These words and the strange, strange story out of which they were taken (he couldn't make head or tail of it, but it was wonderful, wonderful all the same)-they gave him a reason for hating Pope; and they made his hatred more real; they even made Pope himself more real. | Слова эти и странный, странный сказ, из которого слова взяты (темен ему этот сказ, но чудесен, все равно чудесен), они обосновали ненависть, сделали ее острей, живей; самого даже Попе сделали живей. |
One day, when he came in from playing, the door of the inner room was open, and he saw them lying together on the bed, asleep-white Linda and Pope almost black beside her, with one arm under her shoulders and the other dark hand on her breast, and one of the plaits of his long hair lying across her throat, like a black snake trying to strangle her. | Однажды, наигравшись, он пришел домой - дверь спальной комнатки растворена, и он увидел их, спящих вдвоем в постели, - белую Линду и рядом Попе, почти черного; Линда лежит у Попе на руке, другая темная рука на груди у нее, и одна из длинных кос индейца упала ей на горло, точно черная змея хочет задушить. |
Pope's gourd and a cup were standing on the floor near the bed. | На полу возле постели - тыква, принесенная Попе, и чашка. |
Linda was snoring. | Линда храпит. |
His heart seemed to have disappeared and left a hole. He was empty. | Сердце в нем замерло, исчезло, и осталась пустота. |
Empty, and cold, and rather sick, and giddy. | Пустота, озноб, мутит слегка, и голова кружится. |
He leaned against the wall to steady himself. | Он прислонился к стене. |
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous ... Like drums, like the men singing for the corn, like magic, the words repeated and repeated themselves in his head. | Безжалостный, коварный, похотливый... Волшбой, поющим хором, барабанами гремят слова. |
From being cold he was suddenly hot. His cheeks burnt with the rush of blood, the room swam and darkened before his eyes. | Озноб ушел, ему стало вдруг жарко, щеки загорелись, комната поплыла перед ним, темнея. |
He ground his teeth. | Он скрежетнул зубами. |
"I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him," he kept saying. | "Я убью его, убью, убью". |
And suddenly there were more words. | И загремело в мозгу: |
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed ... | Когда он в лежку пьян, когда им ярость Владеет или кровосмесный пыл |
The magic was on his side, the magic explained and gave orders. | Волшба - на его стороне, волшба все проясняет, и дает приказ. |
He stepped back in the outer room. | Он шагнул обратно, за порог. |
"When he is drunk asleep ..." The knife for the meat was lying on the floor near the fireplace. | "Когда он в лежку пьян..." У очага на полу -мясной нож. |
He picked it up and tiptoed to the door again. | Поднял его и на цыпочках - опять в дверь спальной комнаты. |
"When he is drunk asleep, drunk asleep ..." He ran across the room and stabbed-oh, the bloodl-stabbed again, as Pope heaved out of his sleep, lifted his hand to stab once more, but found his wrist caught, held and-oh, oh!-twisted. | Бегом к постели, ткнул ножом, - ага, кровь! -снова ткнул (Попе взметнулся тяжко, просыпаясь), хотел в третий раз ударить, но почувствовал, что руку его схватили, сжали и -ох! - выворачивают. |