security [sɪˈkju (ə) rɪtɪ] eight [eɪt] central [ˈsentrəl]
Corum realised suddenly that he now had an opportunity, perhaps his only opportunity, to try to reach the place where Arioch kept his heart. Then he might escape while Arioch was still away, get back to Shool and reclaim Rhalina. Vengeance now no longer motivated him. All he sought was an end to his adventure, peace with the woman he loved, security in the old castle by the sea. He ran across the floor of the hall and up the stairway to the gallery with the walls of coruscating marble until he came to the ramp that seemed made of nothing but light. The light had dimmed to a glow now, but high above was the doorway with the pulsating orange sign — the eight arrows radiating from a central hub — the Sign of Chaos.
Breathing heavily, he ran up the spiral ramp (тяжело дыша, он взбежал по винтообразному пандусу). Up and up he ran, until the rest of the palace lay far below him (он бежал все вверх и вверх, пока остальная часть замка не лежала = не осталась далеко внизу), until he reached the door which dwarfed him (пока он не добрался до двери, рядом с которой он выглядел карликом), until he stopped and looked and wondered, until he knew he'd reached his goal (пока не остановился, посмотрел /на нее/ и удивился, пока не понял, что достиг своей цели). The huge sign pulsed regularly, like a living heart itself (огромный знак пульсировал равномерно, словно живое сердце), and it bathed Corum's face and body and armour in its red-gold light (заливал лицо Корума, его тело и доспехи красно-золотым светом; to bathe — купать/ся/, окунать/ся/; to bathe in — заливать /светом, водой/). Corum pushed at the door, but it was like a mouse pushing at the door of a sarcophagus (Корум толкнул дверь, но это было, как если бы мышь толкала дверь = камень саркофага). He could not move it (он не мог сдвинуть ее).
He needed aid (ему нужна была помощь). He contemplated his left hand — the Hand of Kwll (он задумчиво посмотрел на левую руку — Руку Кулла; to contemplate — разглядывать, созерцать; размышлять). Could he summon help from the dark world (мог ли он призвать = получить помощь из темного мира)? Not without a 'prize' to offer them (не без «награды», чтобы предложить им).
mouse [maus] sarcophagus [sɑ:ˈkɔfəɡəs] contemplated [ˈkɔntəmpleɪtɪd]
Breathing heavily, he ran up the spiral ramp. Up and up he ran, until the rest of the palace lay far below him, until he reached the door which dwarfed him, until he stopped and looked and wondered, until he knew he'd reached his goal. The huge sign pulsed regularly, like a living heart itself, and it bathed Corum's face and body and armour in its red-gold light. Corum pushed at the door, but it was like a mouse pushing at the door of a sarcophagus. He could not move it.
He needed aid. He contemplated his left hand — the Hand of Kwll. Could he summon help from the dark world? Not without a 'prize' to offer them.
But then the Hand of Kwll bunched itself into a fist and began to glow with a light (но тут Рука Кулла сама сжалась в кулак и стала испускать свет; to bunch — образовывать пучки, гроздья; сбивать/ся/ в кучу, скапливаться; to glow — светиться, пылать, гореть) that blinded Corum and made him stretch his arm away as far as it would go, flinging his other arm over his eyes (который ослепил Корума и заставил его вытянуть руку в сторону насколько возможно, закрывая другой рукой глаза; to fling — бросать/ся/, кидать/ся/). He felt the Hand of Kwll rise into the air and then strike at the mighty door (он почувствовал, как Рука Кулла поднялась в воздух и затем нанесла удар по огромной двери; mighty — могущественный; мощный; объемистый, громадный). He heard a sound like the tolling of bells (он услышал звук, похожий на звон колоколов). He heard a crack as if the Earth herself had split (он услышал треск, будто сама Земля раскололась). And then the Hand of Kwll was limp by his side and he opened his eyes and saw that a crack had appeared in the door (затем Рука Кулла упала безвольно /сбоку/, он открыл глаза и увидел, что в двери появилась трещина; limp — мягкий, нежесткий, безвольный). It was a small crack in the bottom of the right corner (это была маленькая трещина внизу правого угла), but it was large enough for Corum to wriggle through (но она была достаточно большой, чтобы Корум пролез через /нее/; to wriggle — извивать/ся/; пробираться ползком).
`Now you are aiding me as I would wish to be aided (теперь ты помогаешь мне так, как я хотел бы /чтобы мне помогали/), he murmured to the hand (прошептал он руке). He got down on his knees and crawled through the crack (он опустился на колени и прополз через трещину).
wriggle [ˈrɪɡ (ə) l] crawled [krɔ:l]
But then the Hand of Kwll bunched itself into a fist and began to glow with a light that blinded Corum and made him stretch his arm away as far as it would go, flinging his other arm over his eyes. He felt the Hand of Kwll rise into the air and then strike at the mighty door. He heard a sound like the tolling of bells. He heard a crack as if the Earth herself had split. And then the Hand of Kwll was limp by his side and he opened his eyes and saw that a crack had appeared in the door. It was a small crack in the bottom of the right corner, but it was large enough for Corum to wriggle through.
`Now you are aiding me as I would wish to be aided, he murmured to the hand. He got down on his knees and crawled through the crack.
Another ramp stretched upwards over a gulf of sparkling emptiness (еще один пандус тянулся вверх над пропастью сверкавшей пустоты; gulf — залив; бездна, пропасть). Strange sounds filled the air, rising and dying, coming close and then falling away (странные звуки наполняли воздух, усиливаясь и затихая, приближаясь, а затем отдаляясь; to fall away — спадать, уменьшаться; чахнуть). There were hints of menace here, hints of beauty (в них были намеки на опасность = незримо присутствовали опасность и красота), hints of death, hints of everlasting life (смерть и вечная жизнь), hints of terror, hints of tranquility (ужас и спокойствие). Corum made to draw his sword and then realised the uselessness of such an action (Корум попытался вытащить меч и тут осознал бесполезность такого действия). He set foot on the ramp and began to climb again (он ступил ногой на пандус и снова принялся подниматься).
menace [ˈmenɪs] tranquility [træŋkˈwɪlɪtɪ]
Another ramp stretched upwards over a gulf of sparkling emptiness. Strange sounds filled the air, rising and dying, coming close and then falling away. There were hints of menace here, hints of beauty, hints of death, hints of everlasting life, hints of terror, hints of tranquility. Corum made to draw his sword and then realised the uselessness of such an action. He set foot on the ramp and began to climb again.
A wind seemed to spring up and his scarlet robe flew out behind him (казалось, поднялся ветер, и его алый плащ развевался позади него). Cool breezes wafted him and hot winds scoured his skin (прохладный ветерок обдувал его, а горячие = жаркие ветра обжигали кожу; to waft — нести/сь/, доносить/ся/ /о звуках, запахах и т. д. /; дуть /о ветре/; to scour — чистить, тереть, отдраивать). He saw faces all around him and many of the faces he thought he recognised (он видел повсюду вокруг лица, и ему показалось, он узнал многие из этих лиц). Some of the faces were huge and some were infinitely tiny (некоторые лица были огромными, другие — бесконечно крохотными). Eyes watched him (глаза следили за ним). Lips grinned (губы ухмылялись). A sorrowful moaning came and went (скорбный стон раздавался и смолкал). A dark cloud engulfed him (темное облако поглотило его). A tinkling as of glass bells ringing filled his ears (звон, словно /звук/ звенящих стеклянных колокольчиков, наполнил его уши). A voice called his name and it echoed and echoed and echoed away forever (какой-то голос назвал его имя, и эхо все повторяло и повторяло его). A rainbow surrounded him, entered him and made his whole body flash with colour (радуга окружила его, проникла в него и заставила все его тело сверкать /разными/ цветами). Steadily he continued his walk up the long ramp (он неуклонно продолжал подъем по длинному пандусу).
scoured [ˈskauəd] infinitely [ˈɪnfɪnɪtlɪ] echoed [ˈekəud]
A wind seemed to spring up and his scarlet robe flew out behind him. Cool breezes wafted him and hot winds scoured his skin. He saw faces all around him and many of the faces he thought he recognised. Some of the faces were huge and some were infinitely tiny. Eyes watched him. Lips grinned. A sorrowful moaning came and went. A dark cloud engulfed him. A tinkling as of glass bells ringing filled his ears. A voice called his name and it echoed and echoed and echoed away forever. A rainbow surrounded him, entered him and made his whole body flash with colour. Steadily he continued his walk up the long ramp.
And now he saw he was coming to a platform that was at the end of the ramp but which hung over the gulf (он увидел, что подходит к помосту, который находится в конце пандуса, но висит над пропастью). There was nothing beyond it (после него = за ним ничего не было).
