supine [sju:ˈpaɪn], tread [tred], encounter [ɪnˈkauntə]

But why should he select such a place for his slumbers? While meditating on the matter, Conan was galvanized by a sound behind him. Something was moving up the corridor in his direction. A quick glance down it showed that it ended in a great door, which might be locked. Conan jerked the supine body out of the panel entrance and stepped through, pulling the panel shut after him. A click told him it was locked in place. Standing in utter darkness, he heard a shuffling tread halt just outside the door, and a faint chill trickled along his spine. That was no human step, nor that of any beast he had ever encountered.

There was an instant of silence (было = возникло мгновение безмолвия), then a faint creak of wood and metal (затем слабый скрип дерева и металла). Putting out his hand he felt the door straining and bending inward (выставив руку, он ощутил, как дверь напрягается и изгибается вовнутрь; to put out — выгонять; выставить; to feel — ощупывать; ощущать; to strain — натягивать; напрягаться), as if a great weight were being steadily borne against it from the outside (как будто огромный вес неуклонно налегал на нее снаружи; steadily — монотонно; неуклонно; to bear — нести; нажимать, давить). As he reached for his sword (когда он потянулся за своим мечом; to reach for — тянуться за), this ceased and he heard a strange, slobbering mouthing (это прекратилось, и он услышал странное, слюнявое чавканье; to mouth — говорить напыщенно; чавкать; slobber — грязь, слякоть; тина, муть; слюна, слюни; to slobber — распускать слюни, слюнявить) that prickled the short hairs on his scalp (от которого у него стали дыбом короткие волосы на голове; to prickle — колоть; подниматься, торчать как иголки; scalp — кожа черепа, кожа головы). Scimitar in hand (с кривой саблей в руке), he began backing away (он начал пятиться; to back away — пятиться), and his heels felt steps, down which he nearly tumbled (и его пятки нащупали ступени, по которым он чуть не упал вниз; to feel). He was in a narrow staircase leading downward (он оказался на узкой лестнице, ведущей вниз).