you [ju: ], wonder [ˈwʌndə], intelligent [ɪnˈtelɪʤənt]
"I've heard of you." Fresh interest quickened Balthus' gaze. No wonder the Pict had fallen victim to his own sort of subtlety! The Cimmerians were barbarians as ferocious as the Picts, and much more intelligent. Evidently Conan had spent much time among civilized men, though that contact had obviously not softened him, nor weakened any of his primitive instincts. Balthus' apprehension turned to admiration as he marked the easy catlike stride, the effortless silence with which the Cimmerian moved along the trail. The oiled links of his armor did not clink, and Balthus knew Conan could glide through the deepest thicket or most tangled copse as noiselessly as any naked Pict that ever lived.
"You're not a Gunderman (ты не гундер)?" It was more assertion than question (это было более утверждение, нежели вопрос).
Balthus shook his head (Балтус отрицательно покачал /его/ головой; to shake one’s head — покачать головой (отрицательно)).[31] "I'm from the Tauran (я из Таурана)."
"I've seen good woodsmen from the Tauran (я видел хороших лесовиков[32] из Таурана). But the Bossonians have sheltered you Aquilonians from the outer wilderness for too many centuries (но боссонцы защищают вас, аквилонцев, от внешней дикой местности уже слишком много веков; shelter — приют, кров; пристанище; to shelter — защищать, спасать, укрывать). You need hardening (вам надо закалиться)."
question [ˈkwesʧn], outer [ˈautə], many [ˈmenɪ]
"You're not a Gunderman?" It was more assertion than question. Balthus shook his head. "I'm from the Tauran."
"I've seen good woodsmen from the Tauran. But the Bossonians have sheltered you Aquilonians from the outer wilderness for too many centuries. You need hardening."
That was true (это было правдой); the Bossonian marches, with their fortiied villages filled with determined bowmen, had long served Aquilonia as a buffer against the outlying barbarians (Боссонская марка с их укрепленными поселками, заполненными решительными лучниками, давно служила Аквилонии как буфер = буферная территория от внешних варваров). Now among the settlers beyond Thunder River here was growing up a breed of forest men capable of meeting the barbarians at their own game, but their numbers were still scanty (теперь среди поселенцев за Громовой рекой здесь подрастала порода лесных людей, способных сойтись = помериться силой с варварами в их собственной игре / хитрости; to meet — схватиться, сойтись в схватке с, драться на дуэли с). Most of the frontiersmen were like Balthus — more of the settler than the woodsman type (большинство пограничников = жителей фронтира были, как Балтус — больше от поселенца, чем тип лесовика).
That was true; the Bossonian marches, with their fortiied villages filled with determined bowmen, had long served Aquilonia as a buffer against the outlying barbarians. Now among the settlers beyond Thunder River here was growing up a breed of forest men capable of meeting the barbarians at their own game, but their numbers were still scanty. Most of the frontiersmen were like Balthus — more of the settler than the woodsman type.
The sun had not set, but it was no longer in sight, hidden as it was behind the dense forest wall (солнце не село, но его уже не было видно: «оно было не дольше в видимости», так как оно было скрыто за плотной стеной леса; прилагательное + as it is / was — хотя, так как). The shadows were lengthening, deepening back in the woods as the companions strode on down the trail (тени были удлиняющимися = удлинялись, темнея сзади в лесу, когда спутники пошли дальше по тропе; to stride — шагать).
The sun had not set, but it was no longer in sight, hidden as it was behind the dense forest wall. The shadows were lengthening, deepening back in the woods as the companions strode on down the trail.
"It will be dark before we reach the fort," commented Conan casually; then: "Listen (/это/ будет темно = стемнеет до того, как мы доберемся до форта, — заметил Конан мимоходом, потом: слушай!)!"
He stopped short, half crouching, sword ready, transformed into a savage figure of suspicion and menace, poised to spring and rend (он остановился резко, полупригнувшись, меч готов = обнажив меч, преобразился в дикую фигуру = дикаря /преисполненного/ подозрения и угрозы, готового броситься и рвать (на куски); to stop short — резко остановиться, to rend — раздирать, рвать, дробить, расщеплять). Balthus had heard it too — a wild scream that broke at its highest note (Балтус услышал это тоже — дикий крик, который оборвался на /его/ самой высокой ноте; to break — ломать, нарушать, прерывать(ся)). It was the cry of a man in dire fear or agony (это был крик человека в крайнем ужасе или агонии).
listen [lɪsn], suspicion [səsˈpɪʃn], wild [waɪld]
"It will be dark before we reach the fort," commented Conan casually; then: "Listen!"
He stopped short, half crouching, sword ready, transformed into a savage figure of suspicion and menace, poised to spring and rend. Balthus had heard it too — a wild scream that broke at its highest note. It was the cry of a man in dire fear or agony.
Conan was off in an instant, racing down the trail (Конан сорвался в мгновение, бросившись по тропинке), each stride widening the distance between him and his straining companion (/с/ каждым шагом увеличивая расстояние между ним и его напрягающим силы попутчиком; to be off — начинать движение, уходить; to strain — напрягаться, напрягать силы). Balthus puffed a curse (Балтус выдохнул проклятие). Among the settlements of the Tauran he was accounted a good runner (среди селений Таурана он был считаем = считался хорошим бегуном), but Conan was leaving him behind with maddening ease (но Конан опережал его с раздражающей легкостью; to leave behind — опережать, обгонять). Then Balthus forgot his exasperation as his ears were outraged by the most frightful cry he had ever heard (затем Балтус забыл /о/ своем раздражении, когда его уши были подвергнуты насилию = в его уши ворвался / по его ушам ударил самый жуткий крик, который он когда-либо слышал). It was not human, this one; it was a demoniacal caterwauling of hideous triumph that seemed to exult over fallen humanity and find echo in black gulfs beyond human ken (/он/ этот крик был нечеловеческим, это было демоническое пронзительное завывание омерзительного триумфа, которое, казалось, ликует над падшим человечеством и находит отражение = отдается эхом в черных безднах за пределами человеческого познания; one — заместитель существительного во избежание повтора; ken — кругозор; предел познаний, круг знаний).
each [i: ʧ], companion [kəˈmpænjən], humanity [hju:ˈmænɪtɪ]
Conan was off in an instant, racing down the trail, each stride widening the distance between him and his straining companion. Balthus puffed a curse. Among the settlements of the Tauran he was accounted a good runner, but Conan was leaving him behind with maddening ease. Then Balthus forgot his exasperation as his ears were outraged by the most frightful cry he had ever heard. It was not human, this one; it was a demoniacal caterwauling of hideous triumph that seemed to exult over fallen humanity and find echo in black gulfs beyond human ken.
Balthus faltered in his stride, and clammy sweat beaded his flesh (Балтус споткнулся на /его/ бегу, и липкий пот украсил капельками его тело = выступил на его теле). But Conan did not hesitate; he darted around a bend in the trail and disappeared (но Конан не колебался, он метнулся за поворот на тропе и исчез), and Balthus, panicky at finding himself alone with that awful scream still shuddering through the forest in grisly echoes, put on an extra burst of speed and plunged after him (а Балтус, в панике /от того, что/ оказался один с этим страшным криком, все еще вздрагивающим по лесу ужасающим эхом, прибавил дополнительным рывком скорости и ринулся за ним; to put on — добавить, прибавить).
stride [straɪd], clammy [klæmɪ], sweat [swet]
Balthus faltered in his stride, and clammy sweat beaded his flesh. But Conan did not hesitate; he darted around a bend in the trail and disappeared, and Balthus, panicky at finding himself alone with that awful scream still shuddering through the forest in grisly echoes, put on an extra burst of speed and plunged after him.
The Aquilonian slid to a stumbling halt, almost colliding with the Cimmerian who stood in the trail over a crumpled body (аквилонец перешел в спотыкающуюся остановку = резко остановился, почти = чуть не столкнувшись с киммерийцем, который стоял на тропе над измятым телом). But Conan was not looking at the corpse which lay there in the crimson-soaked dust (но Конан не смотрел на труп, который лежал там в пропитанной кровью пыли; to soak — пропитывать). He was glaring into the deep woods on either side of the trail (он вглядывался в густой лес на каждой стороне = по обеим сторонам тропинки).
halt [hɔ: lt], stood [stu: d], corpse [kɔ: ps]
The Aquilonian slid to a stumbling halt, almost colliding with the Cimmerian who stood in the trail over a crumpled body. But Conan was not looking at the corpse which lay there in the crimson-soaked dust. He was glaring into the deep woods on either side of the trail.
Balthus muttered a horrified oath (Балтус пробормотал испуганное ругательство). It was the body of a man which lay there in the trail (это было тело мужчины, которое лежало там на тропинке = там на тропинке лежало тело мужчины), a short, fat man (невысокого полного мужчины), clad in the gilt-worked boots and (despite the heat) the ermine-trimmed tunic of a wealthy merchant (одетого в позолоченные сапоги и (несмотря на жару) в отороченную горностаем тунику зажиточного купца). His fat, pale face was set in a stare of frozen horror (его полное бледное лицо было застывшим = застыло во взгляде = в выражении крайнего ужаса); his thick throat had been slashed from ear to ear as if by a razor-sharp blade (его толстое горло было разрезано от уха до уха, как будто острым, как бритва, клинком). The short sword still in its scabbard seemed to indicate that he had been struck down without a chance to fight for his life (короткий меч все еще в /его/ ножнах, казалось, указывал /на то/, что его убили без = не дав шанса, сражаться за свою жизнь).
boot [bu: t], razor [ˈreɪzə], indicate [ˈɪndɪkeɪt]
Balthus muttered a horrified oath. It was the body of a man which lay there in the trail, a short, fat man, clad in the gilt-worked boots and (despite the heat) the ermine-trimmed tunic of a wealthy merchant. His fat, pale face was set in a stare of frozen horror; his thick throat had been slashed from ear to ear as if by a razor- sharp blade. The short sword still in its scabbard seemed to indicate that he had been struck down without a chance to fight for his life.
"A Pict?" Balthus whispered, as he turned to peer into the deepening shadows of the forest (пикт? — прошептал Балтус, когда он обернулся, /чтобы/ всмотреться в густеющие тени леса).
Conan shook his head and straightened to scowl down at the dead man (Конан отрицательно покачал /своей/ головой и выпрямился, /чтобы/ посмотреть сердито /вниз/ на мертвого человека = мертвеца).
"A forest devil (лесной дух: «дьявол»). This is the fifth, by Crom (это /есть/ пятый, /клянусь/ Кромом)!"
