Indeed, the old Witch never touched water, nor ever let water touch her in any way.

But the wicked creature was very cunning, and she finally thought of a trick that would give her what she wanted. She placed a bar of iron in the middle of the kitchen floor, and then by her magic arts made the iron invisible to human eyes. So that when Dorothy walked across the floor she stumbled over the bar, not being able to see it, and fell at full length.

She was not much hurt, but in her fall one of the Silver Shoes came off; and before she could reach it, the Witch had snatched it away and put it on her own skinny foot.

The wicked woman was greatly pleased with the success of her trick (злая женщина очень сильно обрадовалась успеху своей выходки), for as long as she had one of the shoes she owned half the power of their charm (потому что теперь, когда у нее был один из башмаков, она владела половиной силы их волшебства), and Dorothy could not use it against her (и Дороти не могла использовать его против нее), even had she known how to do so (даже если бы она знала, как им воспользоваться: «как это сделать»).

The little girl, seeing she had lost one of her pretty shoes, grew angry (маленькая девочка, увидев, что она потеряла один из своих прекрасных башмаков, рассердилась: «стала сердитой»), and said to the Witch, "Give me back my shoe (верни мой башмак)!"

"I will not (я не /верну/)," retorted the Witch (резко возразила Ведьма; to retort — резко возражать), "for it is now my shoe, and not yours (потому что теперь это мой башмак, а не твой)."

pleased [pli:zd], success [sqk'ses], own [qun], retort [rI'tO:t]

The wicked woman was greatly pleased with the success of her trick, for as long as she had one of the shoes she owned half the power of their charm, and Dorothy could not use it against her, even had she known how to do so.

The little girl, seeing she had lost one of her pretty shoes, grew angry, and said to the Witch, "Give me back my shoe!"

"I will not," retorted the Witch, "for it is now my shoe, and not yours."

"You are a wicked creature (ты злое существо = ты злая)!" cried Dorothy (крикнула Дороти). "You have no right to take my shoe from me (у тебя нет права забирать у меня мой башмак)."

"I shall keep it, just the same (я сохраню его = оставлю его у себя, все равно)," said the Witch, laughing at her (сказала Ведьма, смеясь над ней), "and someday I shall get the other one from you, too (и когда-нибудь я заберу у тебя и второй /башмак/ тоже)." This made Dorothy so very angry (это так сильно рассердило Дороти) that she picked up the bucket of water that stood near (что она схватила ведро воды, которое стояло рядом) and dashed it over the Witch (и плеснула его на Волшебницу; to dash — наносить сокрушающий удар, разбивать вдребезги; брызгать, плескать) wetting her from head to foot (намочив ее с головы до ног; wet — мокрый, влажный; to wet — мочить, увлажнять; вымочить, промочить /в полной мере, до конца, очень сильно/).

Instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear (в тот же момент злая женщина издала громкий крик страха), and then, as Dorothy looked at her in wonder (и затем, пока Дороти смотрела на нее в изумлении), the Witch began to shrink and fall away (Ведьма начала усыхать и исчезать; to shrink — уменьшать/ся/, сокращать/ся/; ) сморщиваться; садиться /о материи/, давать усадку; сжиматься, съеживаться; усыхать; to fall away — чахнуть, сохнуть; исчезать).

some day ['sAmdeI], bucket ['bAkIt], dashed [dxSt], instantly ['InstqntlI], shrink [SrINk]

"You are a wicked creature!" cried Dorothy. "You have no right to take my shoe from me."

"I shall keep it, just the same," said the Witch, laughing at her, "and someday I shall get the other one from you, too." This made Dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucket of water that stood near and dashed it over the Witch, wetting her from head to foot.

Instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear, and then, as Dorothy looked at her in wonder, the Witch began to shrink and fall away.

"See what you have done (что ты наделала)!" she screamed (завопила она). "In a minute I shall melt away (через минуту я растаю; to melt away — растаять)."

"I'm very sorry, indeed (очень сожалею, в самом деле)," said Dorothy, who was truly frightened (сказала Дороти, которая была действительно испугана) to see the Witch actually melting away like brown sugar before her very eyes (видя, как Ведьма действительно таяла, словно коричневый сахар, перед самыми ее глазами).

"Didn't you know water would be the end of me (разве ты не знала, что вода меня прикончит: «будет моим концом»; to be the end /of/ — довести до гибели, прикончить)?" asked the Witch, in a wailing, despairing voice (спросила Ведьма завывающим, полным отчаяния голосом; wail — вопль; завывание, вой; to wail — вопить, стонать; выть, завывать; despair — отчаяние, безысходность; to despair — отчаиваться, терять надежду).

"Of course not (конечно, нет)," answered Dorothy. "How should I (откуда мне /было знать/)?"

scream [skri:m], melt away ['meltq'weI], actually ['xktS(u)qlI], sugar ['Sugq], wailing ['weIlIN], despairing [dIs'peqrIN]

"See what you have done!" she screamed. "In a minute I shall melt away."

"I'm very sorry, indeed," said Dorothy, who was truly frightened to see the Witch actually melting away like brown sugar before her very eyes.

"Didn't you know water would be the end of me?" asked the Witch, in a wailing, despairing voice.

"Of course not," answered Dorothy. "How should I?"

"Well, in a few minutes I shall be all melted (что ж, через несколько минут я вся растаю), and you will have the castle to yourself (а ты получишь замок в свое /распоряжение/). I have been wicked in my day (я была злой при жизни; day — день; дни жизни, жизнь), but I never thought a little girl like you (но я никогда не думала, что такая маленькая девочка, как ты) would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds (когда-нибудь сможет растопить меня и положить конец моим злым/дурным поступкам). Look out — here I go (берегись — вот я /исчезаю/)!" With these words the Witch fell down in a brown, melted, shapeless mass (с этими словами Ведьма упала /на пол, превратившись/ в коричневую растаявшую бесформенную массу) and began to spread over the clean boards of the kitchen floor (и начала растекаться по чистым доскам кухонного пола). Seeing that she had really melted away to nothing (увидев, что она почти что растаяла; nothing — ничто, небытие, полное исчезновение), Dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess (Дороти принесла еще одно ведро воды и вылила его на всю эту грязь; to throw — бросать, кидать; лить, проливать; to throw a bucket of water over smth. — опрокинуть ведро воды на что-либо; mess — беспорядок, кутерьма; грязь).

castle [kQ:sl], deed [di:d], shapeless ['SeIplIs], mess [mes]

"Well, in a few minutes I shall be all melted, and you will have the castle to yourself. I have been wicked in my day, but I never thought a little girl like you would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds. Look out — here I go!" With these words the Witch fell down in a brown, melted, shapeless mass and began to spread over the clean boards of the kitchen floor. Seeing that she had really melted away to nothing, Dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess.

She then swept it all out the door (затем она вымела все за дверь; to sweep). After picking out the silver shoe (вытащив серебряный башмак), which was all that was left of the old woman (который был всем, что осталось от старой женщины), she cleaned and dried it with a cloth (она почистила и высушила его тряпочкой), and put it on her foot again (и снова надела его на свою ногу). Then, being at last free to do as she chose (затем, будучи наконец свободной делать то, что она хотела; to choose — выбирать; хотеть, желать), she ran out to the courtyard to tell the Lion that the Wicked Witch of the West had come to an end (она выбежала во двор, чтобы рассказать Льву о том, что Злой Ведьме Запада пришел конец: «что /она/ пришла к концу»), and that they were no longer prisoners in a strange land (и что они больше не были пленниками в этой чужой земле; prisoner — заключенный, арестант; пленник, узник; strange — незнакомый, неизвестный; чужой, чужеземный; in a strange land — в чужой стране, в чужих краях, на чужбине).

clean [kli:n], chose [tSquz], courtyard ['kO:tjQ:d], prisoner ['prIz(q)nq]

She then swept it all out the door. After picking out the silver shoe, which was all that was left of the old woman, she cleaned and dried it with a cloth, and put it on her foot again. Then, being at last free to do as she chose, she ran out to the courtyard to tell the Lion that the Wicked Witch of the West had come to an end, and that they were no longer prisoners in a strange land.