Английский язык с М. Муркоком — страница 63 из 106

о дна моря; scum — пена; отбросы, отходы; слой водорослей, тина). Weed draped it, giving off the strange green fire (водоросли обвивали его, испуская странное зеленое свечение; to drape — украшать тканями, занавесками). What Corum had thought were dull jewels were coloured barnacles which encrusted everything (/то/, что Корум принял за тусклые самоцветы, оказалось цветными раковинами морских уточек, которые покрывали /коркой/ все). Slime lay on all surfaces (липкий ил лежал на всех поверхностях). While the Margrave watched from his poop, Corum and Rhalina were taken to a cabin and made to enter (пока маркграф наблюдал со своей кормы, Корума и Ралину отвели к каюте и заставили войти/ввели в нее). It was almost pitch-black and it stank of decay (она была почти черной как смоль = там было совсем темно, и воняло гнилью; to stink).

He heard the rotting timbers creak and the ship began to move (он услышал, как гнилые доски скрипнули, и корабль поплыл).

It sailed rapidly, without wind or any other understandable means of propulsion (он плыл быстро, без ветра и любых других понятных средств движения; propulsion — движение вперед, движущая сила; двигатель).

It sailed for Svi-an-Fanla-Brool, the island of the legends, the Home of the Gorged God (он шел на Сви-ан-Фанла-Брул, остров из легенд, жилище прожорливого бога).


jewel [ˈʤu:əl] barnacles [ˈbɑ:nəklz] encrusted [ɪnˈkrʌstɪd] propulsion [prəˈpʌlʃ (ə) n]


Escorted by the shuffling corpses, Corum allowed himself and Rhalina to be led aboard the ship. It was covered in scum from the bottom of the sea. Weed draped it, giving off the strange green fire. What Corum had thought were dull jewels were coloured barnacles which encrusted everything. Slime lay on all surfaces. While the Margrave watched from his poop, Corum and Rhalina were taken to a cabin and made to enter. It was almost pitch-black and it stank of decay.

He heard the rotting timbers creak and the ship began to move.

It sailed rapidly, without wind or any other understandable means of propulsion.

It sailed for Svi-an-Fanla-Brool, the island of the legends, the Home of the Gorged God.

BOOK TWO (часть вторая)In which Prince Corum receives a gift and makes a pact (в которой принц Корум получает подарок и заключает договор)

CHAPTER ONE (глава первая)The Ambitious Sorcerer (честолюбивый колдун)

As they sailed through the night, Corum made many attempts to waken Rhalina from her trance, but nothing worked (пока они плыли всю ночь, Корум сделал множество попыток пробудить = вывести Ралину из транса, но ничего не действовало). She lay among the damp and rotting silks of a bunk and stared at the roof (она лежала среди влажных и гниющих шелков койки и смотрела неотрывно в потолок; damp — влажный, сырой; to stare at — непрерывно смотреть, уставиться; roof — крыша; потолок). Through a porthole too small to afford escape came a faint green light (через иллюминатор, слишком маленький, чтобы позволить сбежать, проникал слабый зеленый свет). Corum paced the cabin, still barely able to believe his predicament (Корум расхаживал по каюте, все еще едва способный поверить = не веря в свое затруднительное положение; to pace — шагать, расхаживать; измерять шагами).

These were plainly the dead Margrave's own quarters (эта /каюта/ явно была собственным помещением = принадлежала мертвому маркграфу; quarters — жилище, помещение, квартира). And if Corum were not here now, would the Margrave be sharing the bunk with his wife (и если бы Корума не было здесь сейчас, не разделил бы маркграф койку со своей женой) …?


porthole [ˈpɔ:thəul] afford [əˈfɔ:d] predicament [prɪˈdɪkəmənt] quarters [ˈkwɔ:təz]


As they sailed through the night, Corum made many attempts to waken Rhalina from her trance, but nothing worked. She lay among the damp and rotting silks of a bunk and stared at the roof. Through a porthole too small to afford escape came a faint green light. Corum paced the cabin, still barely able to believe his predicament.

These were plainly the dead Margrave's own quarters. And if Corum were not here now, would the Margrave be sharing the bunk with his wife…?


Corum shuddered and pressed his hand to his skull (Корум содрогнулся и прижал руку к черепу = схватился за голову), certain that he was insane or had been entranced — certain that none of this could be (уверенный, что он сумасшедший или погружен в транс — уверенный, что ничего из этого не может быть).

As a Vadhagh he was prepared for many events and situations that would have seemed strange to the Mabden (как вадаг, он был готов ко многим событиям и ситуациям, которые показались бы странными мабденам). Yet this was something that seemed completely unnatural to him (однако это было чем-то, что казалось ему совершенно неестественным/необычайным). It defied all he knew of science (оно опровергало все, что он знал о науке; to defy — бросать вызов; игнорировать, попирать /принципы/). If he were sane and all was as it seemed, then the Mabden's powers were greater than anything the Vadhagh had known (если он был в здравом уме и все было так, как казалось, тогда силы мабденов были больше, чем что-либо, известное вадагам). Yet they were dark and morbid powers, unhealthy powers that were quintessentially evil (тем не менее, это были темные и отвратительные силы, вредные силы, исполненные зла; quintessential — являющийся квинтэссенцией, наиболее типичный) …


insane [ɪnˈseɪn] science [ˈsaɪəns] quintessentially [, kwɪntɪˈsenʃ (ə) lɪ]


Corum shuddered and pressed his hand to his skull, certain that he was insane or had been entranced — certain that none of this could be.

As a Vadhagh he was prepared for many events and situations that would have seemed strange to the Mabden. Yet this was something that seemed completely unnatural to him. It defied all he knew of science. If he were sane and all was as it seemed, then the Mabden's powers were greater than anything the Vadhagh had known. Yet they were dark and morbid powers, unhealthy powers that were quintessentially evil…


Corum was tired, but he could not sleep (Корум устал, но не мог заснуть). Everything he touched was slimy and made him feel ill (все, к чему он прикасался, было липким/покрыто илом, и ему становилось плохо от этого). He tested the lock on the cabin door (он проверил замок на двери каюты). Although the wood was rotten, the door seemed unusually strong (хотя дерево было гнилым, дверь казалась необыкновенно прочной). Some other force was at work here (какая-то иная сила работала здесь). The timbers of the ship were bound by more than rivets and tar (балки корабля скреплялись /чем-то большим/, чем = не только заклепками и дегтем).

The weariness did not help his head to clear (усталость не помогала его голове проясниться = мешала размышлять). His thoughts remained confused and desperate (его мысли оставались спутанными и отчаянными). He peered frequently through the porthole, hoping to get some sort of bearing (он заглядывал часто в иллюминатор, надеясь получить какую-нибудь ориентацию = сориентироваться; bearing — направление; азимут), but it was impossible to see anything more than the occasional wave and a star in the sky (но было невозможно увидеть что-нибудь, кроме нерегулярных/возникавших время от времени волн и звезды в небе).


rivet [ˈrɪvɪt] desperate [ˈdesp (ə) rɪt] frequently [ˈfri:kwəntlɪ] bearing [ˈbeərɪŋ]


Corum was tired, but he could not sleep. Everything he touched was slimy and made him feel ill. He tested the lock on the cabin door. Although the wood was rotten, the door seemed unusually strong. Some other force was at work here. The timbers of the ship were bound by more than rivets and tar.

The weariness did not help his head to clear. His thoughts remained confused and desperate. He peered frequently through the porthole, hoping to get some sort of bearing, but it was impossible to see anything more than the occasional wave and a star in the sky.


Then, much later, he noticed the first line of grey on the horizon and he was relieved that morning was coming (потом, значительно позднее, он заметил первую серую линию на горизонте и успокоился /от того/, что наступает утро). This ship was a ship of the night (этот корабль был кораблем ночи). It would disappear with the sun and he and Rhalina would awake to find themselves in their own bed (он исчезнет с /восходом/ солнца, а он и Ралина проснутся и обнаружат себя в своей постели).

But what had frightened the barbarians (но что напугало варваров)? Or was that part of the dream (или это было частью сна)? Perhaps his collapse within the gates after his fight with Glandyth had induced a feverish dream (может быть, его падение без сознания в воротах после боя с Гландитом вызвало лихорадочное сновидение; collapse — полный упадок сил, обморочное состояние; обвал, разрушение)? Perhaps his comrades were still fighting for their lives against the Pony Tribesmen (может, его товарищи по-прежнему сражаются за свои жизни с варварами на пони). He rubbed his head with the stump of his hand (он потер голову обрубком руки). He licked his dry lips and tried to peer, once again, into the dimensions (он облизал сухие губы и попытался еще раз заглянуть в /другие/ измерения). But the other dimensions were closed to him (но другие измерения были закрыты для него). He paced the cabin, waiting for the morning (он зашагал по каюте, ожидая утра).


horizon [həˈraɪz (ə) n] relieved [rɪˈli:vd] collapse [kəˈlæps] feverish [ˈfi:v (ə) rɪʃ]


Then, much later, he noticed the first line of grey on the horizon and he was relieved that morning was coming. This ship was a ship of the night. It would disappear with the sun and he and Rhalina would awake to find themselves in their own bed.