Английский язык с Р. Киплингом. Истории просто так - [49]

Speckly Jaguar is looking over the edge (Пятнистый Ягуар смотрит за край), with his paddy-paw carefully tied up by his mother (со своей лапой-лапочкой, заботливо перевязанной его мамой), because he pricked himself scooping the Hedgehog (потому что он укололся, выскребая Ежа). He is much surprised to see what the Tortoise is doing (он очень удивлен, видя, чем занимается Черепаха), and his paw is hurting him (и у него болит лапа). The snouty thing with the little eye (носатое существо с маленьким глазом; snout — хобот; рыло; морда /животного/) that Speckly Jaguar is trying to climb over (через которое пытается перелезть Пятнистый Ягуар) is the Armadillo (это Броненосец) that the Tortoise and the Hedgehog are going to turn into (в которого превратятся Черепаха и Еж) when they have finished bending and swimming (когда они закончат изгибаться и плавать). It is all a magic picture (это очень волшебная картинка), and that is one of the reasons (и это одна из причин того) why I haven’t drawn the Jaguar’s whiskers (почему я не нарисовал усы Ягуара). The other reason was that he was so young (другой причиной было то, что он был такой молодой) that his whiskers had not grown (что у него еще не выросли усы). The Jaguar’s pet name with his Mummy was Doffles (любимым именем Ягуара у его Мамочки было Бобрик; duffle — толстая шерстяная ткань с густым ворсом; бобрик).

edge [eG], reason [rJzn], young [jAN]

Speckly Jaguar is looking over the edge, with his paddy-paw carefully tied up by his mother, because he pricked himself scooping the Hedgehog. He is much surprised to see what the Tortoise is doing, and his paw is hurting him. The snouty thing with the little eye that Speckly Jaguar is trying to climb over is the Armadillo that the Tortoise and the Hedgehog are going to turn into when they have finished bending and swimming. It is all a magic picture, and that is one of the reasons why I haven’t drawn the Jaguar’s whiskers. The other reason was that he was so young that his whiskers had not grown. The Jaguar’s pet name with his Mummy was Doffles.

HOW THE FIRST LETTER WAS WRITTEN

Как было написано первое письмо

ONCE upon a most early time was a Neolithic man (жил да был в очень ранние времена Неолитический человек). He was not a Jute or an Angle, or even a Dravidian (он был ни ют, ни англ, даже не дравид), which he might well have been (которым он действительно мог бы быть), Best Beloved, but never mind why (Самые Любименькие, но неважно почему /так получилось/). He was a Primitive (он был первобытным), and he lived cavily in a Cave (и он жил пещерно в Пещере), and he wore very few clothes (и он носил очень мало одежды), and he couldn’t read and he couldn’t write and he didn’t want to (и он не умел читать, и он не умел писать, да он /и/ не хотел), and except when he was hungry he was quite happy (и он был очень счастлив, за исключением того времени, когда он был голодным). His name was Tegumai Bopsulai (его звали Тегумай Бопсулай), and that means (а это значит), ‘Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry (Человек, который не ставит ногу вперед впопыхах)’; but we, O Best Beloved (но мы, О Самые Любименькие), will call him Tegumai, for short (будем называть его кратко Тегумай). And his wife’s name was Teshumai Tewindrow (а его жену звали Тешумай Тевиндроу), and that means (а это значит), ‘Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions (Дама, которая задает очень много вопросов)’; but we, O Best Beloved (но мы, О Самые Любименькие), will call her Teshumai, for short (будем называть ее кратко Тешумай).

Neolithic ["nJq'lITIk], clothes [klquDz], forward ['fLwqd]

ONCE upon a most early time was a Neolithic man. He was not a Jute or an Angle, or even a Dravidian, which he might well have been, Best Beloved, but never mind why. He was a Primitive, and he lived cavily in a Cave, and he wore very few clothes, and he couldn’t read and he couldn’t write and he didn’t want to, and except when he was hungry he was quite happy. His name was Tegumai Bopsulai, and that means, ‘Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry’; but we, O Best Beloved, will call him Tegumai, for short. And his wife’s name was Teshumai Tewindrow, and that means, ‘Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions’; but we, O Best Beloved, will call her Teshumai, for short.

And his little girl-daughter’s name was Taffimai Metallumai (а его маленькую девочку-дочку звали Тэффимай Металлумай), and that means (а это значит), ‘Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked (Маленькая особа без хороших манер = Маленькая невоспитанная особа, которую следует отшлепать)’; but I’m going to call her Taffy (но я буду называть ее Тэффи). And she was Tegumai Bopsulai’s Best Beloved and her own Mummy’s Best Beloved (и она была Самой Любименькой Тегумая Бопсулая и Самой Любименькой ее собственной Мамочки[90]), and she was not spanked half as much as was good for her (и ее не секли и вполовину того, что было полезно для нее); and they were all three very happy (и они все втроем были очень счастливы). As soon as Taffy could run about (как только Тэффи научилась бегать;