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The Princess and the Goblin, CHAPTER 19, part 2

CHAPTER 19, part 2

'Better and better!' cried the queen and the prince together, both of them clapping their hands. And the prince made an ugly noise with his hare-lip, just as if he had intended to be one at the feast.

'But,' added the queen, bethinking herself, 'he is so troublesome. For poor creatures as they are, there is something about those sun-people that is very troublesome. I cannot imagine how it is that with such superior strength and skill and understanding as ours, we permit them to exist at all. Why do we not destroy them entirely, and use their cattle and grazing lands at our pleasure? Of course we don't want to live in their horrid country! It is far too glaring for our quieter and more refined tastes. But we might use it as a sort of outhouse, you know. Even our creatures' eyes might get used to it, and if they did grow blind that would be of no consequence, provided they grew fat as well. But we might even keep their great cows and other creatures, and then we should have a few more luxuries, such as cream and cheese, which at present we only taste occasionally, when our brave men have succeeded in carrying some off from their farms.' 'It is worth thinking of,' said the king; 'and I don't know why you should be the first to suggest it, except that you have a positive genius for conquest. But still, as you say, there is something very troublesome about them; and it would be better, as I understand you to suggest, that we should starve him for a day or two first, so that he may be a little less frisky when we take him out.' 'Once there was a goblin Living in a hole;

Busy he was cobblin' A shoe without a sole.

'By came a birdie: "Goblin, what do you do?" "Cobble at a sturdie Upper leather shoe." '"What's the good o' that, Sir?" Said the little bird.

"Why it's very Pat, Sir-- Plain without a word.

'"Where 'tis all a hole, Sir, Never can be holes:

Why should their shoes have soles, Sir,

When they've got no souls?"' 'What's that horrible noise?' cried the queen, shuddering from pot-metal head to granite shoes.

'I declare,' said the king with solemn indignation, 'it's the sun-creature in the hole!' 'Stop that disgusting noise!' cried the crown prince valiantly, getting up and standing in front of the heap of stones, with his face towards Curdie's prison. 'Do now, or I'll break your head.' 'Break away,' shouted Curdie, and began singing again: 'Once there was a goblin, Living in a hole--' 'I really cannot bear it,' said the queen. 'If I could only get at his horrid toes with my slippers again!' 'I think we had better go to bed,' said the king. 'It's not time to go to bed,' said the queen. 'I would if I was you,' said Curdie. 'Impertinent wretch!' said the queen, with the utmost scorn in her voice.

'An impossible if,' said His Majesty with dignity. 'Quite,' returned Curdie, and began singing again: 'Go to bed, Goblin, do.

Help the queen

Take off her shoe.

'If you do, It will disclose

A horrid set

Of sprouting toes.' 'What a lie!' roared the queen in a rage.

CHAPTER 19, part 2 第 19 章,第 2 部分

'Better and better!' cried the queen and the prince together, both of them clapping their hands. And the prince made an ugly noise with his hare-lip, just as if he had intended to be one at the feast.

'But,' added the queen, bethinking herself, 'he is so troublesome. For poor creatures as they are, there is something about those sun-people that is very troublesome. I cannot imagine how it is that with such superior strength and skill and understanding as ours, we permit them to exist at all. Я не могу себе представить, как с такой превосходящей силой, умением и пониманием, как у нас, мы вообще позволяем им существовать. Why do we not destroy them entirely, and use their cattle and grazing lands at our pleasure? Почему бы нам не уничтожить их совсем и не использовать их скот и пастбища в свое удовольствие? Of course we don't want to live in their horrid country! It is far too glaring for our quieter and more refined tastes. Он слишком вопиющий для наших более спокойных и изысканных вкусов. But we might use it as a sort of outhouse, you know. Но мы могли бы использовать его как своего рода надворную постройку, знаете ли. Even our creatures' eyes might get used to it, and if they did grow blind that would be of no consequence, provided they grew fat as well. Даже глаза наших существ могли бы к этому привыкнуть, а если бы они и ослепли, то это не имело бы значения, если бы они еще и толстели. But we might even keep their great cows and other creatures, and then we should have a few more luxuries, such as cream and cheese, which at present we only taste occasionally, when our brave men have  succeeded in carrying some off from their farms.' Но мы могли бы даже держать их больших коров и других животных, и тогда у нас было бы больше предметов роскоши, таких как сливки и сыр, которые в настоящее время мы пробуем только изредка, когда нашим храбрым людям удалось унести кое-что со своих ферм. ' 'It is worth thinking of,' said the king; 'and I don't know why you should be the first to suggest it, except that you have a positive genius for conquest. «Об этом стоит подумать, — сказал король. — И я не знаю, почему вы должны быть первыми, кто предложил это, если не считать того, что у вас определенно есть талант к завоеваниям. But still, as you say, there is something very  troublesome about them; and it would be better, as I understand you to suggest, that we should starve him for a day or two first, so that he may be a little less frisky when we take him out.' Но все же, как вы говорите, есть в них что-то очень хлопотное; и было бы лучше, как я понимаю, вы предлагаете, чтобы мы сначала поморили его голодом на день или два, чтобы он мог быть немного менее резвым, когда мы вытащим его. 'Once there was a goblin Living in a hole;

Busy he was cobblin' A shoe without a sole.

'By came a birdie: «Прилетела птичка: "Goblin, what do you do?" "Cobble at a sturdie "Булыжник в крепком Upper leather shoe." '"What's the good o' that, Sir?" Said the little bird.

"Why it's very Pat, Sir-- Plain without a word.

'"Where 'tis all a hole, Sir, Never can be holes:

Why should their shoes have soles, Sir,

When they've got no souls?"' 'What's that horrible noise?' cried the queen, shuddering from pot-metal head to granite shoes. — воскликнула королева, содрогаясь от чугунной головы до гранитных башмаков.

'I declare,' said the king with solemn indignation, 'it's the sun-creature in the hole!' 'Stop that disgusting noise!' cried the crown prince valiantly, getting up and standing in front of the heap of stones, with his face towards Curdie's prison. 'Do now, or I'll break your head.' 'Break away,' shouted Curdie, and began singing again: 'Once there was a goblin, Living in a hole--' 'I really cannot bear it,' said the queen. 'If I could only get at his horrid toes with my slippers again!' 'I think we had better go to bed,' said the king. 'It's not time to go to bed,' said the queen. 'I would if I was you,' said Curdie. 'Impertinent wretch!' said the queen, with the utmost scorn in her voice.

'An impossible if,' said His Majesty with dignity. 'Quite,' returned Curdie, and began singing again: 'Go to bed, Goblin, do.

Help the queen

Take off her shoe.

'If you do, It will disclose

A horrid set

Of sprouting toes.' 'What a lie!' roared the queen in a rage.