Английский язык с Марком Твеном. Принц и нищий / Mark Twain. The Prince and the Pauper

The weighty business of dressing began (тяжелое дело одевания началось; weight — вес), and one courtier after another knelt (и один придворный за другим опускался на колени) and paid his court (и оказывал свою услугу) and offered to the little king his condolences (и приносил маленькому королю свои соболезнования) upon his heavy loss (в связи с его тяжелой потерей), while the dressing proceeded (в то время как одевание продолжалось). In the beginning (в начале), a shirt was taken up by the Chief Equerry in Waiting (рубашка была взята обер-шталмейстером), who passed it to the First Lord of the Buckhounds (который передал ее первому лорду егермейстеру), who passed it to the Second Gentleman of the Bedchamber (который передал ее второму лорду опочивальни), who passed it to the Head Ranger of Windsor Forest (который передал ее главному лесничему Виндзорского леса), who passed it to the Third Groom of the Stole (который передал ее третьему обер-камергеру), who passed it to the Chancellor Royal of the Duchy of Lancaster (который передал ее королевскому канцлеру герцогства Ланкастерского), who passed it to the Master of the Wardrobe (который передал ее хранителю королевской одежды), who passed it to Norroy King-at-Arms (который передал ее герольдмейстеру Норройскому), who passed it to the Constable of the Tower (который передал ее коменданту Тауэра), who passed it to the Chief Steward of the Household (который передал ее лорду заведующему дворцовым хозяйством), who passed it to the Hereditary Grand Diaperer (который передал ее главному наследственному подвязывателю королевской салфетки), who passed it to the Lord High Admiral of England (который передал ее первому лорду адмиралтейства), who passed it to the Archbishop of Canterbury (который передал ее архиепископу Кентерберийскому), who passed it to the First Lord of the Bedchamber (который передал ее первому лорду опочивальни), who took what was left of it (который взял, что осталось от нее) and put it on Tom (и надел это на Тома; to put on — надевать). Poor little wondering chap (бедный маленький удивленный мальчик), it reminded him of passing buckets at a fire (это напомнило ему передачу (из рук в руки) ведер при пожаре).

savage [`sævıG], clothed [klquðd], weighty [`weıtı]

Then the dwarf vanished, and Tom flew to Offal Court with his prize, saying to himself, 'Every night will I give my father a penny; he will think I begged it, it will glad his heart, and I shall no more be beaten. One penny every week the good priest that teacheth me shall have; mother, Nan, and Bet the other four. We be done with hunger and rags now, done with fears and frets and savage usage.'

In his dream he reached his sordid home all out of breath, but with eyes dancing with grateful enthusiasm; cast four of his pennies into his mother's lap and cried out:

'They are for thee! — all of them, every one! — for thee and Nan and Bet — and honestly come by, not begged nor stolen!'

The happy and astonished mother strained him to her breast and exclaimed:

'It waxeth late — may it please your majesty to rise?'

Ah, that was not the answer he was expecting. The dream had snapped asunder — he was awake.

He opened his eyes — the richly clad First Lord of the Bedchamber was kneeling by his couch. The gladness of the lying dream faded away — the poor boy recognized that he was still a captive and a king. The room was filled with courtiers clothed in purple mantles — the mourning color — and with noble servants of the monarch. Tom sat up in bed and gazed out from the heavy silken curtains upon this fine company.