Английский с Редьярдом Киплингом. Рикки-Тикки-Тави

Then a cloud came over the moon, and he sat in black darkness. But the quiet, steady hustling and pushing and gurgling went on just the same. He knew that there were elephants all round Kala Nag, and that there was no chance of backing him out of the assembly; so he set his teeth and shivered. In a Keddah at least there was torchlight and shouting, but here he was all alone in the dark, and once a trunk came up and touched him on the knee.

Then an elephant trumpeted (потом один слон затрубил; to trumpet – трубить; trumpet – /муз./ труба), and they all took it up for five or ten terrible seconds

(и они все подхватили /его крик/, продолжая /трубить/ в течение пяти или /даже/ десяти ужасных секунд; to take up – принять, подхватить). The dew from the trees above spattered down like rain on the unseen backs (роса, /скатываясь/ с деревьев, усеивала, точно дождь, невидимые спины; to spatter – разбрызгивать, брызгать; покрывать, усеивать; to see – видеть), and a dull booming noise began (начался = поднялся глухой рокочущий шум; dull – тупой, глупый; глухой; to boom – рокотать, громыхать

), not very loud at first (сначала не очень громкий), and Little Toomai could not tell what it was (и Маленький Тумаи не мог сказать, что это было). But it grew and grew (но он = шум нарастал и нарастал; to grow – расти), and Kala Nag lifted up one forefoot and then the other

(и Кала Наг поднял одну переднюю ногу, потом другую), and brought them down on the ground (и /с грохотом/ поставил их на землю; to bring down – свалить, повалить) – one-two (раз-два), one-two (раз-два), as steadily as trip-hammers (равномерно, как удары молота; trip-hammer – падающий молот

). The elephants were stamping all together now (теперь все слоны топали вместе; to stamp – топнуть ногой), and it sounded like a war drum beaten at the mouth of a cave (и все это звучало так, как будто у входа в пещеру били в военный барабан; to beat – бить, колотить).

Then an elephant trumpeted, and they all took it up for five or ten terrible seconds. The dew from the trees above spattered down like rain on the unseen backs, and a dull booming noise began, not very loud at first, and Little Toomai could not tell what it was. But it grew and grew, and Kala Nag lifted up one forefoot and then the other, and brought them down on the ground – one-two, one-two, as steadily as trip-hammers. The elephants were stamping all together now, and it sounded like a war drum beaten at the mouth of a cave.