Эдгар Берроуз - Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса

measurement ['meZqmqnt], intricacy ['IntrIkqsI], propulsion [prq'pAlS(q)n]

"This ruse will be discovered later," he cheerfully explained, "when they check up my weights, measurements, and other personal identification data, but it will be several months before this is done and our mission should be accomplished or have failed long before that time."

The next few days were spent by Kantos Kan in teaching me the intricacies of flying and of repairing the dainty little contrivances which the Martians use for this purpose. The body of the one-man air craft is about sixteen feet long, two feet wide and three inches thick, tapering to a point at each end. The driver sits on top of this plane upon a seat constructed over the small, noiseless radium engine which propels it. The medium of buoyancy is contained within the thin metal walls of the body and consists of the eighth Barsoomian ray, or ray of propulsion, as it may be termed in view of its properties.

This ray, like the ninth ray, is unknown on Earth (этот луч, как и девятый луч, неизвестен на Земле) but the Martians have discovered that it is an inherent property of all light (но марсиане обнаружили, что он является неотъемлемым свойством всякого света) no matter from what source it emanates (независимо от того, от какого источника он исходит). They have learned that it is the solar eighth ray (они узнали, что именно восьмой солнечный луч) which propels the light of the sun to the various planets (переносит свет Солнца к разным планетам), and that it is the individual eighth ray of each planet (и что именно индивидуальный восьмой луч каждой планеты) which "reflects," or propels the light thus obtained out into space once more («отражает» или переносит полученный таким образом свет назад в космос еще раз). The solar eighth ray would be absorbed by the surface of Barsoom (восьмой солнечный луч поглощался бы поверхностью Барсума), but the Barsoomian eighth ray (если бы не восьмой луч Барсума), which tends to propel light from Mars into space (который стремится посылать свет от Марса в космос; to tend — иметь стремление; иметь склонность), is constantly streaming out from the planet (и постоянно струится с планеты) constituting a force of repulsion of gravity (образуя силу, обратную силе тяжести; repulsion — отталкивание) which when confined (и которую, если ее взять под контроль: «ограничить»; to confine — ограничивать) is able to lift enormous weights from the surface of the ground (способна поднимать огромные тяжести с поверхности земли).

inherent [In'hIqrqnt], emanate ['emqneIt], repulsion [rI'pAlS(q)n]

This ray, like the ninth ray, is unknown on Earth, but the Martians have discovered that it is an inherent property of all light no matter from what source it emanates. They have learned that it is the solar eighth ray which propels the light of the sun to the various planets, and that it is the individual eighth ray of each planet which "reflects," or propels the light thus obtained out into space once more. The solar eighth ray would be absorbed by the surface of Barsoom, but the Barsoomian eighth ray, which tends to propel light from Mars into space, is constantly streaming out from the planet constituting a force of repulsion of gravity which when confined is able to lift enormous weights from the surface of the ground.

It is this ray which has enabled them to so perfect aviation (именно этот луч позволил им /создать/ такую совершенную авиацию; to enable — дать возможность; able — способный) that battle ships far outweighing anything known upon Earth (что боевые корабли, далеко превосходящие по весу все известное на Земле) sail as gracefully and lightly through the thin air of Barsoom (плывут так грациозно и легко в разреженной атмосфере Барсума) as a toy balloon in the heavy atmosphere of Earth (как детские: «игрушечные» воздушные шарики в плотной: «тяжелой» атмосфере Земли).

outweigh [aut'weI], graceful ['greIsful]

It is this ray which has enabled them to so perfect aviation that battle ships far outweighing anything known upon Earth sail as gracefully and lightly through the thin air of Barsoom as a toy balloon in the heavy atmosphere of Earth.

During the early years of the discovery of this ray (в течение первых лет после открытия этого луча) many strange accidents occurred (было: «происходило» немало странных происшествий) before the Martians learned to measure and control the wonderful power they had found (прежде чем марсиане научились измерять и контролировать эту чудесную силу, которую они обнаружили). In one instance, some nine hundred years before (в одном случае примерно девятьсот лет тому назад), the first great battle ship to be built with eighth ray reservoirs (первый большой боевой корабль, который был выстроен с резервуарами для восьмого луча), was stored with too great a quantity of the rays (был наполнен слишком большим количеством лучей; to store — снабжать, наполнять) and she had sailed up from Helium with five hundred officers and men (и он отплыл ввысь от Гелиума с пятью сотнями офицеров и солдат), never to return (чтобы больше уже никогда не вернуться).

during ['djuqrIN], reservoir ['rezqvwQ: ], wonderful ['wAndqful]

During the early years of the discovery of this ray many strange accidents occurred before the Martians learned to measure and control the wonderful power they had found. In one instance, some nine hundred years before, the first great battle ship to be built with eighth ray reservoirs was stored with too great a quantity of the rays and she had sailed up from Helium with five hundred officers and men, never to return.

Her power of repulsion for the planet was so great (сила его отталкивания от планеты была столь велика) that it had carried her far into space (что она перенесла /корабль/ далеко в космос), where she can be seen today (где его можно видеть и сегодня), by the aid of powerful telescopes (с помощью мощных телескопов), hurtling through the heavens ten thousand miles from Mars (несущимся по небесам в десяти тысячах миль от Марса); a tiny satellite that will thus encircle Barsoom to the end of time (крошечный спутник, который будет таким образом обращаться вокруг Барсума до конца времен).

The fourth day after my arrival at Zodanga (на четвертый день после своего прибытия в Зодангу) I made my first flight (я совершил мой первый полет), and as a result of it I won a promotion (и в результате этого я получил повышение по службе; promotion — повышение в должности) which included quarters in the palace of Than Kosis (которое позволяло получить: «включало в себя» жилье во дворце Тана Косиса).

hurtle [hq: tl], heaven [hevn], satellite ['sxtqlaIt]

Her power of repulsion for the planet was so great that it had carried her far into space, where she can be seen today, by the aid of powerful telescopes, hurtling through the heavens ten thousand miles from Mars; a tiny satellite that will thus encircle Barsoom to the end of time.

The fourth day after my arrival at Zodanga I made my first flight, and as a result of it I won a promotion which included quarters in the palace of Than Kosis.

As I rose above the city I circled several times (когда я поднялся над городом, я описал несколько кругов), as I had seen Kantos Kan do (как, я видел, это делал Кантос Кан), and then throwing my engine into top speed (а затем, переключив двигатель на максимальную скорость; to throw — бросать; переключать) I raced at terrific velocity toward the south (я помчался с чудовищной скоростью к югу), following one of the great waterways which enter Zodanga from that direction (следуя направлению одного из больших водных путей, которые ведут в Зодангу в этом направлении).

I had traversed perhaps two hundred miles in a little less than an hour (я пролетел: «пересек», наверное, двести миль меньше, чем за час) when I descried far below me a party of three green warriors (когда далеко внизу я разглядел группу из трех зеленых воинов; to descry — рассмотреть, заметить) racing madly toward a small figure on foot (которые бешено мчались к маленькой фигурке, /которая шла/ пешком; on foot — пешком) which seemed to be trying to reach the confines of one of the walled fields (которая, по-видимому, старалась добраться к границам одного из обнесенных стеной полей; confine — граница, предел, рубеж).

throw [Trou], velocity [vI'lOsItI], traverse ['trxvWs]

As I rose above the city I circled several times, as I had seen Kantos Kan do, and then throwing my engine into top speed I raced at terrific velocity toward the south, following one of the great waterways which enter Zodanga from that direction.

I had traversed perhaps two hundred miles in a little less than an hour when I descried far below me a party of three green warriors racing madly toward a small figure on foot which seemed to be trying to reach the confines of one of the walled fields.

Dropping my machine rapidly toward them (резко бросив /вниз/ свою машину к ним; to drop — капать; падать; ронять; бросать /вниз, отпустив/), and circling to the rear of the warriors (и описывая круги в тылу зеленых воинов), I soon saw that the object of their pursuit was a red Martian (я вскоре увидел, что предметом их преследования был красный марсианин) wearing the metal of the scout squadron (носящий знак эскадрильи разведки; squadron — отряд; эскадрилья) to which I was attached (к которой был приписан и я). A short distance away lay his tiny flier (недалеко лежал его крохотный летательный аппарат), surrounded by the tools (окруженный инструментами) with which he had evidently been occupied in repairing some damage (с помощью которых он, очевидно, старался починить какую-то неисправность: «которыми он был занят, починяя…») when surprised by the green warriors (когда на него неожиданно напали зеленые воины; to surprize — нападать неожиданно, заставать врасплох).

drop [drOp], squadron ['skwOdr(q)n], surprise [sq'praIz]

Dropping my machine rapidly toward them, and circling to the rear of the warriors, I soon saw that the object of their pursuit was a red Martian wearing the metal of the scout squadron to which I was attached. A short distance away lay his tiny flier, surrounded by the tools with which he had evidently been occupied in repairing some damage when surprised by the green warriors.

They were now almost upon him (они были уже почти около него); their flying mounts charging down on the relatively puny figure at terrific speed (их летящие = мчащиеся тоты настигали относительно маленькую фигурку со страшной быстротой; to charge — атаковать), while the warriors leaned low to the right (в то время как воины низко наклонились вправо), with their great metal-shod spears (/держа/ длинные копья с металлическими наконечниками; to shoe — подбивать, обшивать). Each seemed striving to be the first to impale the poor Zodangan (каждый, казалось, стремился первым пронзить бедного зодангианца; to impale — протыкать, прокалывать, пронзать; /ист./ сажать на кол; pale — кол) and in another moment his fate would have been sealed (еще мгновение — и его судьба была бы решена; to seal — ставить печать; окончательно решать; seal — печать) had it not been for my timely arrival (если бы не мое своевременное появление: «прибытие»).

figure ['fIgq], impale [Im'peIl], seal [si: l]

They were now almost upon him; their flying mounts charging down on the relatively puny figure at terrific speed, while the warriors leaned low to the right, with their great metal-shod spears. Each seemed striving to be the first to impale the poor Zodangan and in another moment his fate would have been sealed had it not been for my timely arrival.