cottage [‘kɒtɪʤ], chimney [‘ʧɪmnɪ]
Well, he set out, and he travelled a long way, and at last he came to a woman’s cottage that had some grass growing on the roof. And the woman was trying to get her cow to go up a ladder to the grass, and the poor thing durst not go. So the gentleman asked the woman what she was doing. ‘Why, lookye,’ she said, ‘look at all that beautiful grass. I’m going to get the cow on to the roof to eat it. She’ll be quite safe, for I shall tie a string round her neck, and pass it down the chimney, and tie it to my wrist as I go about the house, so she can’t fall off without my knowing it.’
‘Oh, you poor silly (ты, бедная дурочка)!’ said the gentleman, ‘you should cut the grass (ты должна срезать траву) and throw it down to the cow (и бросить ее вниз к корове)!’ But the woman thought (но женщина думала) it was easier (/что/ было легче) to get the cow up the ladder (поднять корову вверх по лестнице) than to get the grass down (чем спустить траву вниз), so she pushed her (так что она толкала ее) and coaxed her (и уговаривала ее) and got her up (и подняла ее наверх), and tied a string round her neck (и завязала бечевку вокруг ее шеи), and passed it down the chimney (и пропустила ее вниз по трубе), and fastened it to her own wrist (и привязала ее к своему собственному запястью). And the gentleman went on his way (и джентльмен пошел по своему пути), but he hadn’t gone far (но он не ушел далеко = не успел он отойти) when the cow tumbled off the roof (когда корова свалилась с крыши), and hung by the string tied round her neck (и повисла на бечевке, привязанной вокруг ее шеи), and it strangled her (и она /бечевка/ задушила ее). And the weight of the cow tied to her wrist (и вес коровы, привязанной к ее запястью) pulled the woman up the chimney (потянул женщину вверх по трубе), and she stuck fast half-way (и она застряла крепко на полпути) and was smothered in the soot (и задохнулась: «была задушена» в саже).
Well, that was one big silly (это была большая дура).
coax [kəʋks], weight [weɪt], wrist [rɪst], smother [‘smʌðə]
‘Oh, you poor silly!’ said the gentleman, ‘you should cut the grass and throw it down to the cow!’ But the woman thought it was easier to get the cow up the ladder than to get the grass down, so she pushed her and coaxed her and got her up, and tied a string round her neck, and passed it down the chimney, and fastened it to her own wrist. And the gentleman went on his way, but he hadn’t gone far when the cow tumbled off the roof, and hung by the string tied round her neck, and it strangled her. And the weight of the cow tied to her wrist pulled the woman up the chimney, and she stuck fast half-way and was smothered in the soot.
Well, that was one big silly.
And the gentleman went on and on (и джентльмен шел дальше и дальше), and he went to an inn (и пришел к постоялому двору) to stop for the night (/чтобы/ остановиться на ночь), and they were so full at the inn (и они были так полны в гостинице = но там было так много постояльцев) that they had to put him in a double-bedded room (что им пришлось поместить его в двухместный номер; double – двойной, bed – кровать), and another traveller (и другой путешественник) was to sleep in the other bed (должен был спать в другой кровати). The other man was a very pleasant fellow (другой человек был очень приятный парень), and they got very friendly together (и они стали очень дружны вместе = хорошо поладили); but in the morning (но утром), when they were both getting up (когда они оба вставали), the gentleman was surprised to see the other hang (джентльмен с удивлением увидел, как другой вешает: «был удивлен увидеть другого вешать») his trousers on the knobs of the chest of drawers (свои штаны на круглые ручки: «шишечки» комода: «ларя с ящиками») and run across the room (и бежит через комнату) and try to jump into them (и старается запрыгнуть в них), and he tried over and over again (и он старался снова и снова) and couldn’t manage it (и не мог справиться с этим); and the gentleman wondered (и джентльмен удивился/задался вопросом) whatever he was doing it for (зачем он это делал).
double-bed [‘dʌblbed], pleasant [‘plezənt], friend [frend]
And the gentleman went on and on, and he went to an inn to stop the night, and they were so full at the inn that they had to put him in a double-bedded room, and another traveller was to sleep in the other bed. The other man was a very pleasant fellow, and they got very friendly together; but in the morning, when they were both getting up, the gentleman was surprised to see the other hang his trousers on the knobs of the chest of drawers and run across the room and try to jump into them, and he tried over and over again and couldn’t manage it; and the gentleman wondered whatever he was doing it for.
At last he stopped and wiped his face with his handkerchief (наконец тот остановился и вытер свое лицо платком). ‘Oh dear (о Боже: «о дорогой»),’ he says, ‘I do think (я действительно думаю) trousers are the most awkwardest kind of clothes (/что/ штаны есть наиболее неловкая = неудобная разновидность одежды) that ever were (которая когда-либо была). I can’t think (я не могу представить: «подумать») who could have invented such things (кто мог изобрести подобные вещи). It takes me the best part of an hour (у меня уходит почти час: «это берет мне лучшую часть часа») to get into mine every morning (чтобы залезть в мои /штаны/ каждое утро), and I get so hot (и я становлюсь таким горячим = так потею)! How do you manage yours (как вы справляетесь с вашими)?’ So the gentleman burst out a-laughing (тогда джентльмен разразился смехом), and showed him how to put them on (и показал ему, как их надевать); and he was very much obliged to him (и он был очень много обязан ему), and said he never should have thought (и сказал, /что/ он никогда не подумал бы) of doing it that way (делать это: «о делании этого» таким способом).
So that was another big silly (так /что/ этот был другим = еще одним большим дураком).
handkerchief [‘hæŋkətʃi:f], awkward [‘ɔ:kwəd], obliged [ə’blaɪʤd]
At last he stopped and wiped his face with his handkerchief. ‘Oh dear,’ he says, ‘I do think trousers are the most awkwardest kind of clothes that ever were. I can’t think who could have invented such things. It takes me the best part of an hour to get into mine every morning, and I get so hot! How do you manage yours?’ So the gentleman burst out a-laughing, and showed him how to put them on; and he was very much obliged to him, and said he never should have thought of doing it that way.
So that was another big silly.
Then the gentleman went on his travels again (затем джентльмен пошел путешествовать: «отправился в свои путешествия» снова); and he came to a village (и пришел в деревню), and outside the village there was a pond (и снаружи = возле деревни был пруд), and round the pond was a crowd of people (а вокруг пруда была толпа людей). And they had got rakes (и у них были кочерги; to have got – иметь: «иметь полученным»; to get – получать), and brooms (и метлы), and pitchforks (и вилы) reaching into the pond (тянущиеся в пруд = и они совали все это в пруд); and the gentleman asked what the matter was (и джентльмен спросил, в чем было дело).
