Английский язык с Р. Э. Говардом

And he wondered just how much of an accident that fall had been. Had those rotten flags simply chanced to give way beneath his weight, or was there a more sinister explanation? One thing at least was obvious: he was not the only living thing in that palace. That gong had not sounded of its own accord, whether the noise had been meant to lure him to his death, or not. The silence of the palace became suddenly sinister, fraught with crawling menace.

Could it be someone on the same mission as himself (мог ли быть /здесь/ кто-то с той же целью, что и он сам; mission — миссия; задача, задание; цель)? A sudden thought occurred to him, at the memory of the mysterious Bit-Yakin (неожиданная мысль пришла ему в голову при воспоминании о загадочном Бит-Якине; to occur to — приходить на ум; memory — память; воспоминание). Was it not possible that this man had found the Teeth of Gwahlur in his long residence in Alkmeenon (не было ли вероятным, что этот человек нашел Зубы Гвалура во время своего долгого пребывания в Алкминоне; to find; residence — местожительство; пребывание; срок пребывания) — that his servants had taken them with them when they departed (/и/ что его слуги забрали их с собой, когда ушли; to take — брать)? The possibility that he might be following a will-o'-the-wisp infuriated the Cimmerian (вероятность того, что он, возможно, преследует призрачную надежду, разъярила киммерийца; will-o’-the-wisp — блуждающий огонек; обманчивая надежда, призрачная мечта; нечто обманчивое, неуловимое: «Will /= William/ + of + the + wisp»; wisp — пучок, жгут, клок /соломы, сена и т. п./).

Choosing a corridor which he believed led back toward the part of the palace he had first entered (выбрав коридор, который, он считал, ведет обратно к той части дворца, в которую он вошел вначале; to lead), he hurried along it (он поспешил по нему), stepping gingerly as he thought of that black river that seethed and foamed somewhere below his feet (шагая осмотрительно, так как он помнил о черной реке, которая бурлила и пенилась где-то под его ступнями; to think of — помнить, вспоминать).

residence ['rezdns], depart [d'p:t], infuriate [n'fjuret]

Could it be someone on the same mission as himself? A sudden thought occurred to him, at the memory of the mysterious Bit-Yakin. Was it not possible that this man had found the Teeth of Gwahlur in his long residence in Alkmeenon — that his servants had taken them with them when they departed? The possibility that he might be following a will-o'-the-wisp infuriated the Cimmerian.

Choosing a corridor which he believed led back toward the part of the palace he had first entered, he hurried along it, stepping gingerly as he thought of that black river that seethed and foamed somewhere below his feet.

His speculations recurrently revolved about the oracle chamber and its cryptic occupant (его размышления = мысли периодически возвращались к комнате оракула и ее загадочному обитателю; to revolve — вращаться; периодически возвращаться). Somewhere in that vicinity must be the clue to the mystery of the treasure (где-то в той близости = там рядом должен быть ключ к тайне сокровища; in the vicinity — поблизости), if indeed it still remained in its immemorial hiding place (если оно действительно все еще оставалось в своем старом тайнике).