Английские волшебные сказки / English Fairy Tales

‘Good morning, mum,’ says Jack, as bold as brass, ‘could you be so good as to give me something to eat?’

‘Go away, my boy,’ said the big tall woman, ‘or else my man will eat you up for breakfast. But aren’t you the youngster who came here once before? Do you know, that very day my man missed one of his bags of gold.’

‘That’s strange, mum,’ said Jack, ‘I dare say I could tell you something about that, but I’m so hungry I can’t speak till I’ve had something to eat.’

Well, the big tall woman was so curious (ну, большая высокая женщина была такая любопытная) that she took him in (что она впустила его: «взяла его внутрь») and gave him something to eat (и дала ему что-то съесть). But he had scarcely begun munching it as slowly as he could (но он едва начал жевать это так медленно, как он мог) when thump! thump (когда бух! бух)! they heard the giant’s footstep (они услышали поступь великана), and his wife hid Jack away in the oven (и его жена спрятала Джека прочь в печи; to hide – прятать).

All happened as it did before (все произошло /точно так же/, как это случилось и прежде). In came the ogre as he did before (внутрь пришел людоед, как он сделал раньше), and said: ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum,’ and had his breakfast off three broiled oxen (и съел свой завтрак из трех жареных волов; ox – вол). Then he said (затем он сказал): ‘Wife, bring me the hen that lays the golden eggs (жена, принеси мне курицу, которая несет: «кладет» золотые яйца).’ So she brought it (так что она принесла ее), and the ogre said (и людоед сказал): ‘Lay (неси: «клади»),’ and it laid an egg all of gold (и она снесла яйцо, все/целиком из золота). And then the ogre began to nod his head (и затем людоед начал клевать носом: «кивать своей головой»), and to snore till the house shook (и храпеть так, что дом трясся; to shake – трясти/сь/).

scarcely

[‘skesl], slowly [‘sll]

Well, the big tall woman was so curious that she took him in and gave him something to eat. But he had scarcely begun munching it as slowly as he could when thump! thump! they heard the giant’s footstep, and his wife hid Jack away in the oven.

All happened as it did before. In came the ogre as he did before, said: ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum,’ and had his breakfast of three broiled oxen. Then he said: ‘Wife, bring me the hen that lays the golden eggs.’ So she brought it, and the ogre said: ‘Lay,’ and it laid an egg all of gold. And then the ogre began to nod his head, and to snore till the house shook.

Then Jack crept out of the oven on tiptoe (тогда Джек выбрался из печи на цыпочках) and caught hold of the golden hen (и схватил золотую курицу; to catch – ловить; hold – ухват, захват), and was off before you could say ‘Jack Robinson’ (и был таков: «прочь» прежде, чем ты мог бы сказать «Джек Робинсон»). But this time the hen gave a cackle which woke the ogre (но на этот раз курица издала кудахтанье, которое разбудило людоеда), and just as Jack got out of the house (и как раз, когда Джек выбирался из дома) he heard him calling (он услышал его зовущего = как тот зовет):