Once on a time (однажды) there was (жил да был: «там был») a boy named Jack (мальчик по имени: «названный» Джек), and one morning (и одним утром) he started to go (он пустился в путь: «отправился идти») and seek his fortune (и искать свое счастье).
He hadn’t gone very far (он не ушел очень далеко = не успел еще далеко отойти) before he met a cat (прежде чем = как встретил кота; to meet).
‘Where are you going, Jack (куда ты идешь, Джек)?’ said the cat (сказал кот).
‘I am going to seek my fortune (я иду искать мое счастье).’
‘May I go with you (могу я пойти с тобой = можно, я пойду с тобой)?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack (да, – сказал Джек), ‘the more the merrier (чем больше /народу/, тем веселее; merry – веселый).’
So on they went (так дальше они пошли = и они пошли дальше), jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt (топ-топ).
Once on a time there was a boy named Jack, and one morning he started to go and seek his fortune.
He hadn’t gone very far before he met a cat.
‘Where are you going, Jack?’ said the cat.
‘I am going to seek my fortune.’
‘May I go with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier.’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a dog (они прошли немного дальше и встретили пса; further – дальше; far – далеко).
‘Where are you going, Jack (куда ты идешь, Джек)?’ said the dog.
‘I am going to seek my fortune (я иду искать мое счастье).’
‘May I go with you (могу я пойти с тобой)?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier (чем больше, тем веселее).’
So on they went (и они пошли дальше), jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a goat (они прошли немного дальше и встретили козла).
‘Where are you going, Jack (куда ты идешь, Джек)?’ said the goat.
‘I am going to seek my fortune (я иду искать мое счастье).’
‘May I go with you (могу я пойти с тобой)?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier (чем больше, тем веселее).’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a dog.
‘Where are you going, Jack?’ said the dog.
‘I am going to seek my fortune.’
‘May I go with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier.’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a goat.
‘Where are you going, Jack?’ said the goat.
‘I am going to seek my fortune.’
‘May I go with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier.’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a bull (и встретили быка).
‘Where are you going, Jack?’
‘I am going to seek my fortune.’
‘May I go with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier.’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a rooster (петуха).
‘Where are you going, Jack?’ said the rooster.
‘I am going to seek my fortune.’
‘May I go with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier.’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a bull.
‘Where are you going, Jack?’
‘I am going to seek my fortune.’
‘May I go with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier.’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a rooster.
‘Where are you going, Jack?’ said the rooster.
‘I am going to seek my fortune.’
‘May I go with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘the more the merrier.’
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
Well, they went on (ну, они шли дальше) till it was about dark (пока не стало темнеть: «пока это было около тьмы» – архаич., разг.), and they began to think of some place (и начали думать о каком-нибудь месте) where they could spend the night (где они могли бы провести ночь). About this time (около этого