Английский язык с Дж. Лондоном. Любовь к жизни (рассказы)

"Those two beautiful sonnets that you transmuted into the cow (те два прекрасных сонета, которые ты превратил в корову) that was accounted the worst milker in the township (которая считалась худшей молочной коровой в районе; township — местечко; район /часть округа/; поселок, городок, селение, населенный пункт)."

"She was beautiful (она была прекрасна) — " he began (начал он),

"But she didn't give milk (но она не давала молока)," Madge interrupted (перебила Мэдж).

"But she was beautiful, now, wasn't she (но она действительно была прекрасна, ну, не так ли)?" he insisted (настаивал он).

"O that all your song-transmutations were as successful!" she laughed.

"Name one that wasn't."

"Those two beautiful sonnets that you transmuted into the cow that was accounted the worst milker in the township."

"She was beautiful — " he began,

"But she didn't give milk," Madge interrupted.

"But she was beautiful, now, wasn't she?" he insisted.

"And here's where beauty and utility fall out (и вот где ссорятся красота и выгода)," was her reply (был ее ответ). "And there's the Wolf (а вот и Волк)!"

From the thicket-covered hillside came a crashing of underbrush (со склона холма, покрытого зарослями, донесся хруст подлеска), and then, forty feet above them (а затем, в сорока футах над ними), on the edge of the sheer wall of rock (на краю отвесной скалистой стены), appeared a wolf's head and shoulders (возникли голова и плечи волка). His braced fore paws dislodged a pebble (его расставленные передние лапы сместили булыжник), and with sharp-pricked ears and peering eyes he watched the fall of the pebble (и навострившимися ушами и вглядывающимися глазами он наблюдал за падением булыжника) till it struck at their feet (пока тот не ударился у их ног; to strike — ударить/ся/). Then he transferred his gaze and with open mouth laughed down at them (затем он перевел пристальный взгляд и засмеялся над ними широко открытой пастью).

"You Wolf, you (ах ты, Волк)!" and "You blessed Wolf (проклятый[28]

= противный Волк; blessed — священный; счастливый; проклятый; to bless — благославлять)!" the man and woman called out to him (крикнули ему мужчина и женщина).

The ears flattened back and down at the sound (уши опустились назад вниз = к голове при этом звуке = этих звуках; to flatten — становить/ся/ ровным, плоским, гладким, выравнивать/ся/, разглаживать/ся/), and the head seemed to snuggle under the caress of an invisible hand (а голова, казалось, прижалась под лаской невидимой руки; to snuggle — прижиматься

).

"And here's where beauty and utility fall out," was her reply. "And there's the Wolf!"

From the thicket-covered hillside came a crashing of underbrush, and then, forty feet above them, on the edge of the sheer wall of rock, appeared a wolf's head and shoulders. His braced fore paws dislodged a pebble, and with sharp-pricked ears and peering eyes he watched the fall of the pebble till it struck at their feet. Then he transferred his gaze and with open mouth laughed down at them.

"You Wolf, you!" and "You blessed Wolf!" the man and woman called out to him.

The ears flattened back and down at the sound, and the head seemed to snuggle under the caress of an invisible hand.