The hermit watched and listened for a time (отшельник наблюдал и прислушивался какое-то время), keeping his position and scarcely breathing (сохраняя свое положение = оставаясь на месте и едва дыша); then he slowly lowered his arm (затем он медленно опустил свою руку), and presently crept away, saying (и вскоре отошел прочь, говоря; to creep — ползти):

'It is long past midnight (сейчас давно за полночь) — it is not best (нехорошо; best — наилучший) that he should cry out (если он закричит), lest by accident some one be passing (если по случайности кто-нибудь будет проходить).'

He glided about his hovel (он скользил = плавно двигался по своей лачуге), gathering a rag here (подбирая лоскут здесь), a thong there (ремень там), and another one yonder (и другой вон там); then he returned (затем он вернулся), and by careful and gentle handling (и осторожными и мягкими манипуляциями) he managed to tie the king's ankles together (он смог связать лодыжки короля вместе) without waking him (без того, чтобы разбудить его = не разбудив его). Next he essayed to tie the wrists (затем он попытался связать его запястья); he made several attempts to cross them (он сделал несколько попыток скрестить их), but the boy always drew one hand or the other away (но мальчик все время отодвигал одну руку или другую прочь; to draw — тащить), just as the cord was ready to be applied (как раз когда веревка была готова быть применена); but at last (но наконец), when the archangel was almost ready to despair (когда архангел был почти готов отчаяться), the boy crossed his hands himself (мальчик скрестил свои руки сам), and the next moment they were bound (и в следующий момент они были связаны; to bind — связывать). Now a bandage was passed under the sleeper's chin (тотчас же повязка была пропущена под подбородком спящего) and brought up over his head (и вытянута наверх над его головой; to bring — приносить, тащить) and tied fast (и затянута крепко) — and so softly, so gradually, and so deftly (и так мягко, так постепенно и так ловко) were the knots drawn together and compacted (были узлы стянуты вместе и соединены; to draw — тащить), that the boy slept peacefully (что мальчик проспал мирно; to sleep — спать) through it all (через все это) without stirring (без того, чтобы двигаться = не шевельнувшись).

eternal [?`t?:n?l], breathing [`bri:?i?], gradually [`gr?Gu?l?]

There was no response. The old man bent down and scanned the boy's reposeful face and listened to his placid breathing. 'He sleeps — sleeps soundly'; and the frown vanished away and gave place to an expression of evil satisfaction. A smile flitted across the dreaming boy's features. The hermit muttered, 'So — his heart is happy'; and he turned away. He went stealthily about the place, seeking here and there for something; now and then halting to listen, now and then jerking his head around and casting a quick glance toward the bed; and always muttering, always mumbling to himself. At last he found what he seemed to want — a rusty old butcher-knife and a whetstone. Then he crept to his place by the fire, sat himself down, and began to whet the knife softly on the stone, still muttering, mumbling, ejaculating. The winds sighed around the lonely place, the mysterious voices of the night floated by out of the distances. The shining eyes of venturesome mice and rats peered out at the old man from cracks and coverts, but he went on with his work, rapt, absorbed, and noted none of these things.

At long intervals he drew his thumb along the edge of his knife, and nodded his head with satisfaction. 'It grows sharper,' he said; 'yes, it grows sharper.'

He took no note of the flight of time, but worked tranquilly on, entertaining himself with his thoughts, which broke out occasionally in articulate speech:

'His father wrought us evil, he destroyed us — and is gone down into the eternal fires! Yes, down into the eternal fires! He escaped us — but it was God's will, yes it was God's will, we must not repine. But he hath not escaped the fires! no, he hath not escaped the fires, the consuming, unpitying, remorseless fires — and they are everlasting!'

And so he wrought; and still wrought; mumbling — chuckling a low rasping chuckle at times — and at times breaking again into words:

'It was his father that did it all. I am but an archangel — but for him, I should be pope!'

The king stirred. The hermit sprang noiselessly to the bedside, and went down upon his knees, bending over the prostrate form with his knife uplifted. The boy stirred again; his eyes came open for an instant, but there was no speculation in them, they saw nothing; the next moment his tranquil breathing showed that his sleep was sound once more.

The hermit watched and listened for a time, keeping his position and scarcely breathing; then he slowly lowered his arm, and presently crept away, saying:

'It is long past midnight — it is not best that he should cry out, lest by accident some one be passing.'

He glided about his hovel, gathering a rag here, a thong there, and another one yonder; then he returned, and by careful and gentle handling he managed to tie the king's ankles together without waking him. Next he essayed to tie the wrists; he made several attempts to cross them, but the boy always drew one hand or the other away, just as the cord was ready to be applied; but at last, when the archangel was almost ready to despair, the boy crossed his hands himself, and the next moment they were bound. Now a bandage was passed under the sleeper's chin and brought up over his head and tied fast — and so softly, so gradually, and so deftly were the knots drawn together and compacted, that the boy slept peacefully through it all without stirring.

The old man glided away (старик ускользнул прочь), stooping, stealthily, catlike (сутулясь, украдкой = тихо, как кошка), and brought the low bench (и принес низкую лавку; to bring — приносить). He seated himself upon it (он уселся на нее), half his body in the dim and flickering light (половина его тела в тусклом и мерцающем свете), and the other half in shadow (а другая половина в тени); and so (и так), with his craving eyes bent upon the slumbering boy (с его тоскующими/жадными глазами, опущенными на спящего мальчика; to crave — стремиться; to bend — гнуть), he kept his patient vigil there (он держал свое терпеливое бдение там; to keep — держать, хранить), heedless of the drift of time (равнодушный к течению времени), and softly whetted his knife (и тихо точил свой нож), and mumbled and chuckled (и бормотал и хихикал); and in aspect and attitude (и по внешнему виду и позе) he resembled nothing so much as (он напоминал ничто так сильно, как = он очень напоминал) a grizzly, monstrous spider (страшного, чудовищного паука), gloating over some hapless insect (торжествующего над каким-нибудь злосчастным насекомым; to gloat — тайно злорадствовать, торжествовать; to gloat over — пожирать глазами) that lay bound and helpless in his web (которое лежало связанное и беспомощное в его паутине; to lie — лежать; to bind — связывать).

After a long while (спустя продолжительное время), the old man, who was still gazing (старик, который все еще вглядывался) — yet not seeing (но не видел), his mind having settled into a dreamy abstraction (так как его ум погрузился в мечтательную рассеянность) — observed on a sudden (заметил вдруг) that the boy's eyes were open (что глаза мальчика были раскрыты) — wide open and staring (широко раскрыты и смотрящие пристально; to stare)! — staring up in frozen horror at the knife (пристально смотрящие вверх в застывшем ужасе на нож; to freeze — замерзать, обледеневать, покрываться льдом). The smile of a gratified devil (улыбка удовлетворенного дьявола) crept over the old man's face (скользнула по лицу старика; to creep — ползти), and he said (и он сказал), without changing his attitude or occupation (без того, чтобы изменить = не меняя своего положения или занятия):