“You did (ты давал),” said the Bear. “And you forgot to take the lid off (и ты забыл снять крышку;
“But why aren’t you in your cage (но почему ты не в клетке)? Are you always out at night (ты всегда выходишь наружу ночью)?” said Michael.
“No — only when the Birthday falls on a Full Moon (нет — только когда день рождения выпадает на полнолуние). But you must excuse me (но вы должны извинить меня). I must attend to the gate (я должен следить за воротами;
Jane and Michael, holding their tickets (держа свои билеты), walked on into the Zoo grounds (прошли вперед на угодья зоопарка;
“There seems to be a lot going on (кажется, здесь много чего происходит),” observed Michael (отметил Майкл).
And indeed (и действительно), there was (происходило). Animals were running about on all the paths (животные бегали вокруг по всем тропинкам), sometimes accompanied by birds (иногда в сопровождении птиц: «сопровождаемые птицами») and sometimes alone (а иногда одни). Two wolves ran past the children (два волка пробежали мимо детей), talking eagerly to a very tall stork (говоря энергично с очень высокой цаплей) who was tiptoeing between them (которая шла на цыпочках между ними) with dainty, delicate movements (с изысканными, изящными движениями). Jane and Michael distinctly caught the words “Birthday” and “Full Moon” as they went by (Джейн и Майкл отчетливо поймали слова «День рождения» и «Полнолуние», когда они проходили мимо;
future ['fju:t∫q] excuse [Iks'kju:s] accompanied [q'kAmp(q)nId]
“But we usually give tickets,” said Jane.
“Usual is as usual does.Tonight you receive them,” said the Bear, smiling.
Michael had been regarding him closely.
“I remember you,” he said to the Bear. “I once gave you a tin of golden syrup.”
“You did,” said the Bear. “And you forgot to take the lid off. Do you know, I was more than ten days working at that lid? Be more careful in the future.”
“But why aren’t you in your cage? Are you always out at night?” said Michael.
“No — only when the Birthday falls on a Full Moon. But you must excuse me. I must attend to the gate.” And the Bear turned away and began to spin the handle of the turnstile again.
Jane and Michael, holding their tickets, walked on into the Zoo grounds. In the light of the full moon every tree and flower and shrub was visible, and they could see the houses and cages quite clearly.
“There seems to be a lot going on,” observed Michael.
And indeed, there was. Animals were running about on all the paths, sometimes accompanied by birds and sometimes alone. Two wolves ran past the children, talking eagerly to a very tall stork who was tiptoeing between them with dainty, delicate movements. Jane and Michael distinctly caught the words “Birthday” and “Full Moon” as they went by.
In the distance three camels were strolling along side by side (на расстоянии три верблюда прогуливались бок о бок), and not far away a beaver and an American vulture were deep in conversation (а недалеко бобер и Американский гриф были поглощены разговором: «были глубоко в разговоре»). And they all seemed to the children to be discussing the same subject (и они все казались детям обсуждающими одно и тоже: «одинаковый предмет /разговора/, ту же тему»).
“Whose Birthday is it (чей день рождения сегодня), I wonder (интересно)?” said Michael, but Jane was moving ahead (но Джейн двинулась/прошла вперед), gazing at a curious sight (уставившись на любопытное зрелище).
Just by the Elephant Stand (прямо у клетки/места слона) a very large, very fat old gentleman was walking up and down on all fours (очень большой, очень толстый пожилой джентельмен прогуливался туда-сюда: «вверх и вниз» на всех четырех /конечностях/), and on his back (а на его спине), on two small parallel seats (на двух маленьких параллельных сидениях), were eight monkeys going for a ride (находились восемь обезьянок, едущих на прогулку верхом).
“Why, it’s all upside down (да, все вверх дном/все наоборот)!” exclaimed Jane (воскликнула Джейн).
The old gentleman gave her an angry look (пожилой джентльмен кинул на нее рассерженный взгляд) as he went past (когда проходил мимо).