It fell to the floor, an exquisite thing, a small thing that could upset balances and

knock down a line of small dominoes and then big dominoes and then gigantic

dominoes, all down the years across Time. Eckels' mind whirled. It couldn't

change things. Killing one butterfly couldn't be that important! Could it?

His face was cold (его лицо похолодело). His mouth trembled, asking (рот задрожал,

спрашивая): "Who – who won the presidential election yesterday (кто выиграл

президентские выборы вчера)?"

The man behind the desk laughed (человек за письменным столом засмеялся). "You

joking (вы шутите)? You know very well (вы /сами/ знаете очень хорошо). Deutscher,

of course! Who else (кто же еще)? Not that fool weakling Keith (не тот же глупый

слабак Кейт: weak – слабый, weakling – слабый человек). We got an iron man now,

a man with guts (мы заполучили железного человека, человека с характером: guts

– кишки, сила воли, характер /в русском языке, наоборот, говорят «кишка

тонка»/)!" The official stopped (служащий остановился). "What's wrong (что не

так)?"

Eckels moaned (застонал). He dropped to his knees (он упал на колени). He

scrabbled at the golden butterfly with shaking fingers (он хватался за золотистую

бабочку трясущимися пальцами: to scrabble – карабкаться, цепляться). "Can't

we," he pleaded to the world, to himself, to the officials, to the Machine (умолял он

мир, сам себя, служащих, Машину), "can't we take it back, can't we make it alive

again (не можем ли мы отнести ее назад, снова оживить: «сделать живой»)? Can't

we start over (не можем ли мы начать сначала)? Can't we –"

He did not move (он не двигался). Eyes shut, he waited, shivering (глаза закрыты, он

ждал, дрожа). He heard Travis breathe loud in the room (он слышал, как Тревис

громко дышит в комнате); he heard Travis shift his rifle (он слышал, как Тревис

перекладывает ружье: to shift – двигать), click the safety catch (нажимает на

предохранитель), and raise the weapon (и поднимает ружье).

There was a sound of thunder (и грянул гром).

His face was cold. His mouth trembled, asking: "Who – who won the presidential

election yesterday?"

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

36

The man behind the desk laughed. "You joking? You know very well. Deutscher,

of course! Who else? Not that fool weakling Keith. We got an iron man now, a

man with guts!" The official stopped. "What's wrong?"

Eckels moaned. He dropped to his knees. He scrabbled at the golden butterfly

with shaking fingers. "Can't we," he pleaded to the world, to himself, to the

officials, to the Machine, "can't we take it back, can't we make it alive again? Can't

we start over? Can't we –"

He did not move. Eyes shut, he waited, shivering. He heard Travis breathe loud in

the room; he heard Travis shift his rifle, click the safety catch, and raise the

weapon.

There was a sound of thunder.

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru