Читаем Английский язык с дружелюбным скелетом. Легенды североамериканских индейцев полностью

When the Turtle married, the Master bade him make a feast, and wished that the banquet should be a mighty one. To do this he gave him great power. He bade him go down to a point of rocks by the sea, where many whales were always to be found. He bade him bring one; he gave him power to do so, but he set a mark, or an appointed space, and bade him not go an inch beyond it. So the Turtle went down to the sea; he caught a great whale, he bore it to camp; it seemed to him easy to do this. But like all men there was in him vain curiosity; the falsehood of disobedience was in him, and to try the Master he went beyond the mark; and as he did this he lost his magic strength; he became as a man; even as a common mortal his nerves weakened, and he fell, crushed flat beneath the weight of the great fish.

Then men ran to Glooskap, saying that Turtle was dead (тогда люди побежали к Глускапу, говоря, что Черепаха мертв; to run). But the Master answered (но Хозяин ответил), "Cut up the Whale; he who is now dead will revive (разрежьте Кита; он = тот, кто сейчас мертв, оживет)." So they cut it up (итак, они его разрезали); (and when the feast was ready (и когда пир был готов) Turtle came in yawning (Черепаха вошел, зевая; to come in — входить), and stretching out his leg he cried (и, растягивая ногу = потягиваясь, он объявил; to stretch out — растягивать; to cry — кричать, объявлять, оглашать, восклицать), "How tired I am (как я устал)! Truly, I must have overslept myself (в самом деле, я, должно быть, проспал; to oversleep — проспать, заспаться /тж. oversleep oneself/)." Now from this time all men greatly feared Glooskap (и вот, с тех пор все люди очень боялись Глускапа; now — /и/ вот /в нач. предлож./), for they saw that he was a spirit (ведь они поняли, что он был не человек: «дух»; to see — видеть; понимать, сознавать; spirit — дух, привидение, призрак).

turtle [tWtl], revive [rI`vaIv], feast [fi:st], ready [`redI], yawn [jLn], fear [fIq], spirit [`spIrIt]

Then men ran to Glooskap, saying that Turtle was dead. But the Master answered, "Cut up the Whale; he who is now dead will revive." So they cut it up; (and when the feast was ready) Turtle came in yawning, and stretching out his leg he cried, "How tired I am! Truly, I must have overslept myself." Now from this time all men greatly feared Glooskap, for they saw that he was a spirit.

It came to pass (случилось /так/) that the Turtle waxed mighty in his own conceit (что Черепаха чрезвычайно возвысился в собственном самомнении; to wax — /уст./ увеличиваться, расти; mighty — весьма, сильно, чрезвычайно), and thought that he could take Glooskap's place and reign in his stead (и подумал, что он мог /бы/ занять место Глускапа и править за него; stead — место /место или позиция лица, вещи и т. п., которое замещается другим лицом, вещью и т. п./). So he held a council of all the animals (поэтому он созвал совет всех животных; to hold a council — созвать, провести: «держать» совет) to find out how he could be slain (чтобы узнать, как он мог /бы/ быть повержен; to find out — выяснить, понять, разузнать; to slay /slew, slain/ — убивать, уничтожать, лишать жизни). The Lord of Men and Beasts laughed at this (Господин Людей и Зверей рассмеялся над этим). Little did he care for them (/как/ мало они его волновали; to care for — заботиться о /чем-либо/)!

pass [pQ:s], wax [wxks], conceit [kqn`sJt], reign [reIn], stead [sted], council [kaunsl], laugh [lQ:f]

It came to pass that the Turtle waxed mighty in his own conceit, and thought that he could take Glooskap's place and reign in his stead. So he held a council of all the animals to find out how he could be slain. The Lord of Men and Beasts laughed at this. Little did he care for them!

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