‘Ah,’ said the Cat, listening (а, — сказал Кот, слушая), ‘then my time has come (значит, пришло мое время).’
baby ['beIbI], tickle [tIkl], those [Dquz]
‘Ah,’ said the Cat, listening, ‘but what is the Baby fond of?’
‘He is fond of things that are soft and tickle,’ said the Bat. ‘He is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep. He is fond of being played with. He is fond of all those things.’
‘Ah,’ said the Cat, listening, ‘then my time has come.’
Next night Cat walked through the Wet Wild Woods (следующим вечером Кот пошел через Дикие Дремучие Дебри) and hid very near the Cave till morning-time (и спрятался совсем рядом возле Пещеры до утра), and Man and Dog and Horse went hunting (а Человек, и Пес, и Лошадь пошли на охоту). The Woman was busy cooking that morning (Женщина была занята приготовлением пищи в то утро), and the Baby cried and interrupted (а Малыш плакал и мешал; to interrupt — прерывать). So she carried him outside the Cave and gave him a handful of pebbles to play with (поэтому он вынесла его из Пещеры и дала ему пригоршню камешков, чтобы он играл с ними; pebbles — булыжник, галька, мелкий щебень). But still the Baby cried (но Малыш все равно плакал).
Then the Cat put out his paddy paw (тогда Кот вытянул свою упругую лапу-лапочку) and patted the Baby on the cheek (и погладил Малыша по щечке; to pat — похлопывать, поглаживать), and it cooed (и тот заворковал); and the Cat rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it under its fat chin with his tail (а Кот потерся о его пухлые коленки и пощекотал его под его пухленьким подбородком своим хвостом). And the Baby laughed (и Малыш засмеялся) and the Woman heard him and smiled (а Женщина услышала его и улыбнулась).
interrupt ["Intq'rApt], coo [kH], knee [nJ]
Next night Cat walked through the Wet Wild Woods and hid very near the Cave till morning-time, and Man and Dog and Horse went hunting. The Woman was busy cooking that morning, and the Baby cried and interrupted. So she carried him outside the Cave and gave him a handful of pebbles to play with. But still the Baby cried.
Then the Cat put out his paddy paw and patted the Baby on the cheek, and it cooed; and the Cat rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it under its fat chin with his tail. And the Baby laughed and the Woman heard him and smiled.
Then the Bat — the little upside-down Bat — that hung in the mouth of the Cave said (тогда Летучая Мышь — маленькая Летучая Мышь — которая висела вверх тормашками у входа в Пещеру сказала), ‘O my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother of my Host’s Son (О моя Хозяйка и Жена моего Хозяина и Мать Сына моего Хозяина), a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing with your Baby (Дикая Тварь из Диких Дебрей очень красиво играет с твоим Малышом).’
‘A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be (благословение на эту Дикую Тварь, кем бы она ни была),’ said the Woman (сказала Женщина), straightening her back (выпрямляя спину = выпрямляясь), ‘for I was a busy woman this morning and he has done me a service (ибо я была занятой женщиной = занята сегодня утром, а она оказала мне услугу).’
hostess ['hqustIs], host [hqust], straighten ['streItn]
Then the Bat — the little upside-down Bat — that hung in the mouth of the Cave said, ‘O my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother of my Host’s Son, a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing with your Baby.’
‘A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be,’ said the Woman, straightening her back, ‘for I was a busy woman this morning and he has done me a service.’
The very minute and second, Best Beloved (в ту же самую минуту и секунду, Самые Любименькие), the dried horse-skin Curtain (Занавес из высушенной лошадиной шкуры) that was stretched tail-down at the mouth of the Cave (который был натянут хвостом вниз у входа в Пещеру) fell down — woosh! — (упал — со свистом: фьюить!; whoosh — свист, пронестись со свистом) because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat (потому что он вспомнил сделку, которую она заключила с Котом), and when the Woman went to pick it up (и когда Женщина пошла поднять его) — lo and behold (смотрите и слушайте)! — the Cat was sitting quite comfy inside the Cave (Кот сидел очень уютно внутри Пещеры).
stretch [streC], whoosh [wHS], comfy ['kAmfI]
The very minute and second, Best Beloved, the dried horse-skin Curtain that was stretched tail-down at the mouth of the Cave fell down — woosh! — because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when the Woman went to pick it up — lo and behold! — the Cat was sitting quite comfy inside the Cave.
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy (О мой Враг и Жена моего Врага и Мать моего Врага),’ said the Cat (сказал Кот), ‘it is I: for you have spoken a word in my praise (это я — ибо ты сказала слово похвалы в мой адрес), and now I can sit within the Cave for always and always and always (и теперь я могу сидеть внутри Пещеры всегда и во веки веков). But still I am the Cat who walks by himself (но тем не менее я Кот, который гуляет сам по себе), and all places are alike to me (и все места одинаковы для меня).’
The Woman was very angry (Женщина была очень сердита), and shut her lips tight (и сжала плотно губы; to shut — закрывать, запирать) and took up her spinning-wheel and began to spin (и взяла свою прялку и начала прясть).
But the Baby cried (но Малыш заплакал) because the Cat had gone away (потому что Кот /уже/ ушел), and the Woman could not hush it (и Женщина не могла успокоить его), for it struggled and kicked and grew black in the face (так как он бился и лягался, и он стал побагровевшим: «черным» в лице = и лицо у него побагровело; black in the face — побагровевший /от гнева, злости, усилий и т. д./).
within [wI'DIn], shut [SAt], struggle [strAgl]
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘it is I: for you have spoken a word in my praise, and now I can sit within the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’
The Woman was very angry, and shut her lips tight and took up her spinning-wheel and began to spin.
But the Baby cried because the Cat had gone away, and the Woman could not hush it, for it struggled and kicked and grew black in the face.
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy (О мой Враг и Жена моего Врага и Мать моего Врага),’ said the Cat (сказал Кот), ‘take a strand of the wire (возьми прядь нити) that you are spinning and tie it to your spinning-whorl (которую ты прядешь и привяжи ее к веретену) and drag it along the floor (и потяни ее по полу), and I will show you a magic (и я покажу тебе волшебство) that shall make your Baby laugh as loudly as he is now crying (которое заставит твоего Малыша смеяться = от которого твой Малыш засмеется так громко, как он сейчас плачет).’
‘I will do so (я сделаю так),’ said the Woman (сказала Женщина), ‘because I am at my wits’ end (потому что я не знаю, что делать; to be at one’s wits’ end — стать в тупик; не знать, что делать; wit(s) — разум, ум); but I will not thank you for it (но я не поблагодарю тебя за это).’
whorl [wWl], loudly ['laudlI], thank [TxNk]
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘take a strand of the wire that you are spinning and tie it to your spinning-whorl and drag it along the floor, and I will show you a magic that shall make your Baby laugh as loudly as he is now crying.’
‘I will do so,’ said the Woman, ‘because I am at my wits’ end; but I will not thank you for it.’
She tied the thread to the little clay spindle-whorl and drew it across the floor (она привязала нить к маленькому глиняному веретену и потянула его по полу), and the Cat ran after it and patted it with his paws and rolled head over heels (а Кот побежал за ним и похлопал по нему своими лапками и перекатился кубарем; to roll head over heels — кувыркаться в воздухе, делать сальто, лететь кубарем), and tossed it backward over his shoulder (и подбросил его назад через плечо) and chased it between his hind-legs (и загнал = пропустил его между задних ног) and pretended to lose it (и притворился, что потерял его), and pounced down upon it again (и снова набросился на него), till the Baby laughed as loudly as it had been crying (пока Малыш /не/ засмеялся так громко, как он /до этого/ плакал), and scrambled after the Cat (и /не/ пополз за Котом) and frolicked all over the Cave (и не резвился по всей Пещере) till it grew tired and settled down to sleep with the Cat in its arms (пока /он/ /не/ устал и /не/ устроился спать с Котом в объятиях; to settle down — успокаиваться, угомониться).
thread [Tred], shoulder ['Squldq], pounce [pauns]
She tied the thread to the little clay spindle-whorl and drew it across the floor, and the Cat ran after it and patted it with his paws and rolled head over heels, and tossed it backward over his shoulder and chased it between his hind-legs and pretended to lose it, and pounced down upon it again, till the Baby laughed as loudly as it had been crying, and scrambled after the Cat and frolicked all over the Cave till it grew tired and settled down to sleep with the Cat in its arms.
‘Now,’ said the Cat (теперь, — сказал Кот), ‘I will sing the Baby a song that shall keep him asleep for an hour (я спою Малышу песню, которая усыпит: «сохранит его спящим» на час).’ And he began to purr (и он начал мурлыкать), loud and low, low and loud (громко и тихо = то громко, то тихо, то громко, то тихо), till the Baby fell fast asleep (пока Малыш /не/ заснул крепко; to fall fast asleep — крепко заснуть). The Woman smiled as she looked down upon the two of them and said (Женщина улыбнулась, глядя сверху вниз на них обоих, и сказала), ‘That was wonderfully done (это было сделано замечательно). No question but you are very clever, O Cat (несомненно /но/ ты очень умен = одно только можно сказать — ты очень умен, О Кот; no question — без сомнения, несомненно).’
That very minute and second, Best Beloved (в ту же самую минуту и секунду, Самые Любименькие), the smoke of the fire at the back of the Cave came down in clouds from the roof (дым от огня в задней части Пещеры спустился клубами с потолка; roof — крыша, кровля, потолок) — puff! — because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat (/с шипением/ пуф-ф-ф! — потому что он вспомнил сделку, которую она заключила с Котом; puff — звук, издаваемый при выдохе или выпуске воздуха, пара и т. п.; пыхтение, шипение и т. п.), and when it had cleared away (и когда он = дым рассеялся) — lo and behold (смотрите и слушайте)! — the Cat was sitting quite comfy close to the fire (Кот сидел очень уютно возле очага).
hour [auq], purr [pW], clear [klIq]
‘Now,’ said the Cat, ‘I will sing the Baby a song that shall keep him asleep for an hour.’ And he began to purr, loud and low, low and loud, till the Baby fell fast asleep. The Woman smiled as she looked down upon the two of them and said, ‘That was wonderfully done. No question but you are very clever, O Cat.’
That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the smoke of the fire at the back of the Cave came down in clouds from the roof — puff! — because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when it had cleared away — lo and behold! — the Cat was sitting quite comfy close to the fire.
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy (О мой Враг и Жена моего Врага и Мать моего Врага),’ said the Cat (сказал Кот), ‘it is I, for you have spoken a second word in my praise (это я — ибо ты сказала второе слово похвалы в мой адрес), and now I can sit by the warm fire at the back of the Cave for always and always and always (и я теперь могу сидеть у теплого огня в задней части Пещеры всегда и во веки веков). But still I am the Cat who walks by himself (но, тем не менее, я Кот, который гуляет сам по себе), and all places are alike to me (и все места одинаковы для меня).’
