“Don’t point,” said Mary Poppins, giving a last glance at the pink roses in the window of a carpet shop.
“She’s saying it! She’s saying it!” cried Jane, holding tight to herself for fear she would break in two with delight.
And she was saying it. The Bird Woman was there and she was saying it.
“Feed the Birds,Tuppence a Bag! Feed the Birds,Tuppence a Bag! Feed the Birds, Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag, Tuppence a Bag!” Over and over again, the same thing, in a high chanting voice that made the words seem like a song.
And as she said it (и когда она говорила это) she held out little bags of breadcrumbs to the passers-by (она протягивала маленькие пакеты хлебных крошек прохожим: «проходящим мимо»).
All round her flew the birds (вокруг нее летали птицы), circling and leaping and swooping and rising (кружа и прыгая, налетая и взлетая). Mary Poppins always called them “sparrers” (Мэри Поппинс всегда называла их «воробушки»; sparrow — воробей) because, she said conceitedly (потому что, /как/ она говорила пренебрежительно; conceit — самомнение, заносчивость, кичливость), all birds were alike to her (все птицы были похожи для нее). But Jane and Michael knew (но Джейн и Майкл знали) that they were not sparrows (что они были не воробышки), but doves and pigeons (но голубки и голуби; dove — голубь /чаще всего о маленьких диких голубях/). There were fussy and chatty grey doves like Grandmothers (там были суетливые и болтливые серые голубки, как бабушки); and brown (и коричневые), rough-voiced pigeons like Uncles (грубоголосые голуби, как дядюшки); and greeny (и зеленоватые), cackling (кудахтающие; to cackle), no-I’ve-no-money-today pigeons like Fathers (голуби-«нет-я-не-имею-денег-сегодня», как Папочки). And the silly (и глупые), anxious (беспокойные), soft blue doves were like Mothers (мягкие голубые голубки были, как Мамочки). That’s what Jane and Michael thought, anyway (вот что Джейн и Майкл думали, во всяком случае).
They flew round and round the head of the Bird Woman (они летали вокруг и вокруг головы птичницы; tofly) as the children approached (когда дети приблизились), and then (и тогда), as though to tease her (как будто чтобы подразнить ее), they suddenly rushed away through the air (они вдруг бросились прочь по воздуху) and sat on the top of St Paul’s (и сели на верхушку Святого Павла), laughing and turning their heads away (смеясь и поворачивая свои головы прочь) and pretending they didn’t know her (и притворяясь, что они не знают ее).
It was Michael’s turn to buy a bag (была Майкла очередь купить пакет). Jane had bought one last time (Джейн купила его прошлый раз). He walked up to the Bird Woman (он подошел к птичнице) and held out four halfpennies (и протянул четыре монеты по полпенни).
“Feed the Birds (покормите птиц), Tuppence a Bag (два пенса за пакет)!” said the Bird Woman (сказала птичница), as she put a bag of crumbs into his hand (кладя пакет крошек в его руку) and tucked the money away into the folds of her huge black skirt (пряча деньги подальше внутрь складок своей огромной черной юбки; to tuck — засовывать, прятать).
“Why don’t you have penny bags (почему у вас нет пакетов по пенни = однопенсовых)?” said Michael. “Then I could buy two (тогда я мог бы купить два).”
breadcrumbs ['bredkrAms] conceitedly [kqn'si:tIdlI] doves [dAvz]
And as she said it she held out little bags of breadcrumbs to the passers-by.
All round her flew the birds, circling and leaping and swooping and rising. Mary Poppins always called them “sparrers” because, she said conceitedly, all birds were alike to her. But Jane and Michael knew that they were not sparrows, but doves and pigeons.There were fussy and chatty grey doves like Grandmothers; and brown, rough-voiced pigeons like Uncles; and greeny, cackling, no-I’ve-no-money-today pigeons like Fathers. And the silly, anxious, soft blue doves were like Mothers. That’s what Jane and Michael thought, anyway.
They flew round and round the head of the Bird Woman as the children approached, and then, as though to tease her, they suddenly rushed away through the air and sat on the top of St Paul’s, laughing and turning their heads away and pretending they didn’t know her.
It was Michael’s turn to buy a bag. Jane had bought one last time. He walked up to the Bird Woman and held out four halfpennies.
“Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!” said the Bird Woman, as she put a bag of crumbs into his hand and tucked the money away into the folds of her huge black skirt.
“Why don’t you have penny bags?” said Michael. “Then I could buy two.”
“Feed the Birds (покормите птиц), Tuppence a Bag (два пенса за пакет)!” said the Bird Woman, and Michael knew (и Майкл понял) it was no good asking her any more questions (/что/ было бесполезно задавать ей еще: «какие-либо более» вопросы). He and Jane had often tried (он и Джейн часто пытались), but all she could say (но все, что она могла сказать), and all she had ever been able to say (и все, что она когда-либо была в состоянии сказать), was (было), “Feed the Birds (покормите птиц), Tuppence a Bag (два пенса за пакет)!” Just as a cuckoo can only say “Cuckoo (прямо как кукушка умеет только сказать «ку-ку»),” no matter what questions you ask him (и не важно, какие вопросы ты задал ему = ей).
Jane and Michael and Mary Poppins spread the crumbs in a circle on the ground (Джейн и Майкл и Мэри Поппинс раскидали крошки по кругу на земле; to spread — развертывать; распространять), and presently (и через какое-то время), one by one at first (один за одним сначала), and then in twos and threes (а затем по двое и по трое), the birds came down from St Paul’s (птицы спускались со Святого Павла).
“Dainty David (привередливый Давид),” said Mary Poppins with a sniff (сказала Мэри Поппинс с фырканьем), as one bird picked up a crumb (когда одна птица подобрала крошку) and dropped it again from its beak (и уронила ее снова из своего клюва).
But the other birds swarmed upon the food (но другие птицы роем слетали на корм; swarm — рой), pushing and scrambling and shouting (толкаясь, протискиваясь и крича; to scramble — продираться, протискиваться; пробираться с трудом). At last there wasn’t a crumb left (наконец не было крошки оставшейся), for it is not really polite for a pigeon or a dove (так как это невежливо для голубя или голубки) to leave anything on the plate (оставлять что-либо на тарелке). When they were quite certain (когда они были вполне уверенными) that the meal was finished (что еда была закончена) the birds rose with one grand, fluttering movement (птицы поднялись одним большим, трепещущим движением; to rise) and flew round the Bird Woman’s head (и полетели вокруг головы птичницы), copying in their own language the words (повторяя на их собственном языке слова) she said (/которые/ она говорила). One of them sat on her hat (одна из них села на ее шляпу) and pretended (и притворилась) he was a decoration for the crown (что он украшение короны; crown — венок; венец; корона). And another of them mistook Mary Poppins’ new hat for a rose garden (а другая из них приняла Мэри Поппинс новую шляпу за розовый сад; to mistake — ошибаться; неправильно понимать; to mistake for — принять кого-либо за другого или что-либо за другое) and pecked off a flower (и склевала цветок; to peck — отщипыватьпищуклювом).
cuckoo ['kuku] swarmed [swO:md] language ['læŋgwIG]
“Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!” said the Bird Woman, and Michael knew it was no good asking her any more questions. He and Jane had often tried, but all she could say, and all she had ever been able to say, was, “Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!” Just as a cuckoo can only say “Cuckoo,” no matter what questions you ask him.
Jane and Michael and Mary Poppins spread the crumbs in a circle on the ground, and presently, one by one at first, and then in twos and threes, the birds came down from St Paul’s.
“Dainty David,” said Mary Poppins with a sniff, as one bird picked up a crumb and dropped it again from its beak.
But the other birds swarmed upon the food, pushing and scrambling and shouting. At last there wasn’t a crumb left, for it is not really polite for a pigeon or a dove to leave anything on the plate. When they were quite certain that the meal was finished the birds rose with one grand, fluttering movement and flew round the Bird Woman’s head, copying in their own language the words she said. One of them sat on her hat and pretended he was a decoration for the crown. And another of them mistook Mary Poppins’ new hat for a rose garden and pecked off a flower.
“You sparrer (ты, воробушек)!” cried Mary Poppins (закричала Мэри Поппинс), and shook her umbrella at him (и потрясла своим зонтиком на него). The pigeon (голубь), very offended (очень обиженный), flew back to the Bird Woman (полетел обратно к птичнице), and to pay out Mary Poppins (и чтобы отплатить Мэри Поппинс), stuck the rose in the ribbon of the Bird Woman’s hat (воткнул розу в ленту шляпы птичницы).
“You ought to be in a pie (тебе следует быть в пироге) — that’s where you ought to be (вот где тебеследует быть),” said Mary Poppins to him very angrily (сказала Мэри Поппинс ему очень рассерженно). Then she called to Jane and Michael (затем она окликнула Джейн и Майкла).
“Time to go (время идти),” she said, and flung a parting glance of fury at the pigeon (и метнула прощальный взгляд ярости на голубя; to fling). But he only laughed (но он только смеялся) and flicked his tail (и тряхнул своим хвостом) and turned his back on her (и повернулся своей спиной к ней).
“Goodbye (до свидания),” said Michael to the Bird Woman.
“Feed the Birds (покормите птиц),” she replied, smiling (она ответила, улыбаясь).
“Goodbye (до свидания),” said Jane.
“Tuppence a Bag (два пенса за пакет)!” said the Bird Woman and waved her hand (сказала птичница и помахала своей рукой).