Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса

"When," asked one of the women, "will we enjoy the death throes of the red one? or does Lorquas Ptomel, Jed, intend holding her for ransom?"

"They have decided to carry her with us back to Thark, and exhibit her last agonies at the great games before Tal Hajus," replied Sarkoja.

"What will be the manner of her going out?" inquired Sola. "She is very small and very beautiful; I had hoped that they would hold her for ransom."

Sarkoja and the other women grunted angrily at this evidence of weakness on the part of Sola (Саркоджа и другие женщины сердито заворчали при этом проявлении слабости со стороны Солы).

"It is sad, Sola, that you were not born a million years ago (прискорбно, Сола, что ты не родилась миллион лет назад)," snapped Sarkoja (резко ответила Саркоджа; to snap — резко прерывать; разговаривать раздраженно), "when all the hollows of the land were filled with water (когда все полости земли были заполнены водой), and the peoples were as soft as the stuff they sailed upon (и люди были такими же мягкими, как и вещество, по которому они плавали; stuff — материал, вещество). In our day we have progressed to a point (в наши дни мы достигли такой точки) where such sentiments mark weakness and atavism (когда такие чувства означают слабость и отсталость: «атавизм»). It will not be well for you to permit Tars Tarkas to learn that you hold such degenerate sentiments (было бы худо для тебя, если бы ты дала Тарсу Таркасу возможность узнать, что ты сохраняешь такие дегенеративные чувства; to permit — позволять, давать возможность), as I doubt that he would care to entrust such as you with the grave responsibilities of maternity (так как я сомневаюсь, что он захочет возложить на такую, как ты, серьезные обязанности материнства; to care — заботиться; иметь желание, хотеть; to entrust — возлагать, поручать; respobsibility — ответственность; обязанность)."

degenerate [dI'dZenrIt], responsibility [rI" spOnsq'bIlItI], maternity [mq'tWnItI]

Sarkoja and the other women grunted angrily at this evidence of weakness on the part of Sola.

"It is sad, Sola, that you were not born a million years ago," snapped Sarkoja, "when all the hollows of the land were filled with water, and the peoples were as soft as the stuff they sailed upon. In our day we have progressed to a point where such sentiments mark weakness and atavism. It will not be well for you to permit Tars Tarkas to learn that you hold such degenerate sentiments, as I doubt that he would care to entrust such as you with the grave responsibilities of maternity."