Читаем Английский язык с Р. Киплингом. Истории просто так полностью

They stood on the marble steps one hundred abreast and shouted (они стояли на мраморных ступенях по сотне в ряд и кричали), ‘What is our trouble (в чем дело[159])? We were living peacefully in our golden palace, as is our custom (мы жили мирно в нашем золотом дворец, как /велит/ наш обычай), when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared (как вдруг Дворец исчез), and we were left sitting in a thick and noisome darkness (и мы остались сидеть в густой и мерзкой тьме); and it thundered, and Djinns and Afrits moved about in the darkness (и загремел гром, и во тьме носились Джинны и Африты)! That is our trouble (вот в чем дело[160]), O Head Queen (О Старшая Царица), and we are most extremely troubled on account of that trouble (и мы чрезвычайнейше обеспокоены по причине этого беспокойства), for it was a troublesome trouble (ибо это было беспокойное беспокойство), unlike any trouble we have known (непохожее на любое беспокойство, которое мы знавали = которое с нами случалось).’

trouble [trAbl], noisome ['nOIsqm], account [q'kaunt]

They stood on the marble steps one hundred abreast and shouted, ‘What is our trouble? We were living peacefully in our golden palace, as is our custom, when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared, and we were left sitting in a thick and noisome darkness; and it thundered, and Djinns and Afrits moved about in the darkness! That is our trouble, O Head Queen, and we are most extremely troubled on account of that trouble, for it was a troublesome trouble, unlike any trouble we have known.’

Then Balkis the Most Beautiful Queen (тогда Балкис, Прекраснейшая Царица) — Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s Very Best Beloved (Самая Любимая Сулеймана-ибн-Дауда) — Queen that was of Sheba and Sabie and the Rivers of the Gold of the South (Царица /которая была/ Шебы, и Савии, и Золотоносных Рек Юга) — from the Desert of Zinn to the Towers of Zimbabwe (от Пустыни Зинн до Башен Зимбабве) — Balkis, almost as wise as the Most Wise Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself, said (Балкис, почти такая же мудрая, как сам Наимудрейший Сулейман-ибн-Дауд, сказала), ‘It is nothing, O Queens (это ничто = пустяк, О Царицы)! A Butterfly has made complaint against his wife (один Мотылек пожаловался на свою жену) because she quarrelled with him (потому что она ругалась с ним), and it has pleased our Lord Suleiman-bin-Daoud to teach her a lesson in low-speaking and humbleness (и нашему Владыке Сулейману-ибн-Дауду доставило удовольствие преподать ей урок тихой речи и покорности), for that is counted a virtue among the wives of the butterflies (ибо это считается добродетелью среди жен мотыльков).’

tower ['tauq], complaint [kqm'pleInt], virtue ['vWtjH]

Then Balkis the Most Beautiful Queen — Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s Very Best Beloved — Queen that was of Sheba and Sabie and the Rivers of the Gold of the South — from the Desert of Zinn to the Towers of Zimbabwe — Balkis, almost as wise as the Most Wise Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself, said, ‘It is nothing, O Queens! A Butterfly has made complaint against his wife because she quarrelled with him, and it has pleased our Lord Suleiman-bin-Daoud to teach her a lesson in low-speaking and humbleness, for that is counted a virtue among the wives of the butterflies.’

Then up and spoke an Egyptian Queen (тогда высказалась = заговорила одна Египетская Царица) — the daughter of a Pharaoh (дочь фараона) — and she said (и сказала), ‘Our Palace cannot be plucked up by the roots like a leek for the sake of a little insect (наш Дворец нельзя вырвать с корнями, как лук-порей, ради маленького насекомого). No! Suleiman-bin-Daoud must be dead (нет! наверное, Сулейман-ибн-Дауд мертв), and what we heard and saw was the earth thundering and darkening at the news (и то, что мы услышали и увидели, это была земля, которая загрохотала и омрачилась при этой новости).’

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