Английский язык с Р. Э. Говардом

An instant he reeled on wide-braced legs, feeling his ribs caving in on his vitals and his sight growing dark, while his scimitar gleamed above his head. Then it fell, shearing through the scales and flesh and vertebrae. And where there had been one huge, writhing cable, now there were horribly two, lashing and flopping in the death throes. Conan staggered away from their blind strokes. He was sick and dizzy, and blood oozed from his nose. Groping in a dark mist he clutched Octavia and shook her until she gasped for breath.

"Next time I tell you to stay somewhere," he gasped, "you stay!"

He was too dizzy even to know whether she replied (у него слишком кружилась голова, чтобы даже понять, ответила ли она; to know — знать; понимать). Taking her wrist like a truant schoolgirl (взяв ее за запястье, как школьницу-прогульщицу), he led her around the hideous stumps that still loomed and knotted on the floor (он повел ее вокруг мерзких обрубков, которые еще угрожающе разрастались и спутывались на полу; to lead — вести;to loom — маячить; принимать преувеличенные, угрожающие размеры; разрастаться). Somewhere, in the distance, he thought he heard men yelling (ему показалось, что где-то вдали вопят люди), but his ears were still roaring so that he could not be sure (но у него в ушах еще шумело, поэтому он не мог быть уверен; roar — рев; гул, шум /прибоя/).

The door gave to his efforts (дверь поддалась его усилиям). If Khosatral had placed the snake there to guard the thing he feared (если Хозатрал разместил змею там, чтобы охранять вещь, которой он опасался), evidently he considered it ample precaution (очевидно, он счел это достаточной предосторожностью; to consider — рассматривать; считать; ample — богатый; достаточный). Conan half expected some other monstrosity to leap at him with the opening of the door (Конан уже почти ожидал, что еще какое-нибудь чудище набросится на него при открывании двери; half — наполовину; почти уже; monstrosity — чудовищность; чудовище; to leap — прыгать; наброситься), but in the dimmer light he saw only the vague sweep of the arch above (но в /более/ слабом свете он увидел лишь смутный изгиб арки вверху; sweep — чистка; пологая кривая; изгиб), a dully gleaming block of gold, and a half-moon glimmer on the stone (неясно светящуюся золотую глыбу и тусклое мерцание полумесяца на камне; dully — неясно; неясно; block — колода; глыба, блок /строительный/).

truant [ˈtru:ənt], hideous [ˈhɪdɪəs], guard [ɡɑ:d]

He was too dizzy even to know whether she replied. Taking her wrist like a truant schoolgirl, he led her around the hideous stumps that still loomed and knotted on the floor. Somewhere, in the distance, he thought he heard men yelling, but his ears were still roaring so that he could not be sure.

The door gave to his efforts. If Khosatral had placed the snake there to guard the thing he feared, evidently he considered it ample precaution. Conan half expected some other monstrosity to leap at him with the opening of the door, but in the dimmer light he saw only the vague sweep of the arch above, a dully gleaming block of gold, and a half-moon glimmer on the stone.