Чтение онлайн

‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘it is I; for you have spoken three words in my praise, and now I can drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’

Then the Woman laughed and set the Cat a bowl of the warm white milk and said, ‘O Cat, you are as clever as a man, but remember that your bargain was not made with the Man or the Dog, and I do not know what they will do when they come home.’

‘What is that to me (что мне до того)?’ said the Cat (сказал Кот). ‘If I have my place in the Cave by the fire and my warm white milk three times a day (если у меня будет мое место в Пещере у огня и мое теплое белое молоко три раза в день) I do not care what the Man or the Dog can do (мне все равно, что могут сделать = сделают Человек или Пес).’

place [pleIs], cave [keIv], day [deI]

‘What is that to me?’ said the Cat. ‘If I have my place in the Cave by the fire and my warm white milk three times a day I do not care what the Man or the Dog can do.’

That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave (в тот вечер, когда Человек и Пес вошли в Пещеру), the Woman told them all the story of the bargain (Женщина рассказал им всю историю о сделке) while the Cat sat by the fire and smiled (в то время как Кот сидел у огня и улыбался). Then the Man said (тогда Человек сказал), ‘Yes, but he has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Men after me (да, но он не заключил сделку со мной и со всеми настоящими Мужчинами /которые будут/ после меня).’ Then he took off his two leather boots and he took up his little stone axe (затем он снял два кожаных сапога и /он/ подхватил свой маленький каменный топорик) (that makes three (это получается три)) and he fetched a piece of wood and a hatchet (и он принес палку и большой нож) (that is five altogether (/это/ всего получается пять)), and he set them out in a row and he said (и выставил их в ряд и /он/ сказал), ‘Now we will make our bargain (теперь мы заключим наше соглашение). If you do not catch mice (если ты не будешь ловить мышей) when you are in the Cave for always and always and always (когда ты будешь в Пещере всегда и во веки веков), I will throw these five things at you (я буду бросать эти пять предметов в тебя) whenever I see you (когда бы я тебя ни увидел), and so shall all proper Men do after me (и так будут делать все настоящие Мужчины после меня).’

care [kFq], axe [xks], hatchet ['hxCIt]

That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave, the Woman told them all the story of the bargain while the Cat sat by the fire and smiled. Then the Man said, ‘Yes, but he has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Men after me.’ Then he took off his two leather boots and he took up his little stone axe (that makes three) and he fetched a piece of wood and a hatchet (that is five altogether), and he set them out in a row and he said, ‘Now we will make our bargain. If you do not catch mice when you are in the Cave for always and always and always, I will throw these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shall all proper Men do after me.’

‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening (ах, — сказала Женщина, слушая), ‘this is a very clever Cat (это очень умный Кот), but he is not so clever as my Man (но он не такой умный, как мой Муж).’

The Cat counted the five things (Кот посчитал пять предметов) (and they looked very knobby (а они казались очень шишковатыми [148] = угрожающими) and he said (и он сказал), ‘I will catch mice (я буду ловить мышей) when I am in the Cave for always and always and always (когда я буду в Пещере всегда и во веки веков); but still I am the Cat who walks by himself (но тем не менее я Кот, который гуляет сам по себе), and all places are alike to me (и все места одинаковы для меня).’

count [kaunt], knobby ['nObI], catch [kxC]

‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening, ‘this is a very clever Cat, but he is not so clever as my Man.’

The Cat counted the five things (and they looked very knobby) and he said, ‘I will catch mice when I am in the Cave for always and always and always; but still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’

‘Not when I am near (не /тогда/, когда я рядом),’ said the Man (сказал Человек). ‘If you had not said that last (если бы ты не сказал это в конце) I would have put all these things away for always and always and always (я бы убрал все эти предметы навсегда и во веки веков); but I am now going to throw my two boots and my little stone axe (но теперь я буду бросать мои два сапога и мой маленький каменный топорик) (that makes three (это получается три)) at you whenever I meet you (по тебе, когда бы я ни встретил тебя). And so shall all proper Men do after me (и так будут поступать все настоящие Мужчины после меня)!’

near [nIq], throw [Trqu], boot [bHt]

‘Not when I am near,’ said the Man. ‘If you had not said that last I would have put all these things away for always and always and always; but I am now going to throw my two boots and my little stone axe (that makes three) at you whenever I meet you. And so shall all proper Men do after me!’

Then the Dog said (затем Пес сказал), ‘Wait a minute (подождите минутку). He has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Dogs after me (он не заключил сделку со мной и всеми настоящими Псами после меня).’ And he showed his teeth and said (и он показал свои зубы и сказал), ‘If you are not kind to the Baby (если ты не будешь добр по отношению к Малышу) while I am in the Cave for always and always and always (пока я в Пещере, всегда и во веки веков), I will hunt you till I catch you (я буду гоняться за тобой, пока не поймаю), and when I catch you I will bite you (а когда я поймаю тебя, я буду тебя кусать). And so shall all proper Dogs do after me (и так будут поступать все настоящие Псы после меня).’

‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening (ах, — сказала Женщина, слушая), ‘this is a very clever Cat (это очень умный Кот), but he is not so clever as the Dog (но он не такой умный, как Пес).’

teeth [tJT], kind [kaInd], bite [baIt]

Then the Dog said, ‘Wait a minute. He has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Dogs after me.’ And he showed his teeth and said, ‘If you are not kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave for always and always and always, I will hunt you till I catch you, and when I catch you I will bite you. And so shall all proper Dogs do after me.’

‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening, ‘this is a very clever Cat, but he is not so clever as the Dog.’

Cat counted the Dog’s teeth (Кот посчитал зуба Пса) (and they looked very pointed (а они выглядели очень острыми)) and he said (и /он/ сказал), ‘I will be kind to the Baby (я буду добр с Малышом) while I am in the Cave (пока я в Пещере), as long as he does not pull my tail too hard (покуда он не будет дергать меня слишком сильно за хвост), for always and always and always (всегда и во веки веков). But still I am the Cat, that walks by himself (но тем не менее я Кот, который гуляет сам по себе), and all places are alike to me (и все места одинаковы для меня).’

‘Not when I am near (не /тогда/, когда я рядом),’ said the Dog (сказал Пес). ‘If you had not said that last (если бы ты не сказал этого в конце) I would have shut my mouth for always and always and always (я бы закрыл мою пасть навсегда и во веки веков); but now I am going to hunt you up a tree whenever I meet you (но теперь я буду загонять тебя на дерево, когда бы я ни встретил тебя). And so shall all proper Dogs do after me (и так будут поступать все настоящие Псы после меня).’

tree [trJ], meet [mJt], after ['Rftq]