Presently two Butterflies flew under the tree, quarrelling.
Suleiman-bin-Daoud heard one say to the other (Сулейман-ибн-Дауд слышал, как одна говорила другой), ‘I wonder at your presumption in talking like this to me (я удивляюсь твоей самонадеянности разговаривать так со мной). Don’t you know that if I stamped with my foot (разве ты не знаешь, что если бы я топнул моей ногой) all Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s Palace and his garden here would immediately vanish in a clap of thunder (весь Дворец Сулеймана-ибн-Дауда и этот его сад тотчас бы исчезли с ударом грома).’
Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud forgot his nine hundred and ninety-nine bothersome wives (тогда Сулейман-ибн-Дауд забыл о своих 999 неугомонных женах), and laughed, till the camphor-tree shook, at the Butterfly’s boast (и засмеялся /и смеялся/, пока /не/ затряслось камфорное дерево, над похвальбой Мотылька). And he held out his finger and said (и он выставил /свой/ палец и сказал), ‘Little man, come here (маленький мужчина = мужчинка / мужичок, иди сюда).’
wonder ['wAndq], presumption [prI'zAmpSqn], immediately [I'mJdIqtlI]
Suleiman-bin-Daoud heard one say to the other, ‘I wonder at your presumption in talking like this to me. Don’t you know that if I stamped with my foot all Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s Palace and his garden here would immediately vanish in a clap of thunder.’
Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud forgot his nine hundred and ninety-nine bothersome wives, and laughed, till the camphor-tree shook, at the Butterfly’s boast. And he held out his finger and said, ‘Little man, come here.’
The Butterfly was dreadfully frightened (Мотылек страшно испугался), but he managed to fly up to the hand of Suleiman-bin-Daoud (но он смог вспорхнуть на руку Сулеймана-ибн-Дауда), and clung there, fanning himself (и прицепился там, обмахиваясь; to cling — прицепиться, крепко держаться). Suleiman-bin-Daoud bent his head and whispered very softly (Сулейман-ибн-Дауд склонил /свою/ голову и прошептал очень тихо), ‘Little man, you know that all your stamping wouldn’t bend one blade of grass (мужичок, ты знаешь, что все твои топанья не склонили бы /и/ травинку; blade of grass — травинка: «клинок травы»). What made you tell that awful fib to your wife (что заставило тебя сказать такую чудовищную ложь твоей жене; fib — выдумка, домысел, неправда)? — for doubtless she is your wife (ибо несомненно, она твоя жена; doubt — сомнение).’
manage ['mxnIG], whisper ['wIspq], doubtless ['dautlIs]
The Butterfly was dreadfully frightened, but he managed to fly up to the hand of Suleiman-bin-Daoud, and clung there, fanning himself. Suleiman-bin-Daoud bent his head and whispered very softly, ‘Little man, you know that all your stamping wouldn’t bend one blade of grass. What made you tell that awful fib to your wife? — for doubtless she is your wife.’
The Butterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud (Мотылек посмотрел на Сулеймана-ибн-Дауда) and saw the most wise King’s eyes twinkle like stars on a frosty night (и увидел, что глаза самого мудрого Царя сверкают, как звезды в морозном небе), and he picked up his courage with both wings (и он собрал /все/ свое мужество обоими крылышками), and he put his head on one side and said (и он склонил свою голову набок и сказал), ‘O King, live for ever (О Царь, живи вечно). She is my wife (она моя жена); and you know what wives are like (а ты знаешь, каковы жены).’
Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in his beard and said (Сулейман-ибн-Дауд улыбнулся в /свою/ бороду и сказал), ‘Yes, I know, little brother (да, /уж/ я/-то/ знаю, маленький братец).’
‘One must keep them in order somehow (их нужно каким-то образом держать в порядке = в повиновении),’ said the Butterfly (сказал Мотылек), ‘and she has been quarrelling with me all the morning (а она ругается со мной все утро). I said that to quiet her (я сказал это, чтобы угомонить ее).’
courage ['kArIG], beard [bIqd], brother ['brADq]
The Butterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud and saw the most wise King’s eyes twinkle like stars on a frosty night, and he picked up his courage with both wings, and he put his head on one side and said, ‘O King, live for ever. She is my wife; and you know what wives are like.’
Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in his beard and said, ‘Yes, I know, little brother.’
‘One must keep them in order somehow,’ said the Butterfly, ‘and she has been quarrelling with me all the morning. I said that to quiet her.’
And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said (и Сулейман-ибн-Дауд сказал), ‘May it quiet her (пусть это угомонит ее). Go back to your wife, little brother (возвращайся к своей жене, маленький братец), and let me hear what you say (и позволь мне услышать, что ты скажешь).’
Back flew the Butterfly to his wife (Мотылек полетел обратно к своей жене), who was all of a twitter behind a leaf, and she said (которая вся трепетала за листом, и она сказала), ‘He heard you (он услышал тебя)! Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself heard you (сам Сулейман-ибн-Дауд услышал тебя)!’
‘Heard me (услышал меня)!’ said the Butterfly (сказал Мотылек). ‘Of course he did (конечно, он услышал). I meant him to hear me (я и предполагал, что он услышит меня).’
