aware [əˈwɛə], livid [ˈlɪvɪd], too [tu:]
Twisting his head away from the ghastly spectacle, he became aware that another post stood near him — a stake painted black as was the one to which he was bound. A man sagged in his bonds there, naked except for his leathern breeks, whom Balthus recognized as one of Conan's woodsmen. Blood trickled from his mouth, oozed sluggishly from a gash in his side. Lifting his head as he licked his livid lips, he muttered, making himself heard with difficulty above the fiendish clamor of the Picts: "So they got you, too!"
"Sneaked up in the water and cut the other fellow's throat," groaned Balthus (незаметно подкрались в воде и перерезали горло другому парню, — простонал Балтус). "We never heard them till they were on us (мы никогда = вовсе не слышали, пока они /не/ были на нас = напали на нас). Mitra, how can anything move so silently (Митра, как может что-нибудь двигаться так бесшумно)?"
"Sneaked up in the water and cut the other fellow's throat," groaned Balthus. "We never heard them till they were on us. Mitra, how can anything move so silently?"
"They're devils," mumbled the frontiersman (они дьяволы, — пробормотал житель приграничья). "They must have been watching us from the time we left midstream (они, наверное, следили за нами с того времени, когда мы покинули середину реки; to leave — покидать, оставлять). We walked into a trap (мы угодили в западню). Arrows from all sides were ripping into us before we knew it (стрелы со всех сторон вонзались в нас, пока мы поняли это = мы опомнились). Most of us dropped at the first fire (большинство из нас погибло при первом залпе). Three or four broke through the bushes and came to hand- grips (трое-четверо пробились через кусты и вступили врукопашную; to come to handgrips — вступать врукопашную; to grip — схватить; сжать). But there were too many (но /их/ было слишком много). Conan might have gotten away (Конан, возможно, ушел). I haven't seen his head (я не видел его головы).
Been better for you and me if they'd killed us outright (было бы лучше для тебя и для меня, если бы они убили нас сразу). I can't blame Conan (я не могу винить Конана). Ordinarily we'd have gotten to the village without being discovered (в обычном случае мы бы добрались до деревни, не будучи обнаруженными = незаметно). They don't keep spies on the river bank as far down as we landed (они не держат соглядатаев на берегу реки так далеко вниз /по реке/, где мы высадились). We must have stumbled into a big party coming up the river from the south (мы, наверное, натолкнулись на большой отряд, поднимающийся вверх по реке с юга). Some devilment is up (затевается какая-то дьявольщина; to be up — происходить, затевать, замышлять). Too many Picts here (здесь слишком много пиктов). These aren't all Gwaweli; men from the western tribes here and from up and down the river (эти = они не все гвавельцы, здесь люди из западных племен и с верховьев и низовьев реки)."
blame [bleɪm], can't — Br.[kɑ: nt] Am. [kænt], south [sauƟ]
"They're devils," mumbled the frontiersman. "They must have been watching us from the time we left midstream. We walked into a trap. Arrows from all sides were ripping into us before we knew it. Most of us dropped at the first fire. Three or four broke through the bushes and came to hand-grips. But there were too many. Conan might have gotten away. I haven't seen his head. Been better for you and me if they'd killed us outright. I can't blame Conan. Ordinarily we'd have gotten to the village without being discovered. They don't keep spies on the river bank as far down as we landed. We must have stumbled into a big party coming up the river from the south. Some devilment is up. Too many Picts here. These aren't all Gwaweli; men from the western tribes here and from up and down the river."
Balthus stared at the ferocious shapes (Балтус уставился на дикие фигуры). Little as he knew of Pictish ways, he was aware that the number of men clustered about them was out of proportion to the size of the village (хотя он знал мало о пиктских обычаях, он понимал, что количество мужчин, собравшихся вокруг них было несоизмеримо с размером поселка; out of proportion to — несоизмеримо с, несоразмерно с). There were not enough huts to have accommodated them all (было недостаточно хижин, /чтобы/ разместить их всех). Then he noticed that there was a difference in the barbaric tribal designs painted on their faces and breasts (затем он заметил, что была разница в варварских племенных узорах, нанесенных краской на их лица и грудь; to paint — красить, наносить краской, рисовать).
cluster [ˈklʌstə], notice [ˈnəʋtɪs], difference [ˈdɪfrəns]
Balthus stared at the ferocious shapes. Little as he knew of Pictish ways, he was aware that the number of men clustered about them was out of proportion to the size of the village. There were not enough huts to have accommodated them all.
Then he noticed that there was a difference in the barbaric tribal designs painted on their faces and breasts.
"Some kind of devilment," muttered the forest runner (какая-то дьявольщина, — пробормотал лесной разведчик). "They might have gathered here to watch Zogar's magic-making (возможно, они собрались здесь смотреть на колдовство Зогара). He'll make some rare magic with our carcasses (он сотворит какое- нибудь редкое колдовство с нашими тушками). Well, a border-man doesn't expect to die in bed (ну, пограничник не надеется умереть в постели). But I wish we'd gone out along with the rest (но жаль, что мы не ушли с остальными: «я желаю, чтобы мы ушли /тогда/ с остальными»)."
kind [kaɪnd], runner [ˈrʌnə], our [ˈauə]
"Some kind of devilment," muttered the forest runner. "They might have gathered here to watch Zogar's magic-making. He'll make some rare magic with our carcasses. Well, a border-man doesn't expect to die in bed. But I wish we'd gone out along with the rest."
The wolfish howling of the Picts rose in volume and exultation (волчий вой пиктов возрос по громкости и ликованию), and from a movement in their ranks, an eager surging and crowding (и по движению в их рядах, энергичной пульсации и уплотнению; crowd — толпа; to crowd — толпиться), Balthus deduced that someone of importance was coming (Балтус сделал вывод, что шел кто-то важный). Twisting his head about, he saw that the stakes were set before a long building, larger than the other huts (повернув голову, он увидел, что столбы были установлены перед длинным строением, бо́льшим, чем остальные хижины), decorated by human skulls dangling from the eaves (украшенным человеческими черепами, свисающими с карниза; to set — установить, поставить). Through the door of that structure now danced a fantastic figure (через = в двери этого сооружения теперь танцевала фантастическая фигура).
volume [ˈvɔlju: m], deduce [dɪˈdju: s], eave [i: v]
The wolfish howling of the Picts rose in volume and exultation, and from a movement in their ranks, an eager surging and crowding, Balthus deduced that someone of importance was coming. Twisting his head about, he saw that the stakes were set before a long building, larger than the other huts, decorated by human skulls dangling from the eaves. Through the door of that structure now danced a fantastic figure.
"Zogar!" muttered the woodsman, his bloody countenance set in wolfish lines as he unconsciously strained at his cords (Зогар! — пробормотал лесовик, его окровавленное лицо приобрело волчьи черты, когда он бессознательно натянул свои путы). Balthus saw a lean figure of middle height (Балтус увидел тощую фигру среднего роста), almost hidden in ostrich plumes set on a harness of leather and copper (почти скрытую страусиными перьями, насаженных на доспехи из кожи и меди). From amidst the plumes peered a hideous and malevolent face (/из/ среди перьев выглядывало омерзительное и злобное лицо). The plumes puzzled Balthus (перья озадачили Балтуса). He knew their source lay half the width of a world to the south (он знал, /что/ их источник лежал /за/ половину ширины мира = полмира к югу). They fluttered and rustled evilly as the shaman leaped and cavorted (они зловеще развевались и шуршали, когда шаман прыгал и скакал).
set [set], harness [ˈhɑ: nɪs], leather [ˈleðə]
"Zogar!" muttered the woodsman, his bloody countenance set in wolfish lines as he unconsciously strained at his cords. Balthus saw a lean figure of middle height, almost hidden in ostrich plumes set on a harness of leather and copper. From amidst the plumes peered a hideous and malevolent face. The plumes puzzled Balthus. He knew their source lay half the width of a world to the south. They fluttered and rustled evilly as the shaman leaped and cavorted.
With fantastic bounds and prancings he entered the ring and whirled before his bound and silent captives (фантастическими прыжками и скачками он вошел в кольцо и закружился перед /его/ связанными и молчащими пленниками). With another man it would have seemed ridiculous — a foolish savage prancing meaninglessly in a whirl of feathers (для другого /человека/ это показалось бы смешным — придурковатый дикарь, скачущий бессмысленно в кружении перьев). But that ferocious face glaring out from the billowing mass gave the scene a grim significance (но это свирепое лицо, пристально глядящее из волнующейся массы, придавало сцене мрачный смысл). No man with a face like that could seem ridiculous or like anything except the devil he was (ни один человек с таким лицом /не/ мог казаться смехотворным или наподобие того, за исключением того демона, которым он был).
fantastic [fənˈtæstɪk], another [əˈnʌðə], ferocious [fəˈrəuʃəs]
With fantastic bounds and prancings he entered the ring and whirled before his bound and silent captives. With another man it would have seemed ridiculous — a foolish savage prancing meaninglessly in a whirl of feathers. But that ferocious face glaring out from the billowing mass gave the scene a grim significance. No man with a face like that could seem ridiculous or like anything except the devil he was.
Suddenly he froze to statuesque stillness (вдруг он оцепенел в застывшей = полной неподвижности); the plumes rippled once and sank about him (перья колыхнулись один раз и опустились /вокруг него/; to sink — погружаться, тонуть, опускаться). The howling warriors fell silent (воющие воины замолчали; to fall silent — замолчать). Zogar Sag stood erect and motionless (Зогар Саг стоял прямой и неподвижный), and he seemed to increase in height — to grow and expand (и он, казалось, увеличивался в росте — рос и расширялся). Balthus experienced the illusion that the Pict was towering above him (Балтус испытывал иллюзию того, что пикт возвышался над ним), staring contemptuously down from a great height (глядя презрительно сверху вниз с огромной высоты), though he knew the shaman was not as tall as himself (хотя он знал, /что/ шаман был не такой высокий, как он сам). He shook off the illusion with difficulty (он избавился от иллюзии с трудом).
statuesque [stæʧʋˈesk], erect [ɪˈrekt], increase [ɪnˈkri: s]
Suddenly he froze to statuesque stillness; the plumes rippled once and sank about him. The howling warriors fell silent. Zogar Sag stood erect and motionless, and he seemed to increase in height — to grow and expand. Balthus experienced the illusion that the Pict was towering above him, staring contemptuously down from a great height, though he knew the shaman was not as tall as himself. He shook off the illusion with difficulty.
The shaman was talking now, a harsh, guttural intonation that yet carried the hiss of a cobra (шаман теперь говорил /с/ раздражающей гортанной интонацией, которая тем не менее несла /в себе/ шипение кобры). He thrust his head on his long neck toward the wounded man on the stake (он вытянул свою голову на /его/ длинной шее в сторону раненого мужчины у столба); his eyes shone red as blood in the firelight (его глаза засветились красным, как кровь в свете костра). The frontiersman spat full in his face (житель приграничья плюнул прямо в его лицо = ему в лицо; to spit — плевать).
