Английский с О. Генри. Вождь краснокожих / O. Henry. The Ransom of Red Chief

Just at daybreak, I was awakened by a series of awful screams from Bill. They weren't yells, or howls, or shouts, or whoops, or yawps, such as you'd expect from a manly set of vocal organs – they were simply indecent, terrifying, humiliating screams, such as women emit when they see ghosts or caterpillars. It's an awful thing to hear a strong, desperate, fat man scream incontinently in a cave at daybreak.

I jumped up to see what the matter was. Red Chief was sitting on Bill's chest, with one hand twined in Bill's hair. In the other he had the sharp case-knife we used for slicing bacon; and he was industriously and realistically trying to take Bill's scalp, according to the sentence that had been pronounced upon him the evening before.

I got the knife away from the kid (я забрал у мальчишки нож; to get – добывать, получать; хватать, брать силой) and made him lie down again (и заставил его улечься обратно). But, from that moment, Bill's spirit was broken (но с этого момента дух Билла был сломлен; to break – ломать). He laid[10 - Laid – форма глагола to lay «класть, положить» в прошедшем времени, но здесь она получилась случайно. Рассказчик добавил к прошедшему времени от to lie – lay «лежать» окончание прошедшего времени – d по образцу правильных глаголов. Характерно для речи неграмотных людей.] down on his side of the bed (= he lay down…; он лег на своей стороне постели; to lay – класть, положить; to lie – лежать; to lie down – ложиться спать), but he never closed an eye again in sleep as long as that boy was with us (но он так больше и не сомкнул глаз во сне, пока мальчик был с нами; to close – закрывать). I dozed off for a while (я задремал было ненадолго; while – время, промежуток времени), but along toward sun-up I remembered (но к восходу солнца /вдруг/ вспомнил) that Red Chief had said I was to be burned at the stake at the rising of the sun (что Вождь Краснокожих сказал, что меня сожгут на костре на восходе солнца). I wasn't nervous or afraid (я не нервничал и не боялся); but I sat up and lit my pipe and leaned against a rock (но я сел на постели, разжег трубку и прислонился к скале; to sit – сидеть; to light – зажигать).

“What you getting up so soon for, Sam?” asked Bill (= what are you…; чего /это ради/ ты поднялся так рано, Сэм? – спросил Билл).

“Me?” says I (= said I; я? – говорю я). “Oh, I got a kind of a pain in my shoulder (что-то плечо побаливает; kind – сорт; вид, класс; pain – боль). I thought sitting up would rest it (я подумал, что если сяду, /то/ ему полегчает; to think – думать; to rest – давать отдых, покой).”

knife [na?f], nervous ['n?:v?s], afraid [?'fre?d]

I got the knife away from the kid and made him lie down again. But, from that moment, Bill's spirit was broken. He laid down on his side of the bed, but he never closed an eye again in sleep as long as that boy was with us. I dozed off for a while, but along toward sun-up I remembered that Red Chief had said I was to be burned at the stake at the rising of the sun. I wasn't nervous or afraid; but I sat up and lit my pipe and leaned against a rock.

“What you getting up so soon for, Sam?” asked Bill.

“Me?” says I. “Oh, I got a kind of a pain in my shoulder. I thought sitting up would rest it.”

“You're a liar!” says Bill (врешь ты: «ты лгун»! – говорит Билл). “You're afraid (ты боишься). You was to be burned at sunrise (= you were to be…; ты должен был быть сожжен с восходом солнца), and you was afraid he'd do it (= you were…; и ты боишься, что он /так и/ сделает). And he would, too (а он так и сделал бы), if he could find a match (если бы смог найти спички). Ain't it awful, Sam (ведь это просто ужас: «разве это не ужасно», Сэм; ain't = am not, is not, are not, have not, has not – свойственная просторечию универсальная форма отрицания