Книга бессмыслицы

Лир Эдвард

She quickly became melancholy.

59

There was an Old Man of Corfu,

Who never knew what he should do (никогда не знал, что ему следует делать);

So he rushed up and down (носился туда — сюда: «вверх и вниз»),

Till the sun made him brown (пока солнце не сделало его коричневым),

That bewildered Old Man of Corfu (сбитый с толку, озадаченный).

There was an Old Man of Corfu,

Who never knew what he should do;

So he rushed up and down,

Till the sun made him brown,

That bewildered Old Man of Corfu.

60

There was an Old Man of the South (с

Юга),

Who had an immoderate mouth (чрезмерный рот);

But in swallowing a dish (глотая блюдо),

That was quite full of fish (которое было довольно полным рыбы),

He was choked (подавился), that Old Man of the South.

There was an Old Man of the South,

Who had an immoderate mouth;

But in swallowing a dish,

That was quite full of fish,

He was choked, that Old Man of the South.

61

There was an Old Man of the Nile (с Нила),

Who sharpened his nails with a file (затачивал ногти напильником),

Till he cut out his thumbs (пока не отрезал большие пальцы своих рук),

And said calmly (спокойно), 'This comes (это происходит = приходит)

Of sharpening one's nails with a file (из-за затачивания своих ногтей напильником)!

There was an Old Man of the Nile,

Who sharpened his nails with a file,

Till he cut out his thumbs,

And said calmly, 'This comes

Of sharpening one's nails with a file!

62

There was an Old Person of Rheims ([город во Франции]),

Who was troubled with horrible dreams (обеспокоен, мучим ужасными снами);

So, to keep him awake (потому, чтобы держать его бодрствующим = не давать ему уснуть)

They fed him on cake (/они/ его кормили тортом),

Which amused (что забавляло) that Old Person of Rheims.

There was an Old Person of Rheims,

Who was troubled with horrible dreams;

So, to keep him awake

They fed him on cake,

Which amused that Old Person of Rheims.

63

There was an Old Person of Cromer,

Who stood on one leg to read Homer (стоял

на одной ноге, чтобы читать Гомера);

When he found he grew stiff (когда он обнаружил, /что/ он стал окостеневшим, одеревеневшим = что нога затекла; find— находить; grow— расти; становиться),

He jumped over the cliff (спрыгнул с утеса),

Which concluded (прикончило) that Person of Cromer.

There was an Old Person of Cromer,

Who stood on one leg to read Homer;

When he found he grew stiff,

He jumped over the cliff,

Which concluded that Person of Cromer.

64

There was an old person of Troy,

Whose drink was warm brandy and soy (питьем которого были теплое бренди и соя),

Which he took with a spoon (которые он брал ложкой),

By the light of the moon (при свете луны),

In sight of the city of Troy (с видом на город).

There was an old person of Troy,

Whose drink was warm brandy and soy,

Which he took with a spoon,

By the light of the moon,

In sight of the city of Troy.

65

There was an Old Man of the Dee ([город в Шотландии]),

Who was sadly annoyed by a flea (досадно раздражен, раздражаем блохой = которому не давала покоя, надоедала блоха);

When he said, 'I will scratch it (расцарапаю это /блоху/),

They gave him a hatchet (дали топор),

Which grieved (что огорчило) that Old Man of the Dee.

There was an Old Man of the Dee,

Who was sadly annoyed by a flea;

When he said, 'I will scratch it,

They gave him a hatchet,

Which grieved that Old Man of the Dee.

66

There was an Old Man of Dundee ([город в Шотландии]),

Who frequented the top of a tree (часто посещал верхушку дерева);

When disturbed by the crows (когда был потревожен воронами),

He abruptly arose (внезапно поднялся; arise— подниматься),