So one evening (так в один вечер) she had gone down to draw the beer (она спустилась: «пошла вниз», чтобы нацедить пива), and she happened to look up (и ей случилось взглянуть вверх) at the ceiling (на потолок) while she was drawing (пока она цедила), and she saw (и она увидела) a mallet (молоток/пестик для ступки) stuck (застрявший; to stick – воткнуть, приклеиться, остаться) in one of the beams (в одной из балок).
Once upon a time there was a farmer and his wife who had one daughter, and she was courted by a gentleman. Every evening he used to come and see her, and stop to supper at the farmhouse, and the daughter used to be sent down into the cellar to draw the beer for supper. So one evening she had gone down to draw the beer, and she happened to look up at the ceiling while she was drawing, and she saw a mallet stuck in one of the beams.
It must have been there (он должен был быть там) a long, long time (долгое-долгое время), but somehow or other (но каким-то образом: «так или иначе») she had never noticed it before (она никогда не замечала его раньше; to notice – замечать), and she began (и она начала; to begin – начинать) a-thinking (думать – разговорная или фольклорная форма: a-doing something). And she thought (и она подумала) it was very dangerous (/что/ это очень опасно) to have that mallet there (держать: «иметь» этот молоток там), for she said to herself (потому что она сказала себе = подумала про себя): ‘Suppose (предположим) him and me was to be married (/что/ он и я: «его и меня /разг./» поженимся), and we was to have a son (и у нас родится сын: «иметь сына»), and he was to grow up to be a man (и он вырастет, чтобы быть мужчиной = и станет мужчиной), and come down into the cellar to draw the beer (и спустится в погреб нацедить пива), like as I’m doing now (прямо как я делаю сейчас), and the mallet was to fall on his head and kill him (и молоток упадет на его голову и убьет его), what a dreadful thing it would be (какая ужасная вещь это бы была)!’ And she put down the candle and the jug (и она поставила вниз свечу и кувшин), and sat herself down (и уселась) and began a-crying (и начала плакать).
It must have been there a long, long time, but somehow or other she had never noticed it before, and she began a-thinking. And she thought it was very dangerous to have that mallet there, for she said to herself: ‘Suppose him and me was to be married, and we was to have a son, and he was to grow up to be a man, and come down into the cellar to draw the beer, like as I’m doing now, and the mallet was to fall on his head and kill him, what a dreadful thing it would be!’ And she put down the candle and the jug, and sat herself down and began a-crying.
Well, they began to wonder upstairs (ну, они начали удивляться/интересоваться наверху: «вверх по лестнице») how it was that she was so long drawing the beer (как это было, что она так долго цедила пиво = отчего это она так долго цедит пиво), and her mother went down to see after her (и ее мать спустилась: «пошла вниз», чтобы посмотреть за ней = посмотреть, что с ней случилось), and she found her sitting on the settle crying (и она нашла ее сидящей на скамье и плачущей; to find – находить), and the beer running over the floor (и пиво текущим на пол: «бегущим по полу»). ‘Why, whatever is the matter (что такое/в чем дело: «почему, что-то есть дело»)?’ said her mother. ‘Oh, mother!’ says she, ‘look at that horrid mallet (посмотри на этот ужасный молоток)! Suppose we was to be married, and was to have a son, and he was to grow up, and was to come down to the cellar to draw the beer, and the mallet was to fall on his head and kill him, what a dreadful thing it would be!’
Well, they began to wonder upstairs how it was that she was so long drawing the beer, and her mother went down to see after her, and she found her sitting on the settle crying, and the beer running over the floor. ‘Why, whatever is the matter?’ said her mother. ‘Oh, mother!’ says she, ‘look at that horrid mallet! Suppose we was to be married, and was to have a son, and he was to grow up, and was to come down to the cellar to draw the beer, and the mallet was to fall on his head and kill him, what a dreadful thing it would be!’
‘Dear, dear! what a dreadful thing it would be (Боже! Боже! какая ужасная вещь это была бы)!’ said the mother, and she sat down aside of the daughter and started a-crying, too (сказала мать, и она села вниз рядом с дочерью и начала плакать тоже). Then after a bit (затем, немного погодя; bit – кусочек; a bit – немного; after – после) the father began to wonder that they didn’t come back (отец начал удивляться, что они не вернулись: «не пришли назад»), and he went down into the cellar to look after them himself (и он спустился в погреб посмотреть за ними сам = пошел за ними сам), and there they two sat a-crying (и там они две сидели, плача), and the beer running all over the floor (и пиво текущее = текло при этом повсюду на пол). ‘Whatever is the matter (в чем дело)?’ says he. ‘Why (как же: «почему»),’
