He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced on a sandbank in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Big God Nqong.

He went to Nqong at ten before dinnertime, saying, ‘Make me different from all other animals; make me popular and wonderfully run after by five this afternoon.’

Up jumped Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan and shouted, ‘Yes, I will!’

 

Nqong called Dingo (Нквонг позвал Динго) — Yellow-Dog Dingo (Желтую-Собаку Динго) — always hungry, dusty in the sunshine (вечно голодную, пыльную на солнечном свету), and showed him Kangaroo (и показал ей Кенгуру). Nqong said (Нквонг сказал), ‘Dingo! Wake up, Dingo (Динго! очнись, Динго; to wake up — просыпаться, бодрствовать, оживляться, очнуться)! Do you see that gentleman dancing on an ashpit (ты видишь того господина, танцующего на кратере с пеплом[70]; ashpit — зольник, яма с пеплом)? He wants to be popular and very truly run after (он хочет быть знаменитым и чтобы за ним очень-очень бегали). Dingo, make him so (Динго, сделай его таким / сделай ему так)!’

Up jumped Dingo (вскочила Динго) — Yellow-Dog Dingo (Желтая-Собака Динго) — and said (и сказала), ‘What, that cat-rabbit (что, того кошко-кролика)?’

Off ran Dingo (/и/ побежала Динго; to run off — убегать, удирать) — Yellow-Dog Dingo (Желтая-Собака Динго) — always hungry, grinning like a coal-scuttle (вечно голодная, скалящая зубы, как ведерко для угля у камина[71]) — ran after Kangaroo (побежала за Кенгуру).

 

call [kLl], ashpit ['xSpIt], truly ['trHlI]

 

Nqong called Dingo — Yellow-Dog Dingo — always hungry, dusty in the sunshine, and showed him Kangaroo. Nqong said, ‘Dingo! Wake up, Dingo! Do you see that gentleman dancing on an ashpit? He wants to be popular and very truly run after. Dingo, make him so!’

Up jumped Dingo — Yellow-Dog Dingo — and said, ‘What, that cat-rabbit?’

Off ran Dingo — Yellow-Dog Dingo — always hungry, grinning like a coal-scuttle, — ran after Kangaroo.

 

Off went the proud Kangaroo on his four little legs like a bunny (прочь побежал надменный Кенгуру на своих четырех маленьких ножках, как кролик).

This, O Beloved of mine, ends the first part of the tale (на этом, О Любимые Мои, заканчивается первая часть сказания)!

He ran through the desert (он бежал через пустыню); he ran through the mountains (он бежал через горы); he ran through the salt-pans (он бежал через соляные озера); he ran through the reed-beds (он бежал через заросли тростника); he ran through the blue gums (он бежал среди голубых эвкалиптов); he ran through the spinifex (он бежал через колючую поросль); he ran till his front legs ached (он бежал, пока у него не заболели передние лапы).

He had to (ему пришлось)!

 

mountain ['mauntIn], front [frAnt], ache [eIk]

 

Off went the proud Kangaroo on his four little legs like a bunny.

This, O Beloved of mine, ends the first part of the tale!

He ran through the desert; he ran through the mountains; he ran through the salt-pans; he ran through the reed-beds; he ran through the blue gums; he ran through the spinifex; he ran till his front legs ached.

He had to!

 

Still ran Dingo (по-прежнему бежала Динго) — Yellow-Dog Dingo (Желтая-Собака Динго) — always hungry (вечно голодная), grinning like a rat-trap (скалящая зубы, как крысоловка; trap — ловушка, западня), never getting nearer, never getting farther (ни приближаясь, ни удаляясь), — ran after Kangaroo (бежала за Кенгуру).

He had to (ей пришлось)!

Still ran Kangaroo (по-прежнему бежал Кенгуру) — Old Man Kangaroo (Старина Кенгуру). He ran through the ti-trees (он бежал среди деревьев тай[72]); he ran through the mulga (он бежал среди австралийских акаций; mulga — акация безжилковая /Acacia aneura/); he ran through the long grass (он бежал через высокую траву); he ran through the short grass (он бежал через низкую траву); he ran through the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer (он бежал через Тропики Козерога и Рака); he ran till his hind legs ached (он бежал, пока не заболели его задние ноги).

He had to (ему пришлось)!

 

farther ['fRDq], Capricorn ['kxprIkLn], Cancer ['kxnsq]

 

Still ran Dingo — Yellow-Dog Dingo — always hungry, grinning like a rat-trap, never getting nearer, never getting farther, — ran after Kangaroo.

He had to!

Still ran Kangaroo — Old Man Kangaroo. He ran through the ti-trees; he ran through the mulga; he ran through the long grass; he ran through the short grass; he ran through the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer; he ran till his hind legs ached.

He had to!

 

Still ran Dingo (по-прежнему бежала Динго) — Yellow-Dog Dingo (Желтая-Собака Динго) — hungrier and hungrier (все более голодная и голодная), grinning like a horse-collar (скалящая зубы, как хомут[73]), never getting nearer, never getting farther (ни приближаясь, ни удаляясь); and they came to the Wollgong River (и они прибежали к реке Воллгонг).

Now, there wasn’t any bridge (в то время /через нее/ не было никакого моста), and there wasn’t any ferry-boat (и не было никакого парома), and Kangaroo didn’t know how to get over (и Кенгуру не знал, как перебраться); so he stood on his legs and hopped (и он встал на свои ноги и прыгнул).

He had to (ему пришлось)!

 

horse [hLs], bridge [brIG], boat [bqut]