As they issued from the valley, the half moon rose over the cliffs behind them. In the misty air, it looked as if the viewer were seeing it from under water. The wan, illusive light of this moon shone upon a small, rounded hill, which rose out of the sward directly before them. Beyond it, steep-sided, forest-crested hills stood up blackly in the watery moonlight.

As the moon cast a powdering of silver over the hill before them, Conan forgot his premonitions (когда луна усыпала серебром: «бросила посыпание из серебра» — /небо/ над холмом перед ними, Конан забыл /о/ своих предчувствиях; to forget — забывать). For here rose the monolith of which Feng had spoken (Так как здесь возвышался монолит, о котором говорил Фэн). It was a smooth, dully glistening shaft of dark stone (это была гладкая, тускло блестящая колонна из темного камня), which rose from the top of the hill and soared up (которая поднималась с вершины холма и устремлялась ввысь) until it pierced the layer of mist that overhung the land (пока /не/ пронизывала слой дымки, который висел над землей; to overhang — нависать над, свешиваться на). The top of the shaft appeared as a mere blur (вершина колонны казалась /как/ лишь/не более, чем пятном).

moon [mu: n], here [hɪə], shaft [ʃɑ: ft]

As the moon cast a powdering of silver over the hill before them, Conan forgot his premonitions. For here rose the monolith of which Feng had spoken. It was a smooth, dully glistening shaft of dark stone, which rose from the top of the hill and soared up until it pierced the layer of mist that overhung the land. The top of the shaft appeared as a mere blur.

Here, then, was the tomb of the long-dead King Hsia, just as Feng had foretold (здесь тогда была могила давно умершего короля Ся, в точности, как предсказал Фэн; to foretell — предсказывать, прогнозировать). The treasure must be buried either directly beneath it or to one side (сокровище должно быть закопано либо прямо под ним, либо сбоку). They would soon find out which (они скоро выяснят где: «которое»).

With Feng’s crowbar and shovel on his shoulder, Conan pushed forcefully through a clump of tough, elastic rhododendron bushes and (с ломом и лопатой Фэна на /его/ плече Конан с силой протиснулся сквозь заросли крепкого эластичного рододендрона) started up the hill (и начал /подниматься/ на холм). He paused to give his small companion a hand up (он остановился, /чтобы/ подать своему маленькому компаньону руку /наверх/). After a brief scramble, they gained the top of the slope (после недолгого карабканья они достигли вершины склона).

tomb [tu: m],just [ʤʌst], shovel [ʃʌvl]

Here, then, was the tomb of the long-dead King Hsia, just as Feng had foretold. The treasure must be buried either directly beneath it or to one side. They would soon find out which.

With Feng’s crowbar and shovel on his shoulder, Conan pushed forcefully through a clump of tough, elastic rhododendron bushes and started up the hill. He paused to give his small companion a hand up. After a brief scramble, they gained the top of the slope.

Before them, the shaft rose from the center of the gently convex surface of the hilltop (перед ними колонна поднималась из центра мягко округлой поверхности вершины холма). The hill, thought Conan, was probably an artificial mound (холм, подумал Конан, был, вероятно, искусственным курганом), such as were sometimes piled up over the remains of great chiefs in his own country (таким, какие были иногда нагромождены = иногда нагромождали над останками великих вождей в его собственной стране). If the treasure were at the bottom of such a pile, it would take more than one night’s digging to uncover i t (если / бы / сокровище был о на дне тако й кучи, это заняло бы более одной ночи копания = ушло бы более одной ночи на работу, чтобы откопать ег о ) …

thought [Ɵɔ: t], country [kʌntrɪ], were [wə:]

Before them, the shaft rose from the center of the gently convex surface of the hilltop. The hill, thought Conan, was probably an artificial mound, such as were sometimes piled up over the remains of great chiefs in his own country. If the treasure were at the bottom of such a pile, it would take more than one night’s digging to uncover it…

With a startled oath, Conan clutched at his shovel and crowbar (с удивленным ругательством Конан схватился за /свою/ лопату и лом). Some invisible force had seized upon them and pulled them toward the shaft (какая-то невидимая сила ухватилась за них и потянула из к колонне). He leaned away from the shaft, his powerful muscles bulging under his mail shirt (он отклонился от колонны, его мощные мускулы вздулись под /его/ кольчугой). Inch by inch, however, the force dragged him toward the monolith (дюйм за дюймом, однако, сила тащила его к монолиту). When he saw that he would be drawn against the shaft willy-nilly, he let go of the tools, which flew to the stone (когда он увидел/понял, что /он/ будет притянут к колонне волей-неволей, он отпустил: «позволил уйти» — инструменты, которые полетели к камню; to draw — тащить, перемещать; to let — позволять, разрешать, давать; to flow — летать). They struck it with a loud double clank and stuck fast to it (они ударили /по/ нему с громким двойным лязгом и приклеились крепко = накрепко приклеились к нему; to strike — ударить; to stick — застрять, приклеиться).

pull [pʋl], away [əˈweɪ], saw [sɔ:]

With a startled oath, Conan clutched at his shovel and crowbar. Some invisible force had seized upon them and pulled them toward the shaft. He leaned away from the shaft, his powerful muscles bulging under his mail shirt. Inch by inch, however, the force dragged him toward the monolith. When he saw that he would be drawn against the shaft willy-nilly, he let go of the tools, which flew to the stone. They struck it with a loud double clank and stuck fast to it.

But releasing the tools did not free Conan from the attraction of the monument (но, отпустив инструменты, не освободился Конан от притяжения монумента), which now pulled on his mail shirt as powerfully as it had on the shovel and the crowbar (который теперь тянул за его кольчугу так же сильно, как он /тянул/ за лопату и лом). Staggering and cursing, Conan was slammed against the monolith with crushing force (шатающийся и ругающийся Конан был брошен на монолит с сокрушительной силой). His back was pinned to the shaft, as were his upper arms where the short sleeves of the mail shirt covered them (его спина была пригвождена к колонне, как /и/ его плечи /там/, где короткие рукава кольчуги покрывали их). So was his head inside the spired Turanian helmet, and so was the scabbarded sword at his waist (так же /была/ /пригвождена/ /и/ его голова внутри остроконечного туранского шлема, и так же /был/ /пригвожден/ меч в ножнах на его поясе; so + служебный глагол + подлежащее = тоже (да), то есть согласие с положительным высказыванием: I like music. — So do I. — Я люблю музыку. — Я тоже.).

tool [tu: l], free [fri: ], cover [ˈkʌvə]

But releasing the tools did not free Conan from the attraction of the monument, which now pulled on his mail shirt as powerfully as it had on the shovel and the crowbar. Staggering and cursing, Conan was slammed against the monolith with crushing force. His back was pinned to the shaft, as were his upper arms where the short sleeves of the mail shirt covered them. So was his head inside die spired Turanian helmet, and so was the scabbarded sword at his waist.