"Орел и лебеди" перевод чукотской сказки на английский язык

«ОРЕЛ И ЛЕБЕДИ»

«THE EAGLE AND SWANS»

ЧУКОТСКАЯ СКАЗКА

Автор перевода: Клименко Снежана Олеговна

Руководитель: Боргоякова Дина Станиславовна

учитель английского языка

The eagle and swans

Chukchee tale

In spring many birds come back home from the South. They hurry to the native Northern lands where their ancestors lived for ages. Neither ducks, nor geese, nor swans are afraid of the most severe frosts. The most important thing for them is birdseed.

A couple of swans flew to their old nest.  Snow began to melt in the tundra. Soft green moss appeared in the thawed patches. The melting ice broke away from the seashore.

First, swans built a comfortable nest between the bumps. Soon there were eggs in it. Mom-swan didn`t go away from eggs. She was protecting her offspring from the wild animals. Both a fox and a polar fox will not miss an opportunity of feeding eggs. Although they are afraid of swan strong beaks and whip wings. But sometimes she has to go out the nest to stretch her stiff legs. Once thieves didn`t missed an opportunity like that and have stolen a few eggs. Eventually only two ones have survived. Two cygnets were hatched out of them. When they grew up a little, their mother began to walk them out.

Once while her husband was sleeping after fishing, mom-swan decided to take her children to the sea. She wanted them to teach to swim and to find food themselves. That`s why the dad-swan didn`t find his family in the nest when he has woken up. There was neither his wife nor children at home. The swan was exсited. Unluckily, an eagle flew by the nest in that time.

The swan asked him, “Have you seen my swans?”

And the eagle replied, “No, I'm not native. I'm flying away from those farther hills. My wife sent me to get loom fluff for young eagles` bed.” “Don't be down hearted, friend. I`ll help you. What are your kids?” he asked.

“They are very pretty and smart,” - said swan.

“You are joking! All the little ones are pretty. Where do bad adults come from? All right.  Fly to the sun and look around. I will fly the opposite side,” the eagle told swan.

Swan was flying for a long time. But he didn`t find his children. After some time he was tired and returned to the nest. Meanwhile the eagle appeared there. He brought two young seals in his claws. The eagle asked, “Are they yours?”

Swan flapped his wings desperately. He broke out into tears, “My children look like me, just little ones.”

“I don’t understand what you are talking about», said the eagle. “They are small, pretty too. You messed with my head. Try to make them out. And why I got in touch with you.”

The eagle flew to the sea again. Flying up he saw a seal rushing along the shore. The miserable mom called her children. And little swans swim at the shore. “Exactly, they look like a dad, just small,” thought the eagle.

“Don`t panic, aunt seal. I know where your children are,” shouted the eagle.

Then he came down to the water, picked up the swans and carried them to the swan's nest. The dad was delighted. But he was troubled, “Where is my wife?”

At this time she was catching fish in the sea. When swan turned up with fish in her beak, she didn`t see the kids.

“The eagle carried them away!” the seal shouted to her. “Hurry up, you can catch him.”

The angry swan flew up into the sky to watch the robber.

The eagle has already given her swans back to their dad. He was out of breath and grumbled, “They lose their kids. And I have to help them.”

He caught little seals and pulled them to the place, where the mom-seal was looking forward her children. The eagle threw his burden into the water. He got his breath back a little. Grabbed loom fluff on the shore he flew home.

His wife was waiting for him on the cedar stalks. She asked her husband to carry soft loom fluff for the nest. She wanted hatched eaglets to be warm and cozy. But he has disappeared. What a nuisance he is! Where did he go?

- Oh, my wife will scold me for being late! I'll catch it!" – the eagle thought sadly flying up to the nest.

Рис. 1. “Сказание о лебеде и орле”, автор Тегрылькут Сергей,

1985г., музей Уэленской косторезной мастерской, с. Уэлен