The man did not reply (мужчина не ответил). Wondering if he had fallen asleep, Balthus reached out and grasped his shoulder (спрашивая себя, /не/ уснул ли он, Балтус потянулся и схватил его плечо; to fall asleep — заснуть). To his amazement, the man crumpled under his touch and slumped down in the canoe (к его изумлению, мужчина рухнул под его прикосновением и осел внизу в каноэ = на дно каноэ). Twisting his body half about, Balthus groped for him, his heart shooting into his throat (повернув его тело на пол-оборота, Балтус ощупал его, у него душа ушла в пятки: «его сердце дернулось в его горло»; to have one's heart in one's mouth/throat — быть очень напуганным; душа в пятки ушла). His fumbling fingers slid over the man's throat (его нащупывающие пальцы скользнули по горлу мужчины) — only the youth's convulsive clenching of his jaws choked back the cry that rose to his lips (только конвульсивное стискивание юноши = юношей /его/ челюстей сдержало крик = только конвульсивно стиснутые челюсти сдержали крик, который поднялся к его губам = готовый сорваться с его губ). His finger encountered a gaping, oozing wound — his companion's throat had been cut from ear to ear (его палец натолкнулся на зияющую, сочащуюся рану — горло его спутника было перерезано от уха до уха; to cut — резать, рубить).

asleep [əˈsli: p], youth [ju: Ɵ], wound [wʋnd]

The man did not reply. Wondering if he had fallen asleep, Balthus reached out and grasped his shoulder. To his amazement, the man crumpled under his touch and slumped down in the canoe. Twisting his body half about, Balthus groped for him, his heart shooting into his throat. His fumbling fingers slid over the man's throat — only the youth's convulsive clenching of his jaws choked back the cry that rose to his lips. His finger encountered a gaping, oozing wound — his companion's throat had been cut from ear to ear.

In that instant of horror and panic Balthus started up — and then a muscular arm out of the darkness locked fiercely about his throat, strangling his yell (в этот миг ужаса и паники Балтус вскочил — а затем мускулистая рука из темноты сомкнулась яростно на его горле, подавляя его вопль). The canoe rocked wildly (каноэ дико затряслось). Balthus' knife was in his hand, though he did not remember jerking it out of his boot, and he stabbed fiercely and blindly (нож Балтуса был в его руке, хотя он не помнил, /как/ выхватил его из сапога, и он яростно и вслепую вонзил /его/). He felt the blade sink deep, and a fiendish yell rang in his ear, a yell that was horribly answered (он почувствовал, /как/ лезвие погрузилось глубоко, и злодейский вопль = вопль злодея раздался в его ухе, вопль, который был ужасно отвечен = на который пришел ужасный ответ). The darkness seemed to come to life about him (темнота, казалось, ожила вокруг него; to come to life — оживать). A bestial clamor rose on all sides, and other arms grappled him (звериный крик поднялся со всех сторон, и другие руки обхватили его). Borne under a mass of hurtling bodies the canoe rolled sidewise shone (/несомое/ под массой столкнувшихся тел каноэ качнулось вбок), but before he went under with it но прежде чем он перевернулся с ним), something cracked against Balthus' head (что-то ударилось о голову Балтуса) and the night was briefly illuminated by a blinding burst of fire before it gave way to a blackness where not even stars (и ночь на короткое время осветилась ослепляющей вспышкой огня, прежде чем она уступила /место/ черноте, где не светили даже звезды; to give way — уступать, отступать, поддаваться, сдаваться; to shine — светить).

darkness [ˈdɑ: knɪs], yell [jel], shone [ʃɔn]

In that instant of horror and panic Balthus started up — and then a muscular arm out of the darkness locked fiercely about his throat, strangling his yell. The canoe rocked wildly. Balthus' knife was in his hand, though he did not remember jerking it out of his boot, and he stabbed fiercely and blindly. He felt the blade sink deep, and a fiendish yell rang in his ear, a yell that was horribly answered. The darkness seemed to come to life about him. A bestial clamor rose on all sides, and other arms grappled him. Borne under a mass of hurtling bodies the canoe rolled sidewise, but before he went under with it, something cracked against Balthus' head and the night was briefly illuminated by a blinding burst of fire before it gave way to a blackness where not even stars shone.

Fires dazzled Balthus again as he slowly recovered his senses (огни ослепили Балтуса опять, когда он медленно пришел в сознание / в чувство; to recover one’s senses — приходить в сознание: «вновь обретать свои чувства»). He blinked, shook his head (он заморгал, потряс головой; to shake). Their glare hurt his eyes (их яркий свет причинял боль его глазам; to hurt — ушибить, причинять боль). A confused medley of sound rose about him, growing more distinct as his senses cleared (беспорядочная мешанина звуков поднялась вокруг него, становясь более разборчивой, по мере того, как его чувства прояснялись). He lifted his head and stared stupidly about him (он поднял /свою/ голову и посмотрел глупо = тупо вокруг себя = по сторонам). Black figures hemmed him in, etched against crimson tongues of flame (черные фигуры окружали его, четко очерченные против = на фоне кровавых языков пламени; to etch — гравировать, запечатлевать; hem — ободок, кайма; край, кромка; to hem — ограничивать (что-л. определенными границами); окружать).

sense [sens], rose [rəuz], hem [hem]

Fires dazzled Balthus again as he slowly recovered his senses. He blinked, shook his head. Their glare hurt his eyes. A confused medley of sound rose about him, growing more distinct as his senses cleared. He lifted his head and stared stupidly about him. Black figures hemmed him in, etched against crimson tongues of flame.

Memory and understanding came in a rush (память и понимание пришли в спешке = быстро). He was bound upright to a post in an open space, ringed by fierce and terrible figures (он был привязан вертикально к столбу на открытом пространстве, окруженный свирепыми и ужасными фигурами; to bind — вязать, привязывать, связывать). Beyond that ring fires burned, tended by naked, dark-skinned women (за этим кругом горели костры, /за которыми/ присматривали обнаженные темнокожие женщины; to tend — присматривать, ухаживать). Beyond the fires he saw huts of mud and wattle, thatched with brush (за кострами он увидел хижины из глины и прутьев, крытые кустарником). Beyond the huts there was a stockade with a broad gate (за хижинами был частокол с широкими воротами). But he saw these things only incidentally (но он видел эти вещи лишь мельком). Even the cryptic dark women with their curious coiffures were noted by him only absently (даже таинственные темные женщины с их любопытными прическами были замечены им лишь рассеянно). His full attention was fixed in awful fascination on the men who stood glaring at him (его полное = все внимание было сосредоточено, в ужасной притягательности, на мужчинах, которые стояли уставясь на него).

post [pəust], space [speɪs], cryptic [ˈkrɪptɪk]

Memory and understanding came in a rush. He was bound upright to a post in an open space, ringed by fierce and terrible figures. Beyond that ring fires burned, tended by naked, dark-skinned women. Beyond the fires he saw huts of mud and wattle, thatched with brush. Beyond the huts there was a stockade with a broad gate. But he saw these things only incidentally. Even the cryptic dark women with their curious coiffures were noted by him only absently. His full attention was fixed in awful fascination on the men who stood glaring at him.