sinister ['sInIstq], occur [q'kW], monkey ['mANkI]
Then a car came around the corner and the driver flashed his high beams at the Dodge. This time the old man dipped his own lights, and that was how I knew he was still alive. A moment later he pulled back into the street and piloted the Dodge slowly around the corner. I watched until he was gone, then looked up at the moon. It was starting to lose its orange bloat, but there was still something sinister about it. It occurred to me that I had never heard of wishing on the moon before — the evening star, yes, but not the moon. I wished again I could take my own wish back; as the dark drew down and I stood there at the crossroads, it was too easy to think of that story about the monkey's paw.
I walked out Pleasant Street (я пошел по Плезант-стрит), waving my thumb at cars that went by without even slowing (голосуя: «размахивая большим пальцем» машинам, которые проезжали мимо, даже не замедляя скорости). At first there were shops and houses on both sides of the road (поначалу по обеим сторонам дороги были магазины и дома), then the sidewalk ended and the trees closed in again (потом тротуар закончился, и /к дороге/ снова подступали деревья; to close in — приближаться; наступать; окружать), silently retaking the land (молчаливо отвоевывая себе территорию; to retake — сновавзять, занятьилизахватить). Each time the road flooded with light (каждый раз, /когда/ дорога заливалась светом;to flood — заливать, затоплять; наполнять), pushing my shadow out ahead of me (отталкивая мою тень вперед от меня), I'd turn around (я оборачивался), stick out my thumb (выставлял большой палец), and put what I hoped was a reassuring smile on my face (и изображал: «прилаживать/надевал на лицо» /то/, что, /как/ я надеялся, было вызывающей доверие улыбкой; to reassure — заверять, убеждать; успокаивать). And each time the oncoming car would swoosh by without slowing (и каждый раз встречная машина проносилась мимо, не замедляя /скорости/; to swoosh — проноситьсясосвистом). Once, someone shouted out (однажды кто-то выкрикнул), “Get a job, monkeymeat (найди работу, обезьянье мясо)!” and there was laughter (и засмеялся: «и был смех»).
flood [flAd], sidewalk ['saIdwLk], reassure ["rJq'Suq]
I walked out Pleasant Street, waving my thumb at cars that went by without even slowing. At first there were shops and houses on both sides of the road, then the sidewalk ended and the trees closed in again, silently retaking the land. Each time the road flooded with light, pushing my shadow out ahead of me, I'd turn around, stick out my thumb, and put what I hoped was a reassuring smile on my face. And each time the oncoming car would swoosh by without slowing. Once, someone shouted out, Get a job, monkeymeat! and there was laughter.
I'm not afraid of the dark — or wasn't then (я не боюсь темноты, или тогда не боялся) — but I began to be afraid I'd made a mistake by not taking the old man up on his offer to drive me straight to the hospital (но я начал бояться, что сделал ошибку, не приняв предложение старика довезти меня прямо до больницы; to take smb. up on smth. — принять/пари, чье-либопредложение, вызов/). I could have made a sign reading need a ride, mother sick before starting out (я мог бы сделать знак/табличку с надписью: “подвезите: «нуждаюсь в поездке», больна мать”, прежде чем выйти /из дома/; to read — читать; гласить/офразе, документе/), but I doubted if it would have helped (но я сомневался, чтобы это помогло). Any psycho can make a sign, after all (любой псих может сделать табличку, в конце концов).
I walked along (я шел дальше = продолжал идти), sneakers scuffing the gravelly dirt of the soft shoulder (шаркая кедами по усыпанной гравием грунтовой обочине: «земле обочины»; to scuff — идтиелеотрываяногиотземли; dirt — грязь; земля, почва, грунт; shoulder — плечо; /= soft shoulder/ обочина), listening to the sounds of the gathering night (прислушиваясь к звукам приближающейся ночи; to gather — собирать/ся/; накапливаться): a dog, far away (собака, /где-то/ далеко); an owl, much closer (сова, намного ближе); the sigh of a rising wind (вздох поднимающегося/усиливающегося ветра). The sky was bright with the moonlight (небо было освещено лунным светом: «было ярким от лунного света»), but I couldn't see the moon itself just now (но я не мог видеть саму луну в тот момент: «прямо сейчас») the trees were tall here and had blotted it out for the time being (деревья здесь были высокие и на некоторое время полностью заслонили ее; blot — пятно; клякса; to blot out — закрывать, заслонять; скрывать).
sneakers ['snJkqz], shoulder ['Squldq], owl [aul]
I'm not afraid of the dark — or wasn't then — but I began to be afraid I'd made a mistake by not taking the old man up on his offer to drive me straight to the hospital. I could have made a sign reading need a ride, mother sick before starting out, but I doubted if it would have helped. Any psycho can make a sign, after all.
I walked along, sneakers scuffing the gravelly dirt of the soft shoulder, listening to the sounds of the gathering night: a dog, far away; an owl, much closer; the sigh of a rising wind. The sky was bright with the moonlight, but I couldn't see the moon itself just now the trees were tall here and had blotted it out for the time being.
As I left Gates farther behind (когда я оставил Гейтс далеко позади), fewer cars passed me (мимо меня стало проезжать меньше машин). My decision not to take the old man up on his offer seemed more foolish with each passing minute (мое решение не принимать предложения старика казалось все более глупым с каждой проходящей минутой). I began to imagine my mother in her hospital bed (я начал представлять свою мать /лежащую/ на больничной кровати), mouth turned down in a frozen sneer (рот загнут вниз = суголкамирта, загнутымивниз в застывшей усмешке = гримасе), losing her grip on life but trying to hold on to that increasingly slippery bark for me (теряющую хватку за жизнь, но пытающуюся держаться за этот все более и более скользкий ствол ради меня; to increase — возрастать; увеличивать/ся/; bark — кора), not knowing I wasn't going to make it simply (не зная, что я не собирался упрощать /ей задачу/) because I hadn't liked an old man's shrill voice, or the pissy smell of his car (потому что мне не понравился пронзительный/резкий голос старика и запах мочи в его машине).
decision [dI'sIZ(q)n], sneer [snIq], increasingly [In'krJsINlI]
As I left Gates farther behind, fewer cars passed me. My decision not to take the old man up on his offer seemed more foolish with each passing minute. I began to imagine my mother in her hospital bed, mouth turned down in a frozen sneer, losing her grip on life but trying to hold on to that increasingly slippery bark for me, not knowing I wasn't going to make it simply because I hadn't liked an old man's shrill voice, or the pissy smell of his car.
I breasted a steep hill (я взошел на крутой холм) and stepped back into moonlight again at the top (и на вершине снова ступил в лунный свет). The trees were gone on my right (справа от меня деревья исчезли/закончились), replaced by a small country graveyard (на их месте было маленькое деревенское кладбище; to replace — заменять; вытеснять; заниматьчье-либоместо). The stones gleamed in the pale light (камни мерцали в бледном/тусклом свете /луны/). Something small and black was crouched beside one of them (что-то маленькое и черное сидело сжавшись рядом с одним из них; to crouch — припадатькземле; сжаться), watching me (наблюдая за мной). I took astep closer, curious (из любопытства я подошел ближе: «сделал шаг ближе»). The black thing moved and became a woodchuck (черное существо пошевелилось и превратилось в сурка; to become — стать, становиться). It spared me a single reproachful red-eyed glance (он уделил мне единственный укоризненный взгляд красных глаз; to spare — беречь, жалеть; уделять) and was gone into the high grass (и исчез в высокой траве). All at once I became aware that I was very tired (внезапно я осознал, что очень устал; to be aware — знать, осознавать), in fact close to exhausted (в сущности/вернее сказать, почти обессилел/валился с ног; close to… — рядом с /чем-либо/, близок к /чему-либо/; почти; exhausted — потраченный, израсходованный; изнуренный; обессиленный). I had been running on pure adrenaline since Mrs. McCurdy called five hours before (я держался на чистом адреналине с тех пор, как миссис МакКурди позвонила мне пять часов назад; to run — бежать; функционировать), but now that was gone (но теперь он закончился). That was the bad part (это было плохо; part — доля, часть; сторона, аспект). The good part was that the useless sense of frantic urgency left me (/но/ хорошо было то, что бесполезное ощущение безумной нехватки времени покинуло меня; urgency — крайняя необходимость; безотлагательность, срочность; to urge — заставлять, побуждать; гнать, подгонять, подстегивать), at least for the time being (по крайней мере на время). I had made my choice (я сделал свой выбор), decided on Ridge Road instead of Route 68 (решил пойти по Ридж-роуд вместо шоссе 68; to decide — решать, принимать решение, делать выбор; to decide on smth. — выбрать что-либо), and there was no sense beating myself up over it (и не было смысла убиваться из-за этого; to beat up — избивать; to beat oneself up — упрекать, корить себя) — fun is fun and done is done (“что весело, то весело, а что сделано/кончено, то кончено”: «веселье есть веселье, сделанное есть сделанное»; fun — веселье, забава; развлечение; шутки), my mother sometimes said (/как/ иногда говорила моя мать). She was full of stuff like that (у нее было полно: «она была полна» подобных фразочек; stuff — материал; вещество; вещь, штука), little Zen aphorisms that almost made sense (— маленькие афоризмы дзэн, которые почти имели смысл). Sense or nonsense, this one comforted me now (смысл или бессмыслица = со смыслом или без, /но/ эта /присказка/ меня тогда /как-то/ успокоила). If she was dead when I got to the hospital, that was that (если она умрет до того, как: «будет мертвой, когда» я доберусь до больницы, что ж, ничего не поделаешь). Probably she wouldn't be (скорее всего, она не умрет). Doctor said it wasn't too bad, according to Mrs. McCurdy (доктор сказал, /все/ не так плохо, по словам миссис МакКурди; according to… — согласно; по; по /чьим-либо/ словам; to accord — соответствовать, согласовываться); Mrs. McCurdy had also said she was still a young woman (и миссис МакKурди сказала, что она = мама еще молодая женщина). A bit on the heavy side, true (немного полноватая, правда; on the heavy side — слишком тяжелый, крупный), and a heavy smoker in the bargain (и заядлая курильщица в придачу; bargain — сделка; выгодная покупка; что-либо купленное по дешевке; in the bargain — в придачу, к тому же), but still young (но все еще молодая).
curious ['kjuqrIqs], exhausted [Ig'zLstId], bargain ['bRgIn]
I breasted a steep hill and stepped back into moonlight again at the top. The trees were gone on my right, replaced by a small country graveyard. The stones gleamed in the pale light. Something small and black was crouched beside one of them, watching me. I took astep closer, curious. The black thing moved and became a woodchuck. It spared me a single reproachful red-eyed glance and was gone into the high grass. All at once I became aware that I was very tired, in fact close to exhausted. I had been running on pure adrenaline since Mrs. McCurdy called five hours before, but now that was gone. That was the bad part. The good part was that the useless sense of frantic urgency left me, at least for the time being. I had made my choice, decided on Ridge Road instead of Route 68, and there was no sense beating myself up over it — fun is fun and done is done, my mother sometimes said. She was full of stuff like that, little Zen aphorisms that almost made sense. Sense or nonsense, this one comforted me now. If she was dead when I got to the hospital, that was that. Probably she wouldn't be. Doctor said it wasn't too bad, according to Mrs. McCurdy; Mrs. McCurdy had also said she was still a young woman. A bit on the heavy side, true, and a heavy smoker in the bargain, but still young.
curious ['kjuqrIqs], exhausted [Ig'zLstId], bargain ['bRgIn]
I breasted a steep hill and stepped back into moonlight again at the top. The trees were gone on my right, replaced by a small country graveyard. The stones gleamed in the pale light. Something small and black was crouched beside one of them, watching me. I took astep closer, curious. The black thing moved and became a woodchuck. It spared me a single reproachful red-eyed glance and was gone into the high grass. All at once I became aware that I was very tired, in fact close to exhausted. I had been running on pure adrenaline since Mrs. McCurdy called five hours before, but now that was gone. That was the bad part. The good part was that the useless sense of frantic urgency left me, at least for the time being. I had made my choice, decided on Ridge Road instead of Route 68, and there was no sense beating myself up over it — fun is fun and done is done, my mother sometimes said. She was full of stuff like that, little Zen aphorisms that almost made sense. Sense or nonsense, this one comforted me now. If she was dead when I got to the hospital, that was that. Probably she wouldn't be. Doctor said it wasn't too bad, according to Mrs. McCurdy; Mrs. McCurdy had also said she was still a young woman. A bit on the heavy side, true, and a heavy smoker in the bargain, but still young.
Meantime, I was out here in the williwags and I was suddenly tired out (между тем я находился здесь, в /этой/ глуши, и внезапно совсем обессилел; williwags — /диал. Нов. Англии/ безлюднаялесистаяместность; глушь; захолустье) — my feet felt as if they had been dipped in cement (мои ноги были словноопущены в цемент; to feel — чувствовать, ощущать).
There was a stone wall running along the road side of the cemetery (со стороны дороги вдоль кладбища шла каменная стена), with a break in it where two ruts ran through (с проломом, через который проходили две колеи). I sat on the wall with my feet planted in one of these ruts (я сел на стену, расположив ноги: «с ногами, расположенными» в одной из этих борозд; plant — растение; to plant — сажать/растения/; всаживать, втыкать; устанавливать). From this position I could see a good length of Ridge Road in both directions (с этого места я мог видеть = просматривать довольно большой участок Ридж-роуд в обоих направлениях; length — длина; расстояние; кусок, отрезок). When I saw headlights coming west (когда я увижу свет от фар, движущийся на запад: «фары, идущие на запад»), in the direction of Lewiston (в направлении Льюистона), I could walk back to the edge of the road and put my thumb out (я смогу снова дойти до края дороги и голосовать: «выставить большой палец»). In the meantime, I'd just sit here with my backpack in my lap (/а/ пока просто посижу здесь, положив рюкзак на колени: «с рюкзаком на коленях»; meantime — времямеждудвумякакими-либособытиямиилидокакого-либособытия; mean — средний) and wait for some strength to come back into my legs (и подожду, пока сила не вернется к ногам).
cemetery ['semItrI], direction [dI'rekS(q)n], [dAI'rekS(q)n], strength [streNT]
Meantime, I was out here in the williwags and I was suddenly tired out — my feet felt as if they had been dipped in cement.
There was a stone wall running along the road side of the cemetery, with a break in it where two ruts ran through. I sat on the wall with my feet planted in one of these ruts. From this position I could see a good length of Ridge Road in both directions. When I saw headlights coming west, in the direction of Lewiston, I could walk back to the edge of the road and put my thumb out. In the meantime, I'd just sit here with my backpack in my lap and wait for some strength to come back into my legs.
A groundmist, fine and glowing, was rising out of the grass (низкий: «земной» туман, легкий и сверкающий, поднимался из травы; fine — тонкий; изящный; мелкий/опыли, песке/; состоящийизмелкихчастиц). The trees surrounding the cemetery on three sides rustled in the rising breeze (деревья, окружающие кладбище с трех сторон, шелестели /листвой/ в поднимающемся ветерке). From beyond the graveyard came the sound of running water and the occasional plunk-plunk of a frog (/откуда-то/ из-за кладбища доносился звук бегущей воды и изредка кваканье лягушки; to plunk — перебирать струны; звенеть /о струне гитары, банджо/; производить любой короткий отчетливый звук). The place was beautiful and oddly soothing (место было красивым и странно успокаивающим), like a picture in a book of romantic poems (как картинка в книге с романтическими стихотворениями).
rustle ['rAsl], occasional [q'keIZqnl], soothe [sHD]
A groundmist, fine and glowing, was rising out of the grass. The trees surrounding the cemetery on three sides rustled in the rising breeze. From beyond the graveyard came the sound of running water and the occasional plunk-plunk of a frog. The place was beautiful and oddly soothing, like a picture in a book of romantic poems.
I looked both ways along the road (я смотрел в обе стороны вдоль дороги). Nothing coming, not so much as a glow on the horizon (ничего не было, даже нет мерцания на горизонте). Putting my pack down in the wheelrut (положив рюкзак в колесную колею) where I'd been dangling my feet (где = вкоторую я свесил ноги), I got up and walked into the cemetery (я встал и пошел на кладбище). A lock of hair had fallen onto my brow (прядь волос упала мне на лоб; brow — бровь; лоб); the wind blew it off (ветер сдул ее; to blow). The mist roiled lazily around my shoes (туман лениво окутывал мои туфли; to roil — мутить, взбалтывать; вздыматься, волноваться/оводе/; клубиться). The stones at the back were old (/могильные/ камни в задней части /кладбища/ были старые); more than a few had fallen over (многие: «больше, чем несколько» повалились). The ones at the front were much newer (камни впереди были намного новее). I bent, hands planted on knees (я наклонился, руки поместив на = упереврукив колени; to bend), to look at one which was surrounded by almost fresh flowers (чтобы посмотреть на один, окруженный почти свежими цветами). By moonlight the name was easy to read (в лунном свете имя легко читалось: «было легко прочитать»): george staub (Джордж Cтауб). Below it were the dates marking the brief span of George Staub's life (ниже него были даты, отмечающие краткую продолжительность /жизни/ Джорджа Стауба; span — промежутоквремени; времяжизни): January 19, 1977, at one end, October 12, 1998, at the other (19 января 1977 /года/ на одной стороне, 12 октября 1998 на другой). That explained the flowers which had only begun to wilt (это объясняло цветы, которые только начали вянуть; to begin); October 12th was two days ago and 1998 was just two years ago (12 октября было два дня назад, а 1998 год был лишь два года назад). George's friends and relatives had stopped by to pay their respects (друзья и родственники Джорджа приходили сюда, чтобы почтить его память; to stop by — stop by — ненадолгоприйти, зайти; to pay respects — выразить/кому-либо/ своеуважение/посетивего/). Below the name and dates was something else, a brief inscription (под именем и датами было что-то еще, краткая надпись). I leaned down farther to read it (я наклонился дальше = ниже, чтобы прочесть ее) and stumbled back, terrified and all too aware that I was by myself, visiting a graveyard by moonlight (и отпрянул назад, в ужасе, слишком сознавая = внезапнослишкомхорошоосознав, что я был один на кладбище при лунном свете; to stumble — спотыкаться; идтиспотыкаясь; ковылять).
inscription [In'skrIpS(q)n], relative ['relqtIv], graveyard ['greIvjRd]
I looked both ways along the road. Nothing coming, not so much as a glow on the horizon. Putting my pack down in the wheelrut where I'd been dangling my feet, I got up and walked into the cemetery. A lock of hair had fallen onto my brow; the wind blew it off. The mist roiled lazily around my shoes. The stones at the back were old; more than a few had fallen over. The ones at the front were much newer. I bent, hands planted on knees, to look at one which was surrounded by almost fresh flowers. By moonlight the name was easy to read: george staub. Below it were the dates marking the brief span of George Staub's life: January 19, 1977, at one end, October 12, 1998, at the other. That explained the flowers which had only begun to wilt; October 12th was two days ago and 1998 was just two years ago. George's friends and relatives had stopped by to pay their respects. Below the name and dates was something else, a brief inscription. I leaned down farther to read it and stumbled back, terrified and all too aware that I was by myself, visiting a graveyard by moonlight.
FUN IS FUN AND DONE IS DONE was the inscription (“что весело, то весело, а что кончено, то кончено”, — гласила надпись).
My mother was dead (моя мать была мертва), had died perhaps at that very minute (умерла, возможно, в эту самую минуту), and something had sent me a message (и что-то отправило мне послание; to send). Something with a thoroughly unpleasant sense of humor (что-то с совершенно неприятным чувством юмора).
I began to back slowly toward the road (я начал медленно отступать назад к дороге; back — спина; to back — пятиться; отступать), listening to the wind in the trees (прислушиваясь к ветру в деревьях), listening to the stream (прислушиваясь к ручью), listening to the frog (прислушиваясь к лягушке), suddenly afraid I might hear another sound (внезапно испугавшись, что я могу услышать другой звук), the sound of rubbing earth and tearing roots (звук трескающейся земли и рвущихся корней; to rub — тереть/ся/) as something not quite dead reached up (когда что-то не вполне мертвое вытянется вверх), groping for one of my sneakers (хватая меня за ногу: «один из моих кед») ---
My feet tangled together and I fell down (мои ноги сплелись вместе = заплелисьодназадругую, и я упал), thumping my elbow on a gravestone (сильно ударившись локтем о могильный камень), barely missing another with the back of my head (едва не ударившись о другой затылком: «задней частью головы»; to miss — промахнуться; непопасть). I landed with a grassy thud (я тяжело грохнулся на землю: «приземлился с травяным = глухим шумом»; grass — трава), looking up at the moon which had just barely cleared the trees (глядя вверх на = иувиделнадсобой луну, которая поднялась лишь немного выше деревьев; clear — светлый, ясный; чистый; свободный; беспрепятственный; to clear — взять, преодолетьпрепятствие; братьвысоту/некасаясьпланкиит. п./; едванезадедевать, почтикасаться). It was white instead of orange now (теперь она была белой, а не оранжевой; instead of — вместочего-либо, взаменчего-либо), and as bright as a polished bone (и такой же яркой, как полированная кость).
thoroughly ['TArqlI], elbow ['elbqu], barely ['bFqlI]
FUN IS FUN AND DONE IS DONE was the inscription.
My mother was dead, had died perhaps at that very minute, and something had sent me a message. Something with a thoroughly unpleasant sense of humor.
I began to back slowly toward the road, listening to the wind in the trees, listening to the stream, listening to the frog, suddenly afraid I might hear another sound, the sound of rubbing earth and tearing roots as something not quite dead reached up, groping for one of my sneakers ---
My feet tangled together and I fell down, thumping my elbow on a gravestone, barely missing another with the back of my head. I landed with a grassy thud, looking up at the moon which had just barely cleared the trees. It was white instead of orange now, and as bright as a polished bone.
Instead of panicking me further (вместо того, чтобы испугать меня еще больше; further —дальше; сверхтого, болеетого), the fall cleared my head (падение прояснило мои мысли: «голову»). I didn't know what I'd seen (я не знал, что я увидел), but it couldn't have been what I thought I'd seen (но это не могло быть /то/, что, /как/ я думал, я увидел); that kind of stuff might work in John Carpenter and Wes Craven movies, but it wasn't the stuff of real life (такого рода чепуха может сработать в фильмах Джона Карпентера[1] и Уэса Крэйвена[2], но эта чепуха не /принадлежала/ реальной жизни).