Princess of Mars / Принцесса Марса. Уровень 2

The beast examined me intently for a moment, crossed the room to the only exit, which led to the street, and lay down full length across the threshold.

While Sola was away, I took occasion to examine more minutely the room. The mural painting depicted scenes of rare and wonderful beauty – mountains, rivers, lake, ocean, meadow, trees and flowers, winding roadways, sun-kissed[27 - sun-kissed – залитые солнцем] gardens. One could think those paintings portrayed earthly views but the coloring of the vegetation was different.

Sola returned with both food and drink. She placed them on the floor beside me and regarded me intently. The food consisted of about a pound of some solid substance of the consistency of cheese and almost tasteless, while the liquid was apparently milk from some animal. It came, as I later discovered, not from an animal, but from a large plant, which grows practically without water. A single plant of this species will give eight or ten quarts of milk per day.

When I was full, I felt the need of rest. I stretched out upon the silks and was soon asleep. When I woke up, it was dark and cold. A hand reached out and pulled the fur over me and I presumed that was Sola. I was not wrong. This girl disclosed characteristics of[28 - disclosed characteristics of – показала склонность к] sympathy, kindliness, and affection. Her ministrations to my bodily wants[29 - bodily wants – физические потребности] were unfailing, and her solicitous care saved me from much suffering and many hardships.

As I was to learn, the Martian nights are extremely cold. There is practically no twilight or dawn. The changes in temperature are sudden and most uncomfortable, as are the transitions from brilliant daylight to darkness. When two of the moon happen to be in the sky, the surface of the ground is brightly illuminated. The absence of both of the moons results in total darkness.

The green men of Mars is a nomadic race without high intellectual development and have crude means for artificial lighting[30 - crude means for artificial lighting – примитивные средства искусственного освещения]. They depend principally upon torches, a kind of candle, and a peculiar oil lamp, which generates a gas and burns without a wick.

The last device produces an intensely brilliant far-reaching white light.