scowl [skaul], shadow [ˈʃædəu], lengthen [ˈleŋƟən]
The shadows were lengthening when they reached the river and peered through the masking bushes. They could see up and down the river for about a mile each way. The sullen stream lay bare and empty. Conan scowled across at the other shore. "We've got to take another chance here. We've got to swim the river. We don't know whether they've crossed or not. The woods over there may be alive with them. We've got to risk it. We're about six miles south of Gwawela."
He wheeled and ducked as a bowstring twanged (он перевернулся и быстро наклонился, когда тренькнула тетива лука). Something like a white flash of light streaked through the bushes (что-то, словно белая вспышка света, пронеслось сквозь кусты). Balthus knew it was an arrow (Балтус знал, это была стрела). Then with a tigerish bound Conan was through the bushes (затем тигриным прыжком Конан был = бросился через кусты). Balthus caught the gleam of steel as he whirled his sword (Балтус уловил проблеск стали, когда он завертел своим мечом), and heard a death scream (и услышал смертельный крик). The next instant he had broken through the bushes after the Cimmerian (/в/ следующий миг он бросился сквозь кусты за киммерийцем).
twang [twæŋ], caught [kɔ: t], death [deƟ]
He wheeled and ducked as a bowstring twanged. Something like a white flash of light streaked through the bushes. Balthus knew it was an arrow. Then with a tigerish bound Conan was through the bushes. Balthus caught the gleam of steel as he whirled his sword, and heard a death scream. The next instant he had broken through the bushes after the Cimmerian.
A Pict with a shattered skull lay face-down on the ground, his fingers spasmodically clawing at the grass (пикт с раздробленным черепом лежал лицом вниз на земле, его пальцы спазматически цеплялись за траву; to claw — цепляться). Half a dozen others were swarming about Conan, swords and axes lifted (полдюжины других толпились вокруг Конана /с/ поднятыми мечами и топорами). They had cast away their bows, useless at such deadly close quarters (они отбросили свои луки, бесполезные на таком ужасно близком расстоянии). Their lower jaws were painted white, contrasting vividly with their dark faces (их нижние челюсти были окрашены белым, контрастируя четко с их темными лицами), and the designs on their muscular breasts differed from any Balthus had ever seen (а рисунки на их мускулистых грудных клетках отличались от любых, /которые/ Балтус когда-либо видел).
spasmodically [spæzˈmɔdɪklɪ], useless [ˈju: slɪs], quarter [ˈkwɔ: tə]
A Pict with a shattered skull lay face-down on the ground, his fingers spasmodically clawing at the grass. Half a dozen others were swarming about Conan, swords and axes lifted. They had cast away their bows, useless at such deadly close quarters. Their lower jaws were painted white, contrasting vividly with their dark faces, and the designs on their muscular breasts differed from any Balthus had ever seen.
One of them hurled his ax at Balthus and rushed after it with lifted knife (один из них бросил свой топор в Балтуса и бросился /вслед/ за ним с поднятым ножом). Balthus ducked and then caught the wrist that drove the knife licking at his throat (Балтус пригнулся и затем поймал запястье, которое направило нож, нанося удар в его горло = и нанес удар ему в горло). They went to the ground together, rolling over and over (они пошли = упали на землю вместе, перекатываясь и перекатываясь). The Pict was like a wild beast, his muscles hard as steel strings (пикт был как дикий зверь, его мускулы крепки, как стальные канаты).
One of them hurled his ax at Balthus and rushed after it with lifted knife. Balthus ducked and then caught the wrist that drove the knife licking at his throat. They went to the ground together, rolling over and over. The Pict was like a wild beast, his muscles hard as steel strings.
Balthus was striving to maintain his hold on the wild man's wrist and bring his own ax into play (Балтус старался удержать /свою/ хватку на запястье дикаря и пустить в ход свой /собственный/ топор), but so fast and furious was the struggle that each attempt to strike was blocked (но такой быстрой и яростной была борьба, что каждая попытка ударить блокировалась). The Pict was wrenching furiously to free his knife hand (пикт извивался яростно, /чтобы/ освободить свою руку с ножом), was clutching at Balthus' ax, and driving his knees at the youth's groin (вцепился в топор Балтуса и давил /своими/ коленями в пах юноши). Suddenly he attempted to shift his knife to his free hand (вдруг он попытался перехватить /свой/ нож в /его/ свободную руку), and in that instant Balthus, struggling up on one knee, split the painted head with a desperate blow of his ax (и в это мгновение Балтус, встав на одно колено, раскроил раскрашенную голову отчаянным / страшным ударом своего топора).
wrist [rɪst], maintain [meɪnˈteɪn], wrench [renʧ]
Balthus was striving to maintain his hold on the wild man's wrist and bring his own ax into play, but so fast and furious was the struggle that each attempt to strike was blocked. The Pict was wrenching furiously to free his knife hand, was clutching at Balthus' ax, and driving his knees at the youth's groin. Suddenly he attempted to shift his knife to his free hand, and in that instant Balthus, struggling up on one knee, split the painted head with a desperate blow of his ax.
He sprang up and glared wildly about for his companion, expecting to see him overwhelmed by numbers (он вскочил и дико огляделся для = в поисках своего спутника, ожидая увидеть его, подавленного численностью = превосходящим противником). Then he realized the full strength and ferocity of the Cimmerian (/и/ тогда он осознал полную силу и свирепость киммерийца). Conan bestrode two of his attackers, shorn half asunder by that terrible broadsword (Конан перешагнул /через/ двух из /его/ нападавших, разрубленных пополам этим ужасным палашом; to bestride — перешагивать через; to shear — резать, рубить). As Balthus looked he saw the Cimmerian beat down a thrusting short sword (когда Балтус посмотрел, он увидел, /как/ киммериец отбил вниз колющий короткий меч), avoid the stroke of an ax with a cat-like side-wise spring (избегнул = ушел от удара топора кошачьим прыжком в сторону) which brought him within arm's length of a squat savage stooping for a bow (который принес = приблизил его на расстояние руки от сидящего на корточках дикаря, наклонившегося за луком). Before the Pict could straighten (прежде чем пикт смог выпрямиться), the red sword flailed down and clove him from shoulder to midbreastbone (кровавый меч ударил вниз и разрезал его от плеча до средней грудной кости; to cleave — разрезать, раскалывать), where the blade stuck (где клинок застрял; to stick — застрять). The remaining warriors rushed in, one from either side (оставшиеся воины бросились, /по/ одному с обеих сторон). Balthus hurled his ax with an accuracy that reduced the attackers to one (Балтус швырнул свой топор с точностью, которая уменьшила /количество/ нападавших до одного = остался один нападавший), and Conan, abandoning his efforts to free his sword, wheeled and met the remaining Pict with his bare hands (а Конан, бросив попытки освободить свой меч, повернулся и встретил оставшегося пикта /с/ голыми руками). The stocky warrior, a head shorter than his tall enemy, leaped in (коренастый воин, /на/ голову ниже, чем его высокий противник, прыгнул), striking with his ax, at the same time stabbing murderously with his knife (ударяя = нанося удар /своим/ топором, в то же время тыкая смертоносно своим ножом). The knife broke on the Cimmerian's mail (нож поломался о кольчугу киммерийца), and the ax checked in midair as Conan's fingers locked like iron on the descending arm (а топор остановился в воздухе, когда пальцы Конан сомкнулись, как железные, на опускающейся руке). A bone snapped loudly, and Balthus saw the Pict wince and falter (кость громко хрустнула, и Балтус увидел, /как/ пикт сморщился и споткнулся; to wince (in pain) — морщиться от боли). The next instant he was swept off his feet (/в/ следующий миг он был снесен с ног), lifted high above the Cimmerian's head поднят высоко над головой Конана) — he writhed in midair for an instant, kicking and thrashing (он покорчился в воздухе мгновение, лягаясь и молотя /конечностями/), and then was dashed headlong to the earth with such force that he rebounded (а потом был брошен вниз головой на землю с такой силой, что он отскочил), and then lay still, his limp posture telling of splintered limbs and a broken spine (и потом лежал тихо,[42] его безвольная поза говорила о раздробленных конечностях и сломанном позвоночнике).
overwhelmed [əuvəˈwelmd], abandon [əˈbændən], posture [ˈpɔsʧə]
He sprang up and glared wildly about for his companion, expecting to see him overwhelmed by numbers. Then he realized the full strength and ferocity of the Cimmerian. Conan bestrode two of his attackers, shorn half asunder by that terrible broadsword. As Balthus looked he saw the Cimmerian beat down a thrusting shortsword, avoid the stroke of an ax with a cat-like side-wise spring which brought him within arm's length of a squat savage stooping for a bow. Before the Pict could straighten, the red sword flailed down and clove him from shoulder to midbreastbone, where the blade stuck. The remaining warriors rushed in, one from either side. Balthus hurled his ax with an accuracy that reduced the attackers to one, and Conan, abandoning his efforts to free his sword, wheeled and met the remaining Pict with his bare hands. The stocky warrior, a head shorter than his tall enemy, leaped in, striking with his ax, at the same time stabbing murderously with his knife. The knife broke on the Cimmerian's mail, and the ax checked in midair as Conan's fingers locked like iron on the descending arm. A bone snapped loudly, and Balthus saw the Pict wince and falter. The next instant he was swept off his feet, lifted high above the Cimmerian's head — he writhed in midair for an instant, kicking and thrashing, and then was dashed headlong to the earth with such force that he rebounded, and then lay still, his limp posture telling of splintered limbs and a broken spine.
"Come on!" Conan wrenched his sword free and snatched up an ax (давай / ну же! — Конан провернул свой меч свободный = провернув, высвободил меч и выхватил топор). "Grab a bow and a handful of arrows, and hurry (хватай лук и пригорошню стрел — и поспеши)! We've got to trust to our heels again (мы должны снова довериться нашим ногам). That yell was heard (этот крик был услышан). They'll be here in no time (они будут здесь мигом; in no time — мигом, мгновенно, очень скоро: «в никакое время»). If we tried to swim now, they'd feather us with arrows before we reached midstream (если бы мы попытались поплыть сейчас, они бы утыкали нас стрелами, до того, как мы добрались бы до середины реки)!"
hurry [ˈhʌrɪ], feather [ˈfeðə], arrow [ˈærəu]
"Come on!" Conan wrenched his sword free and snatched up an ax. "Grab a bow and a handful of arrows, and hurry! We've got to trust to our heels again. That yell was heard. They'll be here in no time. If we tried to swim now, they'd feather us with arrows before we reached midstream!"
6. Red Axes of the Border
(Красные топоры границы)
Conan did not plunge deeply into the forest (Конан не погрузился глубоко в лес). A few hundred yards from the river, he altered his slanting course and ran parallel with it (/в/ нескольких сотнях ярдов от реки он поменял свой наклонный курс и побежал параллельно ему). Balthus recognized a grim determination not to be hunted away from the river which they must cross if they were to warn the men in the fort (Балтус распознал мрачную решимость не быть отогнанным = не уходить от реки, которую они должны пересечь, если им предстояло предупредить людей в форте). Behind them rose more loudly the yells of the forest men (позади них поднялись громче крики лесных людей). Balthus believed the Picts had reached the glade where the bodies of the slain men lay (Балтус полагал, /что/ пикты добрались до поляны, где лежали тела убитых людей). Then further yells seemed to indicate that the savages were streaming into the woods in pursuit (дальнейшие крики, казалось, указывают, что дикари устремились в лес в погоню). They had left a trail any Pict could follow (они оставили след, /по которому/ мог пойти любой пикт).
