|
| "Kidnapped," said the Horse. "Or stolen, or captured whichever you like to call it. | - Меня украли, - рассказывал конь, когда оба они успокоились. |
| I was only a foal at the time. | - Если хочешь, взяли в плен. |
| My mother warned me not to range the Southern slopes, into Archenland and beyond, but I wouldn't heed her. | Я был тогда жеребенком, и мать запрещала мне убегать далеко к Югу, но я не слушался. |
| And by the Lion's Mane I have paid for my folly. | И поплатился же я за это, видит Лев! |
| All these years I have been a slave to humans, hiding my true nature and pretending to be dumb and witless like their horses." | Много лет я служу злым людям, притворяясь тупым и немым, как их кони. |
| "Why didn't you tell them who you were?" | - Почему же ты им не признаешься? |
| "Not such a fool, that's why. | - Не такой я дурак! |
| If they'd once found out I could talk they would have made a show of me at fairs and guarded me more carefully than ever. My last chance of escape would have been gone." "And why -" began Shasta, but the Horse interrupted him. | Они будут показывать меня на ярмарках и сторожить еще сильнее. |
| "Now look," it said, "we mustn't waste time on idle questions. | Но оставим пустые беседы. |
| You want to know about my master the Tarkaan Anradin. | Ты хочешь знать, каков мой хозяин Анрадин. |
| Well, he's bad. | Он жесток. |
| Not too bad to me, for a war horse costs too much to be treated very badly. But you'd better be lying dead tonight than go to be a human slave in his house tomorrow." | Со мной - не очень, кони дороги, а тебе, человеку, лучше умереть, чем быть рабом в его доме. |
| "Then I'd better run away," said Shasta, turning very pale. | - Тогда я убегу, - сказал Шаста, сильно побледнев. |
| "Yes, you had," said the Horse. | - Да, беги, - сказал конь. |
| "But why not run away with me?" | - Со мною вместе. |
| "Are you going to run away too?" said Shasta. | - Ты тоже убежишь? - спросил Шаста. |
| "Yes, if you'll come with me," answered the Horse. | - Да, если ты убежишь, - сказал конь. |
| "This is the chance for both of us. | - Тогда мы, может быть, и спасемся. |
| You see if I run away without a rider, everyone who sees me will say | Понимаешь, если я буду без всадника, люди увидят меня и скажут: |
| "Stray horse" and be after me as quick as he can. | "У него нет хозяина" - и погонятся за мной. |
| With a rider I've a chance to get through. That's where you can help me. | А с всадником - другое дело... Вот и помоги мне. |
| On the other hand, you can't get very far on those two silly legs of yours (what absurd legs humans have!) without being overtaken. But on me you can outdistance any other horse in this country. That's where I can help you. | Ты ведь далеко не уйдешь на этих дурацких ногах (ну и ноги у вас, людей!), тебя поймают. |
| By the way, I suppose you know how to ride?" | Умеешь ты ездить верхом? |
| "Oh yes, of course," said Shasta. | - Конечно, - сказал Шаста. |
| "At least, I've ridden the donkey." | - Я часто езжу на осле. |
| "Ridden the what?" retorted the Horse with extreme contempt. (At least, that is what he meant. | - На чем? |
| Actually it came out in a sort of neigh - "Ridden the wha-ha-ha-ha-ha." | Ха-ха-ха! - презрительно усмехнулся конь (во всяком случае, хотел усмехнуться, а вышло скорей "го-го-го!.." |
| Talking horses always become more horsy in accent when they are angry.) | У говорящих коней лошадиный акцент сильнее, когда они не в духе). |
| "In other words," it continued, "you can't ride. That's a drawback. I'll have to teach you as we go along. | - Да, - продолжал он, - словом, не умеешь. |
| If you can't ride, can you fall?" | А падать хотя бы? |
| "I suppose anyone can fall," said Shasta. | - Падать умеет всякий, - отвечал Шаста. |
| " 1 mean can you fall and get up again without crying and mount again and fall again and yet not be afraid of falling?" | - Навряд ли, - сказал конь. - Ты умеешь падать, и вставать, и, не плача, садиться в седло, и снова падать, и не бояться? |
| "I - I'll try," said Shasta. | - Я... постараюсь, - сказал Шаста. |
| "Poor little beast," said the Horse in a gentler tone. "I forget you're only a foal. | - Бедный ты, бедный, - гораздо ласковей сказал конь, - все забываю, что ты - детеныш. |
