score [skɔ: ], path [pɑ:Ɵ], break [breɪk]
"They'll be after us now. Zogar's discovered you're gone, and he knows my head wasn't in the pile before the altar-hut. The dog! If I'd had another spear I'd have thrown it through him before I struck the snake. Keep to the trail. They can't track us by torchlight, and there are a score of paths leading from the village. They'll follow those leading to the river first — throw a cordon of warriors for miles along the bank, expecting us to try to break through. We won't take to the woods until we have to. We can make better time on this trail. Now buckle down to it and run as you never ran before."
"They got over their panic cursed quick!" panted Balthus, complying with a fresh burst of speed (они оправились от /своей/ паники чертовски быстро! — пропыхтел Балтус, действуя в соответствии со свежим рывком скорости = делая новый скоростной рывок).
"They're not afraid of anything, very long," grunted Conan (они не боятся ничего очень долго, — проворчал Конан; to be afraid of — бояться чего-л.).
quick [kwɪk], comply [kəmˈplaɪ], afraid [əˈfreɪd]
"They got over their panic cursed quick!" panted Balthus, complying with a fresh burst of speed.
"They're not afraid of anything, very long," grunted Conan.
For a space nothing was said between them (какое-то время ничего /не/ было сказано между ними). The fugitives devoted all their attention to covering distance (беглецы посвятили все свое внимание прохождению дистанции). They were plunging deeper and deeper into the wilderness (они погружались глубже и глубже в дикие места / в чащобу) and getting farther away from civilization at every step (и удалялись /все/ дальше от цивилизации с каждым шагом), but Balthus did not question Conan’s wisdom (но Балтус не сомневался /в/ мудрости Конана). The Cimmerian presently took time to grunt (киммериец некоторое время спустя урвал время, /чтобы/ пробурчать): "When we're far enough away from the village we'll swing back to the river in a big circle (когда мы будем достаточно далеко от поселка, мы повернем назад к реке по большому кругу). No other village within miles of Gwawela (ни одного другого поселка в пределах = на несколько миль от Гвавелы). All the Picts are gathered in that vicinity (все пикты собрались в этой округе). We'll circle wide around them (мы широким кругом обойдем их; to circle — обходить кругом). They can't track us until daylight (они не могут выследить нас до рассвета). They'll pick up our path then, but before dawn we'll leave the trail and take to the woods (тогда они нападут на наш след, но до рассвета мы сойдем с тропинки и направимся в лес; to pick up the path / the trail — напасть на след, взять след; to pick up — подобрать (с земли))."
devote [dɪˈvəut], every [evrɪ], wisdom [ˈwɪzdəm]
For a space nothing was said between them. The fugitives devoted all their attention to covering distance. They were plunging deeper and deeper into the wilderness and getting farther away from civilization at every step, but Balthus did not question Conan’s wisdom. The Cimmerian presently took time to grunt: "When we're far enough away from the village we'll swing back to the river in a big circle. No other village within miles of Gwawela. All the Picts are gathered in that vicinity. We'll circle wide around them. They can't track us until daylight. They'll pick up our path then, but before dawn we'll leave the trail and take to the woods."
They plunged on (они продолжали углубляться). The yells died out behind them (крики замерли позади них). Balthus' breath was whistling through his teeth (дыхание Балтуса свистело = вырывалось со свистом сквозь зубы). He felt a pain in his side, and running became torture (он почувствовал боль в своем боку, и бег стал пыткой). He blundered against the bushes on each side of the trail (он наталкивался на кусты по обе стороны тропинки). Conan pulled up suddenly, turned and stared back down the dim path (вдруг Конан остановился, повернулся и пристально вгляделся назад в неясную тропку).
Somewhere the moon was rising, a dim white glow amidst a tangle of branches (где-то поднималась луна, неясный белый отсвет среди сплетения ветвей).
whistling [ˈwɪslɪŋ], torture [tɔ: ʧə], moon [mu: n]
They plunged on. The yells died out behind them. Balthus' breath was whistling through his teeth. He felt a pain in his side, and running became torture. He blundered against the bushes on each side of the trail. Conan pulled up suddenly, turned and stared back down the dim path.
Somewhere the moon was rising, a dim white glow amidst a tangle of branches.
"Shall we take to the woods?" panted Balthus (мы направимся в лес? — пропыхтел Балтус; to pant — часто и тяжело дышать, задыхаться).
"Give me your ax," murmured Conan softly (дай мне твой топор, — прошептал Конан тихо). "Something is close behind us (что-то близко позади нас)." "Then we'd better leave the trail!" exclaimed Balthus (тогда нам лучше сойти с тропы! — воскликнул Балтус; had better V — лучше сделать что-л. (рекомендация, совет)). Conan shook his head and drew his companion into a dense thicket (Конан покачал головой и затянул своего спутника в густой кустарник; to draw — тащить, тянуть). The moon rose higher, making a dim light in the path (луна поднялась выше, слабо осветив тропу: «делая слабый свет на тропе»).
"We can't fight the whole tribe!" whispered Balthus (мы не можем сражаться /с/ целым племенем! — прошептал Балтус).
"No human being could have found our trail so quickly, or followed us so swiftly," muttered Conan (ни один человек /не/ мог бы найти наш след так скоро или последовать за нами так быстро, — пробормотал Конан; human being — человеческое существо, человек). "Keep silent (молчи: «храни / соблюдай безмолвно»)."
drew [dru: ], being [bi: ɪŋ], silent [ˈsaɪlənt]
"Shall we take to the woods?" panted Balthus.
"Give me your ax," murmured Conan softly. "Something is close behind us." "Then we'd better leave the trail!" exclaimed Balthus. Conan shook his head and drew his companion into a dense thicket. The moon rose higher, making a dim light in the path.
"We can't fight the whole tribe!" whispered Balthus.
"No human being could have found our trail so quickly, or followed us so swiftly," muttered Conan. "Keep silent."
There followed a tense silence in which Balthus felt that his heart could be heard pounding for miles away (/там/ последовала напряженная тишина, в которой Балтус чувствовал, что стук его сердца мог быть услышан = можно услышать за мили /прочь/). Then abruptly, without a sound to announce its coming, a savage head appeared in the dim path (затем резко без звука, возвещающего его появление, свирепая голова появилась на неясной тропинке). Balthus' heart jumped into his throat; at first glance he feared to look upon the awful head of the saber-tooth (сердце Балтуса подпрыгнуло к /его/ горлу, при первом взгляде он испугался, /что/ смотрит на = видит ужасную голову саблезубого). But this head was smaller, more narrow; it was a leopard which stood there, snarling silently and glaring down the trail (но эта голова была меньше, более узкая, это был леопард, который стоял там = там стоял леопард, безмолвно рыча и разглядывая тропу). What wind there was was blowing toward the hiding men, concealing their scent (тот ветер, что /там/ был, дул в сторону прячущихся людей, скрывая их запах). The beast lowered his head and snuffed the trail, then moved forward uncertainly (зверь наклонил /свою/ голову и обнюхал тропинку, затем двинулся вперед неуверенно). A chill played down Balthus' spine (озноб пробежал по позвоночнику = спине Балтуса). The brute was undoubtedly trailing them (животное, несомненно, выслеживало их).
heart [hɑ:t], heard [hə: d], scent [sent]
There followed a tense silence in which Balthus felt that his heart could be heard pounding for miles away. Then abruptly, without a sound to announce its coming, a savage head appeared in the dim path. Balthus' heart jumped into his throat; at first glance he feared to look upon the awful head of the saber-tooth. But this head was smaller, more narrow; it was a leopard which stood there, snarling silently and glaring down the trail. What wind there was was blowing toward the hiding men, concealing their scent. The beast lowered his head and snuffed the trail, then moved forward uncertainly. A chill played down Balthus' spine. The brute was undoubtedly trailing them.
And it was suspicious (и оно было подозрительным = подозревало что-то). It lifted its head, its eyes glowing like balls of fire (оно подняло /свою/ голову с /его/ глазами, пылающими, как огненные шары), and growled low in its throat (и зарычало низким горловым рычанием: «зарычало низко в его горле»). And at that instant Conan hurled the ax (и в этот момент Конан метнул топор).
All the weight of arm and shoulder was behind the throw, and the ax was a streak of silver in the dim moon (вся сила руки и плеча была за этим броском = слилась в этом броске, и топор был вспышкой серебра = серебряной вспышкой в неясной луне = в неясном свете луны). Almost before he realized what had happened, Balthus saw the leopard rolling on the ground in its death- throes, the handle of the ax standing up from its head (/почти/ прежде чем он осознал, что произошло, Балтус увидел леопарда, катающемся по земле в /его/ смертельных муках, рукоятка топора вставала = торчала из его головы). The head of the weapon had split its narrow skull (острие оружия раскололо его узкий череп; head — ударная или режущая часть инструмента, в отличие от ручки, рукоятки).
suspicious [səsˈpɪʃəs], weight [weɪt], leopard [ˈlepəd]
And it was suspicious. It lifted its head, its eyes glowing like balls of fire, and growled low in its throat. And at that instant Conan hurled the ax.
All the weight of arm and shoulder was behind the throw, and the ax was a streak of silver in the dim moon. Almost before he realized what had happened, Balthus saw the leopard rolling on the ground in its death-throes, the handle of the ax standing up from its head. The head of the weapon had split its narrow skull.
Conan bounded from the bushes, wrenched his ax free (Конан выскочил из кустов, освободил рывком свой топор: «выдернул свой топор свободным») and dragged the limp body in among the trees, concealing it from the casual glance (и оттащил безвольное тело в /среди/ кусты, пряча его от случайного взгляда).
"Now let's go, and go fast!" he grunted, leading the way southward, away from the trail (теперь идем, и идем быстро! — проворчал он, возглавляя путь на юг, прочь от тропы). "There'll be warriors coming after that cat (за котом придут воины: «там будут воины, приходящие за тем котом»). As soon as he got his wits back Zogar sent him after us (как только он = Зогар снова пришел в себя, Зогар = он послал его за нами; to get one’s wits back — снова придти в себя, опомниться: «получить свой ум / сознание обратно»). The Picts would follow him, but he'd leave them far behind (пикты пошли бы за ним, но он оставил бы их далеко позади). He'd circle the village until he hit our trail and then come after us like a streak (он кружил бы вокруг поселка, пока /он/ /не/ напал на наш след и затем бы шел за нами, как полоска = хвост). They couldn't keep up with him (они не могли бы поспеть за ним), but they'll have an idea as to our general direction (но они будут иметь = у них будет представление о нашем общем направлении). They'd follow, listening for his cry (они бы следовали, прислушиваясь к его крику). Well, they won't hear that (ну, они не услышат этого), but they'll find the blood on the trail, and look around and find the body in the bush (но они найдут кровь на тропинке и осмотрятся, и найдут тело в кустах). They'll pick up our spoor there, if they can (они обнаружат наш след там). Walk with care (иди с осторожностью = осторожно)."
