"Английский язык с М. Муркоком" - читать интересную книгу автора (Франк Илья)

speculation - размышление; предположение, догадка). There were so many other
things to discuss (было так много других вещей, чтобы обсудить = для
дискуссии), so many more complex sources of speculation (так много более
сложных вопросов /для/ размышления; source - источник, начало), pleasanter
topics of a hundred kinds (более приятных тем сотни /разных/ видов; topic -
тема, предмет обсуждения, вопрос).

chiefly [?t?i:fl?] folk [f?uk] specimen [?spes?m?n] rumour [?ru:m?]
sources [?s?:s?z]

Occupying themselves chiefly with remote, intellectual pastimes, the
family of Prince Khlonskey had had no contact with other Vadhagh folk for
two hundred years and had not seen a Nhadragh for three hundred. No news of
the outside world had come to them for over a century. Only once had they
seen a Mabden, when a specimen had been brought to Castle Erorn by Prince
Opash, a naturalist and first cousin to Prince Khlonskey. The Mabden - a
female - had been placed in the menageries where it was cared for well, but
it lived little more than fifty years and when it died was never replaced.
Since then, of course, the Mabden had multiplied and were, it appeared, even
now inhabiting large areas of Bro-an-Vadhagh. There were even rumours that
some Vadhagh castles had been infested with Mabden who had overwhelmed the
inhabitants and eventually destroyed their homes altogether. Prince
Khlonskey found this hard to believe. Besides, the speculation was of little
interest to him or his family. There were so many other things to discuss,
so many more complex sources of speculation, pleasanter topics of a hundred
kinds.

Prince Khlonskey's skin (кожа принца Клонски) was almost milk-white
(была почти молочно-белой) and so thin (и настолько тонкой) that all the
veins and muscles (что все вены и мышцы) were clearly displayed beneath
(ясно просвечивали под /ней/; clearly - ясно, четко, очевидно; to display -
выставлять, показывать; высвечивать). He had lived for over a thousand years
(прожил более тысячи лет) and only recently (и только недавно) had age begun
to enfeeble him (возраст начал ослаблять его = он почувствовал старость; to
begin-began-begun). When his weakness became unbearable (когда его слабость
стала бы невыносимой), when his eyes began to dim (когда его глаза = зрение
начало бы ослабевать; to dim - тускнеть, затуманиваться; притупляться /о
чувствах/), he would end his life (он закончил бы свою жизнь = покончил бы с
собой) in the manner of the Vadhagh (по обычаю вадагов; manner - способ,
образ действия; нрав), by going to the Chamber of Vapours (через отправление
= отправившись в Комнату Туманов; chamber - комната, спальня; зал; vapour -
пар, туман) and laying himself on the silk quilts and cushions (лечь на
шелковые одеяла и подушки; quilt - стеганое, лоскутное одеяло; cushion -
диванная подушка; упругая подкладка) and inhaling the various sweet-smelling
gases (и вдыхать различные ароматные газы; sweet - сладкий, душистый; to
smell - чувствовать запах, нюхать; источать запах; to smell-smelt-smelt или
smell-smelled-smelled) until he died (пока не умрет; until - до тех пор
пока, пока не). His hair had turned a golden brown with age (его волосы
стали золотисто-каштановыми с возрастом = от старости; to turn -
вращать/ся/, поворачивать/ся/; превращаться, изменяться; brown - коричневый,