Как было написано первое письмо

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 452.

ONCE upon a most early time was a Neolithic man (жил да был в очень ранние времена Неолитический человек). He was not a Jute or an Angle, or even a Dravidian (он был ни ют, ни англ, даже не дравид), which he might well have been (которым он действительно мог бы быть), Best Beloved, but never mind why (Самые Любименькие, но неважно почему /так получилось/). He was a Primitive (он был первобытным), and he lived cavily in a Cave (и он жил пещерно в Пещере), and he wore very few clothes (и он носил очень мало одежды), and he couldn't read and he couldn't write and he didn't want to (и он не умел читать, и он не умел писать, да он /и/ не хотел), and except when he was hungry he was quite happy (и он был очень счастлив, за исключением того времени, когда он был голодным). His name was Tegumai Bopsulai (его звали Тегумай Бопсулай), and that means (а это значит), ‘Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry (Человек, который не ставит ногу вперед впопыхах)'; but we, O Best Beloved (но мы, О Самые Любименькие), will call him Tegumai, for short (будем называть его кратко Тегумай). And his wife's name was Teshumai Tewindrow (а его жену звали Тешумай Тевиндроу), and that means (а это значит), ‘Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions (Дама, которая задает очень много вопросов)'; but we, O Best Beloved (но мы, О Самые Любименькие), will call her Teshumai, for short (будем называть ее кратко Тешумай).

Neolithic ["nJq'lITIk], clothes [klquDz], forward ['fLwqd]

ONCE upon a most early time was a Neolithic man. He was not a Jute or an Angle, or even a Dravidian, which he might well have been, Best Beloved, but never mind why. He was a Primitive, and he lived cavily in a Cave, and he wore very few clothes, and he couldn't read and he couldn't write and he didn't want to, and except when he was hungry he was quite happy. His name was Tegumai Bopsulai, and that means, ‘Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry'; but we, O Best Beloved, will call him Tegumai, for short. And his wife's name was Teshumai Tewindrow, and that means, ‘Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions'; but we, O Best Beloved, will call her Teshumai, for short.

And his little girl-daughter's name was Taffimai Metallumai (а его маленькую девочку-дочку звали Тэффимай Металлумай), and that means (а это значит), ‘Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked (Маленькая особа без хороших манер = Маленькая невоспитанная особа, которую следует отшлепать)'; but I'm going to call her Taffy (но я буду называть ее Тэффи). And she was Tegumai Bopsulai's Best Beloved and her own Mummy's Best Beloved (и она была Самой Любименькой Тегумая Бопсулая и Самой Любименькой ее собственной Мамочки[90]), and she was not spanked half as much as was good for her (и ее не секли и вполовину того, что было полезно для нее); and they were all three very happy (и они все втроем были очень счастливы). As soon as Taffy could run about (как только Тэффи научилась бегать; to run about — играть, резвиться, бегать туда-сюда) she went everywhere with her Daddy Tegumai (она ходила = стала ходить всюду со своим Папочкой Тегумаем), and sometimes they would not come home to the Cave (и иногда они не приходили домой в Пещеру) till they were hungry (пока не проголодаются), and then Teshumai Tewindrow would say (и тогда Тешумай Тевиндроу говорила), ‘Where in the world have you two been to (где вы только[91] были), to get so shocking dirty (чтобы так потрясающе испачкаться)? Really, my Tegumai, you're no better than my Taffy (действительно, мой Тегумай, ты не лучше моей Тэффи).'

daughter ['dLtq], ought [Lt], half [hRf]

And his little girl-daughter's name was Taffimai Metallumai, and that means, ‘Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked'; but I'm going to call her Taffy. And she was Tegumai Bopsulai's Best Beloved and her own Mummy's Best Beloved, and she was not spanked half as much as was good for her; and they were all three very happy. As soon as Taffy could run about she went everywhere with her Daddy Tegumai, and sometimes they would not come home to the Cave till they were hungry, and then Teshumai Tewindrow would say, ‘Where in the world have you two been to, to get so shocking dirty? Really, my Tegumai, you're no better than my Taffy.'

Now attend and listen (а теперь слушайте и внимайте)!

One day Tegumai Bopsulai went down through the beaver-swamp to the Wagai river (однажды Тегумай Бопсулай спустился через болото с бобрами к реке Вагай; to go down — идти вниз, спускаться) to spear carp-fish for dinner (набить острогой карпов на ужин[92]), and Taffy went too (и Тэффи пошла тоже). Tegumai's spear was made of wood with shark's teeth at the end (копье Тегумая было сделано из дерева с акульими зубами на конце), and before he had caught any fish at all (и не успел он поймать совершенно ни одной рыбы) he accidentally broke it clean across by jabbing it down too hard on the bottom of the river (/как/ случайно он начисто сломал его посредине из-за того, что слишком сильно ткнул им в дно реки). They were miles and miles from home (до дому было много миль пути: «мили и мили») (of course they had their lunch with them in a little bag (конечно, у них с собой был обед в маленькой сумке), and Tegumai had forgotten to bring any extra spears (а Тегумай забыл принести = взять с собой запасные остроги; to bring — приносить, приводить, привозить).

beaver ['bJvq], swamp [swOmp], shark [SRk]

Now attend and listen!