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

The poor mother's interruptions having ceased, and the prince's pains having gradually lost their power to disturb him, utter weariness at last sealed his eyes in a profound and restful sleep. Hour after hour slipped away, and still he slept like the dead. Thus four or five hours passed. Then his stupor began to lighten. Presently, while half asleep and half awake, he murmured:

'Sir William!'

After a moment:

'Ho, Sir William Herbert! Hie thee hither, and list to the strangest dream that ever.... Sir William! Dost hear? Man, I did think me changed to a pauper, and... Ho there! Guards! Sir William! What! is there no groom of the chamber in waiting? Alack it shall go hard with —'

'What aileth thee?' asked a whisper near him. 'Who art thou calling?'

'Sir William Herbert. Who art thou?'

'I? Who should I be, but thy sister Nan? Oh, Tom, I had forgot! Tbou'rt mad yet — poor lad thou'rt mad yet, would I had never woke to know it again! But, prithee, master thy tongue, lest we be all beaten till we die!'

The startled prince sprang partly up, but a sharp reminder from his stiffened bruises brought him to himself, and he sunk back among his foul straw with a moan and the ejaculation:

'Alas, it was no dream, then!'

In a moment all the heavy sorrow and misery which sleep had banished were upon him again, and he realized that he was no longer a petted prince in a palace, with the adoring eyes of a nation upon him, but a pauper, an outcast, clothed in rags, prisoner in a den fit only for beasts, and consorting with beggars and thieves.

In the midst of his grief he began to be conscious of hilarious noises and shoutings (в середине своего горя = охваченный горем он начал замечать буйные шумы и крики; conscious — сознающий), apparently but a block or two away (по-видимому, лишь домом-другим: «или двумя» дальше). The next moment there were several sharp raps at the door (в следующий момент были = раздались несколько резких ударов в дверь); John Canty ceased from snoring and said (Джон Кэнти прекратил храпеть и сказал; to snore):

'Who knocketh (кто стучит)? What wilt thou (чего ты хочешь)?'

A voice answered (голос ответил):

'Know'st thou who it was thou laid thy cudgel on (знаешь ты, кто это был, на кого ты положил дубину = кого ты прибил дубиной)?'

'No (нет). Neither know I, nor care (не знаю и знать не хочу; to care — заботиться, беспокоиться, тревожиться).'

'Belike thou'lt change thy note eftsoons (похоже, ты вскоре поменяешь ноту = заговоришь по-иному; eftsoons — устар. вместо soon — скоро). An thou would save thy neck (если ты хотел бы спасти свою шею), nothing but flight may stead thee (ничто, кроме побега, не может спасти тебя). The man is this moment delivering up the ghost (этот человек в настоящий момент отдает дух). 'Tis the priest (это священник), Father Andrew (отец Эндрю)!'

'God-a-mercy (Господи помилуй)!' exclaimed Canty (воскликнул Кэнти). He roused his family (он поднял на ноги семью), and hoarsely commanded (и хрипло приказал), 'Up with ye all and fly (вверх = вставайте все и полетели = побежали) — or bide where ye are (или оставайтесь, где вы есть) and perish (и погибайте)!'