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

Then followed a confusion of kicks, cuffs, tramplings and plungings (затем последовала мешанина из пинков, ударов, топанья ногами и возни), accompanied by a thunderous intermingling of volleyed curses (сопровождавшихся громоподобной мешаниной испускаемых ругательств; thunder — гром; to mingle — смешивать(ся)), and finally a bitter apostrophe to the mule (и, наконец, горькое обращение = упрек к мулу), which must have broken its spirit (которое должно было сломить его дух = которое, наверное, сломило его дух; to break — ломать), for hostilities seemed to cease from that moment (так как военные действия, кажется, прекратились с этого момента; to seem — казаться; to cease — прекратить(ся); hostility — враждебность; hostilities — военные действия).

effort [`efət], usury [`ju:Z(ə)rı], apostrophe [ə`pOstrəfı]

All this while the king had been yonder, alternately quaking with terror and trembling with hope; and all the while, too, he had thrown all the strength he could into his anguished moanings, constantly expecting them to reach Hendon's ear, but always realizing, with bitterness, that they failed, or at least made no impression. So this last remark of his servant came as comes a reviving breath from fresh fields to the dying; and he exerted himself once more, and with all his energy, just as the hermit was saying:

'Noise? I heard only the wind.'

'Mayhap it was. Yes, doubtless that was it. I have been hearing it faintly all the — there it is again! It is not the wind! What an odd sound! Come, we will hunt it out!'

Now, the king's joy was nearly insupportable. His tired lungs did their utmost — and hopefully, too — but the sealed jaws and the muffling sheepskin sadly crippled the effort. Then the poor fellow's heart sank, to hear the hermit say:

'Ah, it came from without — I think from the copse yonder. Come, I will lead the way.'

The king heard the two pass out talking; heard their footsteps die quickly away — then he was alone with a boding, brooding, awful silence.

It seemed an age till he heard the steps and voices approaching again — and this time he heard an added sound — the trampling of hoofs, apparently. Then he heard Hendon say:

'I will not wait longer. I cannot wait longer. He has lost his way in this thick wood. Which direction took he? Quick — point it out to me.'

'He — but wait; I will go with thee.'

'Good — good! Why, truly thou art better than thy looks. Marry, I do think there's not another archangel with so right a heart as thine. Wilt ride? Wilt take the wee donkey that's for my boy, or wilt thou fork thy holy legs over this ill-conditioned slave of a mule that I have provided for myself? — and had been cheated in, too, had he cost but the indifferent sum of a month's usury on a brass farthing let to a tinker out of work.'

'No — ride thy mule, and lead thine ass; I am surer on mine own feet, and will walk.'