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).
On the platform was a dais (на помосте было возвышение; dais — помост, возвышение). On the dais was a plinth and on the plinth was something that throbbed and gave forth rays (на возвышении — постамент, а на постаменте находилось что-то, что пульсировало/билось и испускало лучи).
Transfixed by these rays were several Mabden warriors (несколько мабденских воинов /стояли/, парализованные этими лучами; to transfix — пронзать, прокалывать; пригвоздить, приковать к месту). Their bodies were frozen in attitudes of reaching for the source of the rays (их тела были заморожены в положении протягивания к = они застыли, пытаясь достать источник лучей; to freeze), but their eyes moved as they saw Corum approach the dais (но их глаза двинулись, когда они увидели, что Корум приближается к возвышению). Pain was in those eyes, and curiosity, and a warning (в тех глазах были боль, любопытство и предостережение).
Corum stopped (Корум остановился).
source [sɔ:s] dais [ˈdeɪɪs]
And now he saw he was coming to a platform that was at the end of the ramp but which hung over the gulf. There was nothing beyond it.
On the platform was a dais. On the dais was a plinth and on the plinth was something that throbbed and gave forth rays.
Transfixed by these rays were several Mabden warriors. Their bodies were frozen in attitudes of reaching for the source of the rays, but their eyes moved as they saw Corum approach the dais. Pain was in those eyes, and curiosity, and a warning.
Corum stopped.
The thing on the plinth was a deep, soft blue and it was quite small (предмет на постаменте был глубокого приглушенного синего цвета, довольно маленький) and it shone and it looked like a jewel that had been fashioned into the shape of a heart (он светился и был похож на драгоценный камень, ограненный в форме сердца; to fashion — придавать форму). At every pulse, tubes of light shot forth from it (при каждом биении лучи света исходили от него; tube — труба, трубка, тюбик; to shoot forth — пронестись, промелькнуть; пускать).
This could only be the Heart of Arioch (это могло быть лишь сердцем Ариоха).
But it protected itself, as was evident from the frozen warriors surrounding it (но оно защищалось, что было ясно из = судя по замороженным воинам, окружавшим его; evident — явный, очевидный, ясный).
Corum took a pace nearer (Корум сделал шаг ближе = вперед). A beam of light struck his cheek and it tingled (луч света коснулся его щеки, и он почувствовал покалывание). Another pace nearer and two more beams of light hit his body and made it shiver, but he was not frozen (еще один шаг ближе — и еще два луча света коснулись его тела и вызвали дрожь: «заставили его дрожать», но Корум не был заморожен). And now he was past the Mabden warriors (и вот он прошел мимо мабденских воинов). Two more paces and the beams bombarded his whole head and body, but the sensation was only pleasant (еще два шага, и лучи градом осыпали всю его голову и тело, но ощущение было лишь приятным; to bombard — бомбардировать; облучать частицами). He stretched out his right hand to seize the heart (он протянул правую руку, чтобы схватить сердце), but his left hand moved first and the Hand of Kwll gripped the Heart of Arioch (но левая рука двинулась первой, и /вот/ Рука Кулла крепко держала сердце Ариоха; to grip — схватить, сжать; крепко держать/ся/).
evident [ˈevɪd (ə) nt] bombarded [bɔmˈbɑ:dɪd]
The thing on the plinth was a deep, soft blue and it was quite small and it shone and it looked like a jewel that had been fashioned into the shape of a heart. At every pulse, tubes of light shot forth from it.
This could only be the Heart of Arioch.
But it protected itself, as was evident from the frozen warriors surrounding it.
Corum took a pace nearer. A beam of light struck his cheek and it tingled. Another pace nearer and two more beams of light hit his body and made it shiver, but he was not frozen. And now he was past the Mabden warriors. Two more paces and the beams bombarded his whole head and body, but the sensation was only pleasant. He stretched out his right hand to seize the heart, but his left hand moved first and the Hand of Kwll gripped the Heart of Arioch.
`The world seems full of fragments of Gods (кажется, мир полон частей богов), Corum murmured. He turned and saw that the Mabden warriors were no longer frozen (он повернулся и увидел, что мабденские воины больше не были заморожены). They were rubbing at their faces, sheathing their swords (они терли свои лица, вкладывали в ножны мечи).
Corum spoke to the nearest (Корум обратился к ближайшему).
`Why did you seek the Heart of Arioch (зачем ты искал сердце Ариоха)?
`Through no choice of my own (не по своему выбору). A sorcerer sent me, offering me my life in return for stealing the heart from Arioch's palace (один колдун послал меня, предлагая мне мою жизнь в обмен на кражу сердца из дворца Ариоха).
`Was this Shool (это был Шул)?
`Aye — Shool (да, Шул). Prince Shool.
sheathing [ˈʃi:ðɪŋ] palace [ˈpælɪs]
`The world seems full of fragments of Gods, Corum murmured. He turned and saw that the Mabden warriors were no longer frozen. They were rubbing at their faces, sheathing their swords.
Corum spoke to the nearest.
`Why did you seek the Heart of Arioch?
`Through no choice of my own. A sorcerer sent me, offering me my life in return for stealing the heart from Arioch's palace.
`Was this Shool?
`Aye — Shool. Prince Shool.
Corum looked at the others (Корум посмотрел на остальных). They were all nodding (все они кивали).
`Shool sent me (Шул послал меня)! And me!
`And Shool sent me, said Corum. `I had not realised he had tried so many times before (я и понятия не имел, что он пытался /украсть сердце/ так много раз раньше).
`It is a game Arioch plays with him (Ариох играет с ним), murmured one of the Mabden warriors. `I learned that Shool has little power of his own at all (я узнал, что у Шула совсем мало своего собственного могущества). Arioch gives Shool the power he thinks is his own (Ариох дает Шулу силу, которую тот считает своей), for Arioch enjoys the sport of having an enemy with whom he can play (потому что Ариоху нравится развлекаться, имея врага, с которым он может играть). Every action Arioch makes is inspired by nothing but boredom (каждый поступок, который совершает Ариох, продиктован не чем иным, как скукой = совершается лишь от скуки; to inspire — вдохновлять, воодушевлять; стимулировать). And now you have his heart (теперь у тебя его сердце). Plainly he did not expect the game to get so out of hand (очевидно, он не ожидал, что игра так выйдет из-под контроля).
boredom [ˈbɔ:dəm] expect [ɪkˈspekt]
Corum looked at the others. They were all nodding.
`Shool sent me! And me!
`And Shool sent me, said Corum. `I had not realised he had tried so many times before.
`It is a game Arioch plays with him, murmured one of the Mabden warriors. `I learned that Shool has little power of his own at all. Arioch gives Shool the power he thinks is his own, for Arioch enjoys the sport of having an enemy with whom he can play. Every action Arioch makes is inspired by nothing but boredom. And now you have his heart. Plainly he did not expect the game to get so out of hand.
`Aye, Corum agreed (согласился Корум). `It was only Arioch's carelessness that allowed me to reach this place (лишь беспечность Ариоха позволила мне добраться до этого места). Now, I return (теперь я возвращаюсь). I must find a way from the palace before he realises what has happened (я должен найти выход из дворца прежде, чем он поймет, что случилось).
`May we come with you (можно нам пойти с тобой)? the Mabden asked.
Corum nodded.
`But hurry (но торопитесь).
They crept back down the ramp (они прокрались обратно по пандусу).
Half-way down, one of the Mabden screamed, flailed at the air (на полпути назад один из мабденов вскрикнул, /принялся/ бить по воздуху; to flail — молотить; бить, ударять), staggered to the edge of the ramp (пошел, шатаясь к краю пандуса) and went drifting down into the sparkling emptiness (и прыгнул /медленно опускаясь/ в сверкавшую пустоту; to go down — спускаться, понижаться; to drift down — снижаться).
