John Ferrier bowed coldly (Джон Феррьер холодно кивнул). He had guessed who his visitors were (он уже догадался, кто такие его посетители).
"We have come," continued Stangerson (мы пришли, — продолжал Стенджерсон), "at the advice of our fathers to solicit the hand of your daughter (по совету наших отцов попросить руки вашей дочери) for whichever of us may seem good to you and to her (для того из нас, кто покажется вам или ей более подходящим: «хорошим»; whichever — какой угодно, какой бы ни). As I have but four wives and Brother Drebber here has seven (поскольку у меня лишь четыре жены, а у брата Дреббера семь), it appears to me that my claim is the stronger one (мне кажется, что я имею больше прав на нее: «что мое притязание более сильное»)."
"Nay, nay, Brother Stangerson," cried the other (нет, нет, брат Стенджерсон, — вскричал другой); "the question is not how many wives we have, but how many we can keep (вопрос заключается не в том, сколько у нас жен, но в том, сколько мы можем содержать). My father has now given over his mills to me, and I am the richer man (мой отец передал мне свои мельницы, и я теперь богаче)."
fold [f@uld], nasal ['neIz(@)l], grind [graInd], solicit [s@'lIsIt]
"Maybe you don't know us," he said. "This here is the son of Elder Drebber, and I'm Joseph Stangerson, who travelled with you in the desert when the Lord stretched out His hand and gathered you into the true fold."
"As He will all the nations in His own good time," said the other in a nasal voice; "He grindeth slowly but exceeding small."
John Ferrier bowed coldly. He had guessed who his visitors were.
"We have come," continued Stangerson, "at the advice of our fathers to solicit the hand of your daughter for whichever of us may seem good to you and to her. As I have but four wives and Brother Drebber here has seven, it appears to me that my claim is the stronger one."
"Nay, nay, Brother Stangerson," cried the other; "the question is not how many wives we have, but how many we can keep. My father has now given over his mills to me, and I am the richer man."
"But my prospects are better," said the other, warmly (зато мои виды на будущее лучше, — пылко сказал Стенджерсон). "When the Lord removes my father (когда Господь приберет моего отца; to remove — убирать, уносить, устранять), I shall have his tanning yard and his leather factory (мне будут принадлежать его дубильня и кожевенный завод). Then I am your elder, and am higher in the Church (к тому же я старше тебя и выше в церковной иерархии)."
"It will be for the maiden to decide," rejoined young Drebber (пусть решает девушка, — возразил Дреббер; maiden — дева, девица), smirking at his own reflection in the glass (самодовольно улыбаясь своему отражению в зеркале; to smirk — притворно, глупо или самодовольно улыбаться; ухмыляться). "We will leave it all to her decision (мы предоставим ей право выбора: «мы оставим это все на ее выбор»)."
During this dialogue, John Ferrier had stood fuming in the doorway (во время этого диалога Джон Феррьер стоял в дверях, вскипая от гнева; to fume — раздражаться; кипеть от злости), hardly able to keep his riding-whip from the backs of his two visitors (едва сдерживаясь, чтобы не приложиться своим хлыстом к спинам двух посетителей).
"Look here," he said at last, striding up to them (а теперь слушайте, — наконец сказал он, подходя к ним), "when my daughter summons you, you can come (когда моя дочь позовет вас, можете приходить; to summon — вызвать, позвать), but until then I don't want to see your faces again (но до этого момента я не хочу больше видеть ваши физиономии)."
The two young Mormons stared at him in amazement (два молодых мормона удивленно уставились на него). In their eyes this competition between them for the maiden's hand was the highest of honours both to her and her father (с их точки зрения это соперничество за руку девушки было высшей честью как для нее, так и для ее отца).
leather ['leD@], decide [dI'saId], dialogue ['daI@lOg], honour ['On@]
"But my prospects are better," said the other, warmly. "When the Lord removes my father, I shall have his tanning yard and his leather factory. Then I am your elder, and am higher in the Church."
"It will be for the maiden to decide," rejoined young Drebber, smirking at his own reflection in the glass. "We will leave it all to her decision."
During this dialogue, John Ferrier had stood fuming in the doorway, hardly able to keep his riding-whip from the backs of his two visitors.
"Look here," he said at last, striding up to them, "when my daughter summons you, you can come, but until then I don't want to see your faces again."
The two young Mormons stared at him in amazement. In their eyes this competition between them for the maiden's hand was the highest of honours both to her and her father.
"There are two ways out of the room," cried Ferrier (из этой комнаты два выхода, — поднял голос: «вскричал» Феррьер); "there is the door, and there is the window (есть дверь, и есть окно). Which do you care to use (какой вы предпочитаете: «какой вы имеете желание использовать»)?"
His brown face looked so savage (его загорелое лицо выглядело таким яростным), and his gaunt hands so threatening (а его жилистые руки такими угрожающими; gaunt — сухопарый; худой, костлявый), that his visitors sprang to their feet and beat a hurried retreat (что его посетители вскочили на ноги и поспешили удалиться; to beat a retreat — бить отбой; поспешно отступать, спасаться бегством; to hurry — спешить). The old farmer followed them to the door (старый фермер пошел: «последовал» за ними до двери).
"Let me know when you have settled which it is to be," he said, sardonically (дайте мне знать, как решите, кто из вас это будет, — сказал он язвительно).
"You shall smart for this!" Stangerson cried, white with rage (ты за это поплатишься, — крикнул Стенджерсон, побелев от ярости; to smart for — поплатиться за; smart — жгучая, сильная боль /от удара, раны и т. п./; to smart — испытывать жгучую боль; болеть). "You have defied the Prophet and the Council of Four (ты бросил вызов Пророку и Совету четырех; to defy — бросать вызов; противостоять, сопротивляться). You shall rue it to the end of your days (ты будешь сожалеть об этом до конца своих дней)."
"The hand of the Lord shall be heavy upon you," cried young Drebber (длань Господня тяжело ляжет на тебя, — крикнул молодой Дреббер); "He will arise and smite you (он восстанет и сразит тебя; to smite — ударять, бить; карать, наказывать; поражать /например, о болезни/)!"
gaunt [gO:nt], retreat [rI'tri:t], sardonically [sA:'dOnIk(@)lI], rue [ru:]
"There are two ways out of the room," cried Ferrier; "there is the door, and there is the window. Which do you care to use?"
His brown face looked so savage, and his gaunt hands so threatening, that his visitors sprang to their feet and beat a hurried retreat. The old farmer followed them to the door.
"Let me know when you have settled which it is to be," he said, sardonically.
"You shall smart for this!" Stangerson cried, white with rage. "You have defied the Prophet and the Council of Four. You shall rue it to the end of your days."
"The hand of the Lord shall be heavy upon you," cried young Drebber; "He will arise and smite you!"
"Then I'll start the smiting (я сейчас тоже кого-нибудь сражу: «тогда я начну сражать»)," exclaimed Ferrier furiously (в ярости воскликнул Феррьер), and would have rushed upstairs for his gun (и бросился бы наверх за ружьем) had not Lucy seized him by the arm and restrained him (если бы Люси не схватила его за руку и не удержала его). Before he could escape from her (когда он вырвался из ее хватки; to escape — вырваться), the clatter of horses' hoofs told him that they were beyond his reach (стук копыт сказал ему, что они были вне досягаемости).
"The young canting rascals!" he exclaimed, wiping the perspiration from his forehead (лицемерные щенки: «молодые лицемерные жулики», — воскликнул он, вытирая пот со лба; to cant — говорить плаксивым тоном /о нищем/; клянчить, попрошайничать; говорить ханжески, лицемерить); "I would sooner see you in your grave, my girl, than the wife of either of them (да лучше тебе лежать в могиле: «я бы скорее увидел тебя в твоей могиле», моя девочка, чем стать женой одного из них)."
"And so should I, father," she answered, with spirit; "but Jefferson will soon be here (я тоже так думаю, отец, — ответила она от чистого сердца, — но скоро ведь приедет Джефферсон; spirit — дух; воодушевление, живость)."
"Yes. It will not be long before he comes (недолго осталось его ждать). The sooner the better, for we do not know what their next move may be (чем быстрее, тем лучше, так как мы не знаем, что они будут делать дальше: «каков будет их следующий ход»)."
furiously ['fju@rI@slI], seize [si:z], escape [Is'keIp], forehead ['fOrId], ['fO:hed]
"Then I'll start the smiting," exclaimed Ferrier furiously, and would have rushed upstairs for his gun had not Lucy seized him by the arm and restrained him. Before he could escape from her, the clatter of horses' hoofs told him that they were beyond his reach.
"The young canting rascals!" he exclaimed, wiping the perspiration from his forehead; "I would sooner see you in your grave, my girl, than the wife of either of them."
"And so should I, father," she answered, with spirit; "but Jefferson will soon be here."
"Yes. It will not be long before he comes. The sooner the better, for we do not know what their next move may be."