Кролик Питер решает сменить фамилию

Глава первая, в которой Кролик Питер решает, что его фамилия звучит несолидно и служит причиной насмешек, а значит её надо сменить. Его знакомый скунс Джимми рассказывает отличное стихотворение о значении нашего имени (в английском языке слово name может означать как имя, так и фамилию) и отношении к нему других «людей» folks. Попробуйте выучить стишок наизусть.

Кстати сказать, значение слова folks, в английском языке очень широкое (в сказке это слово употребляется довольно часто). Пояснения и перевод сложных слов вы найдёте внизу страницы.

Для быстрого поиска нужного места и сопоставления его со звуком в текст добавлены метки времени.

I. Peter Rabbit Decides to Change his Name

(0:33) PETER RABBIT! Peter Rabbit! I don’t see what Mother Nature ever gave me such a common sounding name as that for⁽¹⁾. People laugh at me, but if I had a fine sounding name they wouldn’t laugh. Some folks say that a name doesn’t amount to anything⁽²⁾, but it does. If I should do some wonderful thing, nobody would think anything of it. No, Sir, nobody would think anything of it at all just because—why just because it was done by Peter Rabbit.“

(1:08) Peter was talking out loud, but he was talking to himself. He sat in the dear Old Briar-patch⁽³⁾ with an ugly scowl⁽⁴⁾ on his usually happy face. The sun was shining, the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were dancing over the Green Meadows, the birds were singing, and happiness, the glad, joyous happiness of springtime, was everywhere but in Peter Rabbit’s heart. There there seeded to be no room for anything but discontent⁽⁵⁾. And such foolish discontent—discontent with his name! And yet, do you know, there are lots of people just as foolish as Peter Rabbit.

(1:54) ”Well, what are you going to do about it?“

The voice made Peter Rabbit jump and turn around hastily⁽⁶⁾. There was Jimmy Skunk⁽⁷⁾ poking his head in⁽⁸⁾ at the opening of one of Peter’s private little paths. He was grinning, and Peter knew by that grin that Jimmy had heard what he had said. Peter didn’t know what to say. He hung his head in a very shame-faced way.

(2:22) ”You’ve got something to learn,“ said Jimmy Skunk.

”What is it?“ asked Peter.

”It’s just this,“ replied Jimmy.

(2:33) ”There’s nothing in a name except
Just what we choose to make it.
It lies with us and no one else
How other folks shall take it.
It’s what we do and what we say
And how we live each passing day
(2:47) That makes it big or makes it small
Or even worse than none at all.
A name just stands for what we are;
It’s what we choose to make it.
And that’s the way and only way
That other folks will take it.“

(3:01) Peter Rabbit made a face⁽⁹⁾ at Jimmy Skunk. ”I don’t like being preached⁽¹⁰⁾ to.“

”I’m not preaching; I’m just telling you what you ought to know without being told⁽¹¹⁾,“ replied Jimmy Skunk. ”If you don’t like your name, why don’t you change it?“

”What’s that?“ cried Peter sharply.

”If you don’t like your name, why don’t you change it?“ repeated Jimmy.

(3:30) Peter sat up and the disagreeable frown had left his face. ”I—I—hadn’t thought of that,“ he said slowly. ”Do you suppose I could⁽¹²⁾, Jimmy Skunk?“

”Easiest thing in the world,“ replied Jimmy Skunk. ”Just decide what name you like and then ask all your friends to call you by it.“

(3:57) ”I believe I will!“ cried Peter Rabbit.

”Well, let me know what it is when you have decided," said Jimmy, as he started for home. And all the way up the Crooked Little Path,⁽¹³⁾ Jimmy chuckled⁽¹⁴⁾ to himself as he thought of foolish Peter Rabbit trying to change his name.

^{^1}Здесь предлог for относится к началу предложения и должен переводится вместе со словом what, т.е. what for – для чего.
^{^2}doesn’t amount to anything – ни на что не влияет
^{^3}Old Briar-patch – заросли старого шиповника; метафорическое значение словосочетания briar-patch – трудная, запутанная, почти неразрешимая задача
^{^4}with an ugly scowl с хмурой гримасой
^{^5}discontent – досада, раздражение
^{^6}hastily – торопливо, поспешно
^{^7}Jimmy Skunk – Джимми Скунс
^{^8}poke in – всовывать, засовывать; разузнавать
^{^9}made a face – скорчил рожу
^{^10}preach – проповедовать, поучать, читать наставления
^{^11}I’m not preaching; I’m just telling you what you ought to know without being told. – Я не поучаю, я просто говорю тебе то, что ты и так должен знать.
^{^12}Do you suppose I could? – Думаешь, я смогу?
^{^13}Crooked Little Path – Извилистая Маленькая Тропинка (судя по заглавным буквам, это, вероятно, её официальное географическое название😁)
^{^14}chuckle – хихикать, посмеиваться