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

It was not at all cold; so he stretched himself on the ground in the lee of a hedge to rest and think. Drowsiness presently began to settle upon his senses; the faint and far-off boom of cannon was wafted to his ear, and he said to himself, 'The new king is crowned,' and straightway fell asleep. He had not slept or rested, before, for more than thirty hours. He did not wake again until near the middle of the next morning.

He got up, lame, stiff, and half famished, washed himself in the river, stayed his stomach with a pint or two of water, and trudged off toward Westminster grumbling at himself for having wasted so much time. Hunger helped him to a new plan now; he would try to get speech with old Sir Humphrey Marlow and borrow a few marks, and — but that was enough of a plan for the present; it would be time enough to enlarge it when this first stage should be accomplished.

Toward eleven o'clock he approached the palace; and although a host of showy people were about him, moving in the same direction, he was not inconspicuous — his costume took care of that. He watched these people's faces narrowly, hoping to find a charitable one whose possessor might be willing to carry his name to the old lieutenant — as to trying to get into the palace himself, that was simply out of the question.

Presently our whipping-boy passed him, then wheeled about and scanned his figure well, saying to himself, 'An that is not the very vagabond his majesty is in such a worry about, then am I an ass — though belike I was that before. He answereth the description to a rag — that God should make two such, would be to cheapen miracles, by wasteful repetition. I would I could contrive an excuse to speak with him.'

Miles Hendon saved him the trouble (Майлс Хендон сэкономил ему заботы = усилия); for he turned about, then (ибо он обернулся тогда), as a man generally will (как любой человек обычно будет = сделает) when somebody mesmerizes him (когда кто-нибудь гипнотизирует его) by gazing hard at him from behind (глазея пристально на него сзади); and observing a strong interest in the boy's eyes (и, видя сильный интерес в глазах мальчика), he stepped toward him and said (он шагнул к нему и сказал):

'You have just come out from the palace (вы только что вышли из дворца); do you belong there (ты оттуда: «принадлежишь к там»)?'

'Yes, your worship (да, ваша милость).'

'Know you Sir Humphrey Marlow (знаешь ли ты сэра Хамфри Марло)?'

The boy started, and said to himself (мальчик вздрогнул и сказал себе), 'Lord (Господи)! mine old departed father (мой старый почивший отец)!' Then he answered, aloud (затем он ответил вслух), 'Right well, your worship (очень хорошо, ваша милость).'

'Good (хорошо) — is he within (он внутри)?'

'Yes (да),' said the boy; and added, to himself (сказал мальчик и добавил, про себя: «к себе»), 'within his grave (внутри своей могилы).'

Might I crave your favor (могу ли я просить о вашей любезности) to carry my name to him (донести мое имя ему), and say I beg (и сказать, что я молю) to say a word in his ear (сказать слово ему на ухо)?'

'I will despatch the business (я разберусь с этим делом) right willingly (весьма охотно), fair sir (любезный сэр).'