Английский язык с Э. Р. Берроузом. Принцесса Марса

This was my first experience with a Martian watch dog, but it was destined not to be my last, for this fellow guarded me carefully during the time I remained a captive among these green men, twice saving my life, and never voluntarily being away from me a moment.

While Sola was away (пока Сола отсутствовала) I took occasion to examine more minutely the room (я воспользовался возможностью более детально осмотреть комнату; occasion — случай; возможность; to take occasion — воспользоваться благоприятным случаем; minutely — подробно, скрупулезно) in which I found myself captive (в которой я оказался пленником). The mural painting depicted scenes of rare and wonderful beauty (настенная живопись изображала сцены редкостной и невероятной красоты): mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, meadows, trees and flowers (горы, реки, озера, океаны, луга, деревья и цветы), winding roadways, sun-kissed gardens (вьющиеся дороги, обласканные солнцем сады; to kiss — целовать; ласкать) — scenes which might have portrayed earthly views (сцены, которые могли бы изображать земные виды) but for the different colorings of the vegetation (если бы не иная окраска растительности). The work had evidently been wrought by a master hand (работа, очевидно, была проделана рукой мастера), so subtle the atmosphere (настолько прозрачна была атмосфера; subtle — тонкий, нежный; трудноуловимый), so perfect the technique (настолько совершенна техника); yet nowhere was there a representation of a living animal (однако нигде не было изображения живого существа; representation — изображение), either human or brute (человека ли, животного ли), by which I could guess at the likeness of these other and perhaps extinct denizens of Mars (по которому я мог бы догадаться о внешнем виде этих других и возможно, вымерших обитателей Марса; likeness — сходство; вид, образ).

vegetation ["vedZI'teISn], representation ["reprIzen'teIS(q)n], guess [ges]

While Sola was away I took occasion to examine more minutely the room in which I found myself captive. The mural painting depicted scenes of rare and wonderful beauty^ mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, meadows, trees and flowers, winding roadways, sun-kissed gardens — scenes which might have portrayed earthly views but for the different colorings of the vegetation. The work had evidently been wrought by a master hand, so subtle the atmosphere, so perfect the technique; yet nowhere was there a representation of a living animal, either human or brute, by which I could guess at the likeness of these other and perhaps extinct denizens of Mars.