ient and dirty straw (и несколько охапок древней и грязной соломы), but these could not rightly be called beds (но эти = они не могли быть правильно быть названы кроватями), for they were not organized (так как они не были организованы = устроены); they were kicked into a general pile (они /небрежно/ складывались в общую кучу; to kick — пинать) mornings (по утрам: «утра»), and selections were made from the mass at night (и выбор делался из этой массы по вечерам).
especially [ıs`peSəlı], material [mə`tıərıəl], ancient [`eınSənt]
LET us skip a number of years.
London was fifteen hundred years old, and was a great town — for that day. It had a hundred thousand inhabitants — some think double as many. The streets were very narrow, and crooked, and dirty, especially in the part where Tom Canty lived, which was not far from London Bridge.
The houses were of wood, with the second story projecting over the first, and the third sticking its elbows out beyond the second. The higher the houses grew, the broader they grew. They were skeletons of strong crisscross beams, with solid material between, coated with plaster. The beams were painted red or blue or black, according to the owner's taste, and this gave the houses a very picturesque look. The windows were small, glazed with little diamond-shaped panes, and they opened outward, on hinges, like doors.
The house which Tom's father lived in was up a foul little pocket called Offal Court, out of Pudding Lane. It was small, decayed, and rickety, but it was packed full of wretchedly poor families. Canty's tribe occupied a room on the third floor. The mother and father had a sort of bedstead in the corner; but Tom, his grandmother, and his two sisters, Bet and Nan, were not restricted — they had all the floor to themselves, and might sleep where they chose. There were the remains of a blanket or two, and some bundles of ancient and dirty straw, but these could not rightly be called beds, for they were not organized; they were kicked into a general pile mornings, and selections made from the mass at night.
Bet and Nan were fifteen years old twins (Бет и Нэн были пятнадцатилетние двойняшки; year — год; old — старый). They were good-hearted girls (они были добросердечные девушки; heart — сердце), unclean (нечистые), clothed in rags (одетые в лохмотья), and profoundly ignorant (и глубоко невежественные). Their mother was like them (их мать была, как они). But the father and the grandmother were a couple of fiends (но отец и бабушка были парой дьяволов). They got drunk (они напивались; to get — становиться; drunk — пьяный) whenever they could (когда только они могли); then they fought (затем они дрались; to fight) each other (друг с другом) or anybody else (или с кем угодно еще) who came in the way (кто попадался им на пути); they cursed and swore always (они ругались и сквернословили всегда; to swear — ругаться; клясться), drunk or sober (пьяные или трезвые); John Canty was a thief (Джон Кэнти был вор), and his mother a beggar (а его мать попрошайка).
They made beggars of the children (они сделали попрошаек из детей), but failed (но не смогли; to fail — потерпеть неудачу, провалиться, не смочь) to make thieves of them (сделать воров из них). Among (среди), but not of (но не из /числа/), the dreadful rabble (страшного сброда) that inhabited the house (который населял этот дом), was a good old priest (был добрый старый священник) whom the king (которого король) had turned out of house and home (выбросил из дома) with a pension of a few farthings (с пенсией (в размере) нескольких фартингов), and he used to get (и он усаживал; used to do smth — когда-то давно делать что-то) the children aside (детей рядом) and teach them right ways (и учил их правильным путям = добру) secretly (втайне). Father Andrew also taught Tom a little Latin (отец Эндрю также учил Тома немного латинскому языку), and how to read and write (и как читать и писать); and would have done the same for the girls (и сделал бы то же и для девочек), but they were afraid of the jeers (но они боялись насмешек; afraid — испуганный) of their friends (их друзей), who could not have endured (которые не могли бы вынести) such a queer accomplishment in them (такое странное достижение у них).
clothe [klquð], thief [θi:f], endure [ın`djuə]
Bet and Nan were fifteen years old twins. They were good-hearted girls, unclean, clothed in rags, and profoundly ignorant. Their mother was like them. But the father and the grandmother were a couple of fiends. They got drunk whenever they could; then they fought each other or anybody else who came in the way; they cursed and swore always, drunk or sober; John Canty was a thief, and his mother a beggar.
They made beggars of the children, but failed to make thieves of them. Among, but not of, the dreadful rabble that inhabited the house, was a good old priest whom the king had turned out of house and home with a pension of a few farthings, and he used to get the children aside and teach them right ways secretly. Father Andrew also taught Tom a little Latin, and how to read and write; and would have done the same for the girls, but they were afraid of the jeers of their friends, who could not have endured such a queer accomplishment in them.
All Offal Court was just such another hive (весь Тупик отбросов был прямо такой же улей = скопище людей) as Canty's house (как дом Кэнти). Drunkenness, riot, and brawling (пьянство, буйство и ссоры) were the order there (были порядком = обычным делом там), every night and nearly all night long (каждую ночь и почти всю ночь длиной = все ночи напролет). Broken heads were as common as hunger (разбитые головы были так же обычны, как голод; to break — ломать, разбивать) in that place (в этом месте). Yet (и все же) little Tom was not unhappy (маленький Том не был несчастлив). He had a hard time of it (он переживал тяжелое время от этого = ему приходилось трудно), but did not know it (но не знал этого). It was the sort of time that all the Offal Court boys had (то же было у всех мальчиков из Тупика отбросов: «это была разновидность времени, которое переживали все…»), therefore he supposed it was the correct and comfortable thing (поэтому он предполагал, (что) это было правильно и удобно: «правильная и удобная вещь»). When he came home empty-handed at night (когда он приходил домой с пустыми руками: «пусторукий» ночью), he knew his father would curse him (он знал (что) его отец будет его ругать ) and thrash him first (и побьет сначала), and that when he was done (и что когда он закончит; to be done — закончить с чем-либо) the awful grandmother would do it all over again (ужасная бабушка сделает это все снова) and improve on it (и улучшит это = добавит еще); and that away in the night (и что глубоко ночью; away — прочь) his starving mother (его голодающая мать) would slip to him stealthily (проберется к нему украдкой) with any miserable scrap of crust (со сколькими-нибудь жалкими остатками от хлеба; crust — корка /хлеба/, сухарь, черствый хлеб) she had been able to save for him (/которые/ она смогла припасти для него; able — способный) by going hungry herself (становясь голодной сама), notwithstanding (несмотря на то, что) she was often caught in that sort of treason (часто попадалась на таком предательстве; to catch — ловить; sort — разновидность) and soundly beaten (и (была) сильно бита; to beat — бить) for it (за это) by her husband (ее мужем).
No (нет), Tom's life went along well enough (жизнь Тома шла хорошо вполне), especially in summer (особенно летом). He only begged just enough to save himself (он выпрашивал лишь на то, чтобы сохранить себя = выжить; only — только; enough — достаточно), for the laws against mendicancy were stringent (ибо законы против попрошайничества были строги), and the penalties heavy (а наказания тяжелы); so he put in a good deal of his time (так что он потратил уйму своего времени; put — класть; deal — доля, количество) listening to good Father Andrew's charming old tales and legends (слушая чарующие старые сказки и легенды отца Эндрю) about giants and fairies (о великанах и феях), dwarfs and genii (карликах и джиннах), and enchanted castles, and gorgeous kings and princes (и заколдованных замках, и прекрасных королях и принцах). His head grew to be full of these wonderful things (его голова наполнилась: «стала быть полной» этими прекрасными вещами), and many nights as he lay in the dark (и многими ночами пока он лежал в темноте; to lie — лежать) on his scant and offensive straw (на своей скудной и колкой соломе), tired, hungry (усталый, голодный), and smarting from a thrashing (и испытывающий боль от побоев), he unleashed his imagination (он отпускал на волю свое воображение; leash — поводок, цепь) and soon forgot his aches and pains (и скоро забывал свои боли и страдания) in delicious picturings to himself (в сладостном воображении себе) of the charmed life of a petted prince in a regal palace (восхитительной жизни изнеженного принца в королевском дворце; to pet — баловать, ласкать). One desire (одно желание) came in time to haunt him day and night (преследовала его днем и ночью); it was to see a real prince (это было увидеть настоящего принца), with his own eyes (своими собственными глазами). He spoke of it once to some of his Offal Court comrades (он говорил об этом однажды некоторым своим товарищам из Тупика отбросов); but they jeered him and scoffed him so unmercifully (но они высмеяли и задразнили его столь безжалостно) that he was glad to keep his dream to himself (что он был рад сохранить свою мечту при себе) after that (после этого).
He often read the priest's old books (он часто читал старые книги священника) and got him to explain and enlarge upon them (и упрашивал его объяснять и дополнять их). His dreamings and readings worked certain changes (его мечтания и чтение выработали определенные изменения) in him by and by (в нем постепенно). His dream-people were so fine (люди из его мечтаний были столь прекрасными; people — люди) that he grew to lament (что он стал тяготиться; to lament — жаловаться) his shabby clothing and his dirt (своей ветхой одеждой и своей грязью), and to wish to be clean and better clad (и желать быть чистым и лучше одетым). He went on playing (он продолжал играть; to go on — продолжать) in the mud just the same ( в грязи,