Английский с Редьярдом Киплингом. Рикки-Тикки-Тави

“Yes,” said Big Toomai, his driver, the son of Black Toomai who had taken him to Abyssinia, and grandson of Toomai of the Elephants who had seen him caught, “there is nothing that the Black Snake fears except me. He has seen three generations of us feed him and groom him, and he will live to see four.”

“He is afraid of me also,” said Little Toomai, standing up to his full height of four feet, with only one rag upon him. He was ten years old, the eldest son of Big Toomai, and, according to custom, he would take his father’s place on Kala Nag’s neck when he grew up, and would handle the heavy iron ankus, the elephant goad, that had been worn smooth by his father, and his grandfather, and his great-grandfather.

He knew what he was talking of (он знал, о чем говорит); for he had been born under Kala Nag’s shadow (так как родился в тени Кала Нага; to bear – носить, вынашивать; born – рожденный), had played with the end of his trunk before he could walk (и играл концом его хобота раньше, чем научился ходить), had taken him down to water as soon as he could walk (водил его к воде, едва смог ходить), and Kala Nag would no more have dreamed of disobeying his shrill little orders (и Кала Наг так же мало вздумал бы ослушаться пронзительных маленьких = коротких приказаний мальчика; to dream – видеть сны; мечтать; to disobey – ослушаться, не подчиняться; shrill – пронзительный, резкий), than he would have dreamed of killing him on that day when Big Toomai carried the little brown baby under Kala Nag’s tusks (как не подумал бы убить его в тот день, когда Большой Тумаи принес коричневого малыша под бивни Черного Змея), and told him to salute his master that was to be (и сказал ему поклониться своему господину, который будет = своему будущему господину; to salute – здороваться, приветствовать /рукопожатием, поклоном/).

“Yes (да),” said Little Toomai, “he is afraid of me (он боится меня),” and he took long strides up to Kala Nag (и он большими шагами подошел к Кала Нагу; stride – большой шаг), called him a fat old pig (назвал его толстой старой свиньей), and made him lift up his feet one after the other (и заставил поднять ноги одну за другой).

He knew what he was talking of; for he had been born under Kala Nag’s shadow, had played with the end of his trunk before he could walk, had taken him down to water as soon as he could walk, and Kala Nag would no more have dreamed of disobeying his shrill little orders than he would have dreamed of killing him on that day when Big Toomai carried the little brown baby under Kala Nag’s tusks, and told him to salute his master that was to be.

“Yes,” said Little Toomai, “he is afraid of me,” and he took long strides up to Kala Nag, called him a fat old pig, and made him lift up his feet one after the other.