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).’
mother ['mADq], fire ['faIq], himself [hIm'self]
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘it is I, for you have spoken a second word in my praise, and now I can sit by the warm fire at the back of 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.’
Then the Woman was very very angry (тогда Женщина очень-очень рассердилась), and let down her hair and put more wood on the fire (и распустила свои волосы, и добавила дров в огонь) and brought out the broad blade-bone of the shoulder of mutton and began to make a Magic (и вытащила широкую лопатку = лопаточную кость из плеча барана, и начала творить Волшебство; to bring out — вытащить) that should prevent her from saying a third word in praise of the Cat (которое должно было не дать ей сказать третье слово похвалы в адрес Кота). It was not a Singing Magic, Best Beloved (это было не Волшебство с Пением, Самые Любименькие), it was a Still Magic (это было Безмолвное Волшебство); and by and by the Cave grew so still (и вскоре в Пещере стало так тихо) that a little wee-wee mouse crept out of a corner and ran across the floor (что малюсенькая-малюсенькая мышка выползла из одного угла и побежала по полу; to creep out — выползать).
prevent [prI'vent], third [TWd], corner ['kLnq]
Then the Woman was very very angry, and let down her hair and put more wood on the fire and brought out the broad blade-bone of the shoulder of mutton and began to make a Magic that should prevent her from saying a third word in praise of the Cat. It was not a Singing Magic, Best Beloved, it was a Still Magic; and by and by the Cave grew so still that a little wee-wee mouse crept out of a corner and ran across the floor.
‘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), ‘is that little mouse part of your magic (эта маленькая мышка — часть твоего волшебства)?’
‘Ouh! Chee! No indeed (ай! ой! нет, в самом деле)!’ said the Woman (сказала Женщина), and she dropped the blade-bone and jumped upon the footstool in front of the fire (и она уронила лопатку и запрыгнула на скамеечку для ног[147] перед очагом) and braided up her hair very quick for fear that the mouse should run up it (и очень быстро подобрала свои волосы из опасения, что мышка заберется вверх по ним).
‘Ah,’ said the Cat, watching (а, — сказал Кот, наблюдая /за этим/), ‘then the mouse will do me no harm if I eat it (тогда мышка не принесет мне вреда, если я ее съем)?’
‘No,’ said the Woman (нет, — сказала Женщина), braiding up her hair (заплетая волосы), ‘eat it quickly and I will ever be grateful to you (съешь ее быстро, и я буду очень благодарна тебе).
mouse [maus], fear [fIq], grateful ['greItful]
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘is that little mouse part of your magic?’
‘Ouh! Chee! No indeed!’ said the Woman, and she dropped the blade-bone and jumped upon the footstool in front of the fire and braided up her hair very quick for fear that the mouse should run up it.
‘Ah,’ said the Cat, watching, ‘then the mouse will do me no harm if I eat it?’
‘No,’ said the Woman, braiding up her hair, ‘eat it quickly and I will ever be grateful to you.
Cat made one jump and caught the little mouse (Кот сделал один прыжок и поймал маленькую мышку), and the Woman said (а Женщина сказала), ‘A hundred thanks (сто = тысяча благодарностей). Even the First Friend is not quick enough to catch little mice (даже Первый Друг недостаточно скор, чтобы ловить маленьких мышей) as you have done (как сделал ты). You must be very wise (ты, наверное, очень мудрый).’
That very moment and second (в ту же самую минуту и секунду), O Best Beloved (О Самые Любименькие), the Milk-pot that stood by the fire cracked in two pieces (Молочный горшок, который стоял у огня, раскололся на два куска = надвое) — ffft! — because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat (хрусь! — потому что он вспомнил сделку, которую она заключила с Котом), and when the Woman jumped down from the footstool (и когда Женщина спрыгнула со скамеечки для ног) — lo and behold (смотрите и слушайте)! — the Cat was lapping up the warm white milk (Кот лакал теплое белое молоко) that lay in one of the broken pieces (которое лежало = было в одном из расколовшихся кусков; to lie — лежать).
hundred ['hAndrqd], piece [pJs], broken [brqukqn]
Cat made one jump and caught the little mouse, and the Woman said, ‘A hundred thanks. Even the First Friend is not quick enough to catch little mice as you have done. You must be very wise.’
That very moment and second, O Best Beloved, the Milk-pot that stood by the fire cracked in two pieces — ffft! — because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when the Woman jumped down from the footstool — lo and behold! — the Cat was lapping up the warm white milk that lay in one of the broken pieces.
‘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 three words in my praise (это я — ибо ты сказала три слова похвалы в мой адрес), and now I can drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always (и теперь я могу пить теплое белое молоко три раза в день 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).’
Then the Woman laughed and set the Cat a bowl of the warm white milk and said (тогда Женщина засмеялась, и поставила Коту миску теплого белого молока, и сказала), ‘O Cat, you are as clever as a man (О Кот, ты умный, как человек), but remember that your bargain was not made with the Man or the Dog (но помни, что твоя сделка не была заключена с Человеком и Псом), and I do not know what they will do when they come home (а я не знаю, что они сделают, когда они придут домой).’
bowl [bqul], remember [rI'membq], know [nqu]
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘it is I; for you have spoken three words in my praise, and now I can drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’
Then the Woman laughed and set the Cat a bowl of the warm white milk and said, ‘O Cat, you are as clever as a man, but remember that your bargain was not made with the Man or the Dog, and I do not know what they will do when they come home.’
‘What is that to me (что мне до того)?’ said the Cat (сказал Кот). ‘If I have my place in the Cave by the fire and my warm white milk three times a day (если у меня будет мое место в Пещере у огня и мое теплое белое молоко три раза в день) I do not care what the Man or the Dog can do (мне все равно, что могут сделать = сделают Человек или Пес).’
place [pleIs], cave [keIv], day [deI]
‘What is that to me?’ said the Cat. ‘If I have my place in the Cave by the fire and my warm white milk three times a day I do not care what the Man or the Dog can do.’
That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave (в тот вечер, когда Человек и Пес вошли в Пещеру), the Woman told them all the story of the bargain (Женщина рассказал им всю историю о сделке) while the Cat sat by the fire and smiled (в то время как Кот сидел у огня и улыбался). Then the Man said (тогда Человек сказал), ‘Yes, but he has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Men after me (да, но он не заключил сделку со мной и со всеми настоящими Мужчинами /которые будут/ после меня).’ Then he took off his two leather boots and he took up his little stone axe (затем он снял два кожаных сапога и /он/ подхватил свой маленький каменный топорик) (that makes three (это получается три)) and he fetched a piece of wood and a hatchet (и он принес палку и большой нож) (that is five altogether (/это/ всего получается пять)), and he set them out in a row and he said (и выставил их в ряд и /он/ сказал), ‘Now we will make our bargain (теперь мы заключим наше соглашение). If you do not catch mice (если ты не будешь ловить мышей) when you are in the Cave for always and always and always (когда ты будешь в Пещере всегда и во веки веков), I will throw these five things at you (я буду бросать эти пять предметов в тебя) whenever I see you (когда бы я тебя ни увидел), and so shall all proper Men do after me (и так будут делать все настоящие Мужчины после меня).’
care [kFq], axe [xks], hatchet ['hxCIt]
That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave, the Woman told them all the story of the bargain while the Cat sat by the fire and smiled. Then the Man said, ‘Yes, but he has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Men after me.’ Then he took off his two leather boots and he took up his little stone axe (that makes three) and he fetched a piece of wood and a hatchet (that is five altogether), and he set them out in a row and he said, ‘Now we will make our bargain. If you do not catch mice when you are in the Cave for always and always and always, I will throw these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shall all proper Men do after me.’
‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening (ах, — сказала Женщина, слушая), ‘this is a very clever Cat (это очень умный Кот), but he is not so clever as my Man (но он не такой умный, как мой Муж).’
The Cat counted the five things (Кот посчитал пять предметов) (and they looked very knobby (а они казались очень шишковатыми[148] = угрожающими) and he said (и он сказал), ‘I will catch mice (я буду ловить мышей) when I am in the Cave for always and always and always (когда я буду в Пещере 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).’
count [kaunt], knobby ['nObI], catch [kxC]
‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening, ‘this is a very clever Cat, but he is not so clever as my Man.’
The Cat counted the five things (and they looked very knobby) and he said, ‘I will catch mice when I am in 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.’
‘Not when I am near (не /тогда/, когда я рядом),’ said the Man (сказал Человек). ‘If you had not said that last (если бы ты не сказал это в конце) I would have put all these things away for always and always and always (я бы убрал все эти предметы навсегда и во веки веков); but I am now going to throw my two boots and my little stone axe (но теперь я буду бросать мои два сапога и мой маленький каменный топорик) (that makes three (это получается три)) at you whenever I meet you (по тебе, когда бы я ни встретил тебя). And so shall all proper Men do after me (и так будут поступать все настоящие Мужчины после меня)!’
