Эдвард Лир - Книга бессмыслицы

But the length of its ears (но длина его /осла/ ушей),

So promoted his fears (так /сильно/ пробуждало, провоцировало, увеличивало: «продвигало» его /человека/ страхи),

That it killed (что это убило) that Old Man of Madras.

There was an Old Man of Madras,

Who rode on a cream-coloured ass;

But the length of its ears,

So promoted his fears,

That it killed that Old Man of Madras.

There was an Old Person of Leeds,

Whose head was infested with beads (чья голова кишела бусинами);

She sat on a stool (сидела на табурете),

And ate gooseberry fool (и ела крыжовниковое пюре; fool— вид десерта типа киселя или компота со сливками),

Which agreed with (гармонировало с; agree — соглашаться) that person of Leeds.

There was an Old Person of Leeds,

Whose head was infested with beads;

She sat on a stool,

And ate gooseberry fool,

Which agreed with that person of Leeds.

There was an Old Man of Peru,

Who never knew what he should do (который никогда не знал, что ему следует делать);

So he tore off his hair (поэтому он рвал свои волосы; tear — рвать),

And behaved like a bear (и вел себя, как медведь),

That intrinsic (своеобразный: «внутренний, присущий, особенный») Old Man of Peru.

There was an Old Man of Peru,

Who never knew what he should do;

So he tore off his hair,

And behaved like a bear,

That intrinsic Old Man of Peru.

There was an Old Person of Hurst,

Who drank when he was not athirst (который пил, когда не был томим жаждой; drink — пить; thirst — жажда);

When they said, 'You'll grow fatter (вы вырастете толще = потолстеете),

He answered, 'What matter (какое /это имеет/ значение)?

That globular (шаровидный) Person of Hurst.

There was an Old Person of Hurst,

Who drank when he was not athirst;

When they said, 'You'll grow fatter,

He answered, 'What matter?

That globular Person of Hurst.

There was a Young Person of Crete (с острова Крит),

Whose toilette was far from complete (чей туалет был далек от полного = от того, чтобы быть полным, совершенным);

She dressed in a sack (одевалась, оделась в мешок),

Spickle-speckled with black (в крапинку с черным = в черную крапинку),

That ombliferous (зонтичная: от umbelliferous) person of Crete.

There was a Young Person of Crete,

Whose toilette was far from complete;

She dressed in a sack,

Spickle-speckled with black,

That ombliferous person of Crete.

There was on Old Man of the Isles (с /Британских/ островов),

Whose face was pervaded with smiles (лицо было наполнено: «проникнуто, пронизано» улыбками);

He sung high dum diddle (пел высокие трели; sing — петь),

And played on the fiddle (играл на скрипке),

That amiable (приятный, любезный) Man of the Isles.

There was on Old Man of the Isles,

Whose face was pervaded with smiles;

He sung high dum diddle,

And played on the fiddle,

That amiable Man of the Isles.

There was an Old Person of Buda (из Буды),

Whose conduct grew ruder and ruder (чье поведение становилось все грубее и грубее);

Till at last, with a hammer (пока наконец, молотом, молотком),

They silenced his clamour (они = люди, кто-то [не] утихомирили его шум),

By smashing (разбив в лепешку, вдребезги) that Person of Buda.

There was an Old Person of Buda,

Whose conduct grew ruder and ruder;

Till at last, with a hammer,

They silenced his clamour,

By smashing that Person of Buda.

There was an Old Man of Columbia,

Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer (который был мучим жаждой и попросил немного пива; call out — выкрикивать);

But they brought it quite hot (но [ему] принесли его /пиво/ довольно горячим; bring — приносить),

In a small copper pot (в маленьком медном котелке),

Which disgusted (что внушило отвращение) that man of Columbia.

There was an Old Man of Columbia,

Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer;

But they brought it quite hot,

In a small copper pot,

Which disgusted that man of Columbia.

There was a Young Lady of Dorking,

Who bought a large bonnet for walking (купила большой капор для гуляния; buy — покупать);

But its colour and size (но его /капора/ цвет и размер),

So bedazzled her eyes (так ослепил блеском ее глаза),

That she very soon went back to Dorking (что она очень скоро вернулась: «пришла назад»).

There was a Young Lady of Dorking,

Who bought a large bonnet for walking;

But its colour and size,

So bedazzled her eyes,

That she very soon went back to Dorking.

There was an Old Man who supposed (который полагал),

That the street door was partially closed (что дверь на улицу частично закрыта = прикрыта);

But some very large rats (но несколько очень крупных крыс),

Ate his coats and his hats (съели его пальто и его шляпы; eat— кушать),

While that futile (пока тот несерьезный, поверхностный) old gentleman dozed (дремал).

There was an Old Man who supposed,

That the street door was partially closed;

But some very large rats,

Ate his coats and his hats,

While that futile old gentleman dozed.

There was an Old Man of the West (с Запада),

Who wore a pale plum-coloured vest (носил бледную сливового цвета нижнюю рубашку; wear— носить);

When they said (когда сказали = спросили), 'Does it fit (она /рубашка/ впору)?

He replied (он отвечал), 'Not a bit (ничуть)!

That uneasy (беспокойный: «нелегкий») Old Man of the West.

There was an Old Man of the West,

Who wore a pale plum-coloured vest;

When they said, 'Does it fit?

He replied, 'Not a bit!

That uneasy Old Man of the West.

There was an Old Man of the Wrekin

Whose shoes made a horrible creaking (чьи ботинки издавали ужасный скрип)

But they said (но [ему] сказали = его спросили), 'Tell us whether,

Your shoes are of leather (скажи нам, твои ботинки из кожи ли; whether — ли),

Or of what (или из чего), you Old Man of the Wrekin?

There was an Old Man of the Wrekin

Whose shoes made a horrible creaking

But they said, 'Tell us whether,

Your shoes are of leather,

Or of what, you Old Man of the Wrekin?

There was a Young Lady whose eyes (чьи глаза),

Were unique as to colour and size (были уникальны, что до цвета и размера = что касается…, в отношении…);

When she opened them wide (когда она открывала их широко),

People all turned aside (люди все отворачивались),

And started away in surprise (и бросались прочь в изумлении, удивившись).

There was a Young Lady whose eyes,

Were unique as to colour and size;

When she opened them wide,

People all turned aside,

And started away in surprise.

There was a Young Lady of Norway (из Норвегии),

Who casually sat on a doorway (случайно = как-то сидела в проходе);

When the door squeezed her flat (когда дверь сжала ее плоской = стиснула ее так, что она стала плоской),

She exclaimed (воскликнула), 'What of that ([ну и] что с того)?

This courageous (эта храбрая) Young Lady of Norway.

There was a Young Lady of Norway,

Who casually sat on a doorway;

When the door squeezed her flat,

She exclaimed, 'What of that?

This courageous Young Lady of Norway.

There was an Old Man of Vienna (из Вены),

Who lived upon Tincture of Senna (жил за счет настойки сенны = питался настойкой сенны);

When that did not agree (когда это не соответствовало, не подходило),

He took Camomile Tea (он брал /принимал/ ромашковый чай; take— брать),

That nasty (противный) Old Man of Vienna.

There was an Old Man of Vienna,

Who lived upon Tincture of Senna;

When that did not agree,

He took Camomile Tea,

That nasty Old Man of Vienna.

There was an Old Person whose habits (чьи привычки),

Induced him to feed upon rabbits (побудили его питаться кроликами);

When he'd eaten eighteen (когда от съел восемнадцать),

He turned perfectly green (превратился: «обратился» в совершенно зеленого = совсем позеленел),

Upon which he relinquished those habits (после чего он бросил те привычки; relinquish — оставлять, сдаваться, отступать).

There was an Old Person whose habits,

Induced him to feed upon rabbits;

When he'd eaten eighteen,

He turned perfectly green,

Upon which he relinquished those habits.

There was an Old Person of Dover,

Who rushed through a field of blue Clover (мчался через поле синего клевера; сравните: he is/lives in clover — он живет припеваючи, каксырвмаслекатается);

But some very large bees (но несколько очень крупных пчел),

Stung his nose and his knees (ужалили его нос и колени; sting — жалить),

So he very soon went back to Dover (так что он очень скоро вернулся назад).

There was an Old Person of Dover,

Who rushed through a field of blue Clover;

But some very large bees,

Stung his nose and his knees,

So he very soon went back to Dover.

There was an Old Man of Marseilles (из Марселя),

Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils (дочери которого носили бутылочно-зеленые /цвета зеленого бутылочного стекла/ вуали);