Английский язык с Джонатаном Свифтом. Путешествия Гулливера

Any book I wished to read was put leaning up against the wall of the library. The Queen's carpenter made me a set of steps, like a ladder, that I could use for reading. I would climb up to the top step and begin reading the top line. Then I would walk about ten steps to the right, following the line. I would climb down a step to read the next line, continuing until I reached the bottom of the page. Then I would climb all the way up again to start on the next page. I was able to turn the pages myself. They were not much thicker than cardboard.

In this way I was able to read something of the history of the country (таким способом я смог прочесть кое-что об истории страны). I had begun to wonder after my conversations with the King (после моих разговоров с королем я начал задаваться вопросом) why he kept an army at all (почему он вообще держит армию). Reading their history (почитав их историю), I could see that these people were not so different (я понял, что этот народ не так /уж/ отличается) from the peoples of other countries (от народов других стран). At different points in time (в различные моменты времени = истории) the noble lords had wanted more power (дворяне хотели /получить/ больше власти), the people had wanted their freedom (народ желал свободы) and the King had wanted to keep all the power himself (а король хотел держать всю власть сам = в своих руках). War had broken out among them (/тогда/ меж ними вспыхивала война; to break out — выламывать; вырваться; вспыхивать /о пожаре, войне/; разразиться).

history ['hIst(q)rI], wonder ['wAndq], power ['paVq]

In this way I was able to read something of the history of the country. I had begun to wonder after my conversations with the King why he kept an army at all. Reading their history, I could see that these people were not so different from the peoples of other countries. At different points in time the noble lords had wanted more power, the people had wanted their freedom and the King had wanted to keep all the power himself. War had broken out among them.

There had not been any trouble of that kind (неприятностей такого рода не было; trouble — беспокойство; волнение; неприятность; волнения, беспорядки) since the time of the present King's grandfather (со времени /правления/ деда нынешнего короля). But an army was still kept all the same (но несмотря на это армия до сих пор сохранялась; all the same — несмотря на это, тем не менее, все-таки). I have never seen anything more magnificent (я никогда не видел ничего более величественного) than the sight of this army (чем зрелище этой армии), mounted on horseback (с солдатами, сидящими верхом на лошадях; to mount — подниматься, восходить; садиться /на лошадь и т. п./; mounted — приподнятый; сидящий на лошади; конный). At the word of command (по команде; word of command — /устная/ команда), they would draw their swords and hold them up (они обнажали сабли и держали их вверху = над головой). One soldier on a large horse (один = каждый солдат, /сидя/ на крупной лошади) stood ninety feet tall (возвышался на девяносто футов; to stand — стоять; быть определенного роста; достигать определенной высоты). I don't know how many horses there were all together (не знаю, сколько лошадей там было всего). But when the soldiers flashed their swords (но когда солдаты взмахивали саблями; to flash — сверкать, блестеть; бросать яркий свет; показать что-л. на одно мгновение; выставлять напоказ) it looked as though ten thousand flashes of lightning (казалось, будто десять тысяч молний: «вспышек молний») were darting at the same time from every part of the sky (разом вспыхивали со всех сторон: «частей» неба; dart — дротик; вспышка /молнии/; to dart — бросить/ся/; метнуть/ся/; лететь стрелой)

magnificent [mxg'nIfIs(q)nt], mounted ['maVntId], lightning ['laItnIN]

There had not been any trouble of that kind since the time of the present King's grandfather. But an army was still kept all the same. I have never seen anything more magnificent than the sight of this army, mounted on horseback. At the word of command, they would draw their swords and hold them up. One soldier on a large horse stood ninety feet tall. I don't know how many horses there were all together. But when the soldiers flashed their swords it looked as though ten thousand flashes of lightning were darting at the same time from every part of the sky.

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