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

As I sped through the air the screeching of the bullets around me convinced me that only by a miracle could I escape, but the die was cast, and throwing on full speed I raced a straight course toward Helium. Gradually I left my pursuers further and further behind, and I was just congratulating myself on my lucky escape, when a well-directed shot from the cruiser exploded at the prow of my little craft. The concussion nearly capsized her, and with a sickening plunge she hurtled downward through the dark night.

How far I fell before I regained control of the plane (насколько низко я упал, прежде чем вновь обрел контроль над самолетом) I do not know, but I must have been very close to the ground (я не знаю, но я, должно быть, находился очень близко от земли) when I started to rise again (когда я начал подниматься снова), as I plainly heard the squealing of animals below me (так как я ясно слышал визг животных подо мной). Rising again I scanned the heavens for my pursuers (поднявшись вновь, я осмотрел небеса /в поисках/ своих преследователей), and finally making out their lights far behind me (и, наконец, разглядев их огни далеко позади себя; to make out — разобрать, увидеть), saw that they were landing, evidently in search of me (увидел, что они приземляются, очевидно, разыскивая меня).

plainly ['pleInlI], scan [skxn], landing ['lxndIN]

How far I fell before I regained control of the plane I do not know, but I must have been very close to the ground when I started to rise again, as I plainly heard the squealing of animals below me. Rising again I scanned the heavens for my pursuers, and finally making out their lights far behind me, saw that they were landing, evidently in search of me.

Not until their lights were no longer discernible (и только после того, как их огни были более неразличимы) did I venture to flash my little lamp upon my compass (я отважился осветить маленькой лампой свой компас), and then I found to my consternation (и тогда я обнаружил к своему ужасу; consternation — ужас; испуг; оцепенение /от страха/) that a fragment of the projectile had utterly destroyed my only guide (что осколок снаряда полностью уничтожил мой единственный указатель), as well as my speedometer (а также мой спидометр). It was true I could follow the stars in the general direction of Helium (правда, я мог следовать по звездам в общем направлении к Гелиуму), but without knowing the exact location of the city (но, не зная точного расположения города) or the speed at which I was traveling (или скорости, с которой я путешествовал) my chances for finding it were slim (мои шансы найти его были ничтожны; slim — стройный, тонкий, худой /обыкн. о людях, животных/; /разг./ слабый, скудный, небольшой, незначительный).

discernible [dI'sWnqbl], consternation ["kOnstq'neIS(q)n], speedometer [spI'dOmItq]

Not until their lights were no longer discernible did I venture to flash my little lamp upon my compass, and then I found to my consternation that a fragment of the projectile had utterly destroyed my only guide, as well as my speedometer. It was true I could follow the stars in the general direction of Helium, but without knowing the exact location of the city or the speed at which I was traveling my chances for finding it were slim.