‘Yes, give him back his Palace (да, верни ему его Дворец),’ said the Butterfly’s Wife (сказала Жена Мотылька), still flying about in the dark like a moth (все еще порхая во тьме, как моль). ‘Give him back his Palace (верни ему его Дворец), and don’t let’s have any more horrid magic (и давай больше не будем так страшно колдовать).’
frighten ['fraItqn], several ['sevrql], magician [mq'GISqn]
The Butterfly was nearly as frightened as his wife, and Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed so much that it was several minutes before he found breath enough to whisper to the Butterfly, ‘Stamp again, little brother. Give me back my Palace, most great magician.’
‘Yes, give him back his Palace,’ said the Butterfly’s Wife, still flying about in the dark like a moth. ‘Give him back his Palace, and don’t let’s have any more horrid magic.’
‘Well, my dear (ну, моя дорогая),’ said the Butterfly as bravely as he could (сказал Мотылек, как можно храбрее: «так храбро, как он мог»), ‘you see what your nagging has led to (/ты/ видишь, к чему привела твоя сварливость; to lead — вести, приводить; to nag — придираться; привязываться, изводить; ворчать). Of course it doesn’t make any difference to me (конечно, для меня это не имеет значения) — I’m used to this kind of thing (я привык к такого рода делам) — but as a favour to you and to Suleiman-bin-Daoud I don’t mind putting things right (но в виде одолжения тебе и Сулейману-ибн-Дауду я не против того, чтобы все исправить: «поместить вещи правильно»).’
bravely ['breIvlI], nagging ['nxgIN], favour ['feIvq]
‘Well, my dear,’ said the Butterfly as bravely he could, ‘you see what your nagging has led to. Of course it doesn’t make any difference to me — I’m used to this kind of thing — but as a favour to you and to Suleiman-bin-Daoud I don’t mind putting things right.’
So he stamped once more (и он топнул еще раз), and that instant the Djinns let down the Palace and the gardens, without even a bump (и в то /же/ мгновение Джинны опустили Дворец и сады даже без стука). The sun shone on the dark-green orange leaves (солнце засияло на темно-зеленых листьях апельсина); the fountains played among the pink Egyptian lilies (фонтаны забили среди розовых египетских лилий); the birds went on singing (птицы продолжили петь), and the Butterfly’s Wife lay on her side under the camphor-tree waggling her wings and panting (а Жена Мотылька лежала на боку под камфорным деревом, помахивая /своими/ крылышками и говоря на одном дыхании; to pant — говорить на одном дыхании; выпаливать), ‘Oh, I’ll be good (ах, я буду послушной)! I’ll be good (я буду послушной)!’
Suleiman-bin-Daoud could hardly speak for laughing (Сулейман-ибн-Дауд едва мог говорить от смеха). He leaned back all weak and hiccoughy (он откинулся назад совершенно ослабевший = без сил и икающий; to hiccough — икать), and shook his finger at the Butterfly and said (и погрозил /своим/ пальцем Мотыльку и сказал), ‘O great wizard (О великий чародей), what is the sense of returning to me my Palace (какой смысл возвращать мне мой Дворец) if at the same time you slay me with mirth (если в то же самое время ты убиваешь меня весельем = смехом)!’
instant ['Instqnt], bump [bAmp], mirth [mWT]
So he stamped once more, and that instant the Djinns let down the Palace and the gardens, without even a bump. The sun shone on the dark-green orange leaves; the fountains played among the pink Egyptian lilies; the birds went on singing, and the Butterfly’s Wife lay on her side under the camphor-tree waggling her wings and panting, ‘Oh, I’ll be good! I’ll be good!’
Suleiman-bin-Daoud could hardly speak for laughing. He leaned back all weak and hiccoughy, and shook his finger at the Butterfly and said, ‘O great wizard, what is the sense of returning to me my Palace if at the same time you slay me with mirth!’
Then came a terrible noise (затем раздался страшный шум), for all the nine hundred and ninety-nine Queens ran out of the Palace shrieking and shouting and calling for their babies (ибо все 999 Цариц выбежали из Дворца с воплями и криками и созывая своих детей). They hurried down the great marble steps below the fountain, one hundred abreast (они поспешили вниз по огромным мраморным ступеням ниже фонтана по сотне в ряд), and the Most Wise Balkis went statelily[157] forward to meet them and said (и Мудрейшая Балкис величаво выступила вперед навстречу им и сказала; stately — величавый), ‘What is your trouble, O Queens (в чем дело, О Царицы[158])?’
shriek [SrJk], marble [mRbl], abreast [q'brest]
Then came a terrible noise, for all the nine hundred and ninety-nine Queens ran out of the Palace shrieking and shouting and calling for their babies. They hurried down the great marble steps below the fountain, one hundred abreast, and the Most Wise Balkis went statelily forward to meet them and said, ‘What is your trouble, O Queens?’
They stood on the marble steps one hundred abreast and shouted (они стояли на мраморных ступенях по сотне в ряд и кричали), ‘What is our trouble (в чем дело[159])? We were living peacefully in our golden palace, as is our custom (мы жили мирно в нашем золотом дворец, как /велит/ наш обычай), when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared (как вдруг Дворец исчез), and we were left sitting in a thick and noisome darkness (и мы остались сидеть в густой и мерзкой тьме); and it thundered, and Djinns and Afrits moved about in the darkness (и загремел гром, и во тьме носились Джинны и Африты)!
