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amusement [q'mju:zmqnt] ice [aIs] smooth [smu:D] terror ['terq]

imitate ['ImIteIt] loathe [lqVD] hideous ['hIdIqs]

He shouted with amusement, and ran forward, and reached out his hand, and the hand of the monster touched his, and it was as cold as ice. He grew afraid, and moved his hand across, and the monster's hand followed it quickly. He tried to press on, but something smooth and hard stopped him. The face of the monster was now close to his own, and seemed full of terror. He brushed his hair off his eyes. It imitated him. He struck at it, and it returned blow for blow. He loathed it, and it made hideous faces at him. He drew back, and it retreated.

What is it (что это такое)? He thought for a moment (на мгновение он задумался), and looked round at the rest of the room (и оглядел всю остальную комнату/залу; rest — остаток, остальное). It was strange (это было странно), but everything seemed (но все, казалось) to have its double (имело своего двойника; double — двойное количество, дубликат; двойник) in this invisible wall of clear water (в этой невидимой стене из прозрачной воды; clear — ясный; чистый, прозрачный). Yes, picture for picture was repeated (да, картина повторялась/воспроизводилась картиной), and couch for couch (и кресло — креслом). The sleeping Faun (у спящего Фавна) that lay in the alcove by the doorway (что лежал в алькове у двери: «дверного проема»; to lie (lay, lain)) had its twin brother (был брат-близнец) that slumbered (который /также/ спал/дремал), and the silver Venus that stood in the sunlight (и серебряная Венера, которая стояла в солнечном свете) held out her arms to a Venus (протягивала руки к Венере; to hold (held)) as lovely as herself (такой же очаровательной, как и она сама).

double ['dAbl] invisible [In'vIzqb(q)l] couch [kaVtS] alcove ['xlkqVv]

faun [fO:n] Venus ['vi:nqs]

What is it? He thought for a moment, and looked round at the rest of the room. It was strange, but everything seemed to have its double in this invisible wall of clear water. Yes, picture for picture was repeated, and couch for couch. The sleeping Faun that lay in the alcove by the doorway had its twin brother that slumbered, and the silver Venus that stood in the sunlight held out her arms to a Venus as lovely as herself.

`Was it Echo (было ли это Эхо; echo — эхо, отраженный звук, Echo — нимфа Эхо)? He had called to her once in the valley (однажды в долине он крикнул /ей/), and she had answered him word for word (и оно: «она» ответило ему, слово в слово). Could she mock the eye (может ли оно передразнивать и зрение; eye — глаз; зрение), as she mocked the voice (также, как оно передразнивало голос)? Could she make a mimic world (может ли оно делать подражательный/ненастоящий мир) just like the real world (таким же, как и настоящий/реальный мир)? Could the shadow of things (могут ли тени предметов и существ) have colour and life and movement (обладать цветом, жизнью, движением)? Could it be that (может ли быть так, что) — ?

echo ['ekqV] valley ['vxlI] mimic ['mImIk]

`Was it Echo? He had called to her once in the valley, and she had answered him word for word. Could she mock the eye, as she mocked the voice? Could she make a mimic world just like the real world? Could the shadow of things have colour and life and movement? Could it be that — ?

He started (он вздрогнул; to start — отправляться; вздрагивать, пугаться), and taking from his breast the beautiful white rose (и, взяв со своей груди прекрасную белую розу), he turned round (он повернулся), and kissed it (и поцеловал ее). The monster had a rose of its own (у чудовища тоже была его собственная роза), petal for petal the same (такая же, лепесток к лепестку)! It kissed it with like kisses (он целовал ее такими же поцелуями), and pressed it to its heart (и прижимал ее к своему сердцу) with horrible gestures (ужасными движениями).

breast [brest] heart [hQ:t] gesture ['dZestSq]

He started, and taking from his breast the beautiful white rose, he turned round, and kissed it. The monster had a rose of its own, petal for petal the same! It kissed it with like kisses, and pressed it to its heart with horrible gestures.

`When the truth dawned upon him (когда правда осенила его; to dawn — рассветать; осенять, приходить в голову), he gave a wild cry of despair (он издал дикий крик отчаяния), and fell sobbing to the ground (и упал, рыдая/всхлипывая, на землю = на пол; to fall (fell, fallen)). So it was he (так это был он) who was misshapen and hunchbacked (который был уродливым и горбатым), foul to look at (/на которого/ противно смотреть; foul — грязный; отвратительный) and grotesque (и нелепый). He himself was the monster (он сам был тем чудовищем), and it was at him that all the children had been laughing (и именно над ним смеялись все дети), and the little Princess (и маленькая Принцесса) who he had thought loved him (которая, как он думал, любила его) — she too had been merely mocking at his ugliness (она тоже просто насмехалась над его уродством), and making merry over his twisted limbs (и веселилась над его искривленными конечностями; to twist — крутить, сворачивать).

truth [tru:T] dawn [dO:n] despair [dIs'peq] ugliness ['AglInIs]

twisted ['twIstId] limb [lIm]

`When the truth dawned upon him, he gave a wild cry of despair, and fell sobbing to the ground. So it was he who was misshapen and hunchbacked, foul to look at and grotesque. He himself was the monster, and it was at him that all the children had been laughing, and the little Princess who he had thought loved him — she too had been merely mocking at his ugliness, and making merry over his twisted limbs.

`Why had they not left him in the forest (почему же /они/ его не оставили в лесу; to leave (left)), where there was no mirror (где не было ни одного зеркала) to tell him how loathsome he was (которое сказало бы ему, каким противным/вызывающим отвращение он был)? `Why had his father not killed him (почему его отец не убил его), rather that sell him to his shame (вместо того, чтобы продать его к его позору/стыду)?

The hot tears poured down his cheeks (горячие слезы текли по его щекам; to pour — лить, литься), and he tore the white rose to pieces (и он на клочки разорвал белую розу; to tear (tore, torn) — разрывать, рвать).

mirror ['mIrq] loathsome ['lqVTs(q)m] pour [pO:]

`Why had they not left him in the forest, where there was no mirror to tell him how loathsome he was? `Why had his father not killed him, rather that sell him to his shame? The hot tears poured down his cheeks, and he tore the white rose to pieces.

The sprawling monster did the same (растянувшийся /на полу/ уродец сделал тоже самое; to sprawl — развалиться; растянуться, валяться), and scattered the faint petals in the air (и подбросил тусклые лепестки в воздух; to scatter — разбрасывать, расшвыривать). It grovelled on the ground (он распростерся ниц на полу), and, when he looked at it (и, когда он смотрел на уродца), it watched him (тот наблюдал за ним) with a face drawn with pain (с лицом, искаженным от боли; drawn — вытащенный; искаженный, перекошенный). He crept away (и он отполз в сторону; to creep (crept) — ползать, ползти), lest he should see it (чтобы не видеть его), and covered his eyes with his hands (и закрыл свои глаза руками; to cover — покрывать, закрывать). He crawled (он уполз), like some wounded thing (словно раненное создание; wound — рана, ранение), into the shadow (в тень), and lay there moaning (и лежал там, стеная; to moan — стонать).

sprawling ['sprO:lIN] scattered ['skxtqd] grovel ['grOv(q)l]

wounded ['wu:ndId] moan [mqVn]

The sprawling monster did the same, and scattered the faint petals in the air. It grovelled on the ground, and, when he looked at it, it watched him with a face drawn with pain. He crept away, lest he should see it, and covered his eyes with his hands. He crawled, like some wounded thing, into the shadow, and lay there moaning.

And at that moment the Infanta herself came in (и в этот самый момент вошла сама Инфанта; to come (came, come)) with her companions (со своими спутниками; companion — товарищ, компаньон, спутник) through the open window (сквозь открытое окно), and when they saw (и когда они увидели) the ugly little dwarf (как уродливый маленький Карлик) lying on the ground (лежит на полу) and beating the floor with his clenched hands (и ударяет по полу своими сжатыми руками), in the most fantastic and exaggerated manner (в самой что ни на есть причудливой и преувеличенной манере), they went off into shouts of happy laughter (они разразились счастливыми/веселыми взрывами смеха; to go (went, gone) off into — разразиться /смехом и т.д./; shout — громкий крик, возглас), and stood all round him (и стали вокруг него) and watched him (и смотрели на него).

`His dancing was funny (его танцы были забавными),' said the Infanta; `but his acting is funnier still (но его игра еще забавнее; acting — театр. игра, to act — действовать; исполнять роль, играть). Indeed he is almost as good (в самом деле, он почти также хорош) as the puppets (как куклы-марионетки), only of course not quite so natural (только, конечно же, не настолько естественен).' And she fluttered her big fan (и она обмахивалась своим большим веером; to flutter — трепетать, дрожать; развеваться), and applauded (и аплодировала).