Английский язык c дружелюбным скелетом. Легенды североамериканских индейцев - [60]

Now the stranger was not at all amused and in fact could see nothing to laugh at. When all the Bears had got up and dispersed to their homes he came down from the tree with his little son, and the child wished to imitate his great-grandfather Bear. He went out alone on the sandy beach and began to call in his piping voice:

"Laugh-maker, we are come to laugh (Смехунчик, мы пришли смеяться)!"

When he had called four times (когда он позвал четыре раза), the little creature again showed its smooth black head above the water (маленькое создание снова показало свою гладкую черную голову над водой).

"Ha, ha, ha (ха, ха, ха)! Why don't you laugh, papa (почему ты не смеешься, папа)? It is so funny (он такой забавный)!" the boy cried out breathlessly (мальчик выкрикнул, задыхаясь; breathless — бездыханный; задыхающийся; breath — дыхание).

But his father looked on soberly (но отец смотрел серьезно; sober — непьющий, трезвый; рассудительный; благоразумный, здравомыслящий, спокойный) while the thing went through all its usual antics (пока существо проделывало все эти нелепые движения; antic — гротескно искаженное скульптурное изображение /горгулий, кариатид и т. п./; antics — эксцентричный поступки, нелепые выходки; кривлянье), and the little boy laughed harder and harder (и маленький мальчик смеялся /все/ сильнее/натужнее; hard — твердый;энергичный), until at last he rolled and rolled on the sandy beach (пока, наконец, он не /начал/ кататься и кататься по песчаному пляжу), almost dead with laughter (почти неживой от смеха).

breathlessly [`breTlIslI], soberly [`squbqlI], beach [bJC], usual [`ju:Zuql], antics [`xntIks]

"Laugh-maker, we are come to laugh!"

When he had called four times, the little creature again showed its smooth black head above the water.

"Ha, ha, ha! Why don't you laugh, papa? It is so funny!" the boy cried out breathlessly.

But his father looked on soberly while the thing went through all its usual antics, and the little boy laughed harder and harder, until at last he rolled and rolled on the sandy beach, almost dead with laughter.

"Papa (папа)," he gasped (задохнулся он /от смеха/ = с трудом проговорил он сквозь смех; to gasp — дышать с трудом, задыхаться; ловить воздух), "if you do not stop this funny thing I shall die (если ту не остановишь это смешное существо, я умру)!"

Then the father picked up his bow and strung it (отец подобрал свой лук и натянул его; to string). He gave one more look at his boy (он еще раз взглянул на сына), who was gasping for breath (кто задыхался, /пытаясь/ вдохнуть; breath — дыхание, вздох); then he fitted a sharp arrow to the bow (затем он приладил острую стрелу к луку) and pierced the little Laugh-maker to the heart (и поразил маленького Смехунчика в сердце). He went out and took the skin (он вышел и взял шкуру), and they returned in silence to the camp of the Bears (и они вернулись в молчании в стойбище Медведей).

gasp [gRsp], sharp [SRp], return [rI`tWn]

"Papa," he gasped, "if you do not stop this funny thing I shall die!"

Then the father picked up his bow and strung it. He gave one more look at his boy, who was gasping for breath; then he fitted a sharp arrow to the bow and pierced the little Laugh-maker to the heart. He went out and took the skin, and they returned in silence to the camp of the Bears.

Now the next time that the herald called upon the Bears to "go a-laughing," (ну и вот, следующий раз, когда глашатай призвал Медведей посмеяться) the skin of the Laugh-maker was almost dry (шкура Смехунчика была почти сухой = почти высохла), but they knew nothing of it (но они ничего не знали об этом). They went away as usual (они ушли как обычно), and left the young man alone with his son (и оставили молодого человека одного с его сыном). But he (но он), knowing that his wife's kinsfolk would kill him (зная, что родня его жены убьет его) when they discovered (когда они обнаружат) what he had done (что он сделал), took the skin for a quiver (взял шкуру для колчана = чтобы сшить из нее колчан) and went homeward with his child (и направился домой со своим ребенком; homeward — домой, к дому; на родину).

almost [`Llmqust], alone [q`lqun], quiver [`kwIvq]

Now the next time that the herald called upon the Bears to "go a-laughing," the skin of the Laugh-maker was almost dry, but they knew nothing of it. They went away as usual, and left the young man alone with his son. But he, knowing that his wife's kinsfolk would kill him when they discovered what he had done, took the skin for a quiver and went homeward with his child.

The Friendly Skeleton (Доброжелательный Скелет)

An old man and his little nephew once lived in a dark woods (старик и его маленький племянник когда-то жили в темной дровосеке). One day the man went hunting (однажды старик: «мужчина» ушел охотиться = на охоту), and just before leaving (и как раз перед уходом) told the boy he must not go eastward (сказал мальчику, что тот не должен ходить на восток). But the boy became tired of playing in one place (но мальчик устал играть на одном месте), and was one day tempted to go in the forbidden direction (и однажды не удержался и пошел в запретном направлении;