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Scene 1 · Intermediate
План избавиться от детей
A plan to leave the children
Russian
У большого леса жил бедный дровосек с женой и двумя детьми. Его сына звали Гензель, а дочь — Гретель. Жена была детям мачехой. Семье и прежде не хватало еды, а когда в стране начался сильный голод, дровосек уже не мог достать даже хлеба на каждый день.
English translation
A poor woodcutter lived near a great forest with his wife and two children. His son was called Hansel, and his daughter Gretel. His wife was the children’s stepmother. The family had struggled to find enough food before, but when a severe famine struck the country, the woodcutter could no longer get even their daily bread.
Russian
Однажды ночью он долго ворочался в постели, не находя покоя от тревоги. Наконец он сказал жене:
— Что же с нами будет? Чем кормить детей, если нам самим нечего есть?
English translation
One night he tossed and turned in bed for a long time, unable to find peace because of his worries. At last he said to his wife:
“What will become of us? How can we feed the children when we have nothing to eat ourselves?”
Russian
— Завтра с утра отведём их в самую чащу леса, — ответила она. — Разведём костёр, дадим каждому по куску хлеба, а сами уйдём работать. Они останутся одни и не найдут дороги домой. Так мы от них избавимся.
English translation
“Tomorrow morning we’ll take them into the thickest part of the forest,” she replied. “We’ll light a fire, give them each a piece of bread, and go off to work. They’ll be left alone and won’t find their way home. That way we’ll be rid of them.”
Russian
— Нет, жена, я не могу этого сделать! — возразил дровосек. — Как можно бросить своих детей в лесу? Дикие звери их растерзают.
English translation
“No, I can’t do that!” the woodcutter protested to his wife. “How could I abandon my own children in the forest? The wild animals would tear them to pieces.”
Russian
— Ну и дурак же ты! Тогда мы все четверо умрём с голоду. Можешь уже готовить доски для наших гробов.
English translation
“What a fool you are! Then all four of us will starve to death. You might as well start preparing the boards for our coffins.”
Russian
Жена продолжала настаивать, пока он не согласился. Но даже уступив ей, дровосек сказал, что ему всё равно очень жаль детей.
English translation
His wife kept insisting until he agreed. But even after giving in to her, the woodcutter said that he still felt terribly sorry for the children.
Continue with Гензель и Гретель
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