Английские волшебные сказки / English Fairy Tales. Джозеф Джейкобс

not christen the boy till the king came back (королева не хотела крестить ребенка, пока король не вернулся назад), and she said (и она сказала): ‘We will just call him Nix Nought Nothing until his father comes home (мы будем просто звать его Ничего-Ничего-Ничего, пока его отец не придет домой).’ But it was long before he came home (но прошло много времени: «это было долго», прежде чем он пришел домой), and the boy had grown a fine, bonny laddie (и мальчик вырос прекрасным крепким пареньком; bonny – здоровый, цветущий, пышущий здоровьем, крепкий). At length the king was on his way back (наконец король был на своем пути назад = на пути домой); but he had a big river to cross (но он должен был пересечь большую реку), and there was a whirlpool (а там был водоворот), and he could not get over the water (и он не мог переправиться через воду). But a giant came up to him (но великан подошел к нему), and said (и сказал): ‘I’ll carry you over (я перенесу тебя).’ But the king said: ‘What’s your pay (какова твоя цена: «плата»)?’

nought [nɔ:t], length [leŋθ], whirlpool [‘wɜ:lpu:l], giant [‘ʤaɪənt]

      There once lived a king and a queen as many a one has been. They were long married and had no children; but at last a baby boy came to the queen when the king was away in the far countries. The queen would not christen the boy till the king came back, and she said: ‘We will just call him Nix Nought Nothing until his father comes home.’ But it was long before he came home, and the boy had grown a fine, bonny laddie. At length the king was on his way back; but he had a big river to cross, and there was a whirlpool, and he could not get over the water. But a giant came up to him, and said: ‘I’ll carry you over.’ But the king said: ‘What’s your pay?’

      ‘Oh, give me Nix, Nought, Nothing (дай мне Ничего-Ничего-Ничего), and I will carry you over the water on my back (и я понесу тебя через воду на моей спине).’ The king had never heard that his son was called Nix Nought Nothing (король никогда/вовсе не слышал, что его сын был назван Ничего-Ничего-Ничего), and so he said (и потому он сказал): ‘Oh, I’ll give you that (я дам тебе это) and my thanks into the bargain (и мою благодарность в придачу: «в сделку»).’ When the king got home again (когда король снова добрался домой), he was very happy to see his wife again (он был очень счастлив увидеть снова свою жену), and his young son (и своего юного сына). She told him that she had not given the child any name (она сказала ему, что не дала ребенку никакого имени), but just Nix Nought Nothing (но просто /назвала/ Ничего-Ничего-Ничего), until he should come home again himself (пока он сам не вернется домой).

bargain [‘bɑ:ɡɪn], young [jʌŋ]

      ‘Oh, give me Nix, Nought, Nothing, and I will carry you over the water on my back.’ The king had never heard that his son was called Nix Nought Nothing, and so he said: ‘Oh, I’ll give you that and my thanks into the bargain.’ When the king got home again, he was very happy to see his wife again, and his young son. She told him that she had not given the child any name, but just Nix Nought Nothing, until he should come home again himself.

      The poor king was in a terrible case (бедный король был в ужасном положении). He said (он сказал): ‘What have I done (что я наделал)? I promised to give the giant (я обещал отдать великану) who carried me over the river on his back (который перенес меня через реку на своей спине) Nix Nought Nothing.’ The king and the queen were sad and sorry (король и королева были грустны и огорчены), but they said (но они сказали): ‘When the giant comes (когда великан придет) we will give him the hen-wife’s boy (мы дадим ему мальчика птичницы; hen – курица); he will never know the difference (он никогда не узнает разницы).’ The next day the giant came to claim the king’s promise (на следующий день великан пришел, чтобы потребовать обещанное королем: «обещание короля»), and he sent for the hen-wife’s boy (и он послал за мальчиком птичницы; to send); and the giant went away with the boy on his back (и великан ушел прочь с мальчиком на своей спине). He travelled till he came to a big stone (он шел: «путешествовал», пока он не пришел к большому камню), and there he sat down to rest (и там присел, чтобы отдохнуть). He said: ‘Hidge, Hodge, on my back (на моей спине), what time of day is that (какое время дня /сейчас/ = который сейчас час)?’

      The poor little lad said (бедный маленький мальчик сказал): ‘It is the time that my mother (это время, когда моя мать), the hen-wife (птичница), takes up the eggs for the queen’s breakfast (доставляет яйца для завтрака королевы).’

promise [‘prɒmɪs], difference [‘dɪfrǝns], breakfast [‘brekfəst]

      The poor king was in a terrible case. He said: ‘What have I done? I promised to give the giant who carried me over the river on his back Nix Nought Nothing.’ The king and the queen were sad and sorry, but they said: ‘When the giant comes we will give him the hen-wife’s boy; he will never know the difference.’ The next day the giant came to claim the king’s promise, and he sent for the hen-wife’s boy; and the giant went away with the boy on his back. He travelled till he came to a big stone, and there he sat down to rest. He said: ‘Hidge, Hodge, on my back, what time of day is that?’

      The poor little lad said: