momentarily [ˈməuməntərɪlɪ], ambush [ˈæmbʋʃ], enemy [ˈenɪmɪ]

Creeping down the rocks Balthus felt his flesh crawl between his shoulders as he momentarily expected a withering blast of arrows from the green masses above them. He feared that the Picts had discovered them and were lying about in ambush. But Conan was convinced no enemies were near, and the Cimmerian was right.

"We're miles to the south of the village," grunted Conan (мы /в/ милях к югу от поселка, — пробурчал Конан). "We'll hit straight through for the river (мы будем пробиваться прямо к реке). I don't know how far down the river they've spread (я не знаю, как далеко вниз по реке они распространились; to spread — распространиться). We'll hope to hit it below them (/мы/ будем надеяться, /что/ наткнемся = выйдем на нее ниже них)."

With haste that seemed reckless to Balthus they hurried eastward (со спешкой, которая казалась безрассудной Балтусу, они поспешили /на/ восток). The woods seemed empty of life (лес казался пустым от жизни = вымершим). Conan believed that all the Picts were gathered in the vicinity of Gwawela, if, indeed, they had not already crossed the river (Конан полагал, что все пикты собрались вблизи Гвавелы, если, в самом деле, они уже не пересекли реку). He did not believe they would cross in the daytime, however (он не думал, однако, /что/ они переправятся в дневное время).

spread [spred], reckless [ˈreklɪs], vicinity [vɪˈsɪnɪtɪ]

"We're miles to the south of the village," grunted Conan. "We'll hit straight through for the river. I don't know how far down the river they've spread. We'll hope to hit it below them."

With haste that seemed reckless to Balthus they hurried eastward. The woods seemed empty of life. Conan believed that all the Picts were gathered in the vicinity of Gwawela, if, indeed, they had not already crossed the river. He did not believe they would cross in the daytime, however.

"Some woodsman would be sure to see them and give the alarm (какой-нибудь лесной житель наверняка увидел бы их и поднял бы тревогу). They'll cross above and below the fort, out of sight of the sentries (они переправятся выше и ниже форта, вне видимости часовых). Then others will get in canoes and make straight across for the river wall (потом другие заберутся в каноэ и направятся прямо к речной стене = стене, выходящей на реку). As soon as they attack, those hidden in the woods on the east shore will assail the fort from the other sides (как только они атакуют, /те/ спрятавшиеся в лесу на восточном побережье нападут на форт с других сторон). They've tried that before, and got the guts shot and hacked out of them (они пробовали это раньше, и им повыпускали кишки: «они получили кишки простреленными и вырезанными»). But this time they've got enough men to make a real onslaught of it (но /на/ этот раз они имеют = у них достаточно людей, /чтобы/ произвести настоящую атаку на него)."

alarm [əˈlɑ:m], attack [əˈtæk], onslaught [ˈɔnslɔ: t]

"Some woodsman would be sure to see them and give the alarm. They'll cross above and below the fort, out of sight of the sentries. Then others will get in canoes and make straight across for the river wall. As soon as they attack, those hidden in the woods on the east shore will assail the fort from the other sides. They've tried that before, and got the guts shot and hacked out of them. But this time they've got enough men to make a real onslaught of it."

They pushed on without pausing, though Balthus gazed longingly at the squirrels flitting among the branches (они продвигались без остановок, хотя Балтус глядел жадно на белок, мелькающих среди ветвей), which he could have brought down with a cast of his ax (которых он мог бы сбить броском своего топора). With a sigh he drew up his broad belt (со вздохом он подтянул свой широкий ремень). The everlasting silence and gloom of the primitive forest was beginning to depress him (постоянная тишина и мрак первобытного леса начинали угнетать его). He found himself thinking of the open groves and sun- dappled meadows of the Tauran (он нашел себя думающим = он поймал себя на том, что думает о тауранских открытых рощах и лугах в солнечных пятнах), of the bluff cheer of his father's steep-thatched, diamond-paned house (о грубовато-сердечном веселье крытого соломой ромбовидного дома его отца), of the fat cows browsing through the deep lush grass (о коровах, неспешно выбирающих густую сочную траву), and the hearty fellowship of the brawny, bare-armed plowmen and herdsmen (и об искренней дружбе мускулистых пахарей и пастухов с открытыми /до плеч/ руками).

though [ðəu], grove [ɡrəuv], meadow [ˈmedəu]

They pushed on without pausing, though Balthus gazed longingly at the squirrels flitting among the branches, which he could have brought down with a cast of his ax. With a sigh he drew up his broad belt. The everlasting silence and gloom of the primitive forest was beginning to depress him. He found himself thinking of the open groves and sun-dappled meadows of the Tauran, of the bluff cheer of his father's steep-thatched, diamond-paned house, of the fat cows browsing through the deep lush grass, and the hearty fellowship of the brawny, bare-armed plowmen and herdsmen.

He felt lonely, in spite of his companion (он чувствовал себя одиноко, несмотря на своего спутника). Conan was as much a part of this wilderness as Balthus was alien to it (насколько Конан был частью этих диких мест, настолько Балтус был чужаком здесь). The Cimmerian might have spent years among the great cities of the world (возможно, Киммериец провел годы среди = в великих городах мира); he might have walked with the rulers of civilization (возможно, он гулял с правителями цивилизации); he might even achieve his wild whim some day and rule as king of a civilized nation (возможно, он даже добьется /исполнения/ своей дикой причуды однажды и будет править, как король цивилизованной страны); stranger things had happened (более странные вещи случались = случались вещи и более странные). But he was no less a barbarian (но он был не кем иным, как варваром). He was concerned only with the naked fundamentals of life (он интересовался лишь голыми жизненными основами). The warm intimacies of small, kindly things (теплые близкие отношения из приятных мелочей: «маленьких приятных вещей»), the sentiments and delicious trivialities that make up so much of civilized men's lives were meaningless to him (чувства и прелестные банальности, которые составляют так много в жизни цивилизованных людей, были бессмысленны для него). A wolf was no less a wolf because a whim of chance caused him to run with the watch-dogs (волк оставался волком: «был не менее волком», оттого, что = пусть даже каприз судьбы заставил его бежать со сторожевыми псами). Bloodshed and violence and savagery were the natural elements of the life Conan knew (кровопролитие и насилие и дикость были естественными составляющими жизни, /которую/ знал Конан); he could not, and would never, understand the little things that are so dear to civilized men and women (он не мог и никогда /не/ захотел бы понять мелочей, которые так дороги цивилизованным мужчинам и женщинам).

alien [ˈeɪljən], achieve [əˈʧi: v], dear [dɪə]

He felt lonely, in spite of his companion. Conan was as much a part of this wilderness as Balthus was alien to it. The Cimmerian might have spent years among the great cities of the world; he might have walked with the rulers of civilization; he might even achieve his wild whim some day and rule as king of a civilized nation; stranger things had happened. But he was no less a barbarian. He was concerned only with the naked fundamentals of life. The warm intimacies of small, kindly things, the sentiments and delicious trivialities that make up so much of civilized men's lives were meaningless to him. A wolf was no less a wolf because a whim of chance caused him to run with the watch-dogs. Bloodshed and violence and savagery were the natural elements of the life Conan knew; he could not, and would never, understand the little things that are so dear to civilized men and women.