"Stay here alone with this corpse and a devil hiding in the woods?" he yelped (остаться здесь одному с этим трупом и нечистью, скрывающейся в лесу? — завопил он). "I'm coming with you (я иду с тобой)!"
then [ðen], cow [kau], yelp [jelp]
"A woman!" cried the younger man. "Great Mitra, a woman cried out then!"
"A settler's wife straying in the woods," snarled Conan, setting down his end of the litter. "Looking for a cow, probably, and — stay here!"
He dived like a hunting wolf into the leafy wall. Balthus' hair bristled.
"Stay here alone with this corpse and a devil hiding in the woods?" he yelped. "I'm coming with you!"
And suiting action to words, he plunged after the Cimmerian (и согласуя действия со словами, он нырнул за Конаном). Conan glanced back at him, but made no objection, though he did not moderate his pace to accommodate the shorter legs of his companion (Конан взглянул /назад/ на него, но не возразил, хотя он не умерил своего шага, /чтобы/ подстроиться к более коротким ногам своего спутника; to make an objection — возразить). Balthus wasted his wind in swearing (Балтус напрасно потратил свое дыхание на ругательства) as the Cimmerian drew away from him again, like a phantom between the trees (так как киммериец оторвался от него снова, как призрак между деревьев), and then Conan burst into a dim glade and halted crouching, lips snarling, sword lifted (и затем Конан ворвался на мрачную поляну и остановился пригнувшись, губы шевелятся, меч поднят = с шевелящимися губами, с поднятым мечом; to waste — напрасно тратить, to draw away — оторваться (от противника на дистанции), to burst in — ворваться).
action [ˈækʃn], glade [ɡleɪd], lip [lp]
And suiting action to words, he plunged after the Cimmerian. Conan glanced back at him, but made no objection, though he did not moderate his pace to accommodate the shorter legs of his companion. Balthus wasted his wind in swearing as the Cimmerian drew away from him again, like a phantom between the trees, and then Conan burst into a dim glade and halted crouching, lips snarling, sword lifted.
"What are we stopping for?" panted Balthus, dashing the sweat out of his eyes and gripping his short sword (/для/ чего мы стоим? — пропыхтел Балтус, смахивая пот из /своих/ глаз и хватая свой короткий меч).
"That scream came from this glade, or near by," answered Conan (тот крик раздался с этой поляны, или поблизости, — ответил Конан). "I don't mistake the location of sounds, even in the woods. But where — (я не ошибаюсь с местом звуков = с определением источника звуков, даже в лесу. Но где —)"
Abruptly the sound rang out again — behind them; in the direction of the trail they had just quitted (вдруг звук раздался снова — позади них, в направлении тропы, которую они только что покинули; to ring out — прозвучать, раздаться; to quit — покидать, бросать). It rose piercingly and pitifully, the cry of a woman in frantic terror (он взлетел пронзительно и жалобно, крик женщины в безумном ужасе; to rise — подниматься, повышаться) — and then, shockingly, it changed to a yell of mocking laughter that might have burst from the lips of a fiend of lower Hell (а потом, ужасающе = и это было ужасно, он изменился = превратился в вопль насмешливого хохота, /такой/ который мог сорваться с губ демона нижнего ада).
mistake [msˈteɪk], direction [dɪˈrekʃn], laughter [lɑ: ftə]
"What are we stopping for?" panted Balthus, dashing the sweat out of his eyes and gripping his short sword.
"That scream came from this glade, or near by," answered Conan. "I don't mistake the location of sounds, even in the woods. But where —»
Abruptly the sound rang out again — behind them; in the direction of the trail they had just quitted. It rose piercingly and pitifully, the cry of a woman in frantic terror — and then, shockingly, it changed to a yell of mocking laughter that might have burst from the lips of a fiend of lower Hell.
"What in Mitra's name — " Balthus' face was a pale blur in the gloom (что во имя Митры — лицо Балтуса было бледным пятном во мраке).
With a scorching oath Conan wheeled and dashed back the way he had come (с убийственным ругательством Конан повернулся и бросился назад /по/ пути, которым он пришел; scorch — ожог; to scorch — опаляться, подпаливаться; ругать, разносить), and the Aquilonian stumbled bewilderedly after him (а аквилонец спотыкался = бежал, спотыкаясь, в замешательстве за ним). He blundered into the Cimmerian as the latter stopped dead (он налетел / наткнулся на киммерийца, когда последний резко остановился), and rebounded from his brawny shoulders as though from an iron statue (и отскочил от его сильных плеч, словно от железной статуи). Gasping from the impact, he heard Conan's breath hiss through his teeth (задыхаясь от толчка, он услышал, /как/ дыхание Конана со свистом выходит через его зубы; to hiss — шипеть, свистеть). The Cimmerian seemed frozen in his tracks (киммериец казался застывшим = казалось, застыл на месте).
stop [stɔp], statue [ˈstæʧu: ], track [træk]
"What in Mitra's name — " Balthus' face was a pale blur in the gloom.
With a scorching oath Conan wheeled and dashed back the way he had come, and the Aquilonian stumbled bewilderedly after him. He blundered into the Cimmerian as the latter stopped dead, and rebounded from his brawny shoulders as though from an iron statue. Gasping from the impact, he heard Conan's breath hiss through his teeth. The Cimmerian seemed frozen in his tracks.
Looking over his shoulder, Balthus felt his hair stand up stiffly (заглянув через его плечо, Балтус почувствовал, /как/ его = у него волосы становятся дыбом). Something was moving through the deep bushes that fringed the trail (что-то двигалось сквозь густые кусты, которые окаймляли тропинку) — something that neither walked nor flew, but seemed to glide like a serpent (что-то, что ни шло, ни летело, но казалось, скользит как змея). But it was not a serpent (но это была не змея). Its outlines were indistinct, but it was taller than a man, and not very bulky (его контуры были нечеткими, но оно было выше, чем человек, и не очень громоздкое). It gave off a glimmer of weird light, like a faint blue flame (оно издавало = от него исходило мерцание причудливого света, как слабое голубое пламя). Indeed, the eery fire was the only tangible thing about it (в самом деле, жуткий огонь был единственным материальным свидетельством: «вещью» в отношении его; about — о, в отношении, касательно). It might have been an embodied flame moving with reason and purpose through the blackening woods (это, возможно, было: «могло быть» воплощенное пламя, движущееся разумно и целенаправленно: «с разумом и целью» через чернеющий лес; body — тело, плоть).
flew [flu: ], bulky [ˈbʌlkɪ], reason [ri: zn]
Looking over his shoulder, Balthus felt his hair stand up stiffly. Something was moving through the deep bushes that fringed the trail — something that neither walked nor flew, but seemed to glide like a serpent. But it was not a serpent. Its outlines were indistinct, but it was taller than a man, and not very bulky. It gave off a glimmer of weird light, like a faint blue flame. Indeed, the eery fire was the only tangible thing about it. It might have been an embodied flame moving with reason and purpose through the blackening woods.
Conan snarled a savage curse and hurled his ax with ferocious will (Конан прорычал дикое проклятие и метнул свой топор с ужасной: «свирепой» энергией = силой). But the thing glided on without altering its course (но существо скользило дальше, не меняя /своего/ курса: «без изменения своего курса»). Indeed it was only a few instants' fleeting glimpse they had of it (действительно, это было лишь мимолетное видение /из/ нескольких мгновений, /которое/ они имели от него = уловили) — a tall, shadowy thing of misty flame floating through the thickets (высокое, тенеподобное существо: «вещь» туманного/расплывчатого огня, плывущее сквозь заросли). Then it was gone, and the forest crouched in breathless stillness (затем оно исчезло, и лес склонился = замер в бездыханной / неподвижной тишине).
alter [ˈɔ: ltə], fleet [fli: t], crouched [krauʧt]
Conan snarled a savage curse and hurled his ax with ferocious will. But the thing glided on without altering its course. Indeed it was only a few instants' fleeting glimpse they had of it — a tall, shadowy thing of misty flame floating through the thickets. Then it was gone, and the forest crouched in breathless stillness.
With a snarl Conan plunged through the intervening foliage and into the trail (с рычанием Конан нырнул сквозь переплетающуюся листву /и/ на тропу). His profanity, as Balthus floundered after him, was lurid and impassioned (его богохульство = ругательство, когда Балтус потащился за ним, было угрожающим и пылким). The Cimmerian was standing over the litter on which lay the body of Tiberias (киммериец стоял над носилками, на которых лежало тело Тибериаса). And that body no longer possessed a head (и это тело больше не имело головы).
"Tricked us with its damnable caterwauling!" raved Conan, swinging his great sword about his head in his wrath (надул нас своим проклятым кошачим визгом, — бушевал Конан, размахивая своим огромным мечом вокруг /своей/ головы в /своей/ ярости). "I might have known (я мог знать = уж я-то должен был знать; might — выражает упрек, сожаление)! I might have guessed a trick (я мог бы разгадать обман = я должен был разгадать обман)! Now there'll be five heads to decorate Zogar's altar (теперь будет пять голов для украшения алтаря Зогара = теперь пять голов будут украшать алтарь Зогара)."
foliage [ˈfəulɪɪʤ], lurid [ˈljuərɪd], longer [ˈlɔŋə]
With a snarl Conan plunged through the intervening foliage and into the trail. His profanity, as Balthus floundered after him, was lurid and impassioned. The Cimmerian was standing over the litter on which lay the body of Tiberias. And that body no longer possessed a head.
"Tricked us with its damnable caterwauling!" raved Conan, swinging his great sword about his head in his wrath. "I might have known! I might have guessed a trick! Now there'll be five heads to decorate Zogar's altar."
"But what thing is it that can cry like a woman and laugh like a devil (но что за тварь это, что может кричать, как женщина, и смеяться, как демон), and shines like witch-fire (и /при этом/ светится, как колдовской огонь) as it glides through the trees (когда оно скользит сквозь деревья)?" gasped Balthus, mopping the sweat from his pale face (выдохнул Балтус, вытирая пот со своего бледного лица).
"A swamp devil," responded Conan morosely (болотный демон, — ответил Конан угрюмо). "Grab those poles (хватай эти палки). We'll take in the body, anyway (мы заберем тело, так или иначе). At least our load's a bit lighter (по крайней мере, наш груз немного легче)."
With which grim philosophy he gripped the leathery loop and stalked down the trail (с каковой = такой мрачной философией = мрачным умозаключением он схватил кожаную петлю и зашагал по тропе).
devil [devl], shine [ʃaɪn], loop [lu: p]
"But what thing is it that can cry like a woman and laugh like a devil, and shines like witch-fire as it glides through the trees?" gasped Balthus, mopping the sweat from his pale face.
"A swamp devil," responded Conan morosely. "Grab those poles. We'll take in the body, anyway. At least our load's a bit lighter."
