"I came along the road, behind their main force, and I know none followed me from the fort. I sneaked through their lines and got into the town. You brought the settlers through all right, but their women and children got into Velitrium just ahead of those painted devils. If the youth Balthus and old Slasher hadn't held them up awhile, they'd have butchered every woman and child in Conajohara. I passed the place where Balthus and the dog made their last stand. They were lying amid a heap of dead Picts — I counted seven, brained by his ax, or disemboweled by the dog's fangs, and there were others in the road with arrows sticking in them. Gods, what a fight that must have been!"
"He was a man," said Conan (он был /настоящий/ мужчина, — сказал Конан). "I drink to his shade, and to the shade of the dog, who knew no fear (я пью за его духа и за духа пса, которые не ведали страха)." He quaffed part of the wine, then emptied the rest upon the floor, with a curious heathen gesture, and smashed the goblet (он выпил большим глотком часть вина, затем вылил остальное на пол с необычным языческим жестом и разбил вдребезги кубок). "The heads of ten Picts shall pay for his, and seven heads for the dog, who was a better warrior than many a man (головы десяти пиктов заплатят за его /голову/, и семь голов за пса, который был лучшим воином, чем многие мужчины)."
heathen [hi: dn], gesture ['es], goblet ['blt]
"He was a man," said Conan. "I drink to his shade, and to the shade of the dog, who knew no fear." He quaffed part of the wine, then emptied the rest upon the floor, with a curious heathen gesture, and smashed the goblet. "The heads of ten Picts shall pay for his, and seven heads for the dog, who was a better warrior than many a man."
And the forester, staring into the moody, smoldering blue eyes, knew the barbaric oath would be kept (а лесник, пристально глядя в унылые, тлеющие синие глаза, знал, /что/ варварская клятва будет исполнена).
"They'll not rebuild the fort (/они/ не будут восстанавливать форт =
"No; Conajohara is lost to Aquilonia (нет, Конаджохара потеряна для Аквилонии). The frontier has been pushed back (граница отодвинулась назад). Thunder River will be the new border (Громовая река будет новым рубежом)."
forester ['frst], rebuild [ri: 'bld], new [nju:]
And the forester, staring into the moody, smoldering blue eyes, knew the barbaric oath would be kept.
"They'll not rebuild the fort?"
"No; Conajohara is lost to Aquilonia. The frontier has been pushed back. Thunder River will be the new border."
The woodsman sighed and stared at his calloused hand, worn from contact with ax-
потертую от контакта с ручкой топора и рукояткой меча). Conan reached his long arm for the wine-jug (Конан потянулся своей длинной рукой за кувшином с вином). The forester stared at him, comparing him with the men about them (лесной житель разглядывал его, сравнивая его с людьми, которые были вокруг них), the men who had died along the lost river (с людьми, которые умерли вдоль утраченной реки;
callous ['kaels], worn [w: n], compare [km'p]
The woodsman sighed and stared at his calloused hand, worn from contact with ax- haft and sword-hilt. Conan reached his long arm for the wine-jug. The forester stared at him, comparing him with the men about them, the men who had died along the lost river, comparing him with those other wild men over that river. Conan did not seem aware of his gaze.
"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," the borderer said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian (варварство /есть/ — естественное состояние человечества, — сказал пограничник, все еще хмуро уставясь на киммерийца). "Civilization is unnatural (цивилизация неестественна =
natural ['naerl], mankind [maen'kand], circumstance ['s: kmstns]
"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," the borderer said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian. "Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph."
Shadows in Zamboula
(Тени в Замбуле)
1. A Drum Begins
(Барабан начинает /бить/)
"Peril hides in the house of Aram Baksh (опасность таится в доме Арама Бакша)!"