But Nah-chu-ru-chu paid no more attention to the gifts than to the smiles, and just kept weaving and weaving—such mantas as were never seen in the land of the Tiwa before or since.
Two of his admirers were sisters who were called the Yellow-Corn-Maidens. They were both young and pretty, but they "had the evil road," or were witches, possessed of a magic power which they always used for ill.
When all the other girls gave up (когда все другие девушки сдались), discouraged at Nah-chu-ru-chu's indifference (обескураженные безразличием Нах-чу-ру-чу), the Yellow-Corn-Maidens kept coming day after day (Желтые Кукурузы продолжали приходить день за днем), trying to win his notice (пытаясь заполучить его внимание; to win — добиться, получить). At last the matter became so annoying to Nah-chu-ru-chu (наконец, ситуация стала такой досадной/неприятной для Нах-чу-ру-чу; matter — вещество; вопрос, дело; to annoy — досаждать; докучать, надоедать, раздражать) that he hired the deep-voiced town crier (что он нанял городского глашатая с сильным голосом; deep voice — сильный: «глубокий» голос; to cry — кричать) to go through all the streets and announce (чтобы /он/ прошел по всем улицам и объявил) that in four days (что через четыре дня) Nah-chu-ru-chu would choose a wife (он выберет жену).
discourage [dIs`kArIG], indifference [In`dIf(q)rqns], crier [`kraIq], through [TrH], announce [q`nauns]
When all the other girls gave up, discouraged at Nah-chu-ru-chu's indifference, the Yellow-Corn-Maidens kept coming day after day, trying to win his notice. At last the matter became so annoying to Nah-chu-ru-chu that he hired the deep-voiced town crier to go through all the streets and announce that in four days Nah-chu-ru-chu would choose a wife.
For dippers to take water from the big earthen jars (для ковшей = в качестве ковшей, чтобы черпать воду из больших глиняных кувшинов), the Tiwa used then (тигуа пользовались тогда), as they use to-day (как /и/ сегодня), queer little omates made of a gourd (необычными маленькими оматэ, сделанными из тыквы). But Nah-chu-ru-chu, being a great medicineman (будучи великим колдуном) and very rich (и очень богатым), had a dipper of pure pearl (обладал ковшом из чистого жемчуга), shaped like the gourds (в форме тыквы; to shape — придавать форму; shape — форма), but wonderfully precious (но необыкновенно ценным).
jar [GR], gourd [guqd], queer [kwIq], pure [`pjHq], precious [`preSqs]
For dippers to take water from the big earthen jars, the Tiwa used then, as they use to-day, queer little omates made of a gourd. But Nah-chu-ru-chu, being a great medicineman and very rich, had a dipper of pure pearl, shaped like the gourds, but wonderfully precious.
"On the fourth day (на четвертый день)," proclaimed the crier (объявил глашатай), "Nah-chu-ru-chu will hang his pearl omate at his door (повесит свой жемчужный оматэ у своей двери), when every girl who will (когда каждая девушка, которая захочет/пожелает) may throw a handful of corn-meal at it (сможет бросить горсть кукурузной муки в него). And she (и та) whose meal is so well ground (чья мука так хорошо размолота; to grind) that it sticks to the omate (что прилипнет к оматэ), she shall be the wife of Nah-chu-ru-chu (станет женой Нах-чу-ру-чу)!"
proclaim [prq`kleIm], pearl [pWl], door [dL], handful [`hxndful]
"On the fourth day," proclaimed the crier, "Nah-chu-ru-chu will hang his pearl omate at his door, when every girl who will may throw a handful of corn-meal at it. And she whose meal is so well ground that it sticks to the omate, she shall be the wife of Nah-chu-ru-chu!"
When this strange news (когда эта странная весть) came rolling down the still evening air (громом прокатилась в тихом вечернем воздухе; to roll — катиться; рокотать /о громе/), there was a great scampering of little moccasined feet (/послышалось/ громкий топот маленьких ножек, /обутых/ в мокасины; to scamper — носиться, резво скакать /особ. о детях, животных и т. п./). The girls ran out from hundreds of gray adobe houses (девушки выбежали из сотен глинобитных домиков; to run out; adobe — саман /кирпич воздушной сушки, необожженный кирпич/; глинобитное строение, саманное строение) to catch every word (чтобы услышать: «поймать» каждое слово); and when the crier had passed on (и когда глашатай прошел мимо), they ran back into the store-rooms (они побежали назад в кладовые) and began to ransack the corn-bins (и начали рыться /в/ кукурузных закромах/ларях; to ransack — искать; обыскивать, обшаривать; рыться в поисках) for the biggest (в поисках самых крупных), evenest (самых ровных), and most perfect ears (и самых великолепных початков). Shelling the choicest (очистив самые отборные; choice — выбор; лучший, наилучший, отборный; высокого качества; shell — оболочка, корка; скорлупа; раковина; to shell — очищать от скорлупы; лущить), each took her few handfuls of kernels (каждая отнесла немногие отобранные зерна: «немногочисленные горсти зерен») to the sloping metate (на наклонные метате[12]) and with the mano (и при помощи мано), or hand-stone (или ручного камня), scrubbed the blue grist up and down and up and down (растирала голубые зерна вверх-вниз, вверх-вниз) till the hard corn was a soft blue meal (пока твердые зерна не стали нежной голубой мукой).
store [stL], ransack [`rxnsxk], perfect [`pWfIkt]
When this strange news came rolling down the still evening air, there was a great scampering of little moccasined feet. The girls ran out from hundreds of gray adobe houses to catch every word; and when the crier had passed on, they ran back into the store-rooms and began to ransack the corn-bins for the biggest, evenest, and most perfect ears. Shelling the choicest, each took her few handfuls of kernels to the sloping metate, and with the mano, or hand-stone, scrubbed the blue grist up and down and up and down till the hard corn was a soft blue meal.
All the next day (весь следующий день), and the next (и следующий), and the next, they ground it over and over again (они растирали ее снова и снова; to grind), until it grew finer than ever flour was before (пока она не стала тоньше, чем любая мука была до сих пор); and every girl felt sure (и каждая девушка почувствовала себя уверенной; to feel sure) that her meal would stick to the omate (что ее мука прилипнет к оматэ) of the handsome young weaver (красивого молодого ткача). The Yellow-Corn-Maidens worked hardest of all (Желтые Кукурузы работали усерднее всех); day and night for four days (днем и ночью в течение четырех дней) they ground and ground (они мололи и мололи), with all the magic spells they knew (со всеми волшебными заклинаниями /которые/ они знали).
grind [graInd], flour [flauq], yellow [`jelqu], magic [`mxGIk]
All the next day, and the next, and the next, they ground it over and over again, until it grew finer than ever flour was before; and every girl felt sure that her meal would stick to the omate of the handsome young weaver. The Yellow-Corn-Maidens worked hardest of all; day and night for four days they ground and ground, with all the magic spells they knew.
Now, in those far-off days (так вот, в те отдаленные дни = времена) the Moon had not gone into the sky to live (Луна еще не ушла жить на небо), but was a maiden of Isleta (но была девушкой /из/ Ислета). And a very beautiful girl she was (и очень красивой девушкой была она), but blind of one eye (но слепой на один глаз). She had long admired Nah-chu-ru-chu (она давно уже смотрела с восхищением на Нах-чу-ру-чу), but was always too maidenly (но всегда слишком скромно = была слишком скромна; maidenly — девичий, девический; подобающий девушке; скромный; maiden — дева, девица) to try to attract his attention (чтобы пытаться привлечь его внимание) as the other girls had done (как другие девушки делали); and at the time (а в то время) when the crier made his proclamation (когда глашатай делал свое объявление), she happened to be away at her father's ranch (она случайно оказалась вдали на ранчо своего отца; to happen to be — случайно оказаться где-либо). It was only upon the fourth day (лишь на четвертый день) that she returned to town (она вернулась в город), and in a few moments (а через несколько мгновений) the girls were to go with their meal (девушки собирались идти со своей мукой) to test it upon the magic dipper (чтобы опробовать ее на волшебном ковше).
beautiful [`bjHtIful], attract [q`trxkt], ranch [rRnC], meal [mJl]
Now, in those far-off days the Moon had not gone into the sky to live, but was a maiden of Isleta. And a very beautiful girl she was, but blind of one eye. She had long admired Nah-chu-ru-chu, but was always too maidenly to try to attract his attention as the other girls had done; and at the time when the crier made his proclamation, she happened to be away at her father's ranch. It was only upon the fourth day that she returned to town, and in a few moments the girls were to go with their meal to test it upon the magic dipper.
The two Yellow-Corn-Maidens were just coming from their house (две Желтые Кукурузы как раз выходили из своего дома) as she passed (когда она прошла мимо), and they told her (и они сообщили ей) what was to be done (что нужно было сделать). They were very confident of success (они были очень уверены в успехе), and hoped to hurt her (и надеялись обидеть ее). They laughed derisively (они засмеялись насмешливо) as she went running to her home (когда она побежала к себе домой).
told [tOld], done [dAn], confident [`kOnfId(q)nt], success [sqk`ses], derisive [dI`raIzIv]
The two Yellow-Corn-Maidens were just coming from their house as she passed, and they told her what was to be done. They were very confident of success, and hoped to hurt her. They laughed derisively as she went running to her home.
By this time a long file of girls (к этому времени длинная колонна девушек) was coming to Nah-chu-ru-chu's house (подходила к дому Нах-чу-ру-чу), outside whose door hung the pearl omate (с внешней стороны двери которого висело жемчужное оматэ). Each girl carried in her hand a little jar of meal (каждая девушка несла в своей руке маленькую банку с мукой). As they passed the door (когда они проходили мимо двери), one by one (одна за другой), each took from the jar a handful (каждая брала из банки горсть /муки/) and threw it against the magic dipper (и бросала ее о волшебный ковш; to throw). But each time the meal dropped to the ground (но каждый раз мука падала на землю), and left the pure pearl undimmed (и оставляла чистый жемчуг незамутненным; to dim — тускнеть, терять яркость; затемнять, затуманивать; притуплять) and radiant as ever (и сияющим, как всегда).
threw [TrH], undimmed [An`dImd], radiant [`reIdjqnt]
By this time a long file of girls was coming to Nah-chu-ru-chu's house, outside whose door hung the pearl omate. Each girl carried in her hand a little jar of meal. As they passed the door, one by one, each took from the jar a handful and threw it against the magic dipper. But each time the meal dropped to the ground, and left the pure pearl undimmed and radiant as ever.
At last came the Yellow-Corn-Maidens (наконец подошли Желтые Кукурузы), who had waited to watch the failure of the others (которые ждали, чтобы понаблюдать за неудачами других; to fail — потерпеть неудачу; не иметь успеха). As they came (когда они приблизились /туда/) where they could see Nah-chu-ru-chu sitting at his loom (откуда они могли видеть Нах-чу-ру-чу, сидящего за своим ткацким станком), they called (они прокричали): "Ah (ах)! here we have the meal that will stick (вот у нас есть мука, которая прилипнет)!" and each threw a handful at the omate (и каждая бросила горсть в оматэ). But it did not stick at all (но она/мука не прилипла вовсе); and still from his seat (и все еще со своего места) Nah-chu-ru-chu could see (Нах-чу-ру-чу мог видеть), in the shell's mirror-like surface (на зеркальной поверхности ковша: «раковины»; shell — раковина /моллюсков/; панцирь), all that went on outside (все, что происходило снаружи; to go on — происходить, случаться)
