He looked at it carefully (посмотрел пристально), then he said: No. This sheep is already (уже) very sickly (болезненный). Make me another (другой).

Текст адаптируетЮлия Федорчук sono_io@inbox.ru

Chapter 1

1. Once when I was six years old (когда-то, когда мне было шесть лет: досл. Я был шесть лет стар; «be – was, were – been» – быть) I saw a magnificent picture in a book (я видел замечательную картинку в книжке: «see – saw – seen» – видеть), called True Stories from Nature (называемой Правдивые Истории из Природы: «саll – called» – звать, называть, «from» – из), about the primeval forest (о древних лесах). It was a picture of a boa constrictor (это была картинка удава) in the act of swallowing an animal (глотающего животное: досл. в процессе глотания животного). Here is a copy of the drawing (это копия рисунка: досл. здесь есть копия; «here» – здесь).

1. Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.

2. In the book it said (в книге говорилось: досл. это сказано; «say – said» – говорить): "Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it (удавы глотают свою добычу целиком, не пережевывая: досл. без жевания её). After that they are not able to move (после этого они не в состоянии двигаться), and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion (и они спят в течение 6 месяцев, в которых они нуждаются для переваривания пищи: «through» – сквозь, «need» – нуждаться, сравни «to be in need of» – нуждаться в чем-то)." I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle (я задумался глубоко тогда над приключениями в джунглях: «ponder» – обдумывать). And after some work with a colored pencil (и поработав цветным каранлашем: досл. и после некоторой работы с цветным карандашем) I succeeded in making my first drawing (я нарисовал мой первый рисунок: досл. я преуспел в изготовлении; «make» – делать, «draw – drew – drawn» – рисовать, «drawing» – рисунок). My Drawing Number One (Номер Один). It looked like this (он выглядел так: досл. он выглядел, как это):

2. In the book it said: "Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion." I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. It looked like this:

3. I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups (я показал свое творение взрослым: «show – showed» – показывать), and asked them whether the drawing frightened them (и спросил у них, не пугает ли рисунок их). But they answered (ответили): "Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat? (пугает? почему шляпа должна пугать: досл. почему должен кто-то один быть напуганным шляпой)". My drawing was not a picture of a hat (мой рисунок не был изображением шляпы). It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant (слон). But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it (но поскольку взрослые не были способны это понять: «since» – с тех пор), I made another drawing (я сделал другой рисунок): I drew the inside of the boa constrictor (удава изнутри: «inside» – то, что внутри), so that the grown-ups could see it clearly (так, чтобы взрослые могли видеть это ясно). They always need to have things explained (им всегда нужно объяснять: досл. они всегда нуждаются в том, чтобы вещи были объяснены; «explain – explained» – объяснять). My Drawing Number Two looked like this:

3. I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them. But they answered: "Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat?"
My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this:

4. The grown-ups' response, this time (ответом взрослых на этот раз: досл. это время), was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors (был совет оставить мое рисование удавов: досл. было посоветовать мне отложить в сторону мое рисование удавов), whether from the inside or the outside (снаружи), and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar (и посвятить себя вместо этого географии, истории, арифметике и грамматике). That is why (вот почему), at the age of six (в возрасте 6 лет), I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter (я отказался от того, что могло бы быть замечательной карьерой художника: «give – gave – given» – давать, «give up» – отказываться). I had been disheartened by the failure (я огорчился провалом) of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves (сами), and it is tiresome for children (это (есть) утомительно для детей) to be always and forever explaining things to them (всегда и постоянно объяснять вещи для них: «always» – всегда, «forever» – навсегда).

4. The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar. That is why, at the age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

5. So then (поэтому) I chose another profession (я выбрал другую профессию: «choose – chose – chosen» – выбирать), and learned to pilot airplanes (и научился управлять самолётом: «learn – learned» – учиться). I have flown a little over all parts of the world (я летал понемногу над всеми частями мира: «a little» – немножко; «fly – flew – flown» – летать); and it is true (правда) that geography has been very useful to me (была очень полезна для меня: «useful» – полный полезности). At a glance (едва взглянув: «glance» – мимолётный взгляд) I can distinguish China from Arizona (я мог отличить Китай от Аризоны). If one gets lost in the night (если потеряешься ночью: досл. если один (кто-то) получит потерю ночью), such knowledge is valuable (такое знание очень ценно).

In the course of this life (в течение моей жизни: «course» – направление, ход, курс) I have had a great many encounters with a great many people (я имел очень много встреч с очень многими людьми) who have been concerned with matters of consequence (которые заботились о последствиях). I have lived a great deal among grown-ups (я необычайно долго жил среди взрослых: «a great deal» – необычайно много). I have seen them intimately, close at hand (я видел их вблизи (близко), рядом под рукой). And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them (и это не улучшило моё мнение о них).

Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted (когда бы я не встречал одного из них, который казался мне в общем здравомыслящим: «at all» – в общем, «clear-sighted» – «чистовидящий»), I tried the experiment (я пробовал эксперимент) of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept (который всегда при мне: досл. который я всегда держал). I would try to find out (я пытался выяснить: «to find out» – выяснить), so, if this was a person of true understanding (была ли эта личность действительно понимающая: досл. личность правильного понимания). But, whoever it was (но кто бы это ни был), he, or she, would always say (он или она всегда говорили): "That is a hat (это шляпа)." Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars (после этого я никогда не говорил с этим человеком об удавах, древних лесах, или звёздах). I would bring myself down to his level (я опускался до их уровня: досл. приносил себя вниз к их уровню). I would talk to him about bridge (бридж), and golf (гольф), and politics (политику), and neckties (галстуки). And the grown-up would be greatly pleased (очень довольны) to have met such a sensible man (что встретили такого понимающего человека: «meet – met» – встретить, «sensible» – чувствительный).

5. So then I chose another profession, and learned to pilot airplanes. I have flown a little over all parts of the world; and it is true that geography has been very useful to me. At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona. If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable.

In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence. I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately, close at hand. And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them.

Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted, I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept. I would try to find out, so, if this was a person of true understanding. But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say: "That is a hat." Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. I would bring myself down to his level. I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties. And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man.

Chapter 2

1. So I lived my life alone (так я и жил мою жизнь один: «live – lived» – жить), without anyone that I could really talk to (без кого-то, с кем я действительно мог поговорить: «can – could» – мочь, «talked to» – говорить с кем-то), until I had an accident with my plane in the Desert of Sahara, six years ago (пока не потерпел крушение в Сахаре, шесть лет назад: досл. пока не имел аварию с моим самолётом в Пустыне Сахара). Something was broken in my engine (что-то поломалось в моём двигателе: «brake – broke – broken» – биться, ломаться, «some + thing» – какая-то вещь = что-то). And as (поскольку) I had with me neither a mechanic nor any passengers (ни механика, ни пассажиров: «neither… nor» – ни… ни), I set myself to attempt the difficult repairs all alone (я взялся за ремонт сам: досл. я взял себя попытаться (устранить) тяжёлый ремонт весь (совсем) один; «set to» – взяться (за работу)). It was a question of life or death (вопрос жизни и смерти) for me: I had scarcely enough drinking water to last a week (я имел едва ли достаточно питьевой воды до конца недели).
The first night, then, I went to sleep on the sand (первую ночь, тогда, я пошёл спать на песке), a thousand miles from any human habitation (за тысячу миль от какого-либо человеческого поселения: «to habituate» – обитать). I was more isolated (я был более изолирован) than a shipwrecked sailor on a raft in the middle of the ocean (чем потерпевший крушение моряк на плоту посреди океана: «shipwrecked» = «ship»+«wrecked»= «корабль»+ «повреждённый», «raft» – плот). Thus (поэтому) you can imagine (представить) my amazement (изумление), at sunrise (на заре: «sunrise»= «sun»+ «rise» = «солнце»+ «вставать, подниматься»), when I was awakened by an odd little voice (когда я был разбужен странным голоском: «little voice» – маленький голос). It said (сказал):
"If you please - draw me a sheep! (будь так добр – нарисуй мне ягнёнка)"
"What! (Что?)"
"Draw me a sheep!"
I jumped to my feet (я вскочил: досл. прыгнул на мои ноги), completely thunderstruck (совершенно ошарашенный: «thunderstruck» = «thunder»+ «struck» – «молния» + «удар»). I blinked my eyes hard (усиленно замигал: досл. я мигал моими глазами тяжело). I looked carefully all around me (тщательно огляделся: досл. смотрел кругом меня). And I saw a most extraordinary small person (и я увидел чрезвычайно необычного человечка: досл. маленькую персону), who stood there examining me (стоял изучая меня) with great seriousness (серьёзностью). Here you may see (вы можете видеть) the best portrait that, later, I was able to make of him (который я позже смог нарисовать с него). But my drawing is certainly (конечно) very much less charming (намного меньше элегантный) than its model.

1. So I lived my life alone, without anyone that I could really talk to, until I had an accident with my plane in the Desert of Sahara, six years ago. Something was broken in my engine. And as I had with me neither a mechanic nor any passengers, I set myself to attempt the difficult repairs all alone. It was a question of life or death for me: I had scarcely enough drinking water to last a week.
The first night, then, I went to sleep on the sand, a thousand miles from any human habitation. I was more isolated than a shipwrecked sailor on a raft in the middle of the ocean. Thus you can imagine my amazement, at sunrise, when I was awakened by an odd little voice. It said:
"If you please - draw me a sheep!"
"What!"
"Draw me a sheep!"
I jumped to my feet, completely thunderstruck. I blinked my eyes hard. I looked carefully all around me. And I saw a most extraordinary small person, who stood there examining me with great seriousness. Here you may see the best portrait that, later, I was able to make of him. But my drawing is certainly very much less charming than its model.

2. That, however, is not my fault (это, все же, не моя вина). The grown-ups discouraged (здесь: разуверили) me in my painter's career (карьере художника) when I was six years old, and I never learned to draw anything (и никогда не учился рисовать что-либо), except (кроме) boas from the outside and boas from the inside.
Now I stared (пристально смотрел) at this sudden apparition (внезапное видение) with my eyes fairly starting out of my head in astonishment (с глазами на выкате от удивления: досл. с глазами прямо начинающими из моей головы). Remember (помните), I had crashed in the desert a thousand miles from any inhabited region (я разбился в пустыне, за тысячи миль от какого-либо заселённого региона). And yet (и все же) my little man seemed (казался) neither to be straying uncertainly among the sands (ни блуждающим неуверенно среди песков), nor to be fainting from fatigue or hunger or thirst or fear (ни теряющим сознание от усталости или голода или жажды или страха). Nothing about him (ничто в нём: досл. о нём) gave any suggestion (давало какие-либо подозрения) of a child lost (ребёнок потерялся) in the middle of the desert, a thousand miles from any human habitation. When at last (когда наконец-то) I was able to speak (говорить), I said to him (ему):
"But – what are you doing here? (но – что ты здесь делаешь)"
And in answer he repeated (в ответ он повторил: «repeat – repeated» – повторять), very slowly (медленно), as if he were speaking of a matter of great consequence (так как если бы он говорил о деле большой важности):
"If you please – draw me a sheep..."
When a mystery (загадка, тайна) is too overpowering (пересиливающая, подавляющая), one dare not disobey (никто не посмеет не подчиниться: досл. один (кто-то) не посмеет). Absurd as it might seem to me (глупо, как это могло мне казаться), a thousand miles from any human habitation and in danger of death (в опасности смерти), I took out (вынул) of my pocket (карман) a sheet of paper (лист бумаги) and my fountain-pen (авторучку). But then I remembered how my studies had been concentrated (как мои занятия были сосредоточены) on geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar, and I told the little chap (пареньку: досл. маленькому парню, «chap» – трещина, но разг. «парень») (a little crossly (сердитый), too) that I did not know how to draw (как рисовать). He answered me: "That doesn't matter (это неважно). Draw me a sheep..."
But I had never (никогда) drawn a sheep. So I drew for him one of the two pictures (одну из двух) I had drawn so often (так часто). It was that (это была та) of the boa constrictor from the outside. And I was astounded (поражён) to hear the little fellow (парень) greet it with (приветствовал её с),
"No, no, no! I do not want (я не хочу) an elephant inside a boa constrictor. A boa constrictor is a very dangerous creature (очень опасное создание), and an elephant is very cumbersome (громоздкий). Where I live (где я живу), everything (все: «everything» = «every» + «thing»= «все»+ «вещь») is very small. What I need is a sheep (что мне нужно, так это ягнёнок: досл. что мне нужно есть ягнёнок). Draw me a sheep."

So then I made a drawing (и вот я нарисовал: досл. сделал рисунок).

2. That, however, is not my fault. The grown-ups discouraged me in my painter's career when I was six years old, and I never learned to draw anything, except boas from the outside and boas from the inside.
Now I stared at this sudden apparition with my eyes fairly starting out of my head in astonishment. Remember, I had crashed in the desert a thousand miles from any inhabited region. And yet my little man seemed neither to be straying uncertainly among the sands, nor to be fainting from fatigue or hunger or thirst or fear. Nothing about him gave any suggestion of a child lost in the middle of the desert, a thousand miles from any human habitation. When at last I was able to speak, I said to him:
"But - what are you doing here?"
And in answer he repeated, very slowly, as if he were speaking of a matter of great consequence:
"If you please -- draw me a sheep..."
When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey. Absurd as it might seem to me, a thousand miles from any human habitation and in danger of death, I took out of my pocket a sheet of paper and my fountain-pen. But then I remembered how my studies had been concentrated on geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar, and I told the little chap (a little crossly, too) that I did not know how to draw. He answered me: "That doesn't matter. Draw me a sheep..."
But I had never drawn a sheep. So I drew for him one of the two pictures I had drawn so often. It was that of the boa constrictor from the outside. And I was astounded to hear the little fellow greet it with,
"No, no, no! I do not want an elephant inside a boa constrictor. A boa constrictor is a very dangerous creature, and an elephant is very cumbersome. Where I live, everything is very small. What I need is a sheep. Draw me a sheep."

So then I made a drawing.

3. He looked at it carefully (посмотрел пристально), then he said: "No. This sheep is already (уже) very sickly (болезненный). Make me another (другой)."

12 3 Следующая ⇒