Краб, который играл с морем

BEFORE the High and Far-Off Times, O my Best Beloved (до Высоких и Далеких Времен, О Мои Самые Любименькие), came the Time of the Very Beginnings (наступило Время Самого Начала); and that was in the days (и это было в те дни) when the Eldest Magician was getting Things ready (когда Старейший Волшебник готовил Сущности). First he got the Earth ready (сначала он приготовил Землю); then he got the Sea ready (потом он приготовил Море); and then he told all the Animals (а затем он сказал всем Животным) that they could come out and play (что они могут выходить и играть). And the Animals said (и Животные сказали), ‘O Eldest Magician, what shall we play at (О Старейший Волшебник, во что нам играть)?’ and he said (и он сказал), ‘I will show you (я покажу вам).’ He took the Elephant (он взял Слона) — All-the-Elephant-there-was (Всего Слона, что был) — and said (и сказал), ‘Play at being an Elephant (играй в бытие Слоном = играй в Слона),’ and All-the-Elephant-there-was played (и Весь Слон, что был, стал играть). He took the Beaver (он взял Бобра) — All-the-Beaver-there-was (Всего Бобра, что был) — and said (и сказал), ‘Play at being a Beaver (играй в Бобра),’ and All-the-Beaver-there-was played (и Весь Бобер, что был, стал играть). He took the Cow (он взял Корову) — All-the-Cow-there-was (Всю Корову, что была) — and said (и сказал), ‘Play at being a Cow (играй в Корову),’ and All-the-Cow-there-was played (и Вся Корова, что была, стала играть). He took the Turtle (он взял Черепаху; turtle — морская черепаха) — All-the-Turtle-there-was (Всю Черепаху, что была) — and said (и сказал), ‘Play at being a Turtle (играй в Черепаху),’ and All-the-Turtle-there-was played (и Вся Черепаха, что была, стала играть). One by one he took all the beasts and birds and fishes (одного за другими он брал взял всех зверей, и птиц, и рыб) and told them what to play at (и говорил им, во что играть).

magician [mq'GISqn], ready ['redI], beast [bJst]

BEFORE the High and Far-Off Times, O my Best Beloved, came the Time of the Very Beginnings; and that was in the days when the Eldest Magician was getting Things ready. First he got the Earth ready; then he got the Sea ready; and then he told all the Animals that they could come out and play. And the Animals said, ‘O Eldest Magician, what shall we play at?’ and he said, ‘I will show you.’ He took the Elephant — All-the-Elephant-there-was — and said, ‘Play at being an Elephant,’ and All-the-Elephant-there-was played. He took the Beaver — All-the-Beaver-there-was — and said, ‘Play at being a Beaver,’ and All-the-Beaver-there-was played. He took the Cow — All-the-Cow-there-was — and said, ‘Play at being a Cow,’ and All-the-Cow-there-was played. He took the Turtle — All-the-Turtle-there-was — and said, ‘Play at being a Turtle,’ and All-the-Turtle-there-was played. One by one he took all the beasts and birds and fishes and told them what to play at.

But towards evening (но к вечеру), when people and things grow restless and tired (когда люди и твари становятся беспокойными и уставшими), there came up the Man (пришел Человек) (With his own little girl-daughter (со своей маленькой девочкой-дочкой)?) — Yes, with his own best beloved little girl-daughter sitting upon his shoulder (да, со своей самой любименькой маленькой девочкой-дочкой, сидящей у него на плече), and he said (и сказал), ‘What is this play, Eldest Magician (что это за игра, Старейший Волшебник)?’ And the Eldest Magician said (и Старейший Волшебник сказал), ‘Ho, Son of Adam (эй, Сын Адама), this is the play of the Very Beginning (это игра Самого Начала); but you are too wise for this play (но ты слишком мудр для этой игры).’ And the Man saluted and said (а Человек воздал почести и сказал), ‘Yes, I am too wise for this play (да, я слишком мудр для этой игры); but see that you make all the Animals obedient to me (но позаботься о том, чтобы сделать всех Животных покорными мне).’

salute [sq'lHt], wise [waIz], obedient [q'bJdIqnt]

But towards evening, when people and things grow restless and tired, there came up the Man (With his own little girl-daughter?) — Yes, with his own best beloved little girl-daughter sitting upon his shoulder, and he said, ‘What is this play, Eldest Magician?’ And the Eldest Magician said, ‘Ho, Son of Adam, this is the play of the Very Beginning; but you are too wise for this play.’ And the Man saluted and said, ‘Yes, I am too wise for this play; but see that you make all the Animals obedient to me.’

Now, while the two were talking together (и вот, пока оба беседовали друг с другом), Pau Amma the Crab, who was next in the game (Краб Пау Амма, который был следующий на очереди в игре), scuttled off sideways and stepped into the sea (удрал бочком и улепетнул в море; to scuttle off — поспешно убежать, удирать), saying to himself (сказав про себя / себе), ‘I will play my play alone in the deep waters (я буду играть в мою игру один в глубоких водах = на глубине), and I will never be obedient to this son of Adam (и я никогда не буду повиноваться этому сыну Адама).’ Nobody saw him go away (никто не видел, как он ушел) except the little girl-daughter (кроме маленькой девочки-дочки) where she leaned on the Man’s shoulder (с того места, где она прислонилась к плечу Человека). And the play went on (и игра продолжалась) till there were no more Animals left without orders (пока не осталось больше Животных без приказов = которым не отдали приказаний); and the Eldest Magician wiped the fine dust off his hands (а Старейший Волшебник отер мелкую пыль со своих рук) and walked about the world to see how the Animals were playing (и пошел по миру[131] = по белу свету посмотреть, как играют Животные).

scuttle [skAtl], deep [dJp], walk [wLk]

Now, while the two were talking together, Pau Amma the Crab, who was next in the game, scuttled off sideways and stepped into the sea, saying to himself, ‘I will play my play alone in the deep waters, and I will never be obedient to this son of Adam.’ Nobody saw him go away except the little girl-daughter where she leaned on the Man’s shoulder. And the play went on till there were no more Animals left without orders; and the Eldest Magician wiped the fine dust off his hands and walked about the world to see how the Animals were playing.

He went North (он пошел на север), Best Beloved (Самые Любименькие), and he found All-the-Elephant-there-was digging with his tusks (и /он/ нашел Всего Слона, что был, роющим своими бивнями) and stamping with his feet in the nice new clean earth (и топающим своими ногами в приятной, новой, чистой земле) that had been made ready for him (которая была приготовлена для него).

‘Kun?’ said All-the-Elephant-there-was (кун? — спросил Весь Слон, что был), meaning (/что/ означало), ‘Is this right (/это/ правильно)?’

‘Payah kun,’ said the Eldest Magician (паях кун, — сказал Старейший Волшебник), meaning (что означало), ‘That is quite right (/это/ совершенно правильно)’; and he breathed upon the great rocks and lumps of earth (и он дохнул на огромные скалы и глыбы земли) that All-the-Elephant-there-was had thrown up (которые выбросил Весь Слон, что был; to throw up — извергать; выбрасывать), and they became the great Himalayan Mountains (и они стали великими Гималайскими горами; to become — становиться), and you can look them out on the map (и вы можете отыскать их на карте; to look out — увидеть, высмотреть).

North [nLT], earth [WT], breathe [brJD]

He went North, Best Beloved, and he found All-the-Elephant-there-was digging with his tusks and stamping with his feet in the nice new clean earth that had been made ready for him.

‘Kun?’ said All-the-Elephant-there-was, meaning, ‘Is this right?’

‘Payah kun,’ said the Eldest Magician, meaning, ‘That is quite right’; and he breathed upon the great rocks and lumps of earth that All-the-Elephant-there-was had thrown up, and they became the great Himalayan Mountains, and you can look them out on the map.

He went East (он пошел на восток), and he found All-the-Cow-there-was feeding in the field (и он нашел Всю Корову, что была, пасущейся на поле) that had been made ready for her (которое было приготовлено для нее), and she licked her tongue round a whole forest at a time (и она охватила своим языком целый лес за раз: «лизнула своим языком вокруг целого леса за раз»), and swallowed it and sat down to chew her cud (и проглотила его и села жевать свою жвачку).

‘Kun?” said All-the-Cow-there-was (кун? — спросила Вся Корова, что была).

‘Payah kun,’ said the Eldest Magician (паях кун, — сказал Старейший Волшебник); and be breathed upon the bare patch (и он дохнул на голый участок земли) where she had eaten (где она поела), and upon the place where she had sat down (и на место, куда она села), and one became the great Indian Desert (и одно стало великой Индийской пустыней), and the other became the Desert of Sahara (а другое стало пустыней Сахарой), and you can look them out on the map (и ты можешь отыскать их на карте).

field [fJld], swallow ['swOlqu], chew [CH]

He went East, and he found All-the-Cow-there-was feeding in the field that had been made ready for her, and she licked her tongue round a whole forest at a time, and swallowed it and sat down to chew her cud.

‘Kun?” said All-the-Cow-there-was.

‘Payah kun,’ said the Eldest Magician; and be breathed upon the bare patch where she had eaten, and upon the place where she had sat down, and one became the great Indian Desert, and the other became the Desert of Sahara, and you can look them out on the map.

He went West (он пошел на запад), and he found All-the-Beaver-there-was making a beaver-dam across the mouths of broad rivers (и он нашел Всего Бобра, что был, делающим бобровую плотину через устья широких рек) that had been got ready for him (которые были приготовлены для него).

‘Kun?” said All-the-Beaver-there-was (кун? — спросил Весь Бобер, что был).

‘Payah kun,’ said the Eldest Magician (паях кун, — сказал Старейший Волшебник); and he breathed upon the fallen trees and the still water (и он дохнул на поваленные деревья и неподвижную воду), and they became the Everglades in Florida (и они стали Болотистыми Низменностями[132] во Флориде; everglade — болотистая низменность, местами поросшая высокой травой), and you may look them out on the map (и ты можешь отыскать их на карте).

broad [brLd], fallen [fLlqn], everglade ['evqgleId]