bladder ['blxdq] levy ['levI] suffer ['sAfq] maize [meIz]
Three times in our journey we came to the banks of the Oxus. We crossed it on rafts of wood with great bladders of blown hide. The river-horses raged against us and sought to slay us. When the camels saw them they trembled.
`The kings of each city levied tolls on us, but would not suffer us to enter their gates. They threw us bread over the walls, little maize-cakes baked in honey and cakes of fine flour filled with dates. For every hundred baskets we gave them a bead of amber.
`When the dwellers in the villages (когда обитатели/жители деревень) saw us coming (видели, что мы подходим; to see (saw, seen)), they poisoned the wells (они отравляли колодцы; poison — яд, отрава) and fled to the hill-summits (и убегали на вершины холмов; to flee (fled)). We fought with the Magadae (мы сражались с Магадаями; to fight (fought) — вести боевые действия, сражаться) who are born old (которые рождаются старыми; to bear (bore, born) — переносить; рождать, производить на свет), and grow younger and younger every year (и с каждым годом становятся все моложе и моложе), and die when they are little children (и умирают маленькими детьми); and with the Laktroi (и /мы сражались/ с Лактроями) who say that they are the sons of tigers (которые говорят, что они сыновья тигров), and paint themselves yellow and black (и раскрашивают себя в желтый и черный цвет); and with the Aurantes (и с Аурантами) who bury their dead (которые хоронят своих мертвецов) on the tops of trees (на верхушках деревьев), and themselves live in dark caverns (а сами живут в темных пещерах) lest the Sun, who is their god (чтобы Солнце, которое является их Богом; lest — чтобы не, как бы не), should slay them (не убило их); and with the Krimnians who worship a crocodile (и с Кримнианцами, которые поклоняются крокодилу), and give it earrings of green grass (и дарят ему серьги из зеленой травы), and feed it with butter and fresh fowls (и кормят его маслом и свежей птицей; fowl — домашняя птица, особ. курица); and with the Agazonbae (и с Агаяонбаями), who are dog-faced (у которых собачьи морды); and with the Sibans (и с Сибанами), who have horses' feet (у которых лошадиные ноги), and run more swiftly than horses (и которые бегают быстрее, чем лошади).
dweller ['dwelq] poison ['pOIz(q)n] bury ['berI] crocodile ['krOkqdaIl]
`When the dwellers in the villages saw us coming, they poisoned the wells and fled to the hill-summits. We fought with the Magadae who are born old, and grow younger and younger every year, and die when they are little children; and with the Laktroi who say that they are the sons of tigers, and paint themselves yellow and black; and with the Aurantes who bury their dead on the tops of trees, and themselves live in dark caverns lest the Sun, who is their god, should slay them; and with the Krimnians who worship a crocodile, and give it earrings of green grass, and feed it with butter and fresh fowls; and with the Agazonbae, who are dog-faced; and with the Sibans, who have horses' feet, and run more swiftly than horses.
A third of our company died in battle (одна треть из нашей компании пала в битве; to die — умирать), and a third died of want (и треть умерла от нужды/лишений). The rest murmured against me (оставшиеся роптали на меня; to murmur — говорить тихо; роптать, ворчать), and said that I had brought them an evil fortune (и говорили, что я принесла им несчастье; to bring (brought), fortune — счастье, удача). I took a horned adder (тогда я взяла рогатую гадюку) from beneath a stone (из-под камня) and let it sting me (и ужалила ею себя: «и позволила ей укусить меня»). When they saw (когда они увидели) that I did not sicken (что я не заболела = я невредима) they grew afraid (они испугались; to grow (grew, grown)).
fortune ['fO:tS(q)n] beneath [bI'ni:T] afraid [q'freId]
A third of our company died in battle, and a third died of want. The rest murmured against me, and said that I had brought them an evil fortune. I took a horned adder from beneath a stone and let it sting me. When they saw that I did not sicken they grew afraid.
`In the fourth month (на четвертый месяц) we reached the city of Illel (мы достигли города Иллель). It was night time (была ночь) when we came to the grove (когда мы подошли к леску/роще) that is outside the walls (что была как раз под стенами: «снаружи стен» /города/), and the air was sultry (и воздух был душный), for the Moon was travelling in Scorpion (потому как Луна перемещалась в /созвездии/ Скорпиона; to travel — путешествовать; двигаться). We took the ripe pomegranates from the trees (мы срывали спелые гранаты с деревьев; to take (took, taken)), and brake them (и разламывали их; to break (broke, уст. brake; broken)) and drank their sweet juices (и пили их сладкий сок; to drink (drank, drunk)). Then we lay down on our carpets (затем мы улеглись на свои ковры) and waited for the dawn (и ждали рассвета).
sultry ['sAltrI] scorpion ['skO:pIqn] pomegranate ['pOmIgrxnIt]
`In the fourth month we reached the city of Illel. It was night time when we came to the grove that is outside the walls, and the air was sultry, for the Moon was travelling in Scorpion. We took the ripe pomegranates from the trees, and brake them and drank their sweet juices. Then we lay down on our carpets and waited for the dawn.
`And at dawn (и на рассвете) we rose (мы поднялись; to rise (rose, risen)) and knocked at the gate of the city (и постучались в городские ворота). It was wrought out of red bronze (они были выкованы из красной бронзы; wrought — выделанный; кованый, катаный), and carved with sea-dragons (и украшены резными /фигурами/ морских драконов; to carve — вырезать, резать /по дереву, кости и т.п./) and dragons that have wings (и драконов, у которых были крылья). The guards looked down from the battlements (стражники посмотрели /на нас вниз/ с зубчатой стены) and asked us our business (и спросили, что нам нужно). The interpreter of the caravan answered (переводчик, /который был/ с караваном, ответил) that we had come from the island of Syria (что мы пришли с острова Сирии) with much merchandise (с большим количеством товаров). They took hostages (они взяли заложников /из нас/), and told us (и сказали нам; to tell (told)) that they would open the gate to us at noon (что они откроют для нас ворота в полдень), and bade us tarry till then (и попросили нас подождать до того момента; to bid (bade, bidden); to tarry — пребывать, жить; ожидать, дожидаться).
bronze [brOnz] sea-dragon ['si:"drxgqn] interpreter [In'tq:prItq]
hostage ['hOstIdZ]
`And at dawn we rose and knocked at the gate of the city. It was wrought out of red bronze, and carved with sea-dragons and dragons that have wings. The guards looked down from the battlements and asked us our business. The interpreter of the caravan answered that we had come from the island of Syria with much merchandise. They took hostages, and told us that they would open the gate to us at noon, and bade us tarry till then.
`When it was noon (когда настал полдень) they opened the gate (они открыли ворота), and as we entered in (и когда вы входили в /город/) the people came crowding out of the houses (люди вышли из домов и толпились; to crowd — толпиться, тесниться) to look at us (чтобы взглянуть на нас), and a crier went round the city (и глашатай шел по городу; crier — крикун; глашатай) crying through a shell (который кричал в раковину). We stood in the market-place (мы остановились на рыночной площади), and the negroes uncorded the bales of figured cloths (и негры развязали тюки с узорными тканями; to cord — связывать веревкой) and opened the carved chests of sycamore (и открыли резные сундуки /изготовленные/ из платана). And when they had ended their task (и когда они завершили = выполнили свою задачу), the merchants set forth their strange wares (купцы выставили напоказ свои удивительные товары; strange — незнакомый; необычный, необыкновенный), the waxed linen from Egypt (вощеные льняные ткани из Египта; wax — пчелиный воск) and the painted linen from the country of the Ethiops (и крашенные льняные полотна из страны Эфиопов), the purple sponges from Tyre (багряные губки из /города/ Тир) and the blue hangings from Sidon (и синие драпировки/портьеры из Сидона), the cups of cold amber (чаши из холодного янтаря) and the fine vessels of glass (и прекрасные/тонкие сосуды из стекла) and the curious vessels of burnt clay (и чудные сосуды из обожженной глины; curious — любознательный; странный, чудной; to burn (burnt, burned) — жечь). From the roof of a house (с крыши дома) a company of women watched us (компания/группа женщин наблюдала за нами). One of them wore a mask (на одной из них была маска; to wear (wore, worn) — иметь надетым, носить) of gilded leather (из позолоченной кожи).
crier ['kraIq] sycamore ['sIkqmO:] ware [weq] linen ['lInIn]
Ethiop ['i:TIOp] essel ['ves(q)l] burnt [bq:nt] gilded ['gIldId]
leather ['leDq]
`When it was noon they opened the gate, and as we entered in the people came crowding out of the houses to look at us, and a crier went round the city crying through a shell. We stood in the market-place, and the negroes uncorded the bales of figured cloths and opened the carved chests of sycamore. And when they had ended their task, the merchants set forth their strange wares, the waxed linen from Egypt and the painted linen from the country of the Ethiops, the purple sponges from Tyre and the blue hangings from Sidon, the cups of cold amber and the fine vessels of glass and the curious vessels of burnt clay. From the roof of a house a company of women watched us. One of them wore a mask of gilded leather.
`And on the first day (и в первый день) the priests came (пришли жрецы; priest — священник; жрец) and bartered with us (и выменивали у нас /наши товары/; to barter — менять, вести меновую торговлю), and on the second day (и во второй день) came the nobles (пришли вельможи), and on the third day (и на третий день) came the craftsmen and the slaves (пришли ремесленники и рабы; craft — ремесло). And this is their custom (такой у них обычай) with all merchants (для всех купцов: «со всеми купцами») as long as they tarry in the city (пока они находятся в городе).
barter ['bQ:tq] noble ['nqVb(q)l] craftsman ['krQ:ftsmqn]
`And on the first day the priests came and bartered with us, and on the second day came the nobles, and on the third day came the craftsmen and the slaves. And this is their custom with all merchants as long as they tarry in the city.
`And we tarried for a moon (мы задержались там на одну луну; moon — луна; лунный месяц), and when the moon was waning (а когда луна убывать; to wane), I wearied (мне надоела /торговля/; to weary — утомлять, надоедать) and wandered away through the streets of the city (и /я/ отправилась блуждать по улицам города) and came to the garden of its god (и пришла в сад /его = города/ божества). The priests in their yellow robes (жрецы, в желтых одеяниях; robe — халат; одежды, одеяния) moved silently through the green trees (двигались безмолвно меж зеленых деревьев; silence — тишина, молчание), and on a pavement of black marble (и на черных мраморных плитах: «панелях»; pavement — тротуар, панель) stood the rose-red house (стоял красный, как роза, храм/дом) in which the god had his dwelling (в котором обитало божество/бог; dwelling — проживание; жилище).
waning ['weInIN] pavement ['peIvmqnt] marble ['mQ:b(q)l]
`And we tarried for a moon, and when the moon was waning, I wearied and wandered away through the streets of the city and came to the garden of its god. The priests in their yellow robes moved silently through the green trees, and on a pavement of black marble stood the rose-red house in which the god had his dwelling.
