Английский с Редьярдом Киплингом. Рикки-Тикки-Тави

“Must I never go there, Sahib?” asked Little Toomai with a big gasp.

“Yes.” Petersen Sahib smiled again. “When thou hast seen the elephants dance. That is the proper time. Come to me when thou hast seen the elephants dance, and then I will let thee go into all the Keddahs.”

There was another roar of laughter, for that is an old joke among elephant-catchers, and it means just never. There are great cleared flat places hidden away in the forests that are called elephants’ ball-rooms, but even these are only found by accident, and no man has ever seen the elephants dance. When a driver boasts of his skill and bravery the other drivers say, “And when didst thou see the elephants dance?”

Kala Nag put Little Toomai down (Кала Наг поставил Маленького Тумаи на землю; to put – класть, положить; поставить

), and he bowed to the earth again and went away with his father (и он снова поклонился до земли и ушел со своим отцом), and gave the silver four-anna piece to his mother (/он/ отдал серебряную монетку в четыре анна своей матери; piece – кусок; часть; штука, отдельный предмет), who was nursing his baby brother (которая кормила его грудного брата; to nurse – кормить, выкармливать

/ребенка/), and they all were put up on Kala Nag’s back (их всех посадили на спину Кала Нага), and the line of grunting, squealing elephants rolled down the hill path to the plains (и вереница ворчащих и взвизгивающих слонов покатилась по тропинке с холма в долину; to grunt – хрюкать; ворчать; to squeal – визжать; to roll – катить/ся

/, вертеть/ся/). It was a very lively march on account of the new elephants (это был очень оживленный = беспокойный переход из-за новых слонов; account – счет; основание, причина; on account of smth. – из-за, вследствие чего-либо

), who gave trouble at every ford (которые доставляли хлопоты у каждого брода), and needed coaxing or beating every other minute (и каждую минуту они нуждались = их приходилось то уговаривать, то бить; to coax – убеждать, упрашивать, уговаривать).

Kala Nag put Little Toomai down, and he bowed to the earth again and went away with his father, and gave the silver four-anna piece to his mother, who was nursing his baby brother, and they all were put up on Kala Nag’s back, and the line of grunting, squealing elephants rolled down the hill path to the plains. It was a very lively march on account of the new elephants, who gave trouble at every ford, and needed coaxing or beating every other minute.