Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса

They were not their families, nor their wives, nor their servants; the relationship was peculiar, and so unlike anything known to us that it is most difficult to describe. All property among the green Martians is owned in common by the community, except the personal weapons, ornaments and sleeping silks and furs of the individuals. These alone can one claim undisputed right to, nor may he accumulate more of these than are required for his actual needs. The surplus he holds merely as custodian, and it is passed on to the younger members of the community as necessity demands.

The women and children of a man's retinue may be likened to a military unit (женщин и детей из свиты мужчины можно сравнить с воинским подразделением) for which he is responsible in various ways (за которое он несет ответственность в различных отношениях), as in matters of instruction, discipline, sustenance (как в вопросах обучения, дисциплины, пропитания; sustenance — средства к существованию; пища), and the exigencies of their continual roamings (так и в критические моменты их постоянных скитаний; exigency — нужды, запросы; критическое положение) and their unending strife with other communities and with the red Martians (и в их бесконечных конфликтах с другими общинами и с красными Марсианами; strife — борьба, спор). His women are in no sense wives (его женщины не являются его женами ни в каком смысле). The green Martians use no word corresponding in meaning with this earthly word (у зеленых марсиан нет слова: «зеленые марсиане не используют слово», которое по смыслу соответствовало бы этому земному слову). Their mating is a matter of community interest solely (их спаривание — это вопрос исключительно общественного интереса), and is directed without reference to natural selection (и оно свершается независимо от естественного выбора; reference — ссылка; соотношение, связь; with out reference to — безотносительно, независимо). The council of chieftains of each community controls the matter (совет вождей каждой общины руководит этим процессом) as surely as the owner of a Kentucky racing stud (так же уверенно, как владелец конюшни скаковых лошадей в Кентукки; stud — конный завод; племенная ферма; племенной жеребец, жеребец-производитель) directs the scientific breeding of his stock for the improvement of the whole (руководит научной селекцией своего табуна для улучшения всего /поголовья/; stock — скот, поголовье скота).

sustenance ['sAstqnqns], exigency ['eksIdZqnsI], corresponding ["kOrIs'pOndIN]

The women and children of a man's retinue may be likened to a military unit for which he is responsible in various ways, as in matters of instruction, discipline, sustenance, and the exigencies of their continual roamings and their unending strife with other communities and with the red Martians. His women are in no sense wives. The green Martians use no word corresponding in meaning with this earthly word. Their mating is a matter of community interest solely, and is directed without reference to natural selection. The council of chieftains of each community controls the matter as surely as the owner of a Kentucky racing stud directs the scientific breeding of his stock for the improvement of the whole.