nought [nɔ:t], length [leŋθ], whirlpool [‘wɜ:lpu:l], giant [‘ʤaɪənt]
There once lived a king and a queen as many a one has been. They were long married and had no children; but at last a baby boy came to the queen when the king was away in the far countries. The queen would not christen the boy till the king came back, and she said: ‘We will just call him Nix Nought Nothing until his father comes home.’ But it was long before he came home, and the boy had grown a fine, bonny laddie. At length the king was on his way back; but he had a big river to cross, and there was a whirlpool, and he could not get over the water. But a giant came up to him, and said: ‘I’ll carry you over.’ But the king said: ‘What’s your pay?’
‘Oh, give me Nix, Nought, Nothing (дай мне Ничего-Ничего-Ничего), and I will carry you over the water on my back (и я понесу тебя через воду на моей спине).’ The king had never heard that his son was called Nix Nought Nothing (король никогда/вовсе не слышал, что его сын был назван Ничего-Ничего-Ничего), and so he said (и потому он сказал): ‘Oh, I’ll give you that (я дам тебе это) and my thanks into the bargain (и мою благодарность в придачу: «в сделку»).’ When the king got home again (когда король снова добрался домой), he was very happy to see his wife again (он был очень счастлив увидеть снова свою жену), and his young son (и своего юного сына). She told him that she had not given the child any name (она сказала ему, что не дала ребенку никакого имени), but just Nix Nought Nothing (но просто /назвала/ Ничего-Ничего-Ничего), until he should come home again himself (пока он сам не вернется домой).
bargain [‘bɑ:ɡɪn], young [jʌŋ]
‘Oh, give me Nix, Nought, Nothing, and I will carry you over the water on my back.’ The king had never heard that his son was called Nix Nought Nothing, and so he said: ‘Oh, I’ll give you that and my thanks into the bargain.’ When the king got home again, he was very happy to see his wife again, and his young son. She told him that she had not given the child any name, but just Nix Nought Nothing, until he should come home again himself.
The poor king was in a terrible case (бедный король был в ужасном положении). He said (он сказал): ‘What have I done (что я наделал)? I promised to give the giant (я обещал отдать великану) who carried me over the river on his back (который перенес меня через реку на своей спине) Nix Nought Nothing.’ The king and the queen were sad and sorry (король и королева были грустны и огорчены), but they said (но они сказали): ‘When the giant comes (когда великан придет) we will give him the hen-wife’s boy (мы дадим ему мальчика птичницы; hen – курица); he will never know the difference (он никогда не узнает разницы).’ The next day the giant came to claim the king’s promise (на следующий день великан пришел, чтобы потребовать обещанное королем: «обещание короля»), and he sent for the hen-wife’s boy (и он послал за мальчиком птичницы; to send); and the giant went away with the boy on his back (и великан ушел прочь с мальчиком на своей спине). He travelled till he came to a big stone (он шел: «путешествовал», пока он не пришел к большому камню), and there he sat down to rest (и там присел, чтобы отдохнуть). He said: ‘Hidge, Hodge, on my back (на моей спине), what time of day is that (какое время дня /сейчас/ = который сейчас час)?’
The poor little lad said (бедный маленький мальчик сказал): ‘It is the time that my mother (это время, когда моя мать), the hen-wife (птичница), takes up the eggs for the queen’s breakfast (доставляет яйца для завтрака королевы).’
promise [‘prɒmɪs], difference [‘dɪfrǝns], breakfast [‘brekfəst]
The poor king was in a terrible case. He said: ‘What have I done? I promised to give the giant who carried me over the river on his back Nix Nought Nothing.’ The king and the queen were sad and sorry, but they said: ‘When the giant comes we will give him the hen-wife’s boy; he will never know the difference.’ The next day the giant came to claim the king’s promise, and he sent for the hen-wife’s boy; and the giant went away with the boy on his back. He travelled till he came to a big stone, and there he sat down to rest. He said: ‘Hidge, Hodge, on my back, what time of day is that?’
The poor little lad said: ‘It is the time that my mother, the hen-wife, takes up the eggs for the queen’s breakfast.’
Then the giant was very angry (тогда великан был очень сердит = рассердился), and dashed the boy on the stone (и швырнул мальчика о камень) and killed him (и убил его).
Back he went in a tower of a temper (и он вернулся: «пошел назад» в страшном гневе: «в груде/башне гнева»; tower – башня; высокая куча, груда; temper – характер, нрав; раздражительность, вспыльчивость) and this time (и на этот раз) they gave him the gardener’s boy (они дали ему мальчика садовника). He went off with him on his back (он ушел с ним прочь на своей спине) till they got to the stone again (пока они не добрались до камня снова) when the giant sat down to rest (когда = и великан сел, чтобы отдохнуть). And he said: ‘Hidge, Hodge, on my back, what time of day do you make that (как ты думаешь, который сейчас час)?’
The gardener’s boy said (мальчик садовника сказал): ‘Surely (конечно), it’s the time that my mother takes up the vegetables for the queen’s dinner (это время, когда моя мать доставляет овощи для обеда королевы).’
Then the giant was as wild as could be (тогда великан был так дик, как /только/ мог быть = совершенно рассвирепел), and killed him, too (и убил его тоже).
tower [‘taʋǝ], gardener [‘ɡɑ:dnǝ], vegetables [‘veʤətəblz]
Then the giant was very angry, and dashed the boy on the stone and killed him.
Back he went in a tower of a temper, and this time they gave him the gardener’s boy. He went off with him on his back till they got to the stone again when the giant sat down to rest. And he said: ‘Hidge, Hodge, on my back, what time of day do you make that?’
The gardener’s boy said: ‘Surely, it’s the time that my mother takes up the vegetables for the queen’s dinner.’
Then the giant was as wild as could be, and killed him, too.
Then the giant went back to the king’s house in a terrible temper (тогда великан пошел назад к дому короля в ужасном гневе) and said he would destroy them all (и сказал, что он уничтожит их всех) if they did not give him Nix Nought Nothing this time (если они не дадут ему Ничего-Ничего-Ничего на этот раз). They had to do it (им пришлось сделать это: «они имели сделать это»); and when he came to the big stone (и когда он пришел к большому камню), the giant said (великан сказал): ‘What time of day is that (который сейчас час)?’ Nix Nought Nothing said: ‘It is the time that my father the king will be sitting down to supper (это время, когда мой отец король будет садиться, чтобы ужинать).’ The giant said: ‘I’ve got the right one now (вот теперь у меня правильный: «я получил правильного теперь»)’; and took Nix Nought Nothing to his own house (и отвел: «взял» Ничего-Ничего-Ничего в свой собственный дом) and brought him up (и воспитывал его; to bring up) till he was a man (пока он не стал мужчиной).
