now’; and took Nix Nought Nothing to his own house and brought him up till he was a man.
The giant had a bonny daughter (у великана была хорошенькая дочка), and she and the lad grew very fond of each other (и они с юношей очень полюбили друг друга; fond – испытывающий нежные чувства /к кому-либо/; любящий; to grow – расти; становиться). The giant said one day to Nix Nought Nothing (великан сказал однажды Ничего-Ничего-Ничего): ‘I’ve work for you tomorrow (у меня есть работа для тебя завтра). There is a stable seven miles long (есть конюшня семи миль длиной) and seven miles broad (и семи миль шириной), and it has not been cleaned for seven years (и она не была чищена в течение семи лет), and you must clean it tomorrow (и ты должен вычистить ее завтра), or I will have you for my supper (или я съем тебя на мой ужин).’
The giant had a bonny daughter, and she and the lad grew very fond of each other. The giant said one day to Nix Nought Nothing: ‘I’ve work for you tomorrow. There is a stable seven miles long and seven miles broad, and it has not been cleaned for seven years, and you must clean it tomorrow, or I will have you for my supper.’
The giant’s daughter went out next morning (дочка великана вышла на следующее утро) with the lad’s breakfast (с завтраком юноши), and found him in a terrible state (и нашла его в ужасном состоянии; to find), for always as he cleaned out a bit (ибо всегда = каждый раз, когда он вычищал немного: «кусочек»), it just fell in again (все просто снова становилось грязным; to fall – падать; to fall in – западать, впадать). The giant’s daughter said she would help him (дочка великана сказала, что поможет ему), and she cried all the beasts in the field (и она кликнула всех зверей в поле), and all the fowls in the air (и всех птиц в воздухе), and in a minute they all came (и через минуту они все пришли), and carried away everything (и унесли прочь все) that was in the stable (что было в конюшне) and made it all clean (и сделали ее совершенно чистой) before the giant came home (прежде чем великан пришел домой). He said: ‘Shame on the wit that helped you (стыд на ум = да будет стыдно уму, который помог тебе); but I have a worse job for you tomorrow (но у меня есть худшая работа для тебя завтра).’ Then he said to Nix Nought Nothing: ‘There is a lake seven miles long, and seven miles deep, and seven miles broad (есть озеро семи миль в длину, семи миль в глубину и семи миль в ширину), and you must drain it tomorrow by nightfall (и ты должен осушить его завтра к ночи), or else I’ll have you for my supper (или иначе я съем тебя на мой ужин).’
The giant’s daughter went out next morning with the lad’s breakfast, and found him in a terrible state, for always as he cleaned out a bit, it just fell in again. The giant’s daughter said she would help him, and she cried all the beasts in the field, and all the fowls in the air, and in a minute they all came, and carried away everything that was in the stable and made it all clean before the giant came home. He said: ‘Shame on the wit that helped you; but I have a worse job for you tomorrow.’ Then he said to Nix Nought Nothing: ‘There is a lake seven miles long, and seven miles deep, and seven miles broad, and you must drain it tomorrow by nightfall, or else I’ll have you for my supper.’
Nix Nought Nothing began early next morning (Ничего-Ничего-Ничего начал рано следующим утром) and tried to lave the water with his pail (и постарался вычерпать воду своим ведром), but the lake was never getting any less (но озеро так и не становилось хоть сколько-нибудь меньше), and he didn’t know what to do (и он не знал, что делать); but the giant’s daughter called on all the fish in the sea (но дочка великана призвала всех рыб в море) to come and drink the water (прийти и выпить воду), and very soon they drank it dry (и очень скоро они выпили ее насухо). When the giant saw the work done he was in a rage (когда великан увидел работу сделанной = что работа сделана, он был в ярости), and said (и сказал): ‘I’ve a worse job for you tomorrow (у меня есть худшая работа для тебя завтра); there is a tree (есть дерево), seven miles high (семи миль высотой), and no branch on it (и ни ветки на нем), till you get to the top (пока ты не доберешься до верху), and there is a nest with seven eggs in it (и там есть гнездо с семью яйцами в нем), and you must bring down all the eggs (и ты должен принести вниз = спустить все яйца) without breaking one (не разбив ни одного: «без разбивания одного»), or else I’ll have you for my supper (или иначе я съем тебя на мой ужин).’
Nix Nought Nothing began early next morning and tried to lave the water with his pail, but the lake was never getting any less, and he didn’t know what to do; but the giant’s daughter called on all the fish in the sea to come and drink the water, and very soon they drank it dry. When the giant saw the work done he was in a rage, and said: ‘I’ve a worse job for you tomorrow; there is a tree, seven miles high, and no branch on it, till you get to the top, and there is a nest with
