One January day (в один январский день), on his usual begging tour (на своем обычном нищенском обходе = ходя и прося милостыню), he tramped despondently up and down (он бродил уныло по: «вверх и вниз») the region round about Mincing Lane and Little East Cheap (району около Минсинг-лейн и Литтл-Ист-Чип), hour after hour (один час за другим: «час после часа»), barefooted (босой) and cold (замерзший), looking in at cook-shop windows (заглядывая в окна харчевен) and longing for (и страстно желая) the dreadful pork-pies (страшных пирогов со свининой; pork — свинина) and other deadly inventions (и других смертоносных изделий: «изобретений») displayed there (выставленных там) — for to him these were dainties (ибо для него они были деликатесами) fit for the angels (созданными для ангелов); that is, judging by the smell (то есть, судя по запаху), they were (они были /такими/) — for it had never been his good luck to own and eat one (потому что ему никогда не удавалось попробовать ни один из них: «это никогда не было его удачей обладать одним (из них) и съесть один /из них/). There was a cold drizzle of rain (была холодная морось дождя); the atmosphere was murky (атмосфера была мрачная); it was a melancholy day (это был унылый день). At night Tom reached home so wet (ночью Том добрался домой такой промокший; to reach — достигать) and tired and hungry (и усталый и голодный) that it was not possible for his father and grandmother to observe his forlorn condition and not be moved (что не было возможно его отцу и бабушке видеть его жалкое состояние и не быть тронутыми) — after their fashion (на свой лад); wherefore they gave him a brisk cuffing (с каковой целью они задали ему хорошую взбучку) at once (сразу) and sent him to bed (и послали его в постель). For a long time his pain and hunger (долгое время его боль и голод), and the swearing and fighting (и ругань и побои) going on in the building (происходящие в здании), kept him awake (не позволяли ему заснуть; to keep — хранить; awake — бодрствующий); but at last his thoughts drifted (но наконец его мечты отошли; to drift — дрейфовать) away to far, romantic lands (прочь к далеким, романтическим землям), and he fell asleep (и он заснул; to fall — падать; asleep — спящий) in the company of jeweled and gilded princelings (в компании украшенных каменьями и золотом маленьких принцев; to jewel — украшать драгоценными камнями; to gild — золотить) who lived in vast palaces (которые жили в огромных дворцах), and had servants salaaming before them (и имели слуг, поклоняющихся перед ними: «делающих селям») or flying to execute their orders (или несущихся исполнить их приказы). And then, as usual (и потом, как обычно), he dreamed that he was a princeling himself (он мечтал, что он был принц сам).

All night long the glories of his royal estate (всю ночь великолепие его королевского достоинства) shone upon him (светило на него; to shine — сиять); he moved among great lords and ladies (он двигался среди великих господ и дам), in a blaze of light (в лучах света), breathing perfumes (вдыхая ароматы), drinking (наслаждаясь: «упиваясь») in delicious music (прелестной музыкой), and answering the reverent obeisances (и отвечая на почтительные поклоны) of the glittering throng (сверкающей толпы) as it parted (/по мере того/ как она расступалась: «разделялась») to make way for him (чтобы освободить путь для него), with his smile (с его улыбкой), and there a nod (а кое-где: «там» кивком) of his princely head (его царственной головы).

And when he awoke (а когда он проснулся; to awake — просыпаться) in the morning (утром) and looked upon the wretchedness (и взглянул на убожество) about him (вокруг него), his dream had had its usual effect (его мечта оказала свое обычное действие) — it had intensified the sordidness (она усилила убожество) of his surroundings (его окружения) a thousandfold (в тысячу раз). Then came bitterness (тогда пришла горечь), and heartbreak (и печаль), and tears (и слезы).

grandeur [`grændjə], princeling [`prınslıŋ], perfume [`pəfju:m]

After which he would go forth in his rags and beg a few farthings, eat his poor crust, take his customary cuffs and abuse, and then stretch himself upon his handful of foul straw, and resume his empty grandeurs in his dreams.

And still his desire to look just once upon a real prince, in the flesh, grew upon him, day by day, and week by week, until at last it absorbed all other desires, and became the one passion of his life.

One January day, on his usual begging tour, he tramped despondently up and down the region round about Mincing Lane and Little East Cheap, hour after hour, barefooted and cold, looking in at cook-shop windows and longing for the dreadful pork-pies and other deadly inventions displayed there — for to him these were dainties fit for the angels; that is, judging by the smell, they were — for it had never been his good luck to own and eat one. There was a cold drizzle of rain; the atmosphere was murky; it was a melancholy day. At night Tom reached home so wet and tired and hungry that it was not possible for his father and grandmother to observe his forlorn condition and not be moved — after their fashion; wherefore they gave him a brisk cuffing at once and sent him to bed. For a long time his pain and hunger, and the swearing and fighting going on in the building, kept him awake; but at last his thoughts drifted away to far, romantic lands, and he fell asleep in the company of jeweled and gilded princelings who lived in vast palaces, and had servants salaaming before them or flying to execute their orders. And then, as usual, he dreamed that he was a princeling himself.

All night long the glories of his royal estate shone upon him; he moved among great lords and ladies, in a blaze of light, breathing perfumes, drinking in delicious music, and answering the reverent obeisances of the glittering throng as it parted to make way for him, with here a smile, and there a nod of his princely head.

And when he awoke in the morning and looked upon the wretchedness about him, his dream had had its usual effect — it had intensified the sordidness of his surroundings a thousandfold. Then came bitterness, and heartbreak, and tears.

TOM got up hungry (Том встал голодный), and sauntered hungry away (и поплелся голодный прочь), but with his thoughts (но с мыслями) busy with the shadowy splendors (занятыми призрачным великолепием) of his night's dreams (его ночных мечтаний). He wandered (он бродил) here and there in the city (там и сям: «здесь и там» в городе), hardly noticing (едва замечая) where he was going (где он шел; to go — идти), or what was happening (или что происходило; to happen — случаться) around him (вокруг него). People jostled him (люди толкали его) and some gave him rough speech (а некоторые осыпали его бранью: «давали ему грубую речь»); but it was all lost on the musing boy (но все терялось на задумчивом мальчике = он не обращал внимания). By and by (постепенно) he found himself (он очутился: «нашел себя») at Temple Bar (у Темпль-Бар [ворота перед Темплем — школой юристов]), the farthest from home (дальше всего от дома) he had ever traveled in that direction (/куда/ он когда-либо заходил в этом направлении). He stopped and considered a moment (он остановился и поразмыслил минутку), then fell into his imaginings (затем провалился в свое воображение) again (снова), and passed on outside the walls of London (и прошел дальше за стены Лондона). The Strand had ceased to be (Стрэнд уже не был: «прекратил быть») a country-road then (проселочной дорогой к тому времени: «тогда»), and regarded itself (и рассматривал = считал себя) as a street (как улицу), but by a strained construction (но лишь из-за прямой застройки); for, though there was a tolerably compact row of houses (потому что, хотя был терпимо = довольно компактный ряд домов) on one side of it (на одной стороне ее), there were only some scattering great buildings (были только разбросанные = отдельные огромные здания) on the other (на другой /стороне/), these being palaces of rich nobles (эти бывшие = которые были дворцами богатых дворян; noble — благородный), with ample (с обширными) and beautiful gardens (и прекрасными садами) stretching to (тянущимися к) the river-grounds (землям) that are now closely packed with grim acres of brick and stone (которые сейчас плотно забиты угрюмыми кучами кирпича и камня; acre — акр (единица площади; = 0,4 га; = 4047 кв.м)).