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

It was his purpose, in the beginning, to stay where he was, the rest of the day; but a chill soon invaded his perspiring body, and he was at last obliged to resume movement in order to get warm. He struck straight through the forest, hoping to pierce to a road presently, but he was disappointed in this. He traveled on and on; but the farther he went, the denser the wood became, apparently. The gloom began to thicken, by and by, and the king realized that the night was coming on. It made him shudder to think of spending it in such an uncanny place; so he tried to hurry faster, but he only made the less speed, for he could not now see well enough to choose his steps judiciously; consequently he kept tripping over roots and tangling himself in vines and briers.

And how glad he was when at last he caught the glimmer of a light! He approached it warily, stopping often to look about him and listen. It came from an unglazed window-opening in a little hut. He heard a voice now, and felt a disposition to run and hide; but he changed his mind at once, for his voice was praying, evidently. He glided to the one window of the hut, raised himself on tiptoe, and stole a glance within. The room was small; its floor was the natural earth, beaten hard by use; in a corner was a bed of rushes and a ragged blanket or two; near it was a pail, a cup, a basin, and two or three pots and pans; there was a short bench and a three-legged stool; on the hearth the remains of a fagot fire were smoldering; before a shrine, which was lighted by a single candle, knelt an aged man, and on an old wooden box at his side lay an open book and a human skull. The man was of large, bony frame; his hair and whiskers were very long and snowy white; he was clothed in a robe of sheepskins which reached from his neck to his heels.

'A holy hermit (святой отшельник)!' said the king to himself (сказал король себе); 'now am I indeed fortunate (теперь я действительно удачлив = мне повезло).'

The hermit rose from his knees (отшельник поднялся с колен; to rise — вставать); the king knocked (король постучал). A deep voice responded (низкий голос ответил):

'Enter (войдите)! — but leave sin behind (но оставьте грех позади = снаружи), for the ground whereon thou shalt stand is holy (ибо земля, на которой ты будешь стоять, священна)!'

The king entered, and paused (король вошел и остановился). The hermit turned a pair of gleaming, unrestful eyes upon him (отшельник повернул пару блестящих беспокойных глаз), and said (и сказал):

'Who art thou (кто ты)?'

'I am the king (я король),' came the answer (пришел = был ответ), with placid simplicity (со спокойной простотой).