Английский язык с М. Муркоком

`Corum of the Vadhagh. You have won the eternal bane of the Sword Rulers (ты навлек на себя вечное проклятие Повелителей Мечей; to win — побеждать, выигрывать; добиваться; bane — смерть, убийство; несчастье, проклятие) …

pathetic [p'etk] mournful ['m:nf l] consciousness ['knsns]

Arioch began to weep. His grasp on Corum weakened. He staggered backwards.

`No, mortal. No… The voice was pathetic. `Please, mortal, we can…

Corum saw the God's bloated form begin to melt into the air. The hand that held him began to lose its shape. And then Corum was falling towards the floor of the hall, the broken pieces of Arioch's heart scattering as he fell.

He landed with a crash, tried to rise, saw what was left of Arioch's body writhing in the air, heard a mournful sound, and then Corum lost consciousness, hearing, as he did so, Arioch's last whispered words.

`Corum of the Vadhagh. You have won the eternal bane of the Sword Rulers…

CHAPTER EIGHT (глава восьмая) A Pause in the Struggle (передышка в борьбе)

Corum saw a procession passing him (Корум увидел процессию, проходившую мимо него).

Beings of a hundred different races marched or rode or were carried in that procession (существа сотни различных рас маршировали, либо ехали верхом, либо их несли в той процессии) and he knew that he watched all the mortal races that had ever existed (и он понял, что наблюдает все смертные расы, которые когда-либо существовали) since Law and Chaos had begun their struggle for domination over the multitudinous planes of the Earth (с тех пор, как Закон и Хаос начали борьбу за господство над многочисленными плоскостями Земли).

In the distance, he saw the banners of Law and Chaos raised, side by side (вдали он увидел поднятые знамена Закона и Хаоса, /расположенные/ рядом: «бок о бок»), the one bearing the eight radiating arrows (на одном были восемь расходящихся /из центра/ стрел), the other bearing the single straight arrow of Law (на другом — одна прямая стрела Закона). And over all this hung a huge balance in perfect equilibrium (над всем этим висели огромные весы в совершенном равновесии; balance — весы; равновесие, баланс). In each of the balance's cups were marshalled other beings, not mortal (в каждой чаше весов размещались другие существа, не смертные; to marshal — располагать в определенном порядке, размещать). Corum saw Arioch and the Lords of Chaos in one and he saw the Lords of Law in the other (Корум увидел Ариоха и Владык Хаоса в одной /чаше/, и Владык Закона в другой). And Corum heard a voice which said (Корум услышал голос, который сказал):

procession [pr'se n] multitudinous [, mlt'tju:dns]

Corum saw a procession passing him.

Beings of a hundred different races marched or rode or were carried in that procession and he knew that he watched all the mortal races that had ever existed since Law and Chaos had begun their struggle for domination over the multitudinous planes of the Earth.

In the distance, he saw the banners of Law and Chaos raised, side by side, the one bearing the eight radiating arrows, the other bearing the single straight arrow of Law. And over all this hung a huge balance in perfect equilibrium. In each of the balance's cups were marshalled other beings, not mortal. Corum saw Arioch and the Lords of Chaos in one and he saw the Lords of Law in the other. And Corum heard a voice which said:

`This is as it should be (так и должно быть). Neither Law nor Chaos must dominate the destinies of the moral planes (ни Закон, ни Хаос не должны властвовать над судьбами смертных плоскостей). There must be equilibrium (должно быть равновесие).

Corum cried out:

`But there is no equilibrium (но равновесия нет). Chaos rules all (всем управляет Хаос)!

The voice replied, saying (голос ответил, сказав):

`The balance sometimes tips (весы иногда наклоняются /в одну сторону/). It must be righted (их необходимо выровнять). And that is the power of mortals, to adjust the balance (во власти = под силу смертным — восстанавливать равновесие; to adjust — приводить в порядок, регулировать).

`How may I do that (как я могу это сделать)?

destiny ['destn] equilibrium [, i:kw'lbrm] balance ['baelns]

`This is as it should be. Neither Law nor Chaos must dominate the destinies of the moral planes. There must be equilibrium.

Corum cried out:

`But there is no equilibrium. Chaos rules all!

The voice replied, saying:

`The balance sometimes tips. It must be righted. And that is the power of mortals, to adjust the balance.

`How may I do that?