though [ðəu], observe [əbˈzə: v], waist [weɪst]
She sobbed something unintelligible. He forgot all about Aram Baksh as he scrutinized her by the light of the stars. She was white, though a very definite brunette, obviously one of Zamboula's many mixed breeds. She was tall, with a slender, supple form, as he was in a good position to observe. Admiration burned in his fierce eyes as he looked down on her splendid bosom and her lithe limbs, which still quivered from fright and exertion. He passed an arm around her flexible waist and said, reassuringly: "Stop shaking, wench; you're safe enough."
His touch seemed to restore her shaken sanity (его касание, казалось, восстановил ее потрясенный рассудок). She tossed back her thick, glossy locks and cast a fearful glance over her shoulder (она отбросила назад ее густые блестящие пряди и бросила испуганный взгляд через его плечо), while she pressed closer to the Cimmerian as if seeking security in the contact (в то время как она прижалась ближе к киммерийцу, как будто ища безопасности в соприкосновении).
"They caught me in the streets," she muttered, shuddering (они поймали меня на улице, — тихо сказала она, содрогнувшись). "Lying in wait, beneath a dark arch — black men, like great, hulking apes (лежащие = поджидающие в засаде, под темной аркой — черные люди = негры, как огромные массивные обезьяны)! Set have mercy on me (пощади меня Сет;[52] to have mercy on — щадить, жалеть кого-л.; mercy — пощада, милосердие)! I shall dream of it (мне будет сниться это)!"
"What were you doing out on the streets this time of night (что ты делала снаружи на улице /в/ это время ночи = ночное время)?" he inquired, fascinated by the satiny feel of her sleek skin under his questing fingers (спросил он, очарованный атласным ощущением /от прикосновения к/ ее гладкой коже под его ищущими пальцами).
She raked back her hair and stared blankly up into his face (она расчесала назад /рукой/ /свои/ волосы = провела рукой по волосам, отбрасывая их назад и посмотрела ему прямо в лицо). She did not seem aware of his caresses (она, казалось, не замечала его ласк).
touch [tʌʧ], sanity [ˈsænɪtɪ], closer [kləusə]
His touch seemed to restore her shaken sanity. She tossed back her thick, glossy locks and cast a fearful glance over her shoulder, while she pressed closer to the Cimmerian as if seeking security in the contact.
"They caught me in the streets," she muttered, shuddering. "Lying in wait, beneath a dark arch — black men, like great, hulking apes! Set have mercy on me! I shall dream of it!"
"What were you doing out on the streets this time of night?" he inquired, fascinated by the satiny feel of her sleek skin under his questing fingers.
She raked back her hair and stared blankly up into his face. She did not seem aware of his caresses.
"My lover," she said (мой любовник, — сказала она; to say — сказать). "My lover drove me into the streets (мой любовник выгнал меня на улицу; to drive — гнать). He went mad and tried to kill me (он сошел с ума и пытался убить меня; to go mad — сойти с ума). As I fled from him I was seized by those beasts (когда я убежала от него, я была схвачена теми тварями; to flee — бежать, спасаться бегством)."
"Beauty like yours might drive a man mad (/такая/ красота, как твоя могла бы свести мужчину с ума)," quoth Conan, running his fingers experimentally through the glossy tresses (промолвил Конан, пробегая /своими/ пальцами в порядке опыта по блестящим распущенным волосам; quoth — промолвил, сказал — употребляется в 1-м и 3-м лице прош. вр. с постпозитивным субъектом).
She shook her head, like one emerging from a daze (она тряхнула /своей/ головой, как человек, отходящий от изумления). She no longer trembled, and her voice was steady (она больше не дрожала, а ее голос был ровным).
"It was the spite of a priest — of Totrasmek, the high priest of Hanuman, who desires me for himself — the dog (это была озлобленность жреца — Тотрасмека, верховного жреца Ханумана, который желает меня для себя — собака)!"
"No need to curse him for that," grinned Conan (нет нужды проклинать его за это, — ухмыльнулся Конан). "The old hyena has better taste than I thought (старая гиена имеет = у старой гиены вкус лучше, чем я думал)."
She ignored the bluff compliment (она проигнорировала грубоватый комплимент; to ignore — игнорировать, пренебрегать, не придавать значения). She was regaining her poise swiftly (она быстро восстанавливала /свое/ самообладание).
said [sed], beast [bi: st], taste [teɪst]
"My lover," she said. "My lover drove me into the streets. He went mad and tried to kill me. As I fled from him I was seized by those beasts."
"Beauty like yours might drive a man mad," quoth Conan, running his fingers experimentally through the glossy tresses.
She shook her head, like one emerging from a daze. She no longer trembled, and her voice was steady.
"It was the spite of a priest — of Totrasmek, the high priest of Hanuman, who desires me for himself — the dog!"
"No need to curse him for that," grinned Conan. "The old hyena has better taste than I thought."
She ignored the bluff compliment. She was regaining her poise swiftly.
"My lover is a — a young Turanian soldier (мой любовник — молодой туранский солдат). To spite me, Totrasmek gave him a drug that drove him mad (/чтобы/ досадить мне, Тотрасмек дал ему снадобье, которое свело его с ума). Tonight he snatched up a sword and came at me to slay me in his madness (сегодня вечером он схватил меч и набросился на меня, чтобы убить меня в своем безумии), but I fled from him into the streets (но я убежала от него на улицу). The Negroes seized me and brought me to this — what was that (негры схватили меня и привели меня к этому — что это было; to bring — приносить, приводить)?"
Conan had already moved (Конан уже двигался). Soundlessly as a shadow he drew her behind the nearest hut (бесшумно, как тень, он затащил ее за ближайшую хижину), beneath the straggling palms (под растущие беспорядочно пальмы). They stood in tense stillness (они стояли в напряженной тишине), while the low muttering both had heard grew louder until voices were distinguishable (в то время как низкое бормотание, /которое/ оба услышали, становилось громче, пока не были = стали различимы голоса). A group of Negroes, some nine or ten, were coming along the road from the direction of the city (группа негров, около девяти-десяти, шли по дороге от направления города = от города). The girl clutched Conan's arm and he felt the terrified quivering of her supple body against his (девушка схватила руку Конана, и он почувствовал испуганную дрожь ее гибкого тела /прижавшегося/ к нему).
drew [dru: ], both [bəuƟ], already [ɔ: lˈredɪ]
"My lover is a — a young Turanian soldier. To spite me, Totrasmek gave him a drug that drove him mad. Tonight he snatched up a sword and came at me to slay me in his madness, but I fled from him into the streets. The Negroes seized me and brought me to this — what was that?"
Conan had already moved. Soundlessly as a shadow he drew her behind the nearest hut, beneath the straggling palms. They stood in tense stillness, while the low muttering both had heard grew louder until voices were distinguishable. A group of Negroes, some nine or ten, were coming along the road from the direction of the city. The girl clutched Conan's arm and he felt the terrified quivering of her supple body against his.
Now they could understand the gutturals of the black men (теперь они могли понять гортанные звуки черных).
"Our brothers are already assembled at the pit," said one (наши братья уже собрались у ямы, — сказал один). "We have had no luck (нам не повезло: «мы имели никакой удачи»). I hope they have enough for us (я надеюсь, они имеют достаточно для нас = у них хватит для нас)."
"Aram promised us a man," muttered another, and Conan mentally promised Aram something (Арам обещал нам мужчину, — проворчал другой, и Конан мысленно пообещал Араму кое-что).
"Aram keeps his word," grunted yet another (Арам держит свое слово, — пробурчал еще один). "Many a man we have taken from his tavern (много людей мы взяли из его таверны). But we pay him well (но мы платим ему хорошо). I myself have given him ten bales of silk I stole from my master (я сам дал ему десять тюков шелка, /которые/ я украл у моего хозяина). It was good silk, by Set (это был хороший шелк, /клянусь/ Сетом)!"
luck [lʌk], could [kʋd], word [wə: d]
Now they could understand the gutturals of the black men.
"Our brothers are already assembled at the pit," said one. "We have had no luck. I hope they have enough for us."
"Aram promised us a man," muttered another, and Conan mentally promised Aram something.
"Aram keeps his word," grunted yet another. "Many a man we have taken from his tavern. But we pay him well. I myself have given him ten bales of silk I stole from my master. It was good silk, by Set!"
The blacks shuffled past (черные прошаркали мимо), bare splay feet scuffing up the dust (поднимая пыль босыми косолапыми ногами), and their voices dwindled down the road (и их голоса замирали дальше по дороге; to dwindle — сокращаться, уменьшаться, убывать, истощаться).
"Well for us those corpses are lying behind these huts," muttered Conan (хорошо для нас, /что/ те трупы лежат за этими хижинами, — пробормотал Конан). "If they look in Aram's death room they'll find another (если они заглянут в комнату смерти Арама, они найдут еще одного). Let's begone (давай убираться; begone — прочь! убирайся!)."
"Yes, let us hasten!" begged the girl, almost hysterical again (да, давай поспешим! — умоляла девушка, почти в истерике снова). "My lover is wandering somewhere in the streets alone (мой любовник бродит где-то по улицам один). The Negroes may take him (негры могут взять его)."
"A devil of a custom this is (хорошенький обычай /это/)!" growled Conan, as he led the way toward the city (взревел Конан, когда он возглавил путь к городу), paralleling the road but keeping behind the huts and straggling trees (идя параллельно дороге, но держась за хижинами и беспорядочно растущими деревьями; to straggle — быть беспорядочно разбросанным). "Why don't the citizens clean out these black dogs (почему горожане не устранят этих черных собак)?"
past [pɑ:st], find [faɪnd], room [ru: m]
The blacks shuffled past, bare splay feet scuffing up the dust, and their voices dwindled down the road.
"Well for us those corpses are lying behind these huts," muttered Conan. "If they look in Aram's death room they'll find another. Let's begone."
"Yes, let us hasten!" begged the girl, almost hysterical again. "My lover is wandering somewhere in the streets alone. The Negroes may take him."
"A devil of a custom this is!" growled Conan, as he led the way toward the city, paralleling the road but keeping behind the huts and straggling trees. "Why don't the citizens clean out these black dogs?"
"They are valuable slaves," murmured the girl (они ценные рабы; value — стоимость, ценность). "There are so many of them that might revolt if they were denied the flesh for which they lust (есть так много их них, которые, возможно, восстали, если бы им отказали в мясе, которого они сильно желают). The people of Zamboula know they skulk the streets at night (люди Замбулы знаю, /что/ они крадутся по улицам ночами), and all are careful to remain within locked doors (и все осторожны, /чтобы/ оставаться = и остаются за запертыми дверями), except when something unforseen happens, as it did to me (за исключением /того/, когда случается нечто непредвиденное, как это делало = случилось со мной). The blacks prey on anything they can catch, but they seldom catch anybody but strangers (черные охотятся на все, /что/ они могут поймать, но они редко ловят кого-нибудь кроме иноземцев).
