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leopard ['lepqd], eland ['Jlqnd], beast [bJst]

IN the days when everybody started fair, Best Beloved, the Leopard lived in a place called the High Veldt. ‘Member it wasn’t the Low Veldt, or the Bush Veldt, or the Sour Veldt, but the ‘sclusively bare, hot, shiny High Veldt, where there was sand and sandy-coloured rock and ‘sclusively tufts of sandy — yellowish grass. The Giraffe and the Zebra and the Eland and the Koodoo and the Hartebeest lived there; and they were ‘sclusively sandy-yellow-brownish all over; but the Leopard, he was the ‘sclusivest sandiest-yellowest-brownest of them all — a greyish-yellowish catty-shaped kind of beast, and he matched the ‘sclusively greyish-brownish colour of the High Veldt to one hair.

This was very bad for the Giraffe and the Zebra and the rest of them (это было очень плохо для Жирафа, и Зебры, и остальных /их/); for he would lie down by a ‘sclusively yellowish-greyish-brownish stone or clump of grass (ибо он ложился у ‘сключительно желтовато-серовато-коричневатого камня или зарослей травы), and when the Giraffe or the Zebra or the Eland or the Koodoo or the Bush-Buck or the Bonte-Buck came by (и когда Жираф, или Зебра, или Канна [34] , или Куду [35] , или Бушбок [36] , или Бонтбок [37] проходили мимо) he would surprise them out of their jumpsome lives (он удивлял их из их прыгучих жизней = он нападал на них так неожиданно, что из них от удивления выскакивали их прыгучие жизни [38] ; to surprise — изумлять, поражать, удивлять, нагрянуть неожиданно, нападать или заставать врасплох). He would indeed (в самом деле /он делал так/)! And, also, there was an Ethiopian with bows and arrows (а еще был один Эфиоп с луками и стрелами) (a ‘sclusively greyish-brownish-yellowish man he was then (тогда он был ‘сключительно серовато-коричневато-желтоватым человеком), who lived on the High Veldt with the Leopard (который жил в Высоком Вельде с Леопардом); and the two used to hunt together (и оба прежде охотились вместе) — the Ethiopian with his bows and arrows (Эфиоп со своими луками и стрелами), and the Leopard ‘sclusively with his teeth and claws (а Леопард ‘сключительно со своими зубами и когтями) — till the Giraffe and the Eland and the Koodoo and the Quagga and all the rest of them didn’t know which way to jump (пока Жираф, и Канна, и Куду, и Квагга, и все остальные из них не знали куда прыгнуть = податься), Best Beloved (Наилюбимейшие). They didn’t indeed (они в самом деле не знали)!

exclusively [Iks'klHsIvlI], bow [bqu], Ethiopian ["JTI'qupIqn]

This was very bad for the Giraffe and the Zebra and the rest of them; for he would lie down by a ‘sclusively yellowish-greyish-brownish stone or clump of grass, and when the Giraffe or the Zebra or the Eland or the Koodoo or the Bush-Buck or the Bonte-Buck came by he would surprise them out of their jumpsome lives. He would indeed! And, also, there was an Ethiopian with bows and arrows (a ‘sclusively greyish-brownish-yellowish man he was then), who lived on the High Veldt with the Leopard; and the two used to hunt together — the Ethiopian with his bows and arrows, and the Leopard ‘sclusively with his teeth and claws — till the Giraffe and the Eland and the Koodoo and the Quagga and all the rest of them didn’t know which way to jump, Best Beloved. They didn’t indeed!

After a long time (долгое время спустя) — things lived for ever so long in those days (в те дни существа жили всегда так долго) — they learned to avoid anything that looked like a Leopard or an Ethiopian (они научились избегать всего, что походило на Леопарда или Эфиопа); and bit by bit (и мало-помалу; bit — кусочек) — the Giraffe began it (это начал Жираф), because his legs were the longest (потому что его ноги были самые длинные) — they went away from the High Veldt (они ушли из Высокого Вельда). They scuttled for days and days and days till they came to a great forest (они поспешно удирали дни и дни = много дней, пока не пришли в огромный лес), ‘sclusively full of trees and bushes (‘сключительно полный деревьев и кустов; full — полный) and stripy, speckly, patchy-blatchy shadows (и полосатых, пятнистых, крапчатых теней; stripe — полоса; speck — пятно), and there they hid (и там они спрятались; to hide — прятаться): and after another long time (и спустя еще долгое время), what with standing half in the shade and half out of it (от стояния наполовину в тени, а наполовину вне ее), and what with the slippery-slidy shadows of the trees falling on them (и от скользящих теней деревьев, падающих на них), the Giraffe grew blotchy (Жираф стал пятнистым), and the Zebra grew stripy (а Зебра стала полосатой), and the Eland and the Koodoo grew darker (а Канна и Куду стали темнее), with little wavy grey lines on their backs like bark on a tree trunk (с маленькими волнистыми серыми линиями на их спинах, похожих на кору на древесном стволе); and so, though you could hear them and smell them (и таким образом, хотя вы могли услышать их и учуять их), you could very seldom see them (вы очень редко могли увидеть их), and then only when you knew precisely where to look (и только тогда, когда вы точно знали, куда смотреть).

giraffe [GI'rRf], shadow ['Sxdqu], half [hRf]

After a long time — things lived for ever so long in those days — they learned to avoid anything that looked like a Leopard or an Ethiopian; and bit by bit — the Giraffe began it, because his legs were the longest — they went away from the High Veldt. They scuttled for days and days and days till they came to a great forest, ‘sclusively full of trees and bushes and stripy, speckly, patchy-blatchy shadows, and there they hid: and after another long time, what with standing half in the shade and half out of it, and what with the slippery-slidy shadows of the trees falling on them, the Giraffe grew blotchy, and the Zebra grew stripy, and the Eland and the Koodoo grew darker, with little wavy grey lines on their backs like bark on a tree trunk; and so, though you could hear them and smell them, you could very seldom see them, and then only when you knew precisely where to look.

They had a beautiful time in the ‘sclusively speckly-spickly shadows of the forest (они прекрасно проводили время в ‘сключительно крапчато-рассыпчатых тенях леса), while the Leopard and the Ethiopian ran about over the ‘sclusively greyish-yellowish-reddish High Veldt outside (в то время как Леопард и Эфиоп бегали по ‘сключительно серовато-желтовато-рыжеватому Высокому Вельду), wondering where all their breakfasts and their dinners and their teas had gone (спрашивая себя, куда подевались все их завтраки, и обеды, и ужины). At last they were so hungry (наконец они так проголодались) that they ate rats and beetles and rock-rabbits (что они стали есть крыс, и жуков, и сеноставок [39] ), the Leopard and the Ethiopian (Леопард и Эфиоп), and then they had the Big Tummy-ache, both together (а потом у них обоих вместе Сильно разболелись Животики); and then they met Baviaan — the dog-headed, barking Baboon (а потом они встретили Павиана — собакоголового лающего Бабуина), who is Quite the Wisest Animal in All South Africa (который Действительно Наимудрейшее Животное во Всей Южной Африке [40] ).

beautiful ['bjHtIful], wonder ['wAndq], animal ['xnImql]

They had a beautiful time in the ‘sclusively speckly-spickly shadows of the forest, while the Leopard and the Ethiopian ran about over the ‘sclusively greyish-yellowish-reddish High Veldt outside, wondering where all their breakfasts and their dinners and their teas had gone. At last they were so hungry that they ate rats and beetles and rock-rabbits, the Leopard and the Ethiopian, and then they had the Big Tummy-ache, both together; and then they met Baviaan — the dog-headed, barking Baboon, who is Quite the Wisest Animal in All South Africa.

Said Leopard to Baviaan (спросил Леопард Павиана) (and it was a very hot day (а это был очень жаркий день)), ‘Where has all the game gone (куда делась вся дичь)?’

And Baviaan winked (а Павиан подмигнул). He knew (он знал).

Said the Ethiopian to Baviaan (спросил Эфиоп Павиана), ‘Can you tell me the present habitat of the aboriginal Fauna (ты можешь сообщить мне нынешнее место распространения туземной Фауны)?’ (That meant just the same thing (это означало то же самое; to mean — значить, означать), but the Ethiopian always used long words (но Эфиоп всегда пользовался длинными словами). He was a grown-up (он был взрослый).)

And Baviaan winked (а Павиан подмигнул). He knew (он знал).

knew [njH], habitat ['hxbItxt], fauna ['fLnq]

Said Leopard to Baviaan (and it was a very hot day), ‘Where has all the game gone?’

And Baviaan winked. He knew.

Said the Ethiopian to Baviaan, ‘Can you tell me the present habitat of the aboriginal Fauna?’ (That meant just the same thing, but the Ethiopian always used long words. He was a grown-up.)

And Baviaan winked. He knew.

Then said Baviaan (тогда сказал Павиан), ‘The game has gone into other spots (дичь ушла в другие места [41] /поиграть в пятнашки/); and my advice to you, Leopard (и мой совет тебе, Леопард), is to go into other spots as soon as you can (уйти в другие места /поиграть в пятнашки/, как можно скорее).’

And the Ethiopian said (а Эфиоп сказал), ‘That is all very fine (все это очень хорошо), but I wish to know (но я желаю знать) whither the aboriginal Fauna has migrated (куда мигрировала туземная Фауна).’

Then said Baviaan (тогда Павиан сказал), ‘The aboriginal Fauna has joined the aboriginal Flora (туземная Фауна присоединилась к туземной Флоре) because it was high time for a change (потому что было уже давно пора для перемены = измениться); and my advice to you, Ethiopian (и мой совет тебе, Эфиоп), is to change as soon as you can (измениться как можно быстрее; to change — изменяться; переодеваться).’

advice [qd'vaIs], whither ['wIDq], aboriginal ["xbq'rIGnql]