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).
The shaman was talking now, a harsh, guttural intonation that yet carried the hiss of a cobra. He thrust his head on his long neck toward the wounded man on the stake; his eyes shone red as blood in the firelight. The frontiersman spat full in his face.
With a fiendish howl Zogar bounded convulsively into the air (с ужасным воем Зогар подпрыгнул судорожно в воздух), and the warriors gave tongue to a yell that shuddered up to the stars (и воины подали голос в виде вопля, который содрогнулся = взметнулся до звезд). They rushed toward the man on the stake, but the shaman beat them back (они бросились к мужчине на столбе, но шаман отразил их; to beat back — отбить, отразить). A snarled command sent men running to the gate (ворчливая команда отправила людей бегом к воротам; to send — отправлять, посылать). They hurled it open, turned and raced back to the circle (они распахнули их, повернулись и побежали назад к кругу). The ring of men split, divided with desperate haste to right and left (кольцо людей распалось, разделилось с отчаянной поспешностью направо и налево). Balthus saw the women and naked children scurrying to the huts (Балтус увидел женщин и голых детей, бегущих стремглав к хижинам). They peeked out of doors and windows (они выглядывали из дверей и окон). A broad lane was left to the open gate (широкий проход был оставлен к открытым воротам), beyond which loomed the black forest (за которыми маячил черный лес), crowding sullenly in upon the clearing, unlighted by the fires (скапливаясь зловеще на росчисти, неосвещенной кострами; clearing — участок, расчищенный под пашню, росчисть).
fiendish [ˈfi: ndɪʃ], convulsively [kənˈvʌlsɪvlɪ], haste [heɪst]
With a fiendish howl Zogar bounded convulsively into the air, and the warriors gave tongue to a yell that shuddered up to the stars. They rushed toward the man on the stake, but the shaman beat them back. A snarled command sent men running to the gate. They hurled it open, turned and raced back to the circle. The ring of men split, divided with desperate haste to right and left. Balthus saw the women and naked children scurrying to the huts. They peeked out of doors and windows. A broad lane was left to the open gate, beyond which loomed the black forest, crowding sullenly in upon the clearing, unlighted by the fires.
A tense silence reigned as Zogar Sag turned toward the forest, raised on his tiptoes and sent a weird inhuman call shuddering out into the night (царила напряженная тишина, когда Зогар Саг повернулся к лесу, поднялся на /его/ цыпочки и исторг причудливый нечеловеческий зов, вибрирующий в ночи). Somewhere, far out in the black forest, a deeper cry answered him (где-то, далеко в черном лесу, более низкий крик ответил ему). Balthus shuddered (Балтус содрогнулся). From the timbre of that cry he knew it never came from a human throat (от = по тембру этого крика он знал, /что/ он никогда = вовсе не исходил из человеческого горла). He remembered what Valannus had said — that Zogar boasted that he could summon wild beasts to do his bidding (он вспомнил, что говорил Валаннус — что Зогар хвалился, что он может призвать диких тварей исполнять его приказы; to do one’s bidding — исполнять чьи-то приказы, распоряжения). The woodsman was livid beneath his mask of blood (лесовик был мертвенно-бледный под его маской из крови). He licked his lips spasmodically (он конвульсивно облизал /свои/ губы).
weird [wɪəd], do [du: ], beneath [bɪˈni: Ɵ]
A tense silence reigned as Zogar Sag turned toward the forest, raised on his tiptoes and sent a weird inhuman call shuddering out into the night. Somewhere, far out in the black forest, a deeper cry answered him. Balthus shuddered. From the timbre of that cry he knew it never came from a human throat. He remembered what Valannus had said — that Zogar boasted that he could summon wild beasts to do his bidding. The woodsman was livid beneath his mask of blood. He licked his lips spasmodically.
The village held its breath (поселок задержал /свое/ дыхание; to hold — держать, задержать). Zogar Sag stood still as a statue, his plumes trembling faintly about him (Зогар Саг стоял как статуя, его перья слабо подрагивали вокруг него; to tremble — дрожать). But suddenly the gate was no longer empty (но вдруг ворота были больше не пустые).
The village held its breath. Zogar Sag stood still as a statue, his plumes trembling faintly about him. But suddenly the gate was no longer empty.
A shuddering gasp swept over the village and men crowded hastily back, jamming one another between the huts (бросающий в дрожь вздох прокатился по селу, и люди потеснились поспешно назад, сдавливая друг друга между хижинами). Balthus felt the short hair stir on his scalp (Балтус почувствовал, /как/ короткие волосы шевелятся на его макушке). The creature that stood in the gate was like the embodiment of nightmare legend (существо, которое стояло в воротах, было похожим на воплощение кошмарной легенды). Its color was of a curious pale quality which made it seem ghostly and unreal in the dim light (его цвет был необычного бледного оттенка, который делал его /казаться/ призрачным и нереальным в тусклом свете). But there was nothing unreal about the low-hung savage head (однако /не/ было ничего нереального в низко посаженной свирепой голове), and the great curved fangs that glistened in the firelight (и огромных загнутых клыках, которые блестели в свете костров). On noiseless padded feet it approached like a phantom out of the past (на бесшумных лапах с подушечками оно приближалось, как фантом из прошлого; noise — шум). It was a survival of an older, grimmer age, the ogre of many an ancient legend — a saber-tooth tiger (это был пережиток древней зловещей эпохи, ужас многих древних легенд — саблезубый тигр; ogre — великан-людоед). No Hyborian hunter had looked upon one of those primordial brutes for centuries (ни один хайборийский охотник /не/ смотрел на одного из тех изначальных зверей уже /многие/ века). Immemorial myths lent the creatures a supernatural quality, induced by their ghostly color and their fiendish ferocity (давние мифы придавали существам сверхъестественное качество, вызываемое их призрачным цветом и их дьявольской свирепостью); to lend — давать в долг, придавать, приспосабливаться).
nightmare [ˈnaɪtmɛə], glisten [ɡlɪsn], primordial [praɪˈmɔ: djəl]
A shuddering gasp swept over the village and men crowded hastily back, jamming one another between the huts. Balthus felt the short hair stir on his scalp. The creature that stood in the gate was like the embodiment of nightmare legend. Its color was of a curious pale quality which made it seem ghostly and unreal in the dim light. But there was nothing unreal about the low-hung savage head, and the great curved fangs that glistened in the firelight. On noiseless padded feet it approached like a phantom out of the past. It was a survival of an older, grimmer age, the ogre of many an ancient legend — a saber-tooth tiger. No Hyborian hunter had looked upon one of those primordial brutes for centuries. Immemorial myths lent the creatures a supernatural quality, induced by their ghostly color and their fiendish ferocity.
The beast that glided toward the men on the stakes was longer and heavier than a common, striped tiger, almost as bulky as a bear (тварь, которая скользила к мужчинам на столбах, была длиннее и тяжелее, чем обычный полосатый тигр, почти такой же крупной, как медведь). Its shoulders and forelegs were so massive and mightily muscled as to give it a curiously top-heavy look (ее плечи и передние лапы были такие массивные и с такой могучей мускулатурой: «могуче мускулистые», что придавали ей странно неустойчивый вид), though its hindquarters were more powerful than that of a lion (хотя ее задняя часть была более мощной, чем у льва). Its jaws were massive, but its head was brutishly shaped (ее челюсти были массивные, но ее голова была грубой формы). Its brain capacity was small (ее объем мозга был невелик). It had room for no instincts except those of destruction (он не имел места для инстинктов, кроме таковых разрушения = в нем было место лишь для инстинктов разрушения). It was a freak of carnivorous development, evolution run amuck in a horror of fangs and talons (это была аномалия /в/ развитии плотоядных, эволюционное безумие в ужасе из клыков и когтей; to run amuck — обезуметь; быть вне себя, неистовствовать; в ярости набрасываться на всякого встречного).
bear [bɛə], hindquarters [ˈhaɪndkwɔ: təz], capacity [kəˈpæsɪtɪ]
The beast that glided toward the men on the stakes was longer and heavier than a common, striped tiger, almost as bulky as a bear. Its shoulders and forelegs were so massive and mightily muscled as to give it a curiously top-heavy look, though its hindquarters were more powerful than that of a lion. Its jaws were massive, but its head was brutishly shaped. Its brain capacity was small. It had room for no instincts except those of destruction. It was a freak of carnivorous development, evolution run amuck in a horror of fangs and talons.
This was the monstrosity Zogar Sag had summoned out of the forest (это было чудовище, /которое/ Зогар Саг вызвал из леса). Balthus no longer doubted the actuality of the shaman's magic (Балтус больше не сомневался в яви магии шамана = что она настоящая, действенная). Only the black arts could establish a domination over that tiny-brained, mighty-thewed monster (только черная магия могла установить власть над этим монстром с крошечным мозгом и могучей мускулатурой; thews — мускулы). Like a whisper at the back of his consciousness rose the vague memory of the name of an ancient god of darkness and primordial fear (подобно шепоту позади = на задворках его сознания, поднялись смутные воспоминания об имени древнего бога тьмы и первобытного ужаса), to whom once both men and beasts bowed (которому некогда поклонялись как люди, так и звери) and whose children — men whispered — still lurked in dark corners of the world (и чьи дети = дети которого — шептали люди — все еще таились в темных уголках мира). New horror tinged the glare he fixed on Zogar Sag (новый ужас изменил взгляд, /который/ он сосредоточил на Зогаре Саге; to tinge — слегка окрашивать(ся), придавать оттенок; получать оттенок).
actuality [əkʧʋˈælɪtɪ], bowed [baud], whom [hu: m]
This was the monstrosity Zogar Sag had summoned out of the forest. Balthus no longer doubted the actuality of the shaman's magic. Only the black arts could establish a domination over that tiny-brained, mighty-thewed monster. Like a whisper at the back of his consciousness rose the vague memory of the name of an ancient god of darkness and primordial fear, to whom once both men and beasts bowed and whose children — men whispered — still lurked in dark corners of the world. New horror tinged the glare he fixed on Zogar Sag.
