Around the campfires in the bleak hills of Cimmeria and again in the marbled courts of the temples of Nemedia, Conan had heard the legend of Kull, the Atlantean king of Valusia (вокруг лагерных костров на стылых холмах Киммерии и снова в мраморных дворах храмов Немедии Конан слышал легенду о Кулле, атлантическом короле Валузии). The snake people had survived here and there by means of their magic (змеиный народ выжил кое-где: «здесь и там» посредством своей магии), which enabled them to appear to others as ordinary human beings (которая позволяла им являться другим как = в облике обычных людей; human beings — человеческие существа, люди). But Kull had stumbled upon their secret and had purged his realm clean of their taint, wiping them out with fire and sword (но Кулл наткнулся на их секрет и очистил свое королевство от их заразы, истребляя их огнем и мечом; to stumble upon — наткнуться на; to wipe out — истреблять, уничтожать).
snake [sneɪk], secret [ˈsi: krɪt], taint [teɪnt]
Around the campfires in the bleak hills of Cimmeria and again in the marbled courts of the temples of Nemedia, Conan had heard the legend of Kull, the Atlantean king of Valusia. The snake people had survived here and there by means of their magic, which enabled them to appear to others as ordinary human beings. But Kull had stumbled upon their secret and had purged his realm clean of their taint, wiping them out with fire and sword.
Still, might not the black castle, with its alien architecture, be a relic of that remote era (однако, не может ли черный замок с его чуждой архитектурой быть реликтом той далекой эры), when men contended for the rule of the planet with these reptilian survivors of lost ages (когда люди спорили за правление планетой с этими выжившими рептилиями затерянных эпох)?
relic [ˈrelɪk], remote [rɪˈməut], era [ˈɪərə]
Still, might not the black castle, with its alien architecture, be a relic of that remote era, when men contended for the rule of the planet with these reptilian survivors of lost ages?
5. Whispering Shadows
(Шепчущие тени)
The first thunderstorm missed the black castle (первая гроза промахнулась = прошла мимо черного замка). There was a brief patter of raindrops on the crumbling stonework (был = раздался недолгий стук дождевых капель по осыпающейся каменной кладке) and a trickle of water through holes in the roof (и /потекла/ струйка воды через отверстия в крыше). Then the lightning and thunder diminished as the storm passed off to westward (потом молния и гром утихли, когда гроза прошла на запад), leaving the moon to shine unobstructed once more through the gaps in the stone (позволяя луне посветить беспрепятственно еще раз через щели в камне). But other storms followed, muttering and flickering out of the east (но другие грозы последовали /за первой/, грохоча и сверкая с востока).
roof [ru: f], pass [pɑ: s], east [i: st]
The first thunderstorm missed the black castle. There was a brief patter of raindrops on the crumbling stonework and a trickle of water through holes in the roof. Then the lightning and thunder diminished as the storm passed off to westward, leaving the moon to shine unobstructed once more through the gaps in the stone. But other storms followed, muttering and flickering out of the east.
Conan slept uneasily in a corner of the balcony above the great hall, tossing and turning (Конан спал беспокойно в углу балкона над большим залом, мечась и ворочаясь) like some wary animal that dimly senses the approach of danger (как какое-то осторожное животное, которое смутно чувствует приближение опасности). Caution had made him suspicious of sleeping in the hall before the wide-open doors (осторожность сделала его подозрительным ко сну в зале = спать в зале перед широко раскрытыми дверьми показалось ему небезопасным; suspicious of — относящийся с недоверием к). Even though the circle of death seemed to bar the denizens of the plains, he did not trust the unseen force that held the beasts at bay (даже хотя круг смерти, казалось, преграждает путь обитателям равнин, он не доверял невидимой силе, которая удержала зверей от загнанной /в тупик/ жертвы).
