“Humph (гм)!” said the Starling, and hopped on to the railing of Barbara’s cot (и спрыгнул на перило кровати Барбары). He sidled along it (он пошел вдоль него;
“Well, Barbara B. (что ж, Барбара Б.), anything for the old fellow today, eh (что-нибудь для старого приятеля сегодня, а)?”
Barbara pulled herself into a sitting position (Барбара подтянулась в сидячее положение) by holding on to one of the bars of her cot (держась за одну из перекладин своей кровати).
“There’s the other half of my arrowroot biscuit (остался вторая половина моего аррорутого печенья;
consultations [ֽkOns(q)l'teI∫(q)n] bargaining ['bQ:gInIŋ] necessitates [nI'sesIteIts]
“Well,” he said, “I have my business to attend to. Consultations, discussions, arguments, bargaining. And that, of course, necessitates a certain amount of — er — quiet conversation — ”
“Quiet!” exclaimed John, laughing heartily.
“And I wasn’t talking to you, young man,” said the Starling, hopping down on to the window sill. “And you needn’t talk — anyway. I heard you for several hours on end last Saturday week. Goodness, I thought you’d never stop — you kept me awake all night.”
“That wasn’t talking,” said John. “I was — ” He paused. “I mean, I had a pain.”
“Humph!” said the Starling, and hopped on to the railing of Barbara’s cot. He sidled along it until he came to the head of the cot. Then he said in a soft, wheedling voice:
“Well, Barbara B., anything for the old fellow today, eh?”
Barbara pulled herself into a sitting position by holding on to one of the bars of her cot.
“There’s the other half of my arrowroot biscuit,” she said, and held it out in her round, fat fist.
The Starling swooped down (скворец устремился вниз), plucked it out of her hand (вырвал его из ее руки) and flew back to the windowsill (и полетел обратно на подоконник). He began nibbling it greedily (он начал грызть его жадно;
“Thank you (спасибо)!” said Mary Poppins, meaningly (сказала Мэри Поппинс многозначительно;
“I said (я сказала) ‘Thank you (спасибо)!’ ” said Mary Poppins a little louder (сказала Мэри Поппинс немного громче).
The Starling looked up (скворец поднял глаза).
“Eh (а) — what (что)? Oh, get along, girl, get along (ох, уходи, девушка, уходи;
The room was very quiet (комната была очень тихой).
John, drowsing in the sunlight (Джон, дремавший в солнечном свете), put the toes of his right foot into his mouth (положил пальчики своей правой стопы себе в рот) and ran them along the place (и провел ими по тому месту;
“Why do you bother to do that (зачем ты обременяешь себя делать это)?” said Barbara, in her soft, amused voice (своим мягким, веселым голосом;
rebuke [rI'bju:k] furbelow ['fq:bOlqu] mouth [mauT]
The Starling swooped down, plucked it out of her hand and flew back to the windowsill. He began nibbling it greedily.
“Thank you!” said Mary Poppins, meaningly, but the Starling was too busy eating to notice the rebuke.
“I said ‘Thank you!’ ” said Mary Poppins a little louder.
The Starling looked up.