Halston batted at the cat on the dashboard with his fist (Хэлстон кулаком ударил кота на приборной панели). It was blocking his field of vision (он закрывал ему обзор: «его поле зрения»). It spat at him, arching its back, but it didn't move (он = кот зашипел на него, выгибая дугой спину, но не сдвинулся; to spit — плевать; шипеть; arch — арка; дуга). Halston swung again, and instead of shrinking away, it leaped at him (Хэлстон ударил снова, и вместо того, чтобы отскочить, кот прыгнул на него; to swing — битьнаотмашь, сразмаху).
ghost [gqVst], chew [CH], forehead ['fOrId], vision ['vIZ(q)n], arch [RC]
He was thinking these things as the car moved through the night like a dark blue ghost and that was when the cat walked in front of his eyes, up on the dashboard, tail raised arrogantly, its black-and-white face turned toward him, its mouth seeming to grin at him.
“Ssssshhhh —” Halston hissed. He glanced to his right and caught a glimpse of the double-thickness shopping bag, a hole chewed — or clawed — in its side. Looked ahead again.., and the cat lifted a paw and batted playfully at him. The paw skidded across Halston's forehead. He jerked away from it and the Plymouth's big tires wailed on the road as it swung erratically from one side of the narrow blacktop to the other.
Halston batted at the cat on the dashboard with his fist. It was blocking his field of vision. It spat at him, arching its back, but it didn't move. Halston swung again, and instead of shrinking away, it leaped at him.
Gage, he thought (Гейдж, подумал он). Just like Gage (совсем как Гейдж) —
He stamped the brake (он вдавил /педаль/ тормоза /в пол/; to stamp — топать). The cat was on his head (кот был = сидел у него на голове), blocking his vision with its furry belly (закрывая ему обзор своим мохнатым брюхом; fur — мех; furry — меховой), clawing at him (царапая его; claw — коготь), gouging at him (ударяя его когтями; to gouge — выдалбливать; gouge — полукруглое долото или стамеска). Halston held the wheel grimly (Хэлстон продолжал стискивать руль; to hold — держать; wheel — колесо; рулевое колесо; grim — жестокий; непреклонный). He struck the cat once, twice, a third time (он ударил кота один раз, потом еще и еще: «второй, третий раз»; time — время; раз). And suddenly the road was gone (неожиданно дорога закончилась; to go — идти; перестать существовать, исчезать), the Plymouth was running down into the ditch (“плимут” съехал в канаву/кювет; to run down — сбегать вниз; спускаться), thudding up and down on its shocks (подпрыгивая на своих амортизаторах; to thud — удариться с глухим звуком; shock — удар, толчок; /= shock absorber/ амортизатор). Then, impact, throwing him forward against his seat belt (затем удар, бросивший его вперед, на ремень безопасности), and the last sound he heard was the cat yowling inhumanly (и последним звуком, который он услышал, был нечеловеческий вой кота; inhuman — бесчеловечный; нечеловеческий), the voice of a woman in pain or in the throes of sexual climax (/похожий на/ женский голос = стон от боли или в муках оргазма).
He struck it with his closed fists (он снова ударил его = кота сжатыми кулаками; to close — закрывать) and felt only the springy, yielding flexof its muscles (но кулаки лишь скользнули по упругим кошачьим мускулам: «и почувствовал только упругую, пружинистую гибкость его мускулов»; to flex — сгибать).
Then, second impact (затем, второй удар). And darkness (и темнота).
gouge [gaVG], throe [TrqV], climax ['klaImxks], springy ['sprINI], yield [jJld]
Gage, he thought. Just like Gage —
He stamped the brake. The cat was on his head, blocking his vision with its furry belly, clawing at him, gouging at him. Halston held the wheel grimly. He struck the cat once, twice, a third time. And suddenly the road was gone, the Plymouth was running down into the ditch, thudding up and down on its shocks. Then, impact, throwing him forward against his seat belt, and the last sound he heard was the cat yowling inhumanly, the voice of a woman in pain or in the throes of sexual climax.
He struck it with his closed fists and felt only the springy, yielding flex of its muscles.
Then, second impact. And darkness.
The moon was down (луна села = скрылась за горизонтом). It was an hour before dawn (до рассвета оставался /примерно/ час).
The Plymouth lay in a ravine curdled with groundmist (“плимут” лежал в овраге, окутанном стелющимся по земле туманом; to curdle — сгущать/ся/; ground — земля; mist — туман). Tangled in its grille was a snarled length of barbed wire (в решетке радиатора запутался = застрял спутанный клубок колючей проволоки; length — длина; кусок, отрезок). The hood had come unlatched (капот открылся: «стал незапертым»; to come — приходить; делаться, становится; latch — щеколда, задвижка), and tendrils of steam from the breached radiator drifted out of the opening to mingle with the mist (и струйки пара сочились из пробитого радиатора, чтобы смешаться = смешиваясь с туманом; tendril — завиток; opening — отверстие, дыра).
No feeling in his legs (он не чувствовал своих ног; feeling — ощущение; чувствительность).
He looked down and saw that the Plymouth's firewall had caved in with the impact (он посмотрел вниз и увидел, что теплозащитный кожух двигателя опустился/осел от удара). The back of that big Cyclone Spoiler engine block had smashed into his legs, pinning them (задняя часть большого блока цилиндров двигателя свалилась на его ноги, придавив их; to smash — ударяться; врезаться; to pin — прикалывать; придавить).
Outside, in the distance (снаружи, в отдалении), the predatory squawk of an owl dropping onto some small, scurrying animal (/раздался/ хищный крик совы, бросающейся на какое-то маленькое убегающее животное).
Inside, close, the steady purr of the cat (внутри, рядом, мерное урчание кота).
It seemed to be grinning, like Alice's Cheshire had in Wonderland (казалось он ухмылялся, словно Чеширский Кот из “Алисы в стране чудес”: «как в Стране Чудес улыбался Чеширский /Кот/ Алисы»).
dawn [dLn], ravine [rq'vJn], curdle ['kq:dl], snarl [sna:l], length [leNT], radiator ['reIdIeItq], predatory ['predqt(q)rI]
The moon was down. It was an hour before dawn.
The Plymouth lay in a ravine curdled with groundmist. Tangled in its grille was a snarled length of barbed wire. The hood had come unlatched, and tendrils of steam from the breached radiator drifted out of the opening to mingle with the mist.
No feeling in his legs.
He looked down and saw that the Plymouth's firewall had caved in with the impact. The back of that big Cyclone Spoiler engine block had smashed into his legs, pinning them.
Outside, in the distance, the predatory squawk of an owl dropping onto some small, scurrying animal.
Inside, close, the steady purr of the cat.
It seemed to be grinning, like Alice's Cheshire had in Wonderland.
As Halston watched it stood up, arched its back, and stretched (Хэлстон видел, как кот встал, выгнул спину и потянулся). In a sudden limber movement like rippled silk (/одним/ внезапным гибким/проворным движением, словно струящийся шелк; to ripple — покрыватьсярябью; струиться), it leaped to his shoulder (кот прыгнул на его плечо). Halston tried to lift his hands to push it off (Хэлстон попытался поднять руки, чтобы оттолкнуть его).
His arms wouldn't move (его руки не двигались).
Spinal shock, he thought (спинальный шок,подумал он; spine — спиннойхребет; позвоночник). Paralyzed (парализован). Maybe temporary (возможно, временно). More likely permanent (скорее всего, постоянно/навсегда).
The cat purred in his ear like thunder (кот мурлыкал ему в ухо, и это звук казался раскатами грома: «словно гром»).
“Get off me (убирайся: «слезь с меня»),” Halston said. His voice was hoarse and dry (голос был сиплым: «хриплым и сухим»). The cat tensed for a moment and then settled back (кот напрягся на мгновение, а затем снова уселся = расслабился). Suddenly its paw batted Halston's cheek, and the claws were out this time (неожиданно его лапа ударила Хэлстона по щеке, и когти на этот раз были выпущены). Hot lines of pain down to his throat (горячие полоски боли = резкая боль спустилась к его горлу/шее).
And the warm trickle of blood (и теплая струйка крови).
Pain (боль).
Feeling (чувствительность /вернулась/).
