to paint — красить; brush — щетка; кисть).
From where they stood (из того места, где они стояли; to stand), hidden by the curtain (спрятанные шторой; to hide), Jane and Michael could distinctly hear their voices (Джейн и Майкл могли отчетливо слышать их голоса).
loud [laud] gloves [glAvz] earnestly ['q:nIstlI]
First she went to the chest of drawers, opened a drawer and shut it again after a moment. Then, on tiptoe, she went to the wardrobe, opened it, bent down and put something in or took something out (they couldn’t tell which). Snap! The wardrobe door shut quickly and Mary Poppins hurried from the room.
Michael sat up in bed.
“What was she doing?” he said to Jane in a loud whisper.
“I don’t know. Perhaps she’s forgotten her gloves or her shoes or — ” Jane broke off suddenly. “Michael, listen!”
He listened. From down below — in the garden, it seemed — they could hear several voices whispering together, very earnestly and excitedly.
With a quick movement Jane got out of bed and beckoned Michael. They crept on bare feet to the window and looked down.
There, outside in the Lane, stood a tiny form and two gigantic figures.
“Mrs Corry and Miss Fannie and Miss Annie,” said Jane in a whisper.
And so indeed it was. It was a curious group. Mrs Corry was looking through the bars of the gate of Number Seventeen, Miss Fannie had two long ladders balanced on one huge shoulder, while Miss Annie appeared to be carrying in one hand a large pail of something that looked like glue and in the other an enormous paintbrush.
From where they stood, hidden by the curtain, Jane and Michael could distinctly hear their voices.
“She’s late (она опаздывает)!” Mrs Corry was saying crossly and anxiously (миссис Корри говорила сердито и тревожно).
“Perhaps (возможно),” Miss Fannie began timidly (мисс Фанни начала робко; to begin), settling the ladders more firmly on her shoulder (устраивая лестницы более крепко на своем плече), “one of the children is ill (один из детей болеет) and she couldn’t (и она не могла) — ”
“Get away in time (уйти вовремя),” said Miss Annie, nervously completing her sisters sentence (нервно заканчивая предложение своей сестры).
“Silence (тишина = тихо)!” said Mrs Corry fiercely (сказала миссис Корри свирепо), and Jane and Michael distinctly heard her whisper something about (и Джейн и Майкл отчетливо услышали, как она шепчет что-то о) “great galumphing giraffes,” (здоровые скачущие жирафах; to galumph — идтинеровнымпрерывистымшагом) and they knew (и они знали = поняли; to know) she was referring to her unfortunate daughters (она имела в виду/намекала на своих несчастных дочерей; to refer — ссылаться, опираться /на кого-либо, на что-либо/; намекать /на что-либо/).
“Hist (тсс)!” said Mrs Corry suddenly (сказала миссис Корри внезапно), listening with her head on one side, like a small bird (слушая, склонив свою голову на один бок, как маленькая птичка).
There was the sound of the front door being quietly opened and shut again (послышался звук парадной двери, которую бесшумно открыли и закрыли снова), and the creak of footsteps on the path (и скрип шагов по тропинке). Mrs Corry smiled and waved her hand (миссис Корри улыбнулась и помахала рукой) as Mary Poppins came to meet them (как только Мэри Поппинс подошла встретить их = подошла к ним), carrying a market basket on her arm (неся рыночную корзину на своей руке), and in the basket was something (и в корзине было что-то) that seemed to give out a faint, mysterious light (что, казалось, издавало слабый, таинственный свет).
“Come along, come along, we must hurry (поторапливайтесь, поторапливайтесь, мы должны спешить)! We haven’t much time (мы не имеем много времени),” said Mrs Corry, taking Mary Poppins by the arm (беря Мэри Поппинс за руку). “Look lively, you two (взбодритесь: «посмотрите оживленно», вы, двое)!” And she moved off (и она двинулась в путь; tomove — двигаться), followed by Miss Fannie and Miss Annie (сопровождаемая мисс Фанни и мисс Анни), who were obviously trying to look as lively as possible (которые очевидно старались выглядеть так энергично, как это было возможно) but not succeeding very well (но не преуспевая в этом достаточно хорошо; tosucceed — преуспевать, добиваться успеха). They tramped heavily after their Mother and Mary Poppins (они тяжело ступали за своей матерью и Мэри Поппинс), bending under their loads (сгибаясь под своими ношами/грузами).
galumphing [gq'lAmfIŋ] lively ['laIvlI] succeeding[sqk'si:dIŋ]
“She’s late!” Mrs Corry was saying crossly and anxiously.
“Perhaps,” Miss Fannie began timidly, settling the ladders more firmly on her shoulder, “one of the children is ill and she couldn’t — ”
“Get away in time,” said Miss Annie, nervously completing her sisters sentence.
“Silence!” said Mrs Corry fiercely, and Jane and Michael distinctly heard her whisper something about “great galumphing giraffes,” and they knew she was referring to her unfortunate daughters.
“Hist!” said Mrs Corry suddenly, listening with her head on one side, like a small bird.
There was the sound of the front door being quietly opened and shut again, and the creak of footsteps on the path. Mrs Corry smiled and waved her hand as Mary Poppins came to meet them, carrying a market basket on her arm, and in the basket was something that seemed to give out a faint, mysterious light.
“Come along, come along, we must hurry! We haven’t much time,” said Mrs Corry, taking Mary Poppins by the arm. “Look lively, you two!” And she moved off, followed by Miss Fannie and Miss Annie, who were obviously trying to look as lively as possible but not succeeding very well. They tramped heavily after their Mother and Mary Poppins, bending under their loads.
Jane and Michael saw all four of them go down Cherry Tree Lane (Джейн и Майкл видели их всех четверых, идущих по Вишневой улице), and then they turned a little to the left and went up the hill (а затем они повернули немного налево и пошли вверх на холм). When they got to the top of the hill (когда они дошли до вершины холма), where there were no houses but only grass and clover (где не было ни домов, а только трава и клевер), they stopped (они остановились).
Miss Annie put down her pail of glue (мисс Анни опустила свое ведро клея), and Miss Fannie swung the ladders from her shoulder (мисс Фанни перенесла лестницы со своего плеча; to swing — качать, колебать; переносить, транспортировать /например, при помощи подъемного крана/) and steadied them until both stood in an upright position (и поддержала = установила их, пока обе не стояли в вертикальном положении; to steady — делать прочным; придавать устойчивость). Then she held one and Miss Annie the other (потом она держала одну, а мисс Анни другую; to hold).
“What on earth are they going to do (что же они делают: «что же на Земле /усилительный оборот = черт возьми/ они делают»)?” said Michael, gaping (разинув рот; togape — широко открывать рот; зевать). But there was no need for Jane to reply (но не было необходимости Джейн отвечать), for he could see for himself (так как он смог увидеть сам) what was happening (что происходило).
As soon as Miss Fannie and Miss Annie had so fixed the ladders (как скоро мисс Фанни и мисс Анни так установили лестницы) that they seemed to be standing with one end on the earth (что они казались стоящими одним концом на земле) and the other leaning on the sky (а другим прислоненным к небу), Mrs Corry picked up her skirts and the paintbrush in one hand (миссис Корри подобрала свои юбки и кисть в одну руку) and the pail of glue in the other (а ведро клея в другую). Then she set her foot on the lowest rung of one of the ladders (затем она поставила свою ногу на самую низкую ступень лестниц) and began to climb it (и начала подниматься по ней). Mary Poppins, carrying her basket (неся свою корзину), climbed the other (поднималась по другой).
clover ['klquvq] glue [glu:] basket ['bQ:skIt] climb [klaIm]
Jane and Michael saw all four of them go down Cherry Tree Lane, and then they turned a little to the left and went up the hill. When they got to the top of the hill, where there were no houses but only grass and clover, they stopped.
Miss Annie put down her pail of glue, and Miss Fannie swung the ladders from her shoulder and steadied them until both stood in an upright position.Then she held one and Miss Annie the other.
“What on earth are they going to do?” said Michael, gaping. But there was no need for Jane to reply, for he could see for himself what was happening.
As soon as Miss Fannie and Miss Annie had so fixed the ladders that they seemed to be standing with one end on the earth and the other leaning on the sky, Mrs Corry picked up her skirts and the paintbrush in one hand and the pail of glue in the other. Then she set her foot on the lowest rung of one of the ladders and began to climb it. Mary Poppins, carrying her basket, climbed the other.
Then Jane and Michael saw a most amazing sight (затем Джейн и Майкл увидели самое удивительное зрелище; to amaze — изумлять, поражать, удивлять). As soon as she arrived at the top of her ladder (как только она прибыла на верхушку лестницы = добралась до верхушки лестницы), Mrs Corry dipped her brush into the glue (миссис Корри окунула кисть в клей) and began slapping the sticky substance against the sky (и начала шлепать липкое вещество о небо). And Mary Poppins, when this had been done (когда это было сделано), took something shiny from her basket (достала что-то сияющее из своей корзины) and fixed it to the glue (и прикрепила это на клей). When she took her hand away (когда она убрала руку) they saw (они увидели) that she was sticking the Gingerbread Stars to the sky (что она приклеивает Пряничные Звезды к небу). As each one was placed in position (как только каждая была помещена на место = размещена) it began to twinkle furiously (она начинала блестеть/сверкать неистово), sending out rays of sparkling golden light (испуская лучи сверкающего золотого света;