Английский язык с Л. Ф. Баумом - Волшебник страны Оз

balloonist [bə’luːnɪst], circus [ˈsɜːkəs], current [ˈkʌrənt], floating [ˈfləʊtɪŋ]

"After a time," continued Oz, "I tired of that, and became a balloonist."

"What is that?" asked Dorothy.

"A man who goes up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd of people together and get them to pay to see the circus," he explained.

"Oh," she said, "I know."

"Well, one day I went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, so that I couldn’t come down again. It went way up above the clouds, so far that a current of air struck it and carried it many, many miles away. For a day and a night I traveled through the air, and on the morning of the second day I awoke and found the balloon floating over a strange and beautiful country.

"It came down gradually (постепенно он опустился), and I was not hurt a bit (и я нисколько не пострадал; to hurt — причинить боль, ранить, ушибить). But I found myself in the midst of a strange people (но я оказался посреди чужих людей), who, seeing me come from the clouds, thought I was a great Wizard (которые, увидев, что я спустился с облаков, подумали, что я был великим Волшебником). Of course I let them think so (конечно, я позволил им так думать), because they were afraid of me, and promised to do anything I wished them to (так как они боялись меня и обещали сделать все, что бы я ни пожелал /чтобы они сделали/).

"Just to amuse myself (только чтобы развлечься), and keep the good people busy (и занять всех этих добрых людей), I ordered them to build this City, and my Palace (я приказал им построить этот Город и мой Дворец); and they did it all willingly and well (и они сделали это, с совешенной/полной готовностью; willingly — охотно, с готовностью; well — хорошо; охотно, действительно, без труда, с готовностью). Then I thought, as the country was so green and beautiful (тогда я подумал, что раз страна была такой зеленой и прекрасной), I would call it the Emerald City (то я назову его Изумрудным Городом); and to make the name fit better (и, чтобы имя еще лучше подходило /ему/) I put green spectacles on all the people (я надел зеленые очки на всех жителей), so that everything they saw was green (так что все, что они видели, было зеленым)."

gradually [ˈɡrædjʊəlɪ], midst [mɪdst], willingly [ˈwɪlɪŋlɪ]

"It came down gradually, and I was not hurt a bit. But I found myself in the midst of a strange people, who, seeing me come from the clouds, thought I was a great Wizard. Of course I let them think so, because they were afraid of me, and promised to do anything I wished them to.

"Just to amuse myself, and keep the good people busy, I ordered them to build this City, and my Palace; and they did it all willingly and well. Then I thought, as the country was so green and beautiful, I would call it the Emerald City; and to make the name fit better I put green spectacles on all the people, so that everything they saw was green."

"But isn’t everything here green (а разве все не зеленое)?" asked Dorothy.