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

'Ho, swine, slaves, pensioners of his grace's princely father, where be your manners? Down on your marrow bones, all of ye, and do reverence to his kingly port and royal rags!'

With boisterous mirth they dropped upon their knees in a body and did mock homage to their prey. The prince spurned the nearest boy with his foot, and said fiercely:

'Take thou that, till the morrow come and I build thee a gibbet!'

Ah, but this was not a joke — this was going beyond fun. The laughter ceased on the instant and fury took its place. A dozen shouted:

'Hale him forth! To the horse-pond, to the horse-pond! Where be the dogs? Ho, there, Lion! ho, Fangs!'

Then followed such a thing as England had never seen before — the sacred person of the heir to the throne rudely buffeted by plebeian hands, and set upon and torn by dogs.

As night drew to a close that day, the prince found himself far down in the close-built portion of the city. His body was bruised, his hands were bleeding, and his rags were all besmirched with mud. He wandered on and on, and grew more and more bewildered, and so tired and faint he could hardly drag one foot after the other. He had ceased to ask questions of any one, since they brought him only insult instead of information. He kept muttering to himself, 'Offal Court — that is the name; if I can but find it before my strength is wholly spent and I drop, then am I saved — for his people will take me to the palace and prove that I am none of theirs, but the true prince, and I shall have mine own again.' And now and then his mind reverted to his treatment by those rude Christ's Hospital boys, and he said, 'When I am king, they shall not have bread and shelter only, but also teachings out of books; for a full belly is little worth where the mind is starved, and the heart. I will keep this diligently in my remembrance, that this day's lesson be not lost upon me, and my people suffer thereby; for learning softeneth the heart and breedeth gentleness and charity.'

The lights began to twinkle (огни начали мигать; to begin — начинать), it came on to rain (полил дождь; to come — приходить), the wind rose (ветер поднялся; to rise — подниматься), and a raw and gusty night set in (и промозглая и ветреная ночь наступила; to set in — начинаться, наступать; gust — порыв ветра). The houseless prince (лишенный крова принц), the homeless heir to the throne of England (бездомный наследник престола Англии), still moved on (все еще двигался дальше), drifting deeper into the maze of squalid alleys (забредая глубже в лабиринт убогих переулков) where the swarming hives (где кишащие ульи) of poverty and misery (бедности и горя) were massed together (были собраны вместе).

Suddenly a great drunken ruffian (вдруг большой пьяный хулиган/негодяй) collared him (схватил его за воротник; collar — воротник) and said (и сказал):