Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса / Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Princess of Mars

An instant I hesitated, and then, releasing my grasp upon the supporting ornament, I swung out into space at the end of the strap. Far below me lay the brilliantly lighted streets, the hard pavements, and death. There was a little jerk at the top of the supporting eaves, and a nasty slipping, grating sound which turned me cold with apprehension; then the hook caught and I was safe.

Clambering quickly aloft (быстро вскарабкавшись наверх; aloft — ввысь, вверх) I grasped the edge of the eaves (я ухватился за край карниза) and drew myself to the surface of the roof above (и подтянулся на поверхность крыши вверху). As I gained my feet I was confronted by the sentry on duty (когда я встал на ноги, я оказался лицом к лицу с часовым на посту; to confront — стоять против; sentry — часовой, дежурный), into the muzzle of whose revolver I found myself looking (дуло револьвера которого было направлено на меня: «в дуло револьвера которого я обнаружил себя смотрящим»).

"Who are you and whence came you (кто ты и откуда пришел)?" he cried (крикнул он).

"I am an air scout, friend, and very near a dead one (я воздушный разведчик, друг, и почти что мертвый), for just by the merest chance I escaped falling to the avenue below (так как только по чистой случайности я избежал падения на улицу внизу; mere — простой; всего лишь)," I replied.

"But how came you upon the roof, man (но как ты попал на крышу, приятель)? No one has landed or come up from the building for the past hour (никто не приземлялся и не поднимался из здания за последний час). Quick, explain yourself, or I call the guard (быстро, объяснись, или я позову стражу)."

"Look you here, sentry (посмотри сюда, часовой), and you shall see how I came and how close a shave I had to not coming at all (и ты увидишь, как я пришел и насколько я был близок к тому, чтобы вообще не прийти; shave — бритье; close shave — опасное положение: «близкое /к коже/ бритье»; to have a close shave — быть на волосок от опасности)," I answered, turning toward the edge of the roof (поворачиваясь к краю крыши), where, twenty feet below, at the end of my strap, hung all my weapons (где, в двадцати футах внизу, на конце ремня, висело все мое оружие).

aloft [q'lOft], mere [mIq], confront [kqn'frAnt], edge [edZ]

Clambering quickly aloft I grasped the edge of the eaves and drew myself to the surface of the roof above. As I gained my feet I was confronted by the sentry on duty, into the muzzle of whose revolver I found myself looking.

"Who are you and whence came you?" he cried.

"I am an air scout, friend, and very near a dead one, for just by the merest chance I escaped falling to the avenue below," I replied.

"But how came you upon the roof, man? No one has landed or come up from the building for the past hour. Quick, explain yourself, or I call the guard."

"Look you here, sentry, and you shall see how I came and how close a shave I had to not coming at all," I answered, turning toward the edge of the roof, where, twenty feet below, at the end of my strap, hung all my weapons.