They made beggars of the children, but failed to make thieves of them. Among, but not of, the dreadful rabble that inhabited the house, was a good old priest whom the king had turned out of house and home with a pension of a few farthings, and he used to get the children aside and teach them right ways secretly. Father Andrew also taught Tom a little Latin, and how to read and write; and would have done the same for the girls, but they were afraid of the jeers of their friends, who could not have endured such a queer accomplishment in them.

All Offal Court was just such another hive (весь Тупик отбросов был прямо такой же улей = скопище людей) as Canty's house (как дом Кэнти). Drunkenness, riot, and brawling (пьянство, буйство и ссоры) were the order there (были порядком = обычным делом там), every night and nearly all night long (каждую ночь и почти всю ночь длиной = все ночи напролет). Broken heads were as common as hunger (разбитые головы были так же обычны, как голод; to break — ломать, разбивать) in that place (в этом месте). Yet (и все же) little Tom was not unhappy (маленький Том не был несчастлив). He had a hard time of it (он переживал тяжелое время от этого = ему приходилось трудно), but did not know it (но не знал этого). It was the sort of time that all the Offal Court boys had (то же было у всех мальчиков из Тупика отбросов: «это была разновидность времени, которое переживали все…»), therefore he supposed it was the correct and comfortable thing (поэтому он предполагал, (что) это было правильно и удобно: «правильная и удобная вещь»). When he came home empty-handed at night (когда он приходил домой с пустыми руками: «пусторукий» ночью), he knew his father would curse him (он знал (что) его отец будет его ругать ) and thrash him first (и побьет сначала), and that when he was done (и что когда он закончит; to be done — закончить с чем-либо) the awful grandmother would do it all over again (ужасная бабушка сделает это все снова) and improve on it (и улучшит это = добавит еще); and that away in the night (и что глубоко ночью; away — прочь) his starving mother (его голодающая мать) would slip to him stealthily (проберется к нему украдкой) with any miserable scrap of crust (со сколькими-нибудь жалкими остатками от хлеба; crust — корка /хлеба/, сухарь, черствый хлеб) she had been able to save for him (/которые/ она смогла припасти для него; able — способный) by going hungry herself (становясь голодной сама), notwithstanding (несмотря на то, что) she was often caught in that sort of treason (часто попадалась на таком предательстве; to catch — ловить; sort — разновидность) and soundly beaten (и (была) сильно бита; to beat — бить) for it (за это) by her husband (ее мужем).

No (нет), Tom's life went along well enough (жизнь Тома шла хорошо вполне), especially in summer (особенно летом). He only begged just enough to save himself (он выпрашивал лишь на то, чтобы сохранить себя = выжить; only — только; enough — достаточно), for the laws against mendicancy were stringent (ибо законы против попрошайничества были строги), and the penalties heavy (а наказания тяжелы); so he put in a good deal of his time (так что он потратил уйму своего времени; put — класть; deal — доля, количество) listening to good Father Andrew's charming old tales and legends (слушая чарующие старые сказки и легенды отца Эндрю) about giants and fairies (о великанах и феях), dwarfs and genii (карликах и джиннах), and enchanted castles, and gorgeous kings and princes (и заколдованных замках, и прекрасных королях и принцах). His head grew to be full of these wonderful things (его голова наполнилась: «стала быть полной» этими прекрасными вещами), and many nights as he lay in the dark (и многими ночами пока он лежал в темноте; to lie — лежать) on his scant and offensive straw (на своей скудной и колкой соломе), tired, hungry (усталый, голодный), and smarting from a thrashing (и испытывающий боль от побоев), he unleashed his imagination (он отпускал на волю свое воображение; leash — поводок, цепь) and soon forgot his aches and pains (и скоро забывал свои боли и страдания) in delicious picturings to himself (в сладостном воображении себе) of the charmed life of a petted prince in a regal palace (восхитительной жизни изнеженного принца в королевском дворце; to pet — баловать, ласкать). One desire (одно желание) came in time to haunt him day and night (преследовала его днем и ночью); it was to see a real prince (это было увидеть настоящего принца), with his own eyes (своими собственными глазами). He spoke of it once to some of his Offal Court comrades (он говорил об этом однажды некоторым своим товарищам из Тупика отбросов); but they jeered him and scoffed him so unmercifully (но они высмеяли и задразнили его столь безжалостно) that he was glad to keep his dream to himself (что он был рад сохранить свою мечту при себе) after that (после этого).

He often read the priest's old books (он часто читал старые книги священника) and got him to explain and enlarge upon them (и упрашивал его объяснять и дополнять их). His dreamings and readings worked certain changes (его мечтания и чтение выработали определенные изменения) in him by and by (в нем постепенно). His dream-people were so fine (люди из его мечтаний были столь прекрасными; people — люди) that he grew to lament (что он стал тяготиться; to lament — жаловаться) his shabby clothing and his dirt (своей ветхой одеждой и своей грязью), and to wish to be clean and better clad (и желать быть чистым и лучше одетым). He went on playing (он продолжал играть; to go on — продолжать) in the mud just the same ( в грязи, как прежде/все равно: «прямо так же»), and enjoying it, too (и наслаждаться этим тоже); but instead of splashing around (но вместо (того, чтобы) плескаться; around — вокруг) in the Thames solely for the fun of it (в Темзе только ради веселья от этого), he began to find an added value in it (он начал находить дополнительную ценность в этом; to add — добавлять) because of the washings and cleansings it afforded (из-за мытья и очищения, (которое) оно предоставляло).

comfortable [`kAmftəb(ə)l], enough [ı`nAf], ache [eık], Thames [temz]

All Offal Court was just such another hive as Canty's house. Drunkenness, riot, and brawling were the order there, every night and nearly all night long. Broken heads were as common as hunger in that place. Yet little Tom was not unhappy. He had a hard time of it, but did not know it. It was the sort of time that all the Offal Court boys had, therefore he supposed it was the correct and comfortable thing. When he came home empty-handed at night, he knew his father would curse him and thrash him first, and that when he was done the awful grandmother would do it all over again and improve on it; and that away in the night his starving mother would slip to him stealthily with any miserable scrap of crust she had been able to save for him by going hungry herself, notwithstanding she was often caught in that sort of treason and soundly beaten for it by her husband.

No, Tom's life went along well enough, especially in summer. He only begged just enough to save himself, for the laws against mendicancy were stringent, and the penalties heavy; so he put in a good deal of his time listening to good Father Andrew's charming old tales and legends about giants and fairies, dwarfs and genii, and enchanted castles, and gorgeous kings and princes. His head grew to be full of these wonderful things, and many a night as he lay in the dark on his scant and offensive straw, tired, hungry, and smarting from a thrashing, he unleashed his imagination and soon forgot his aches and pains in delicious picturings to himself of the charmed life of a petted prince in a regal palace. One desire came in time to haunt him day and night; it was to see a real prince, with his own eyes. He spoke of it once to some of his Offal Court comrades; but they jeered him and scoffed him so unmercifully that he was glad to keep his dream to himself after that.