"Warn Valannus (предупредить Валаннуса)?"
"Hell, the woods along the river are swarming with Picts (ад = проклятие, лес вдоль реки кишит пиктами)! That's why they got us (поэтому /они/ нас достали = обнаружили). Zogar's brewing war-magic; no mere raid this time (Зогар готовит военную магию, не просто рейд /на/ этот раз; to brew — варить (пиво); замышлять (мятеж, заговор и т. п.)). He's done something no Pict has done in my memory — united as many as fifteen or sixteen clans (он сделал что- то, /чего/ /не/ делал ни один пикт на моей памяти — объединил целых: «так много как» пятнадцать или шестнадцать кланов). His magic did it; they'll follow a wizard farther than they will a war-chief (его магия сделала это, они пойдут за чародеем дальше, чем /они пойдут/ за военным вождем). You saw the mob in the village (ты видел сборище в поселке); and there were hundreds hiding along the river bank that you didn't see (и были сотни, прячущихся вдоль берега реки, которых ты не видел). More coming, from the farther villages (еще больше придет из дальних селений). He'll have at least three thousand fighting- men (он будет иметь = у него будет, по крайней мере, три тысячи бойцов). I lay in the bushes and heard their talk as they went past (я лежал в кустах и слышал их разговор, когда они проходили мимо). They mean to attack the fort; when, I don't know, but Zogar doesn't dare delay long (они хотят атаковать форт, когда, я не знаю, но Зогар не осмеливается откладывать надолго). He's gathered them and whipped them into a frenzy (он собрал их и привел их в неистовство). If he doesn't lead them into battle quickly, they'll fall to quarreling with one another (если он не поведет их в битву быстро, они распадутся в ссорах = рассорятся друг с другом). They're like blood-mad tigers (они словно кровожадные тигры).
brew [bru: ], wizard [ˈwɪzəd], chief [ʧi: f]
"Warn Valannus?"
"Hell, the woods along the river are swarming with Picts! That's why they got us. Zogar's brewing war-magic; no mere raid this time. He's done something no Pict has done in my memory — united as many as fifteen or sixteen clans. His magic did it; they'll follow a wizard farther than they will a war-chief. You saw the mob in the village; and there were hundreds hiding along the river bank that you didn't see. More coming, from the farther villages. He'll have at least three thousand fighting-men. I lay in the bushes and heard their talk as they went past. They mean to attack the fort; when, I don't know, but Zogar doesn't dare delay long. He's gathered them and whipped them into a frenzy. If he doesn't lead them into battle quickly, they'll fall to quarreling with one another. They're like blood-mad tigers.
"I don't know whether they can take the fort or not (я не знаю, возьмут ли они форт или нет). Anyway, we've got to get back across the river and give the warning (как бы там ни было, мы должны вернуться через реку и дать = сделать предупреждение). The settlers on the Velitrium road must either get into the fort or back to Velitrium (поселенцы на дороге в Велитириум должны либо попасть в форт, либо вернуться в Велитриум; either … or … — либо …, либо …). While the Picts are besieging the fort, war parties will range the road far to the east (пока пикты будут осаждать форт, военные отряды будут рыскать по дороге далеко на востоке) — might even cross Thunder River and raid the thickly settled country behind Velitrium (возможно даже пересекут Громовую реку и совершат налеты на густо населенную местность за Велитриумом)."
whether [ˈweðə], warning [ˈwɔ: nɪŋ], country [ˈkʌntrɪ]
"I don't know whether they can take the fort or not. Anyway, we've got to get back across the river and give the warning. The settlers on the Velitrium road must either get into the fort or back to Velitrium. While the Picts are besieging the fort, war parties will range the road far to the east — might even cross Thunder River and raid the thickly settled country behind Velitrium."
As he talked he was leading the way deeper and deeper into the ancient wilderness (пока он говорил, он вел глубже и глубже в древние дикие дебри). Presently he grunted with satisfaction (некоторое время спустя он промычал с удовлетворением). They had reached a spot where the underbrush was more scattered (они достигли места, где подлесок был более редкий), and an outcropping of stone was visible, wandering off southward (и был виден выход камня /обнажение каменной породы/, отклонявшийся на юг). Balthus felt more secure as they followed it (Балтус почувствовал /себя/ более уверенным, когда они последовали за ним = выходом). Not even a Pict could trail them over naked rock (даже пикт не мог выследить их по голой скале).
"How did you get away?" he asked presently (как ты выбрался? — спросил он через некоторое время). Conan tapped his mail-shirt and helmet (Конан постучал /по/ своей кольчуге и шлему).
talk [tɔ: k], visible [ˈvɪzɪbl], secure [sɪˈkjuə]
As he talked he was leading the way deeper and deeper into the ancient wilderness. Presently he grunted with satisfaction. They had reached a spot where the underbrush was more scattered, and an outcropping of stone was visible, wandering off southward. Balthus felt more secure as they followed it. Not even a Pict could trail them over naked rock.
"How did you get away?" he asked presently. Conan tapped his mail-shirt and helmet.
"If more borderers would wear harness there'd be fewer skulls hanging on the altar- huts (если бы больше пограничников носили доспехи, было бы меньше черепов, висящих на хижинах с алтарями). But most men make noise if they wear armor (но большинство людей создают шум, если они носят = на них латы). They were waiting on each side of the path, without moving (/они/ ждали с обеих сторон тропы, не двигаясь: «без движения»). And when a Pict stands motionless, the very beasts of the forest pass him without seeing him (а когда пикт стоит неподвижно, даже твари леса проходят мимо него, не замечая его). They'd seen us crossing the river and got in their places (они видели нас, пересекающих = как мы пересекали реку и стали по местам). If they'd gone into ambush after we left the bank, I'd have had some hint of it (если бы они сели в засаду, после того как мы покинули берег, я бы имел = почувствовал какой- то намек /этого/). But they were waiting, and not even a leaf trembled (но они ждали, и даже листик не дрогнул). The devil himself couldn't have suspected anything (сам дьявол не мог бы заподозрить = не заподозрил бы ничего). The first suspicion I had was when I heard a shaft rasp against a bow as it was pulled back (первое подозрение я имел = у меня возникло, когда я услышал скрежет стрелы о лук, когда она была оттянута = ее оттягивали; to pull back — оттягивать). I dropped and yelled for the men behind me to drop, but they were too slow, taken by surprise like that (я упал и закричал людям за мной падать, но они были слишком медленные, застигнутые вот так врасплох; to take by surprise — застигнуть врасплох).
wear [wɛə], armor [ˈɑ:mə], leaf [li: f]
"If more borderers would wear harness there'd be fewer skulls hanging on the altar- huts. But most men make noise if they wear armor. They were waiting on each side of the path, without moving. And when a Pict stands motionless, the very beasts of the forest pass him without seeing him. They'd seen us crossing the river and got in their places. If they'd gone into ambush after we left the bank, I'd have had some hint of it. But they were waiting, and not even a leaf trembled. The devil himself couldn't have suspected anything. The first suspicion I had was when I heard a shaft rasp against a bow as it was pulled back. I dropped and yelled for the men behind me to drop, but they were too slow, taken by surprise like that.
"Most of them fell at the first volley that raked us from both sides (большинство их пали при первом залпе, который обстрелял = накрыл нас с обеих сторон). Some of the arrows crossed the trail and struck Picts on the other side (некоторые из стрел перелетели тропу и поразили пиктов на другой стороне). I heard them howl (я слышал их выть = их вой)." He grinned with vicious satisfaction (он оскалился со злым удовлетворением). "Such of us as were left plunged into the woods and closed with them (те из нас, что остались, бросились в лес и вступили в борьбу с ними; to close with — вступить в борьбу с). When I saw the others were all down or taken, I broke through and outfooted the painted devils through the darkness (когда я увидел, /что/ остальные все погибли или взяты в плен,[40] я прорвался и отбился от раскрашенных демонов во тьме). They were all around me (они были повсюду вокруг меня). I ran and crawled and sneaked (я бежал и полз, и крался), and sometimes I lay on my belly under the bushes while they passed me on all sides (а иногда я лежал на животе под кустами, пока они проходили мимо меня со всех сторон).
vicious [ˈvɪʃəs], belly [ˈbelɪ], all [ɔ: l]
"Most of them fell at the first volley that raked us from both sides. Some of the arrows crossed the trail and struck Picts on the other side. I heard them howl." He grinned with vicious satisfaction. "Such of us as were left plunged into the woods and closed with them. When I saw the others were all down or taken, I broke through and outfooted the painted devils through the darkness. They were all around me. I ran and crawled and sneaked, and sometimes I lay on my belly under the bushes while they passed me on all sides.
"I tried for the shore and found it lined with them, waiting for just such a move (я устремился к берегу и обнаружил, /что/ он заполнен ими, ждущими как раз такого хода). But I’d have cut my way through and taken a chance on swimming (но я пробился бы и испробовал бы шанс переплыть /реку/), only I heard the drums pounding in the village and knew they'd taken somebody alive (только я услышал барабаны, грохочущие в поселке, и знал, что они взяли кого-то живьем).
move [mu: v], pound [paund], alive [əˈlaɪv]
"I tried for the shore and found it lined with them, waiting for just such a move. But I’d have cut my way through and taken a chance on swimming, only I heard the drums pounding in the village and knew they'd taken somebody alive.
"They were all so engrossed in Zogar's magic that I was able to climb the wall behind the altar-hut (они были все так увлечены магией Зогара, что я смог взобраться на стену за хижиной с алтарем). There was a warrior supposed to be watching at that point (там был воин, /который/ должен был наблюдать в том месте), but he was squatting behind the hut and peering around the corner at the ceremony (но он сидел на корточках за хижиной и подсматривал из-за угла за церемонией). I came up behind him and broke his neck with my hands before he knew what was happening (я подошел к нему сзади и сломал ему шею /моими/ руками прежде, чем он понял, что происходит). It was his spear I threw into the snake, and that's his ax you're carrying (это /было/ его копье я бросил в змея, и это его топор ты несешь)."
able [eɪbl], squat [skwɔt], ceremony [ˈserɪmənɪ]
"They were all so engrossed in Zogar's magic that I was able to climb the wall behind the altar-hut. There was a warrior supposed to be watching at that point, but he was squatting behind the hut and peering around the corner at the ceremony. I came up behind him and broke his neck with my hands before he knew what was happening. It was his spear I threw into the snake, and that's his ax you're carrying."
"But what was that — that thing you killed in the altar-hut?" asked Balthus, with a shiver at the memory of the dim-seen horror (но что это было — та тварь, /которую/ ты убил в хижине с алтарем? — спросил Балтус с содроганием при воспоминании о неясно видимом чудище).
