Майкл Муркок - Английский язык с М. Муркоком

caravan [ˈkærəvæn] charioteer [, ʧærɪəˈtɪə] curse [kə: s] laugh [lɑ:f] desperately [ˈdespərətlɪ] horrified [ˈhɔrɪfaɪd] counted [ˈkauntɪd] prisoner [ˈprɪz (ə) nə]

Now the last chariots of the caravan began to pass and Corum saw that a few Mabden walked behind, tied to the chariots by ropes attached to their hands. These Mabden bore no weapons and were hardly clothed at all. They were thin, their feet were bare and bleeding, they moaned and cried out from time to time. Often the response of the charioteer to whose chariot they were attached would be to curse or laugh and tug at the ropes to make them stumble.

One did stumble and fall and desperately tried to regain his feet as he was dragged along. Corum was horrified. Why did the Mabden treat their own species in such a way? Even the Nhadragh, who were counted more cruel than the Vadhagh, had not caused such pain to their Vadhagh prisoners in the old days.

`These are peculiar brutes (вот уж странные животные), in truth (действительно; truth — правда, истина), mused Corum, half-aloud (размышлял Корум про себя: «наполовину вслух»; to muse — задумываться, размышлять).

One of the Mabden (один из мабденов) at the head of the caravan (/бывший/ во главе каравана) called out loudly (/что-то/ крикнул громко) and brought his chariot to a halt (и остановил свою колесницу: «привел к остановке»; to bring to a halt — остановить) beside the river (у речки). The other chariots and waggons (остальные колесницы и повозки) began to stop (начали останавливаться). Corum saw that they intended to make camp here (понял, что они собираются разбить здесь лагерь; to see — видеть, смотреть; понимать; to see-saw-seen; to intend to — намереваться).

Fascinated (/словно/ завороженный; to fascinate — очаровывать, пленять, гипнотизировать), he continued to observe them (он продолжал наблюдать за ними), stock still on his horse (неподвижно /сидя/ на коне; stock still — /совершенно/ неподвижный, как столб; stock — главный ствол /дерева/; опора, подпорка), hidden by the trees (скрытый деревьями).

brute [bru:t] mused [mju:zd] aloud [əˈlaud] fascinated [ˈfæsɪneɪtɪd]

`These are peculiar brutes, in truth, mused Corum, half-aloud.

One of the Mabden at the head of the caravan called out loudly and brought his chariot to a halt beside the river. The other chariots and waggons began to stop. Corum saw that they intended to make camp here.

Fascinated, he continued to observe them, stock still on his horse, hidden by the trees.

The Mabden removed the yokes from the horses (мабдены сняли ярмо с лошадей = распрягли лошадей; to remove — перемещать, убирать, снимать) and led them to the water (и повели их к воде; to lead — вести, сопровождать; to lead-led-led). From the waggons (из повозок) they took cooking pots and poles (они достали горшки для приготовления пищи и жерди; to cook — готовить/ся/, жарить/ся/, варить/ся/; pot — горшок, котелок; pole — столб, жердь, шест) and began to build fires (и начали разводить костры; to begin-began-begun; to build — сооружать, строить; to build-built-built).

By sunset (к закату) they were eating (они ели), though their prisoners (хотя их пленникам), still tied to the chariots (по-прежнему привязанным к колесницам), were given nothing (/не/ было дано ничего; to give — давать, дарить, жертвовать; to give-gave-given).

When they were done with eating (когда они покончили с едой; to be done with — заканчивать, разделаться с), they began to drink again (они начали пить снова) and soon more than half the herd (и вскоре более, чем половина стада) was insensible (была бесчувственной; insensible — невосприимчивый, не чувствующий, потерявший сознание), sprawled on the grass (/одни/ растянулись на траве) and sleeping where they fell (спали, где упали; to fall-fell-fallen). Others were rolling about on the ground (другие катались по земле) engaged in mock fights (занятые шуточными боями; to engage — заниматься чем-либо, нанимать/ся/; вовлекать; mock — поддельный, ложный, пародийный), many of which (многие из которых) increased in savagery (перерастали в жестокость; to increase — расти, увеличивать/ся/, усиливать/ся/) so that knives and axes (так, что ножи и топоры) were drawn (были обнажены = шли в ход; to draw — тащить, растягивать; обнажать /меч и т. д. /; to draw-drew-drawn) and some blood spilled (и кровь проливалась; to spill — проливать/ся/, расплескивать/ся/).

yoke [jəuk] build [bɪld] sprawled [sprɔ:ld] grass [ɡrɑ:s] engaged [ɪnˈɡeɪʤd] increased [ɪnˈkri:st] savagery [ˈsævɪʤ (ə) rɪ] knives [naɪvz]

The Mabden removed the yokes from the horses and led them to the water. From the waggons they took cooking pots and poles and began to build fires.

By sunset they were eating, though their prisoners, still tied to the chariots, were given nothing.

When they were done with eating, they began to drink again and soon more than half the herd was insensible, sprawled on the grass and sleeping where they fell. Others were rolling about on the ground engaged in mock fights, many of which increased in savagery so that knives and axes were drawn and some blood spilled.

The Mabden who had originally (мабден, который первоначально) called for the caravan to stop (потребовал, /чтобы/ караван остановился; to call for — требовать, обязывать; to call — кричать, звать), roared at the fighting men (/теперь/ заорал на дерущихся /людей/) and began to stagger among them (и начал, шатаясь, /разнимать/ их; to stagger — шататься, идти шатаясь, колебаться; among — между, посреди), a wineskin clutched in one hand (бурдюк с вином сжимая в одной руке), kicking them (пиная их; to kick — ударять ногой, лягать/ся/) and plainly ordering them to stop (и явно приказывая им остановиться; plainly — ясно, четко, откровенно). Two refused to heed him (двое отказались подчиниться ему; to heed — обращать внимание, остерегаться) and he drew the huge bronze war-axe (он вытащил огромный бронзовый боевой топор) from his belt (из-за пояса) and smashed it down on the skull (и с силой опустил его на череп; to smash — разбивать/ся/ вдребезги, наносить сильный удар, сокрушать) of the nearest man (ближайшего человека), splitting his helmet and his head (раскалывая его шлем и голову; to split — раскалывать/ся/, разбивать/ся/, расщеплять/ся/). A silence came to the camp (тишина пришла в лагерь = воцарилась над лагерем) and Corum, with an effort (с напряжением), made out the words (разобрал слова; to make out — разобрать, понять, различить) the leader spoke (/которые/ вожак произнес; to speak-spoke-spoken).

`By the Dog (/клянусь/ Псом)! I have no more squabbling (я больше не потерплю грызни; to squabble — ссориться, пререкаться из-за пустяков) of this sort (такого рода). Why spend your energies on each other (зачем тратить силы друг на друга). There is sport to be had yonder (/и так/ есть развлечение вон там; sport — спорт, спортивные игры; развлечение, шутка; yonder — вон тот, вон там)! He pointed with his axe to the prisoners (указал топором на пленников) who were now sleeping (которые теперь спали).

originally [əˈrɪʤɪnəlɪ] huge [hju:ʤ] silence [ˈsaɪləns] squabbling [ˈskwɔblɪŋ] energies [ˈenəʤɪz] yonder [ˈjɔndə]

The Mabden who had originally called for the caravan to stop, roared at the fighting men and began to stagger among them, a wineskin clutched in one hand, kicking them and plainly ordering them to stop. Two refused to heed him and he drew the huge bronze war-axe from his belt and smashed it down on the skull of the nearest man, splitting his helmet and his head. A silence came to the camp and Corum, with an effort, made out the words the leader spoke.

`By the Dog! I have no more squabbling of this sort. Why spend your energies on each other. There is sport to be had yonder! He pointed with his axe to the prisoners who were now sleeping.

A few of the Mabden laughed (несколько мабденов засмеялись) and nodded and rose up (кивнули и встали; to rise-rose-risen), moving through the faint light of the evening (двигаясь сквозь слабый свет вечера) to where their prisoners lay (/туда/, где их пленники лежали; to lie-lay-lain). They kicked them awake (они разбудили их пинками), cut the ropes (перерезали веревки) attached to the chariots and forced them towards the main encampment (и погнали их к главному лагерю; to force — заставлять, напрягать; подталкивать; encampment — лагерь, место лагеря) where the warriors (где воины) who had not succumbed to the wine (которые не стали жертвой вина = держались на ногах; to succumb — поддаваться, уступать, стать жертвой, умереть от) were arranging themselves in a circle (становились в круг). The prisoners were pushed into the centre of this circle (пленных втолкнули: «пленные были втолкнуты» в центр этого круга) and stood there (и /они/ стояли там) staring in terror at the warriors (глядя в ужасе на воинов).