Английский язык с М. Муркоком

And then Corum saw the charioteers who had moved quietly down to the forefront of the ranks and were aiming their bows at him. He raised his shield to protect himself against their arrows.

Glandyth was running back down the causeway.

Corum had been betrayed. There was still an hour before the tide came in. It seemed he was going to die for nothing.

Now another shout, this time from the castle's battlements, and a wave of arrows swept down (но вот /раздался/ другой крик, на этот раз со стен замка, и волна стрел обрушилась вниз; to sweep down — падать камнем, устремляться вниз). Beldan's archers had shot first (лучники Белдана выстрелили первыми).

The Denledhyssi arrows rattled on Corum's shield and against his greaves (стрелы денледисси стучали по щиту Корума, отскакивали от ножных лат). He felt something bite into his leg just above the knee, where he had scant protection (он почувствовал, как что-то впилось в его ногу как раз выше колена, где почти не было защиты; scant — скудный, недостаточный). He looked down (он посмотрел вниз). It was an arrow. It had passed completely through his leg and now half of it stuck out behind his knee (она прошла полностью через его ногу и теперь половина ее торчала позади колена; to stick out). He tried to stumble backwards, but it was hard to run with the arrow in him (он попытался идти, спотыкаясь, назад /к замку/, но было трудно бежать со стрелой в нем = в ноге). To pull it out with his only hand would mean he would have to drop his sword (вытащить ее единственной рукой означало, что ему придется бросить свой меч). He glanced towards the shore (он быстро глянул на берег).

As he had known they would, the first of the horsemen were beginning to cross (как он и предполагал, первые из всадников начинали переправляться /на другой берег/).

greaves [ri:vz] knee [ni:] sword [s:d] glanced [l:nst]

Now another shout, this time from the castle's battlements, and a wave of arrows swept down. Beldan's archers had shot first.

The Denledhyssi arrows rattled on Corum's shield and against his greaves. He felt something bite into his leg just above the knee, where he had scant protection. He looked down. It was an arrow. It had passed completely through his leg and now half of it stuck out behind his knee. He tried to stumble backwards, but it was hard to run with the arrow in him. To pull it out with his only hand would mean he would have to drop his sword. He glanced towards the shore.

As he had known they would, the first of the horsemen were beginning to cross.

He began to drag himself back along the causeway for a few more yards (он прошел, волоча ногу, назад по дамбе еще несколько ярдов; to drag oneself along — плестись, брести, еле тащиться) and then he knew he would never reach the gates in time (но затем понял, что никогда не доберется до ворот вовремя). Quickly he knelt on his good leg, put his sword on the ground (он быстро опустился на колено здоровой ноги, положил меч на землю), snapped off part of the arrow at the front (отломил часть стрелы, /торчавшую/ спереди) and drew the rest through his leg, flinging it to one side (и протянул остальную часть через ногу, бросил ее в сторону).

He picked up his sword again and prepared to stand his ground (он снова поднял меч и приготовился защищаться: «не сдавать позиций»).

The warriors in the brass war-masks were galloping along the causeway two abreast, their new swords in their hands (воины в латунных боевых масках мчались по дамбе в два ряда, /держа/ новые клинки в руках; two abreast — построение в две шеренги; abreast — рядом, на одной линии).

Corum struck at the first rider and his blow was a lucky one (Корум ударил первого всадника, и его удар был удачным), for it hurled the man from his saddle (так как он выбил наездника из седла; to hurl — бросать /с силой/, швырять). The other rider had tried to strike at Corum but had missed and overshot (другой всадник попытался ударить Корума, но промахнулся и пролетел мимо; to overshoot — не попасть в цель; проскочить цель).

yard [j:d] abreast ['brest] brass [br:s]

He began to drag himself back along the causeway for a few more yards and then he knew he would never reach the gates in time. Quickly he knelt on his good leg, put his sword on the ground, snapped off part of the arrow at the front and drew the rest through his leg, flinging it to one side.

He picked up his sword again and prepared to stand his ground.

The warriors in the brass war-masks were galloping along the causeway two abreast, their new swords in their hands.

Corum struck at the first rider and his blow was a lucky one, for it hurled the man from his saddle. The other rider had tried to strike at Corum but had missed and overshot.