It was stated that the people of Walton and Weybridge, and all the district were pouring along the roads Londonward, and that was all.

My brother went to church at the Foundling Hospital in the morning, still in ignorance of what had happened on the previous night. There he heard allusions made to the invasion, and a special prayer for peace. Coming out, he bought a Referee. He became alarmed at the news in this, and went again to Waterloo station to find out if communication were restored. The omnibuses, carriages, cyclists, and innumerable people walking in their best clothes seemed scarcely affected by the strange intelligence that the news venders were disseminating.

People were interested, or, if alarmed, alarmed only on account of the local residents (люди заинтересовались, и если тревожились = переживали, то только за местных жителей; on account of — из-за, вследствие). At the station he heard for the first time (на вокзале он в первый раз услышал) that the Windsor and Chertsey lines were now interrupted (что сообщение на линиях Виндзора и Чертси теперь прервано). The porters told him that several remarkable telegrams (носильщики рассказали ему, что несколько удивительных телеграмм) had been received in the morning from Byfleet and Chertsey stations (были получены утром со станций Байфлит и Чертси), but that these had abruptly ceased (но что они = телеграммы вдруг прекратили /поступать/). My brother could get very little precise detail out of them (брат смог выудить у них очень мало точной информации; detail — деталь, подробность).

“There’s fighting going on about Weybridge (под Уэйбриджем идет сражение)” was the extent of their information (этим ограничивались их сведения; extent — протяжение, протяженность; объем, пределы; information — информация; сведения, данные).

The train service was now very much disorganized (служба движения теперь была в полнейшем беспорядке).

local ['lquk(q)l], cease [si:s], service ['sq:vIs]

People were interested, or, if alarmed, alarmed only on account of the local residents. At the station he heard for the first time that the Windsor and Chertsey lines were now interrupted. The porters told him that several remarkable telegrams had been received in the morning from Byfleet and Chertsey stations, but that these had abruptly ceased. My brother could get very little precise detail out of them.

“There’s fighting going on about Weybridge” was the extent of their information.

The train service was now very much disorganized.

Quite a number of people who had been expecting friends from places on the South-Western network (довольно много людей, которые ожидали /приезда/ друзей из местечек на Юго-западной железной дороге; network — сеть /железнодорожная, радиотрансляционная и т. п./) were standing about the station (стояли вокруг вокзала). One grey-headed old gentleman came (подошел какой-то седовласый пожилой джентльмен) and abused the South-Western Company bitterly to my brother (и злобно обругал перед моим братом Юго-Западную компанию; bitterly — горько; злобно, ожесточенно). “It wants showing up (я этого так не оставлю: «это нужно изобличить»; to want — желать, хотеть; быть нужным, требоваться; to show up — показывать, обнаруживать; разоблачать),” he said.

One or two trains came in from Richmond, Putney, and Kingston (прибыло несколько поездов из Ричмонда, Патни и Кингстона), containing people who had gone out for a day’s boating (с людьми, которые выехали на денек покататься на лодке; to contain — содержать в себе, вмещать; boat — лодка, шлюпка) and found the locks closed (но обнаружили, что шлюзы закрыты; lock — замόк; шлюз) and a feeling of panic in the air (а в воздухе витает тревога: «и чувство паники в воздухе»; panic — паника, переполох; тревога). A man in a blue and white blazer (какой-то мужчина в синей с белым спортивной куртке) addressed my brother, full of strange tidings (обратился к моему брату, полный странных известий = поведал моему брату удивительные новости).

gentleman ['dZentlmqn], abuse [q'bju:z], strange [streIndZ]

Quite a number of people who had been expecting friends from places on the South-Western network were standing about the station. One grey-headed old gentleman came and abused the South-Western Company bitterly to my brother. “It wants showing up,” he said.

One or two trains came in from Richmond, Putney, and Kingston, containing people who had gone out for a day’s boating and found the locks closed and a feeling of panic in the air. A man in a blue and white blazer addressed my brother, full of strange tidings.

“There’s hosts of people driving into Kingston in traps and carts and things (массы людей едут в Кингстон на двуколках, повозках и на чем угодно; host — толпа; масса, куча; trap — капкан; рессорная двуколка /разг./), with boxes of valuables and all that (с сундуками, набитыми вещами и всем прочим),” he said. “They come from Molesey and Weybridge and Walton (они едут из Молси, Уэйбриджа и Уолтона), and they say there’s been guns heard at Chertsey, heavy firing (и говорят, слышно, как в Чертси, не переставая, грохочут пушки; heavy firing — шквальный огонь; heavy — тяжелый), and that mounted soldiers have told them to get off at once (и что солдаты на лошадях сказали им = жителям немедленно уходить; mounted — конный, верховой; to mount — подниматься; садиться /верхом на лошадь/; to get off — слезать, сходить; уезжать, отбывать) because the Martians are coming (потому что марсиане приближаются). We heard guns firing at Hampton Court station (мы слышали канонаду на станции Хэмптон-Корт), but we thought it was thunder (но подумали, что это гром). What the dickens does it all mean (какого дьявола все это значит)? The Martians can’t get out of their pit, can they (марсиане же не могут вылезти из своей ямы, верно)?”

My brother could not tell him (/этого/ ему мой брат не мог сказать).

heavy ['hevI], firing ['faI(q)rIN], dickens ['dIkInz]

“There’s hosts of people driving into Kingston in traps and carts and things, with boxes of valuables and all that,” he said. “They come from Molesey and Weybridge and Walton, and they say there’s been guns heard at Chertsey, heavy firing, and that mounted soldiers have told them to get off at once because the Martians are coming. We heard guns firing at Hampton Court station, but we thought it was thunder. What the dickens does it all mean? The Martians can’t get out of their pit, can they?”

My brother could not tell him.

Afterwards he found that the vague feeling of alarm (позже он заметил: «обнаружил», что неясное чувство тревоги) had spread to the clients of the underground railway (распространилось среди пассажиров: «клиентов» подземки), and that the Sunday excursionists began to return from all over the South-Western “lung” (и что воскресные туристы начали возвращаться со всего юго-западного направления; lung — легкое /анат./; the lungs of London — парки и скверы Лондона и его окрестностей) — Barnes, Wimbledon, Richmond Park, Kew, and so forth (из Барнса, Уимблдона Ричмонд-Парка, Кью и так далее) — at unnaturally early hours (в неестественно раннее время = намного раньше, чем обычно); but not a soul had anything more than vague hearsay to tell of (но никто /не мог/ сообщить ничего более /конкретного/, кроме туманных слухов; soul — душа; человек). Everyone connected with the terminus seemed ill-tempered (каждый, кто прибывал на вокзал, казалось, был в дурном расположении духа; to connect — соединять/ся/, связывать/ся/; terminus — конечная станция; вокзал /на конечной станции/; ill-tempered — со скверным характером; раздражительный; ill — больной; злой, вредный; temper — характер, душевный склад).

About five o’clock the gathering crowd in the station (около пяти часов собравшаяся на вокзале толпа) was immensely excited by the opening of the line of communication (была чрезвычайно удивлена: «взволнована» открытием линии сообщения), which is almost invariably closed (которая практически постоянно закрыта), between the South-Eastern and the South-Western stations (между юго-восточной и юго-западной станциями), and the passage of carriage trucks bearing huge guns (и прохождением /по ней/ платформ с тяжелой артиллерией: «с огромными орудиями») and carriages crammed with soldiers (и вагонов, переполненных солдатами; to cram — наполнять, переполнять; cram — толкотня, давка /разг./).

client ['klaIqnt], underground ['Andqgraund], terminus ['tq:mInqs]

Afterwards he found that the vague feeling of alarm had spread to the clients of the underground railway, and that the Sunday excursionists began to return from all over the South-Western “lung” — Barnes, Wimbledon, Richmond Park, Kew, and so forth — at unnaturally early hours; but not a soul had anything more than vague hearsay to tell of. Everyone connected with the terminus seemed ill-tempered.

About five o’clock the gathering crowd in the station was immensely excited by the opening of the line of communication, which is almost invariably closed, between the South-Eastern and the South-Western stations, and the passage of carriage trucks bearing huge guns and carriages crammed with soldiers.

These were the guns that were brought up from Woolwich and Chatham to cover Kingston (это были орудия, которые перебрасывали из Вулвича и Чатема для защиты Кингстона; to bring up — воспитывать, растить; подтягивать /резервы/, подвозить /боеприпасы/; to cover — покрывать, накрывать; прикрывать, защищать). There was an exchange of pleasantries (толпа с солдатами обменивалась шутками; exchange — обмен): “You’ll get eaten (вас съедят)!” “We’re the beast-tamers (мы укротители /диких/ зверей)!” and so forth (и тому подобными). A little while after that a squad of police came into the station (немного погодя на вокзал прибыл отряд полиции) and began to clear the public off the platforms (и принялся разгонять публику на платформах; to clear off — уйти, убраться; выгонять, выставлять /кого-л./), and my brother went out into the street again (и мой брат снова вышел на улицу).

The church bells were ringing for evensong (церковные колокола звонили к вечерне), and a squad of Salvation Army lassies (и группа девушек из Армии спасения; lassie — девчушка, девчонка) came singing down Waterloo Road (шла с пением по Ватерлоо-Роуд). On the bridge a number of loafers (на мосту несколько бродяг; loafer — бездельник, лодырь; бродяга) were watching a curious brown scum (смотрели на странную бурую пену) that came drifting down the stream in patches (которая клочьями плыла вниз по течению). The sun was just setting (солнце уже садилось), and the Clock Tower and the Houses of Parliament (и башня с “Биг Беном”: «башня с часами» и здание парламента; Houses of Parliament — палата общин и палата лордов, образующие парламент Великобритании; здание парламента) rose against one of the most peaceful skies it is possible to imagine (возвышались на фоне самых мирных небес, которые /только/ можно представить; to rise — подниматься, восходить; возвышаться), a sky of gold, barred with long transverse stripes of reddish-purple cloud (небес цвета золота, испещренных косыми полосами красновато-лиловых облаков; to bar — запирать /на засов/; испещрять полосами).

pleasantry ['plez(q)ntrI], squad [skwOd], loafer ['lqufq]

These were the guns that were brought up from Woolwich and Chatham to cover Kingston. There was an exchange of pleasantries: “You’ll get eaten!” “We’re the beast-tamers!” and so forth. A little while after that a squad of police came into the station and began to clear the public off the platforms, and my brother went out into the street again.

The church bells were ringing for evensong, and a squad of Salvation Army lassies came singing down Waterloo Road. On the bridge a number of loafers were watching a curious brown scum that came drifting down the stream in patches. The sun was just setting, and the Clock Tower and the Houses of Parliament rose against one of the most peaceful skies it is possible to imagine, a sky of gold, barred with long transverse stripes of reddish-purple cloud.

There was talk of a floating body (поговаривали, что по реке проплыло /мертвое/ тело; talk — разговор, беседа; россказни, толки). One of the men there, a reservist he said he was (один человек /в толпе/, сказавший, что он резервист), told my brother he had seen the heliograph flickering in the west (рассказал моему брату, что видел на западе мигание гелиографа).

In Wellington Street my brother met a couple of sturdy roughs (на Веллингтон-Стрит брат столкнулся с двумя бойкими парнями; to meet — встречать; sturdy — прочный, крепкий; энергичный; rough — неровная местность; хулиган, буян) who had just been rushed out of Fleet Street (которые только что выбежали с Флит-Стрит; Fleet Street — улица в Лондоне, где до недавнего времени располагались редакции главных британских газет) with still-wet newspapers and staring placards (с еще влажными газетами и броскими плакатами; staring — широко раскрытый /о глазах/; кричащий, бросающийся в глаза). “Dreadful catastrophe (ужасная трагедия)!” they bawled one to the other down Wellington Street (по очереди выкрикивали они на Веллингтон-Стрит). “Fighting at Weybridge! Full description (сражение под Уэйбриджем! подробное: «полное» описание)! Repulse of the Martians! London in Danger (атака марсиан отбита! Лондон в опасности; repulse — отпор, отражение)!” He had to give threepence for a copy of that paper (ему пришлось отдать три пенса за номер газеты; copy — копия; экземпляр).

Then it was, and then only, that he realized something (тогда и только тогда он в какой-то степени понял; something — что-то, кое-что; в какой-то степени, слегка) of the full power and terror of these monsters (всю силу и весь ужас этих чудовищ). He learned that they were not merely a handful of small sluggish creatures (он узнал, что они не просто горстка маленьких медлительных созданий), but that they were minds swaying vast mechanical bodies (а что они — мозг, управляющий огромными механическими телами; to sway — качаться, колебаться; править, управлять); and that they could move swiftly and smite with such power (и что они могут быстро передвигаться и разить с такой силой) that even the mightiest guns could not stand against them (что даже самые мощные орудия не могут выстоять против них = не в силах их остановить).

reservist [rI'zq:vIst], placard ['plxkQ:d], merely ['mIqlI]

There was talk of a floating body. One of the men there, a reservist he said he was, told my brother he had seen the heliograph flickering in the west.

In Wellington Street my brother met a couple of sturdy roughs who had just been rushed out of Fleet Street with still-wet newspapers and staring placards. “Dreadful catastrophe!” they bawled one to the other down Wellington Street. “Fighting at Weybridge! Full description! Repulse of the Martians! London in Danger!” He had to give threepence for a copy of that paper.

Then it was, and then only, that he realized something of the full power and terror of these monsters. He learned that they were not merely a handful of small sluggish creatures, but that they were minds swaying vast mechanical bodies; and that they could move swiftly and smite with such power that even the mightiest guns could not stand against them.

They were described as (их описывали как) “vast spiderlike machines, nearly a hundred feet high (огромные паукообразные машины, вышиной почти в сотню футов), capable of the speed of an express train (способные /развить/ скорость экспресса), and able to shoot out a beam of intense heat (и стрелять мощным: «интенсивным» тепловым лучом).” Masked batteries, chiefly of field guns (замаскированные батареи, /состоящие/ преимущественно из полевых орудий), had been planted in the country about Horsell Common (были установлены на территории вокруг Хорселлской пустоши; to plant — сажать, сеять; ставить, устанавливать; plant — растение), and especially between the Woking district and London (и в особенности между Уокингом и Лондоном; district — округ, район). Five of the machines had been seen moving towards the Thames (были замечены пять машин, двигавшихся к Темзе), and one, by a happy chance, had been destroyed (и одна, по счастливой случайности, была уничтожена). In the other cases the shells had missed (в остальных случаях снаряды не попадали в цель), and the batteries had been at once annihilated by the Heat-Rays (и батареи тут же уничтожались тепловыми лучами). Heavy losses of soldiers were mentioned (упоминалось о тяжелых потерях /среди/ военных; soldier — солдат, рядовой; военнослужащий, военный), but the tone of the dispatch was optimistic (но тон сообщения был оптимистичным; dispatch — отправка, отсылка; официальное сообщение, донесение).

describe [dIs'kraIb], express [Ik'spres], Thames [temz]

They were described as “vast spiderlike machines, nearly a hundred feet high, capable of the speed of an express train, and able to shoot out a beam of intense heat.” Masked batteries, chiefly of field guns, had been planted in the country about Horsell Common, and especially between the Woking district and London. Five of the machines had been seen moving towards the Thames, and one, by a happy chance, had been destroyed. In the other cases the shells had missed, and the batteries had been at once annihilated by the Heat-Rays. Heavy losses of soldiers were mentioned, but the tone of the dispatch was optimistic.

The Martians had been repulsed (марсиане были отброшены); they were not invulnerable (они не были неуязвимыми). They had retreated to their triangle of cylinders again, in the circle about Woking (они снова отступили к треугольнику, /образованному/ их цилиндрами на территории близ Уокинга; circle — круг; сфера, область). Signallers with heliographs were pushing forward upon them from all sides (сигнальщики с гелиографами окружили их со всех сторон; to push forward — продвигаться вперед; наступать /воен./). Guns were in rapid transit from Windsor, Portsmouth, Aldershot, Woolwich — even from the north (орудия быстро перебрасывали из Виндзора, Портсмута, Олдершота, Вулвича, даже с севера; to be in transit — перемещаться); among others, long wire-guns of ninety-five tons from Woolwich (среди которых — длинноствольные девяностопятитонные /пушки/ из Вулвича). Altogether one hundred and sixteen were in position or being hastily placed, chiefly covering London (всего установлено — или спешно устанавливается — сто шестнадцать /пушек/, главным образом для защиты Лондона; to place — ставить, помещать; размещать; place — место). Never before in England had there been such a vast or rapid concentration of military material (никогда прежде в Англии не было такого многочисленного и быстрого сосредоточения военных сил; material — вещество, материал).