Английский язык с П. Треверс. Мэри Поппинс / P. L. Travers: Mary Poppins

Jane and Michael felt the Brown Bear moving under them as they stood up. Past their feet they could feel all the snakes slipping and writhing as they hurried from the Snake House. Mary Poppins bowed towards the Hamadryad very ceremoniously, and without a backward glance at the children went running towards the huge green square in the centre of the Zoo.

“You may leave us,” said the Hamadryad to the Brown Bear who, after bowing humbly, ran off with his cap in his hand to where all the other animals were congregating round Mary Poppins.

“Will you go with me?” said the Hamadryad kindly to Jane and Michael. And without waiting for them to reply he slid between them, and with a movement of his hood directed them to walk one on either side of him.

“It has begun,” he said, hissing with pleasure.

And from the loud cries that were now coming from the Green (и по громким крикам, которые доносились с луга/лужайки), the children could guess (дети могли догадаться) that he meant the Grand Chain (что он подразумевал под Большой Цепочкой). As they drew nearer (когда они подошли ближе) they could hear the animals singing and shouting (они услышали, как звери поют и кричат), and presently they saw leopards and lions (и вскоре они увидели леопардов и львов), beavers (бобров), camels (верблюдов), bears (медведей), cranes (журавлей), antelopes and many others (антилоп и многих других) all forming themselves into a ring round Mary Poppins (которые все формировали собой кольцо: «себя в кольцо» вокруг Мэри Поппинс). Then the animals began to move (затем звери начали двигаться), wildly crying their Jungle songs (дико крича свои песни джунглей), prancing in and out of the ring (скача в круг и из круга; to prance — становиться на дыбы; танцевать; прыгать, скакать; резвиться) and exchanging hand (и меняя лапу) and wing (и крыло) as they went as dancers do in the Grand Chain of the Lancers (как будто они шли, как делают танцоры в Большой Цепочке старинной английской кадрили).

A little piping voice rose high above the rest (слабый визгливый голос поднимался выше всех остальных; to rise):

“Oh, Mary, Mary, (о, Мэри, Мэри)

She’s my Dearie (она моя дорогуша; dear — дорогой),

She’s my Dear-i-o (она моя дорогу-ша)!”

And they saw the Penguin come dancing by (и они увидели, как Пингвин шел, танцуя), waving his short wings and singing lustily (размахивая своими короткими крыльями и напевая энергично). He caught sight of them (он заметил их: «поймал их вид»), bowed to the Hamadryad (поклонился Королевской Кобре), and called out (и прокричал):

“I got it (у меня получилось) — did you hear me singing it (вы слышали, как я пою)? It’s not perfect, of course (это не совершенно, конечно). ‘Dearie’ does not rhyme exactly with Mary («дорогуша», конечно, не рифмуется точно с Мэри). But it’ll do (но это сойдет), it’ll do (это сойдет)!” and he skipped off and offered his wing to a leopard (и он упрыгал прочь и предложил свое крыло леопарду; to skip /off/ — прыгать, скакать; to skip /off/ — торопиться, спешить; удирать; скрываться).

Jane and Michael watched the dance (Джейн и Майкл наблюдали танец), the Hamadryad secret and still between them (Кобра /при этом оставался/ таинственным и неподвижным между ними). As their friend the Lion (когда их друг лев), dancing past (танцуя мимо), bent down to take the wing of a Brazilian Pheasant in his paw (наклонился, чтобы взять за крыло бразильского фазана в свою лапу), Jane shyly tried to put her feelings into words (Джейн робко попыталась выразить свои чувства словами: «вложить свои чувства в слова»).

dearie [dIqrI] pheasant [feznt] shyly ['∫aIlI]

And from the loud cries that were now coming from the Green, the children could guess that he meant the Grand Chain. As they drew nearer they could hear the animals singing and shouting, and presently they saw leopards and lions, beavers camels, bears, cranes, antelopes and many others all forming themselves into a ring round Mary Poppins. Then the animals began to move, wildly crying their Jungle songs, prancing in and out of the ring, and exchanging hand and wing as they went as dancers do in the Grand Chain of the Lancers.

A little piping voice rose high above the rest:

“Oh, Mary, Mary,

She’s my Dearie,

She’s my Dear-i-o!”

And they saw the Penguin come dancing by, waving his short wings and singing lustily. He caught sight of them, bowed to the Hamadryad, and called out:

“I got it — did you hear me singing it? It’s not perfect, of course. ‘Dearie’ does not rhyme exactly with Mary. But it’ll do, it’ll do!” and he skipped off and offered his wing to a leopard.

Jane and Michael watched the dance, the Hamadryad secret and still between them. As their friend the Lion, dancing past, bent down to take the wing of a Brazilian Pheasant in his paw, Jane shyly tried to put her feelings into words.