Inside, on the way to his dressing-room, he encountered the secretary, a keen-eyed, shrewd-faced young man, who shook his hand.

"How are you feelin', Tom?" he asked.

"Fit as a fiddle," King answered, though he knew that he lied, and that if he had a quid, he would give it right there for a good piece of steak.

When he emerged from the dressing-room (когда он вышел из раздевалки), his seconds behind him (с секундантами за собой), and came down the aisle to the squared ring in the centre of the hall (и спустился по проходу к рингу в центре зала; to come down — спуститься), a burst of greeting and applause went up from the waiting crowd (взрыв приветствий и аплодисментов поднялся от ожидающей публики; to go up — подняться). He acknowledged salutations right and left (он ответил: «отблагодарил» приветствиям направо и налево), though few of the faces did he know (хотя мало лиц он знал). Most of them were the faces of kiddies (большинство из них были лица ребят) unborn when he was winning his first laurels in the squared ring (/еще/ не рожденных, когда он завоевывал свои первые лавры на ринге). He leaped lightly to the raised platform (он легко вскочил на приподнятую платформу) and ducked through the ropes to his corner (и пролез сквозь канаты к своему углу), where he sat down on a folding stool (где он сел на складной стул; to sit down — сесть).

emerge [I`mWG], aisle [aIl], squared [skweqd], applause [q`plLz], acknowledge [qk`nOlIG], laurel [`lOr(q)l]

When he emerged from the dressing-room, his seconds behind him, and came down the aisle to the squared ring in the centre of the hall, a burst of greeting and applause went up from the waiting crowd. He acknowledged salutations right and left, though few of the faces did he know. Most of them were the faces of kiddies unborn when he was winning his first laurels in the squared ring. He leaped lightly to the raised platform and ducked through the ropes to his corner, where he sat down on a folding stool.

Jack Ball, the referee, came over (Джек Болл, судья, подошел /к нему/; to come over — подойти) and shook his hand (и пожал ему руку; to shake — трясти; пожимать руку). Ball was a broken-down pugilist (Болл был сошедшим с арены боксером: «сломанным») who for over ten years had not entered the ring as a principal (который /уже/ более десяти лет не выходил на ринг в качестве участника боя). King was glad that he had him for referee (Кинг был рад, что получил его в качестве судьи). They were both old uns (они были оба стариками). If he should rough it with Sandel a bit beyond the rules (если он допустит грубость по отношению к Сэнделу немного против правил: «вне правил»), he knew Ball could be depended upon (он знал, что на Болла можно было положиться; to depend — зависеть) to pass it by (чтобы /он/ пропустил это = закрыл глаза на это).

Aspiring young heavyweights, one after another (честолюбивые молодые тяжеловесы, один за другим), were climbing into the ring (забирались на ринг) and being presented to the audience by the referee (и были представляемы публике судьей). Also, he issued their challenges for them (также он объявлял их ставки).

pugilist [`pjHGIlIst], principal [`prInsqp(q)l], rule [rHl], depend [dI`pend], aspiring [q`spaIqrIN], climb [klaIm], present (глагол) [prI`zent], issue [`IsjH]

Jack Ball, the referee, came over and shook his hand. Ball was a broken-down pugilist who for over ten years had not entered the ring as a principal. King was glad that he had him for referee. They were both old uns. If he should rough it with Sandel a bit beyond the rules, he knew Ball could be depended upon to pass it by.

Aspiring young heavyweights, one after another, were climbing into the ring and being presented to the audience by the referee. Also, he issued their challenges for them.

"Young Pronto," Bill announced, "from North Sydney (молодой Пронто, — объявил Билл, — из Северного Сиднея), challenges the winner for fifty pounds side bet (вызывает победителя, ставка пятьдесят фунтов)."

The audience applauded (публика зааплодировала), and applauded again as Sandel himself sprang through the ropes (и зааплодировала снова, когда сам Сэндел проскочил через канаты; to spring — прыгнуть) and sat down in his corner (и сел в своем углу; to sit down — сесть). Tom King looked across the ring at him curiously (Том Кинг взглянул через ринг на него с любопытством), for in a few minutes they would be locked together in merciless combat (ведь через несколько минут они сцепятся в безжалостной схватке), each trying with all the force of him to knock the other into unconsciousness (каждый /будет/ стараться изо всех своих сил избить другого до бесчувствия). But little could he see (но немного мог он увидеть), for Sandel, like himself, had trousers and sweater on (так как на Сэнделе, как и на нем самом, были надеты брюки и свитер; on — надетый) over his ring costume (поверх боксерской формы). His face was strongly handsome (его лицо было мужественно привлекательно), crowned with a curly mop of yellow hair (увенчанное кудрявой копной желтых волос), while his thick, muscular neck hinted at bodily magnificence (а его толстая, мускулистая шея говорила о телесной мощи: «намекала»).

curiously [`kjVqrIqslI], merciless [`mWsIlqs], unconsciousness [An`kOnSqsnqs], trousers [`traVzqz], sweater [`swetq], costume [`kOstjHm], handsome [`hxnsqm], magnificence [mxg`nIfIs(q)ns]

"Young Pronto," Bill announced, "from North Sydney, challenges the winner for fifty pounds side bet."

The audience applauded, and applauded again as Sandel himself sprang through the ropes and sat down in his corner. Tom King looked across the ring at him curiously, for in a few minutes they would be locked together in merciless combat, each trying with all the force of him to knock the other into unconsciousness. But little could he see, for Sandel, like himself, had trousers and sweater on over his ring costume. His face was strongly handsome, crowned with a curly mop of yellow hair, while his thick, muscular neck hinted at bodily magnificence.

Young Pronto went to one corner and then the other (молодой Пронто подошел к одному углу, а затем — к другому), shaking hands with the principals (обменявшись рукопожатием с противниками: «пожав руки с…»; principal — глава, начальник; патрон; ведущий актер; ведущая актриса; звезда) and dropping down out of the ring (и спрыгнув с ринга). The challenges went on (вызовы продолжались; to go on — идти дальше). Ever Youth climbed through the ropes (все время Юность пробиралась через канаты) — Youth unknown, but insatiable (Юность /никому/ не известная, но ненасытная) — crying out to mankind that with strength and skill it would match issues with the winner (заявляя человечеству, что по мощи и умению она померяется силами с победителем). A few years before (несколько лет назад), in his own heyday of invincibleness (в собственном зените непобедимости), Tom King would have been amused and bored by these preliminaries (Тома Кинга удивили и наскучили бы эти предисловия). But now he sat fascinated (но теперь он сидел завороженный; to sit — сидеть), unable to shake the vision of Youth from his eyes (неспособный стряхнуть видение Юности с глаз = оторвать глаз от…). Always were these youngsters rising up in the boxing game (всегда эти юнцы восходили в боксе), springing through the ropes and shouting their defiance (пролезая через канаты и выкрикивая свой вызов); and always were the old uns going down before them (и всегда старики сходили/опускались перед ними).