“Why, don’t you see (что, /разве/ вы не видите)?” said the King, getting very excited (становясь очень возбужденным/взволнованным) and dropping his scepter (и роняя свой скипетр). “What an idiot I was (что за идиот я был) not to have noticed it before (/что/ не заметил этого прежде). And what idiots you were (и что за идиоты вы были)!” He turned furiously upon the Courtiers (он повернулся гневно к придворным). “Don’t you see (/разве/ вы не видите) that there’s a fallen star caught on her horn (что имеется: «там есть» упавшая звезда, пойманная на ее рог = зацепившаяся за ее рог)?”
“So there is (так оно и есть, она там: «так там есть»)!” cried the Courtiers (закричали придворные), as they all suddenly noticed the star for the first time (как только они все неожиданно/вдруг заметили звезду в первый раз). And as they looked (и как только они посмотрели) it seemed to them (показалось им) that the star grew brighter (что звезда становилась ярче).
crown [kraun] fallen ['fO:l(q)n] grew [gru:]
“I have tried, your Majesty. And I can’t. I’ve been dancing now for seven days running. And I’ve had no sleep. And very little to eat. A whitethorn spray or two — that’s all. So I’ve come to ask your advice.”
“H’m — very curious,” said the King, pushing the crown on one side and scratching his head.
“Very curious,” said the Courtiers, scratching their heads, too.
“What does it feel like?” asked the King.
“Funny,” said the Red Cow. “And yet,” she paused, as if choosing her words, “it’s rather a pleasant feeling, too. As if laughter were running up and down inside me.”
“Extraordinary,” said the King, and he put his chin on his hand and stared at the Red Cow, pondering on what was the best thing to do.
Suddenly he sprang to his feet and said:
“Good gracious!”
“What is it?” cried all the Courtiers.
“Why, don’t you see?” said the King, getting very excited and dropping his sceptre. “What an idiot I was not to have noticed it before. And what idiots you were!” He turned furiously upon the Courtiers. “Don’t you see that there’s a fallen star caught on her horn?”
“So there is!” cried the Courtiers, as they all suddenly noticed the star for the first time. And as they looked it seemed to them that the star grew brighter.
“That’s what’s wrong (вот что не в порядке: «неправильно»)!” said the King. “Now (теперь), you Courtiers had better pull it off so (вы, придворные, лучше бы стащили = сняли ее так) that this — er — lady can stop dancing and have some breakfast (чтобы эта — э — леди смогла перестать танцевать и немного позавтракать: «иметь некоторый завтрак»). It’s the star, madam (это звезда, мадам), that is making you dance (что заставляет вас танцевать),” he said to the Red Cow (он сказал Рыжей Корове). “Now, come along, you (теперь, поторопитесь, вы)!”
And he motioned to the Chief Courtier (и он дал знак главному придворному; tomotion — приглашать жестом, показывать жестом /что нужно или можно сделать/), who presented himself smartly before the Red Cow (который предстал изящно перед Рыжей Коровой) and began to tug at the star (и начал дергать звезду). It would not come off (она не снималась). The Chief Courtier was joined by one after another of the Courtiers (к главному придворному присоединялись одним за другим придворные), until at last there was a long chain of them (пока, наконец, получилась длинная цепь их), each holding the man in front of him by the waist (каждый держащий человека впереди себя за талию), and a tug-of-war began between the Courtiers and the star (и война по сдергиванию началась между придворными и звездой).
“Mind my head (осторожно с моей головой; tomind — помнить; следить, обращать внимание)!” entreated the Red Cow (умоляла Рыжая Корова).
“Pull harder (тяните сильнее)!” roared the King (ревел король).
They pulled harder (они тянули сильнее). They pulled until their faces were as red as raspberries (они тянули, пока их лица не были красными, как ягоды малины). They pulled (они тянули) till they could pull no longer (пока они не могли уже более) and all fell back (и все упали назад; to fall), one on top of the other (один поверх другого). The star did not move (звезда не двинулась). It remained firmly fixed to the horn (она оставалась твердо закрепленной на роге).
“Tch, tch, tch!” said the King (о-хо-хо, — сказал король). “Secretary (секретарь), look in the Encyclopaedia and see (загляните в энциклопедию и посмотрите) what it says about cows with stars on their horns (что она говорит о коровах со звездами на их рогах).”
entreated [In'tri:tId] raspberries ['rQ:zb(q)rI] Encyclopaedia [en,saIklqu'pi:djq]
“That’s what’s wrong!” said the King. “Now, you Courtiers had better pull it off so that this — er — lady can stop dancing and have some breakfast. It’s the star, madam, that is making you dance,” he said to the Red Cow. “Now, come along, you!”
And he motioned to the Chief Courtier, who presented himself smartly before the Red Cow and began to tug at the star. It would not come off. The Chief Courtier was joined by one after another of the Courtiers, until at last there was a long chain of them, each holding the man in front of him by the waist, and a tug-of-war began between the Courtiers and the star.
“Mind my head!” entreated the Red Cow.
“Pull harder!” roared the King.
They pulled harder. They pulled until their faces were red as raspberries. They pulled till they could pull no longer and all fell back, one on top of the other. The star did not move. It remained firmly fixed to the horn.
“Tch, tch, tch!” said the King. “Secretary, look in the Encyclopaedia and see what it says about cows with stars on their horns.”
The Secretary knelt down (секретарь опустился на колени; to kneel down — становитьсянаколени) and began to crawl under the throne (и начал ползать под троном). Presently he emerged (некоторое время спустя он появился), carrying a large green book (неся большую зеленую книгу) which was always kept there (которая всегда хранилась: «была хранима» там) in case the King wanted to know anything (на случай, если король захочет узнать что-либо).
He turned the pages (он переворачивал страницы).
“There’s nothing at all, your Majesty (есть ничего вообще, Ваше Величество), except the story of the Cow (кроме истории о Корове) Who Jumped Over the Moon (которая прыгнула через Луну), and you know all about that (а Вы знаете все об этом).”
The King rubbed his chin (король потер свой подбородок), because that helped him to think (потому что это помогало ему думать).
He sighed irritably (он вздохнул раздраженно) and looked at the Red Cow (и посмотрел на Рыжую Корову):
“All I can say (все, /что/ я могу сказать),” he said, “is that you’d better try that too (есть то, что вам лучше попробовать это тоже).”
“Try what (попробовать что)?” said the Red Cow.
“Jumping over the moon (прыгнуть на ту сторону луны). It might have an effect (это может иметь результат). Worth trying, anyway (стоит попробовать, в любом случае; totry — пробовать).”
“Me (мне /попробовать/)?” said the Red Cow, with an outraged stare (с гневным взглядом; tooutrage — приводить в гнев, в ярость; возмущать /чьи-либо чувства/; оскорблять, отдавать на поругание).
“Yes, you — who else (да, вам — кому еще)?” said the King impatiently (сказал король нетерпеливо; patient — терпеливый). He was anxious to get to the Barber’s (он был сильно желающий добраться до цирюльника/попасть к цирюльнику).
“Sire (Сир),” said the Red Cow, “I beg you to remember (я прошу вас вспомнить) that I am a decent respectable animal (что я благопристойное, почтенное животное) and have been taught from my infancy (и научена с моего раннего детства) that jumping was no occupation for a lady (что прыгание — не занятие для леди).”
emerge [I'mq:G] impatiently [Im'peI∫(q)ntlI] decent [dIsnt]
The Secretary knelt down and began to crawl under the throne. Presently he emerged, carrying a large green book which was always kept there in case the King wanted to know anything.
He turned the pages.
“There’s nothing at all, your Majesty, except the story of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon, and you know all about that.”
The King rubbed his chin, because that helped him to think.
He sighed irritably and looked at the Red Cow:
“All I can say,” he said, “is that you’d better try that too.”
“Try what?” said the Red Cow.
“Jumping over the moon. It might have an effect. Worth trying, anyway.”
“Me?” said the Red Cow, with an outraged stare.
“Yes, you — who else?” said the King impatiently. He was anxious to get to the Barber’s.
“Sire,” said the Red Cow, “I beg you to remember that I am a decent respectable animal and have been taught from my infancy that jumping was no occupation for a lady.”
The King stood up and shook his sceptre at her (король встал и потряс скипетром на нее).
“Madam,” he said, “you came here for my advice (вы пришли сюда за моим советом) and I have given it to you (и я дал его вам). Do you want to go on dancing for ever (вы хотите продолжать танцевать вечно)? Do you want to go hungry for ever (вы хотите ходить голодной вечно)? Do you want to go sleepless for ever (вы хотите ходить без сна: «бессонной» вечно)?”
The Red Cow thought of the lush sweet taste of dandelions (Рыжая Корова подумала о сочном сладком вкусе одуванчиков). She thought of meadow grass (она подумала о луговой траве) and how soft it was to lie on (и какой мягкой она была, чтобы лежать на ней = и как мягко было лежать на ней). She thought of her weary, capering legs (она подумала о своих изнуренных, пританцовывающих ногах; tocaper — резвиться, играть, веселиться, беситься, двигаться, скакать, прыгать, пританцовывать) and how nice it would be to rest them (и как хорошо было бы дать отдых им). And she said to herself (и она сказала себе): “Perhaps, just for once (возможно, только однажды/один раз), it wouldn’t matter (это не будет иметь значения) and nobody (и никто) — except the King (кроме короля) — need know (не будет нуждаться знать /об этом/).”