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They twitched but would not quite come out of his lap.
He bent his head forward and began to shake it back and forth (он нагнул голову вперед и принялся трясти ею во все стороны: «взад и вперед»), like a man shaking soap out of his eyes (как человек, которому в глаза попало мыло: «вытряхивающий мыло из глаз»). Hissing and squalling, the cat held on (шипя и повизгивая, кошка продолжала держаться). Halston could feel blood trickling down his cheeks (Хэлстон чувствовал, как по его щекам струится кровь). It was hard to get his breath (было трудно дышать: «получить воздух»; breath — дыхание; вдыхаемый и выдыхаемый воздух). The cat's chest was pressed over his nose (к его носу была прижата грудь кота). It was possible to get some air in by mouth, but not much (можно было вдохнуть воздуха через рот, но не много). What he did get came through fur (то, что он вдыхал, проходило сквозь шерсть). His ears felt as if they had been doused with lighter fluid and then set on fire (уши ощущались = горели так, как будто их облили горючей жидкостью и подожгли; lighter — зажигалка).
He snapped his head back and cried out in agony (он откинул голову назад и заорал от страшной боли) — he must have sustained a whiplash when the Plymouth hit (очевидно, при ударе “плимута” он повредил себе шею; to sustain — поддерживать; испытывать; переносить, претерпевать; whiplash — ремень или бечева плети, хлыста; /= whiplash injury/ хлыстовая травма шеи /травма от внезапного резкого движения головы и шеи/). But the cat hadn't been expecting the reverse and it flew off (но кот не ожидал движения назад и слетел = не удержался). Halston heard it thud down in the back seat (Хэлстон услышал, как он плюхнулся на заднее сиденье).
squall [skwɔ:l], sustain [sq'steIn], whiplash ['wIplxS]
He bent his head forward and began to shake it back and forth, like a man shaking soap out of his eyes. Hissing and squalling, the cat held on. Halston could feel blood trickling down his cheeks. It was hard to get his breath. The cat's chest was pressed over his nose. It was possible to get some air in by mouth, but not much. What he did get came through fur. His ears felt as if they had been doused with lighter fluid and then set on fire.
He snapped his head back and cried out in agony — he must have sustained a whiplash when the Plymouth hit. But the cat hadn't been expecting the reverse and it flew off. Halston heard it thud down in the back seat.
A trickle of blood ran in his eye (струйка крови затекла в один глаз). He tried again to move his hands (он снова попытался пошевелить руками), to raise one of them and wipe the blood away (поднять одну из них и вытереть кровь).
They trembled in his lap (они подрагивали у него на коленях), but he was still unable to actually move them (но он все еще не мог их сдвинуть). He thought of the .45 special in its holster under his left arm (он вспомнил про свой специальный револьвер 45-го калибра в кобуре под левой рукой).
If I can get to my piece, kitty, the rest of your nine lives are going in a lump sum (если я /только/ смогу дотянуться до ствола, киска, остаток твоих девяти жизней пропадет одним разом; piece — кусок; деталь; /разг./ пушка, ствол; lump sum — единовременно выплачиваемая полнаясумма; общий итог; lump — глыба, ком; целое, масса).
More tingles now (снова покалывание, уже сильнее: «больше покалываний теперь»). Dull throbs of pain from his feet, buried and surely shattered under the engine block (тупая, пульсирующая боль в ступнях, зажатых и, конечно же, раздробленных двигателем; throb — биение, пульсация), zips and tingles from his legs (постреливание и покалывание в ногах) — it felt exactly the way a limb that you've slept on does when it's starting to wake up (ощущение точно такое же, как в ноге или руке на которой вы спали = которую вы отлежали во сне, когда она начинает отходить: «просыпаться»; limb — конечность; рука или нога). At that moment Halston didn't care about his feet (в тот момент Хэлстон не беспокоился о ступнях). It was enough to know that his spine wasn't severed (/ему/ было достаточно знать, что позвоночник не разорван), that he wasn't going to finish out his life as a dead lump of body attached to a talking head (что ему не придется провести остаток жизни в качестве мертвого куска плоти, прикрепленного к говорящей голове).
Maybe I had a few lives left myself (может, у меня самого осталось /в запасе/ несколько жизней).
blood [blAd], holster ['hqVlstq], sever ['sevq]
A trickle of blood ran in his eye. He tried again to move his hands, to raise one of them and wipe the blood away.
They trembled in his lap, but he was still unable to actually move them. He thought of the .45 special in its holster under his left arm.
If I can get to my piece, kitty, the rest of your nine lives are going in a lump sum.
More tingles now. Dull throbs of pain from his feet, buried and surely shattered under the engine block, zips and tingles from his legs — it felt exactly the way a limb that you've slept on does when it's starting to wake up. At that moment Halston didn't care about his feet. It was enough to know that his spine wasn't severed, that he wasn't going to finish out his life as a dead lump of body attached to a talking head.
Maybe I had a few lives left myself.
Take care of the cat (/теперь надо/ разобраться с кошкой; to take care of… — /по/заботиться о чем-либо, ком-либо; разделаться, расправиться с кем-либо). That was the first thing (это самое главное). Then get out of the wreck (потом выбраться из покореженного автомобиля; wreck — остов разбитого судна; обломки /самолета, автомобиля/) — maybe someone would come along (может, кто-нибудь будет проходить/проезжать мимо), that would solve both problems at once (это решило бы обе проблемы сразу). Not likely at 4:30 in the morning on a back road like this one, but barely possible (/что/ маловероятно в половине пятого утра на проселочной дороге как эта; not likely but barely possible — не вероятно, а едва возможно; back — спинной; задний; глухой, отдаленный). And —
And what was the cat doing back there (а что там кошка сзади делает)?
He didn't like having it on his face (ему не хотелось иметь ее на своем лице), but he didn't like having it behind him and out of sight, either (но то, что она была сзади вне его поля зрения, ему тоже не нравилось). He tried the rearview mirror, but that was useless (он попробовал /посмотреть в/ зеркало заднего вида, но бесполезно). The crash had knocked it awry (от удара оно сдвинулось набок) and all it reflected was the grassy ravine he had finished up in (и все, что оно отражало = в нем отражалось, /это лишь/ заросший травой овраг, в котором закончилось его путешествие).
A sound from behind him, like low, ripping cloth (сзади /послышался/ негромкий звук, как будто разрываемой ткани).
Purring (урчание).
Hellcat my ass (вот ведь чертов кот). It's gone to sleep back there (он там заснул).
wreck [rek], barely ['beqlI], awry [q'raI]
Take care of the cat. That was the first thing. Then get out of the wreck — maybe someone would come along, that would solve both problems at once. Not likely at 4:30 in the morning on a back road like this one, but barely possible. And —
And what was the cat doing back there?
He didn't like having it on his face, but he didn't like having it behind him and out of sight, either. He tried the rearview mirror, but that was useless. The crash had knocked it awry and all it reflected was the grassy ravine he had finished up in.