Then they adopted the Stranger-man (a genuine Tewara of Tewar) into the Tribe of Tegumai, because he was a gentleman and did not make a fuss about the mud that the Neolithic ladies had put into his hair. But from that day to this (and I suppose it is all Taffy’s fault), very few little girls have ever liked learning to read or write. Most of them prefer to draw pictures and play about with their Daddies — just like Taffy.
THIS is the story of Taffimai Metallumai (это история Тэффимай Металлумай) carved on an old tusk (вырезанная на старом бивне) a very long time ago by the Ancient Peoples (очень давно Древними Народами = Людьми). If you read my story (если вы прочли мою историю), or have it read to you (или вам ее прочитали), you can see how it is all told out on the tusk (вы поймете, как она вся рассказана на бивне). The tusk was part of an old tribal trumpet (бивень был частью старинной племенной трубы) that belonged to the Tribe of Tegumai (которая принадлежала Племени Тегумая). The pictures were scratched on it with a nail or something (картинки были нацарапаны на ней гвоздем или чем-то подобным), and then the scratches were filled up with black wax (а затем царапины были заполнены черным воском), but all the dividing lines and the five little rounds at the bottom were filled with red wax (но все разделяющие линии и пять маленьких кружочков внизу были заполнены красным воском). When it was new (когда она = труба была новая) there was a sort of network of beads and shells and precious stones at one end of it (на одном ее конце было вроде плетения из бусин, и раковин, и драгоценных камней); but now that has been broken and lost (но сейчас оно отломалось и потерялось) — all except the little bit that you see (все, кроме маленького кусочка, который вы видите). The letters round the tusk are magic (буквы вокруг бивня волшебные) — Runic magic (рунная магия) — and if you can read them (и если вы сможете прочесть их) you will find out something rather new (вы узнаете что-то очень новое). The tusk is of ivory (бивень из слоновой кости) — very yellow and scratched (очень желтый и исцарапанный). It is two feet long and two feet round (он два фута в длину и два фута в окружности), and weighs eleven pounds nine ounces (и весит одиннадцать фунтов девять унций[110]).
wax [wxks], precious ['preSqs], weigh [weI]
THIS is the story of Taffimai Metallumai carved on an old tusk a very long time ago by the Ancient Peoples. If you read my story, or have it read to you, you can see how it is all told out on the tusk. The tusk was part of an old tribal trumpet that belonged to the Tribe of Tegumai. The pictures were scratched on it with a nail or something, and then the scratches were filled up with black wax, but all the dividing lines and the five little rounds at the bottom were filled with red wax. When it was new there was a sort of network of beads and shells and precious stones at one end of it; but now that has been broken and lost — all except the little bit that you see. The letters round the tusk are magic — Runic magic — and if you can read them you will find out something rather new. The tusk is of ivory — very yellow and scratched. It is two feet long and two feet round, and weighs eleven pounds nine ounces.
THERE runs a road by Merrow Down (бежит дорога у Мерроу Даун; to run — бежать, тянуться) —
A grassy track to-day it is (сегодня это заросшая травой тропа) —
An hour out of Guildford town (она в часе ходьбы от города Гилдфорда),
Above the river Wey it is (над рекой Уэй).
road [rqud], grassy ['grRsI], town [taun]