He lifted his head and grinned with a painful effort (он поднял /свою/ голову и улыбнулся с болезненным усилием = выдавил улыбку).
"Come on, boy," he mumbled, rising (давай, парень, — пробурчал он, поднимаясь). "We've got work to do (у нас есть работа: «мы имеем работу делать»)."
He lifted his head and grinned with a painful effort.
"Come on, boy," he mumbled, rising. "We've got work to do."
A red glow suddenly became evident through the trees (красное зарево вдруг стало видно сквозь деревья = вдруг сквозь деревья стало видно красное зарево; evident — очевидный). The Picts had fired the last hut (пикты подожгли последнюю хижину). He grinned (он ухмыльнулся). How Zogar Sag would froth if he knew his warriors had let their destructive natures get the better of them (как бы вскипел Зогар Саг, если бы он узнал, что его воины позволили своей разрушительной сущности взять верх над собой). The fire would warn the people farther up the road (огонь предупредит людей дальше по дороге). They would be awake and alert when the fugitives reached them (они проснутся и поднимут тревогу, когда беглецы доберутся до них). But his face grew grim (но его лицо помрачнело). The women were traveling slowly, on foot and on the overloaded horses (женщины двигались медленно пешком и на перегруженных лошадях). The swift-footed Picts would run them down within a mile, unless — he took his position behind a tangle of fallen logs beside the trail (быстроногие пикты догонят их через милю, если он /не/ займет /свою/ позицию за грудой поваленных бревен возле тропы). The road west of him was lighted by the burning cabin (дорога на западе от него была освещена горящей хижиной), and when the Picts came he saw them first — black furtive figures etched against the distant glare (и когда пикты подошли, он увидел их первым — черные крадущие фигуры, отпечатавшиеся на фоне далекого зарева).
evident [ˈevɪdənt], overloaded [əuvəˈləudɪd], glare [ɡlɛə]
A red glow suddenly became evident through the trees. The Picts had fired the last hut. He grinned. How Zogar Sag would froth if he knew his warriors had let their destructive natures get the better of them. The fire would warn the people farther up the road. They would be awake and alert when the fugitives reached them. But his face grew grim. The women were traveling slowly, on foot and on the overloaded horses. The swift-footed Picts would run them down within a mile, unless — he took his position behind a tangle of fallen logs beside the trail. The road west of him was lighted by the burning cabin, and when the Picts came he saw them first — black furtive figures etched against the distant glare.
Drawing a shaft to the head, he loosed and one of the figures crumpled (оттянув стрелу к голове, он спустил тетиву, и одна из фигур рухнула). The rest melted into the woods on either side of the road (остальные исчезли в лесу по обе стороны дороги). Slasher whimpered with the killing lust beside him (Задира возле него заскулил от жажды убивать). Suddenly a figure appeared on the fringe of the trail, under the trees (вдруг одна фигура появилась на краю тропы, под деревьями), and began gliding toward the fallen timbers (и начала скользить = заскользила к поваленным бревнам). Balthus' bow-string twanged and the Pict yelped, staggered and fell into the shadows with the arrow through his thigh (тетива Балтуса зазвенела, и пикт завопил, зашатался и упал в тени со стрелой сквозь = в бедре). Slasher cleared the timbers with a bound and leaped into the bushes (Задира перескочил бревна прыжком и бросился в кусты). They were violently shaken and then the dog slunk back to Balthus' side, his jaws crimson (они яростно затряслись, и затем пес прокрался назад к Балтусу: «к стороне / боку Балтуса», /с/ окровавленными челюстями; crimson — малиновый, темно-красный, кармазинный).
crumple [krʌmpl], thigh [Ɵaɪ], crimson [krɪmzn]
Drawing a shaft to the head, he loosed and one of the figures crumpled. The rest melted into the woods on either side of the road. Slasher whimpered with the killing lust beside him. Suddenly a figure appeared on the fringe of the trail, under the trees, and began gliding toward the fallen timbers. Balthus' bow-string twanged and the Pict yelped, staggered and fell into the shadows with the arrow through his thigh. Slasher cleared the timbers with a bound and leaped into the bushes. They were violently shaken and then the dog slunk back to Balthus' side, his jaws crimson.
No more appeared in the trail (больше никого /не/ появлялось на тропе); Balthus began to fear they were stealing past his position through the woods (Балтус начал опасаться, /что/ они прокрались мимо его позиции через лес), and when he heard a faint sound to his left he loosed blindly (и когда он услышал слабый звук слева от него: «к его левому», он спустил тетиву вслепую). He cursed as he heard the shaft splinter against a tree (он выругался, когда услышал, /что/ его стрела ударилась о дерево), but Slasher glided away as silently as a phantom (но Задира унесся /так/ бесшумно, как фантом), and presently Balthus heard a thrashing and a gurgling (и теперь Балтсу услышал удары и бульканье); then Slasher came like a ghost through the bushes (потом Задира вернулся как привидение сквозь кусты), snuggling his great, crimson-stained head against Balthus' arm (прижавшись своей огромной, испачканной в красное головой к руке Балтуса). Blood oozed from a gash in his shoulder, but the sounds in the wood had ceased for ever (кровь сочилась из разреза на его плече, но звуки в лесу прекратились навсегда).
appear [əˈpɪə], steal [sti: l], cease [si: z]
No more appeared in the trail; Balthus began to fear they were stealing past his position through the woods, and when he heard a faint sound to his left he loosed blindly. He cursed as he heard the shaft splinter against a tree, but Slasher glided away as silently as a phantom, and presently Balthus heard a thrashing and a gurgling; then Slasher came like a ghost through the bushes, snuggling his great, crimson-stained head against Balthus' arm. Blood oozed from a gash in his shoulder, but the sounds in the wood had ceased for ever.
The men lurking on the edges of the road evidently sensed the fate of their companion (люди, таившиеся по краям дороги, очевидно догадались о судьбе их товарища), and decided that an open charge was preferable to being dragged down in the dark by a devil-beast they could neither see nor hear (и решили, что открытое нападение было предпочтительно тому, что их погубит в темноте дьявольская тварь: «бытию погубленным в темноте дьявольской тварью», /которую/ они /не/ могли ни видеть, ни слышать; to drag — тянуть, тащить, волочить; to drag down — ослаблять, разрушать). Perhaps they realized that only one man lay behind the logs (возможно, они поняли, что лишь один человек лежит за бревнами). They came with a sudden rush, breaking cover from both sides of the trail (они вдруг выбежали: «они пришли с неожиданным броском», ломая растительный покров с обеих сторон тропы). Three dropped with arrows through them — and the remaining pair hesitated (трое упали со стрелами в них: «сквозь них» — а оставшаяся пара заколебалась). One turned and ran back down the road (один повернул и побежал назад по дороге), but the other lunged over the breastwork, his eyes and teeth gleaming in the dim light, his ax lifted (а другой ринулся через бруствер /со/ /своими/ глазами и зубами, сверкающими в неясном свете, подняв свой топор). Balthus' foot slipped as he sprang up, but the slip saved his life (ступня Балтуса поскользнулась, когда он прыгнул = при прыжке, но это скольжение = это спасло ему жизнь). The descending ax shaved a lock of hair from his head, and the Pict rolled down the logs from the force of his wasted blow (опускающийся топор сбрил клок волос с его головы, а пикт скатился с бревен от силы его напрасно потраченного = ушедшего в пустоту удара). Before he could regain his feet Slasher tore his throat out (прежде чем он смог снова встать на ноги, Задира вырвал его горло; to regain one’s feet / footing — снова встать на ноги).
companion [kəmˈpænjən], preferable [ˈprefərəbl], hair [hɛə]
The men lurking on the edges of the road evidently sensed the fate of their companion, and decided that an open charge was preferable to being dragged down in the dark by a devil-beast they could neither see nor hear. Perhaps they realized that only one man lay behind the logs. They came with a sudden rush, breaking cover from both sides of the trail. Three dropped with arrows through them — and the remaining pair hesitated. One turned and ran back down the road, but the other lunged over the breastwork, his eyes and teeth gleaming in the dim light, his ax lifted. Balthus' foot slipped as he sprang up, but the slip saved his life. The descending ax shaved a lock of hair from his head, and the Pict rolled down the logs from the force of his wasted blow. Before he could regain his feet Slasher tore his throat out.
Then followed a tense period of waiting (затем последовал напряженный период ожидания), in which time Balthus wondered if the man who had fled had been the only survivor of the party (во время которого Балтус спрашивал себя, был ли человек, который убежал, единственным уцелевшим из отряда). Obviously it had been a small band that had either left the fighting at the fort, or was scouting ahead of the main body (очевидно, это был небольшой отряд, который либо покинул бой у форта, либо вел разведку перед главными силами). Each moment that passed increased the chances for safety of the women and children hurrying toward Velithum (каждый момент, который проходил, увеличивал шансы на безопасность = спасение женщин и детей, спешащих к Велитриуму).
wonder [ˈwʌndə], obviously [ˈɔbvɪəslɪ], safety [ˈseɪftɪ]
Then followed a tense period of waiting, in which time Balthus wondered if the man who had fled had been the only survivor of the party. Obviously it had been a small band that had either left the fighting at the fort, or was scouting ahead of the main body. Each moment that passed increased the chances for safety of the women and children hurrying toward Velithum.
Then without warning a shower of arrows whistled over his retreat (затем без предупреждения град стрел просвистел над его убежищем). A wild howling rose from the woods along the trail (дикий вой поднялся из леса вдоль тропы). Either the survivor had gone after aid, or another party had joined the first (либо уцелевший ходил за помощью, либо еще один отряд присоединился к первому). The burning cabin still smoldered, lending a little light (горящая хижина еще тлела, давая немного света). Then they were after him, gliding through the trees beside the trail (потом они пошли за ним, скользя между деревьев возле тропы). He shot three arrows and threw the bow away (он выпустил три стрелы и отбросил лук; to shoot — стрелять; to throw away — отбросить). As if sensing his plight, they came on (как будто чувствуя его /скверное/ положение, они приближались), not yelling now, but in deadly silence except for a swift pad of many feet (теперь не вопя, но в смертельной тишине кроме = нарушаемой только быстрой тихой поступью множества ног; pad — подушечка на концах пальцев у человека или на подошве некоторых животных).
shower [ˈʃauə], retreat [rɪˈtri: t], plight [plaɪt]
Then without warning a shower of arrows whistled over his retreat. A wild howling rose from the woods along the trail. Either the survivor had gone after aid, or another party had joined the first. The burning cabin still smoldered, lending a little light. Then they were after him, gliding through the trees beside the trail. He shot three arrows and threw the bow away. As if sensing his plight, they came on, not yelling now, but in deadly silence except for a swift pad of many feet.
