Английский язык с Ф. Баумом. Волшебник Изумрудного Города

The Clown put his hands in his pockets, and after puffing out his cheeks and nodding his head at them saucily, he said: "My lady fair, why do you stare at poor old Mr. Joker? You're quite as stiff and prim as if you’d eaten up a poker!"

"Be quiet, sir!" said the Princess. "Can't you see these are strangers, and should be treated with respect?"

"Well, that's respect, I expect," declared the Clown, and immediately stood upon his head.

"Don't mind Mr. Joker," said the Princess to Dorothy. "He is considerably cracked in his head, and that makes him foolish."

"Oh, I don't mind him a bit (о, я и не обращаю)," said Dorothy. "But you are so beautiful (но ты такая красивая)," she continued, "that I am sure I could love you dearly (что я уверена, что могу нежно любить тебя). Won't you let me carry you back to Kansas (не позволишь ли ты мне отнести тебя в Канзас), and stand you on Aunt Em's mantel (и поставить тебя на каминной полочке Тетушки Эм)? I could carry you in my basket (я могла бы понести тебя в своей корзине)."

"That would make me very unhappy (это сделало бы меня очень несчастной)," answered the china Princess.

"You see, here in our country we live contentedly (видишь ли, здесь, в нашей стране, мы живем довольные /жизнью/), and can talk and move around as we please (и можем говорить и гулять: «двигаться повсюду», как нам заблагорассудится). But whenever any of us are taken away our joints at once stiffen (но всякий раз, когда кого-либо из нас уносят, наши суставы немедленно деревенеют), and we can only stand straight and look pretty (и мы можем лишь прямо стоять и мило выглядеть).

mind [maInd], mantel [mxntl], contentedly [kqn'tentIdlI], stiffen [stIfn]

"Oh, I don't mind him a bit," said Dorothy. "But you are so beautiful," she continued, "that I am sure I could love you dearly. Won't you let me carry you back to Kansas, and stand you on Aunt Em's mantel? I could carry you in my basket."

"That would make me very unhappy," answered the china Princess.

"You see, here in our country we live contentedly, and can talk and move around as we please. But whenever any of us are taken away our joints at once stiffen, and we can only stand straight and look pretty.

Of course that is all that is expected of us (конечно, это все, что от нас и ожидают) when we are on mantels and cabinets and drawing-room tables (когда мы /стоим/ на каминных полках, в застекленных шкафчиках, или на столах в гостиной), but our lives are much pleasanter here in our own country (но наши жизни гораздо приятнее здесь, в нашей собственной стране)."

"I would not make you unhappy for all the world (я не сделаю тебя несчастной ни за что на свете)!" exclaimed Dorothy. "So I'll just say good-bye (поэтому я просто попрощаюсь)."

"Good-bye," replied the Princess.

They walked carefully through the china country (и они осторожно пошли по фарфоровой стране). The little animals and all the people scampered out of their way (маленькие животные и все жители быстро разбегались с их пути), fearing the strangers would break them (опасаясь, как бы чужеземцы не разбили их), and after an hour or so the travelers reached the other side of the country (и спустя час или около того путешественники добрались до другой стороны = противоположной части страны) and came to another china wall (и подошли к еще одной фарфоровой стене).

cabinet ['kxb(I)nIt], drawing-room ['drO:INru(:)m], scamper ['skxmpq]

Of course that is all that is expected of us when we are on mantels and cabinets and drawing-room tables, but our lives are much pleasanter here in our own country."

"I would not make you unhappy for all the world!" exclaimed Dorothy.

"So I'll just say good-bye."

"Good-bye," replied the Princess.

They walked carefully through the china country. The little animals and all the people scampered out of their way, fearing the strangers would break them, and after an hour or so the travelers reached the other side of the country and came to another china wall.

It was not so high as the first, however (однако она не была такой высокой, как первая), and by standing upon the Lion's back (и, встав на спину Льва) they all managed to scramble to the top (им всем удалось вскарабкаться наверх). Then the Lion gathered his legs under him and jumped on the wall (затем сам Лев поджал лапы: «собрал свои лапы под собой» и прыгнул на стену); but just as he jumped (но, когда он прыгал), he upset a china church with his tail and smashed it all to pieces (он опрокинул фарфоровую церковь своим хвостом и разбил ее вдребезги: «всю на кусочки»).

"That was too bad (это очень плохо)," said Dorothy, "but really I think we were lucky (но, на самом деле, мне кажется, что нам повезло) in not doing these little people more harm than breaking a cow's leg and a church (что мы не причинили этому маленькому народцу больше вреда, чем отломанная коровья нога и /разбитая/ церковь). They are all so brittle (они все такие хрупкие)!"