Then the panther rose and backed away carefully, belly almost to the ground. With his hind-quarters among the bushes he wheeled as if in sudden panic and was gone like a flash of dappled light.

Balthus mopped his brow with a trembling hand and glanced at Conan.

The barbarian's eyes were smoldering with fires that never lit the eyes of men bred to the ideas of civilization (глаза варвара тлели огнями, которые никогда не освещали глаза людей, воспитанный в идеях цивилизации; to light — освещать). In that instant he was all wild, and had forgotten the man at his side (в тот миг он был совершенно дикий и забыл о человеке рядом с собой: «у его бока / стороны»). In his burning gaze Balthus glimpsed and vaguely recognized pristine images and half-embodied memories (в его горящем взоре Балтус углядел и смутно распознал незамутненные образы и полувоплощенные воспоминания), shadows from Life's dawn (тени с = времен рассвета Жизни), forgotten and repudiated by sophisticated races (забытые и отвергнутые искушенными расами) — ancient, primeval fantasms unnamed and nameless (древние, первобытные фантомы, безымянные и неизвестные).

Then the deeper fires were masked and Conan was silently leading the way deeper into the forest (потом более глубокие огни были скрыты = скрылись, и Конан молча возглавлял путь / вел путем глубже в лес).

smolder [ˈsməuldə], barbarian [bɑ:ˈbɛərɪən], idea [aɪˈdɪə]

The barbarian's eyes were smoldering with fires that never lit the eyes of men bred to the ideas of civilization. In that instant he was all wild, and had forgotten the man at his side. In his burning gaze Balthus glimpsed and vaguely recognized pristine images and half-embodied memories, shadows from Life's dawn, forgotten and repudiated by sophisticated races — ancient, primeval fantasms unnamed and nameless.

Then the deeper fires were masked and Conan was silently leading the way deeper into the forest.

"We've no more to fear from the beasts," he said after a while, "but we've left a sign for men to read (нам не нужно больше бояться животных, — он сказал через некоторое время, — но мы оставили знак для людей /чтобы прочитать/). They won't follow our trail very easily (они не пойдут по нашему следу очень легко), and until they find that symbol they won't know for sure we've turned south (и пока они /не/ найдут этот символ, они не будут знать наверняка, /что/ мы повернули на юг). Even then it won't be easy to smell us out without the beasts to aid them (даже тогда /это/ будет нелегко вынюхать нас без зверей чтобы помочь им = без помощи зверей). But the woods south of the trail will be full of warriors looking for us (но леса южнее тропинки будут полны воинов, ищущих нас). If we keep moving after daylight, we'll be sure to run into some of them (если мы /будем/ продолжать движение после рассвета, мы наверняка наткнемся на кого-то из них; to run into — наткнуться, налететь на). As soon as we find a good place we'll hide and wait until another night to swing back and make the river (как только мы найдем хорошее место, мы спрячемся и подождем, пока /не/ наступит еще одна ночь и направимся к реке; to make (for) — направляться, двигаться). We've got to warn Valannus, but it won't help him any if we get ourselves killed (мы должны предупредить Валаннуса, но /это/ никоим образом не поможет ему, если мы сами погибнем; to get killed — стать убитым, погибнуть)."

while [waɪl], sign [saɪn], find [faɪnd]

"We've no more to fear from the beasts," he said after a while, "but we've left a sign for men to read. They won't follow our trail very easily, and until they find that symbol they won't know for sure we've turned south. Even then it won't be easy to smell us out without the beasts to aid them. But the woods south of the trail will be full of warriors looking for us. If we keep moving after daylight, we'll be sure to run into some of them. As soon as we find a good place we'll hide and wait until another night to swing back and make the river. We've got to warn Valannus, but it won't help him any if we get ourselves killed."

"Warn Valannus (предупредить Валаннуса)?"

"Hell, the woods along the river are swarming with Picts (ад = проклятие, лес вдоль реки кишит пиктами)! That's why they got us (поэтому /они/ нас достали = обнаружили). Zogar's brewing war-magic; no mere raid this time (Зогар готовит военную магию, не просто рейд /на/ этот раз; to brew — варить (пиво); замышлять (мятеж, заговор и т. п.)). He's done something no Pict has done in my memory — united as many as fifteen or sixteen clans (он сделал что- то, /чего/ /не/ делал ни один пикт на моей памяти — объединил целых: «так много как» пятнадцать или шестнадцать кланов). His magic did it; they'll follow a wizard farther than they will a war-chief (его магия сделала это, они пойдут за чародеем дальше, чем /они пойдут/ за военным вождем). You saw the mob in the village (ты видел сборище в поселке); and there were hundreds hiding along the river bank that you didn't see (и были сотни, прячущихся вдоль берега реки, которых ты не видел). More coming, from the farther villages (еще больше придет из дальних селений). He'll have at least three thousand fighting- men (он будет иметь = у него будет, по крайней мере, три тысячи бойцов). I lay in the bushes and heard their talk as they went past (я лежал в кустах и слышал их разговор, когда они проходили мимо). They mean to attack the fort; when, I don't know, but Zogar doesn't dare delay long (они хотят атаковать форт, когда, я не знаю, но Зогар не осмеливается откладывать надолго). He's gathered them and whipped them into a frenzy (он собрал их и привел их в неистовство). If he doesn't lead them into battle quickly, they'll fall to quarreling with one another (если он не поведет их в битву быстро, они распадутся в ссорах = рассорятся друг с другом). They're like blood-mad tigers (они словно кровожадные тигры).

brew [bru: ], wizard [ˈwɪzəd], chief [ʧi: f]

"Warn Valannus?"

"Hell, the woods along the river are swarming with Picts! That's why they got us. Zogar's brewing war-magic; no mere raid this time. He's done something no Pict has done in my memory — united as many as fifteen or sixteen clans. His magic did it; they'll follow a wizard farther than they will a war-chief. You saw the mob in the village; and there were hundreds hiding along the river bank that you didn't see. More coming, from the farther villages. He'll have at least three thousand fighting-men. I lay in the bushes and heard their talk as they went past. They mean to attack the fort; when, I don't know, but Zogar doesn't dare delay long. He's gathered them and whipped them into a frenzy. If he doesn't lead them into battle quickly, they'll fall to quarreling with one another. They're like blood-mad tigers.

"I don't know whether they can take the fort or not (я не знаю, возьмут ли они форт или нет). Anyway, we've got to get back across the river and give the warning (как бы там ни было, мы должны вернуться через реку и дать = сделать предупреждение). The settlers on the Velitrium road must either get into the fort or back to Velitrium (поселенцы на дороге в Велитириум должны либо попасть в форт, либо вернуться в Велитриум; either … or … — либо …, либо …). While the Picts are besieging the fort, war parties will range the road far to the east (пока пикты будут осаждать форт, военные отряды будут рыскать по дороге далеко на востоке) — might even cross Thunder River and raid the thickly settled country behind Velitrium (возможно даже пересекут Громовую реку и совершат налеты на густо населенную местность за Велитриумом)."