foul [fqul] foolery [`fHlqrI] navigation [nxvI`geISn] subaltern [`sAbltqn] dodged [dOGd]
“For thirty years,” he said, “I’ve sailed the seas, and seen good and bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out, knives going, and what not. Well, now I tell you, I never seen good come o’ goodness yet. Him as strikes first is my fancy; dead men don’t bite; them’s my views — amen, so be it. And now, you look here,” he added, suddenly changing his tone, “we’ve had about enough of this foolery. The tide’s made good enough by now. You just take my orders, Cap’n Hawkins, and we’ll sail slap in and be done with it.”
All told, we had scarce two miles to run; but the navigation was delicate, the entrance to this northern anchorage was not only narrow and shoal, but lay east and west, so that the schooner must be nicely handled to be got in. I think I was a good, prompt subaltern, and I am very sure that Hands was an excellent pilot; for we went about and about, and dodged in, shaving the banks, with a certainty and a neatness that were a pleasure to behold.
Scarcely had we passed the heads before the land closed around us (как только мы прошли мысы, земля окружила нас со всех сторон). The shores of North Inlet were as thickly wooded as those of the southern anchorage (берега Северной бухты были столь же густо лесисты, как те /берега/ южной стоянки); but the space was longer and narrower (но сама бухта была длиннее и уже; space — пространство, протяжение, площадь), and more like, what in truth it was, the estuary of a river (и более походила на то, чем в действительности она была, на устье реки). Right before us, at the southern end (прямо перед нами, в южной оконечности), we saw the wreck of a ship in the last stages of dilapidation (мы увидели остов разбитого корабля, /находившегося/ в последней стадии разрушения; dilapidation — обветшание, разрушение). It had been a great vessel of three masts (это было большое трехмачтовое судно), but had lain so long exposed to the injuries of the weather (но /оно/ так долго покоилось /здесь/, подвергаясь воздействию непогоды; to expose — выставлять, подвергать; injury — вред, ущерб, урон), that it was hung about with great webs of dripping seaweed (что обросло: «было увешано» огромными паутинами из мокрых морских водорослей; web — паутина), and on the deck of it shore bushes had taken root (на его палубе береговые кусты пустили корни; shore — берег), and now flourished thick with flowers (и теперь были усеяна цветами; to flourish — пышно расти, расцветать; thick with — изобилующий, густо покрытый). It was a sad sight, but it showed us that the anchorage was calm (это было печальным зрелищем, но показывало нам, что стоянка спокойна).
“Now (итак),” said Hands, “look there (погляди); there’s a pet bit for to beach a ship in (какой прелестный кусочек берега для причаливания). Fine flat sand, never a catspaw (прекрасный гладкий песок, ни легкого ветерка: «кошачьей лапы»), trees all around of it, and flowers a (вокруг деревья, и цветы) — blowing like a garding on that old ship (цветут, словно сад на том старом корабле; garding = garden).”
“And once beached (а когда сядем на мель),” I inquired (я спросил), “how shall we get her off again (как мы отчалим снова)?”
estuary [`estjuqrI] wreck [rek] dilapidation [dIlxpI`deISn] garden [`gRdn]
Scarcely had we passed the heads before the land closed around us. The shores of North Inlet were as thickly wooded as those of the southern anchorage; but the space was longer and narrower, and more like, what in truth it was, the estuary of a river. Right before us, at the southern end, we saw the wreck of a ship in the last stages of dilapidation. It had been a great vessel of three masts, but had lain so long exposed to the injuries of the weather, that it was hung about with great webs of dripping seaweed, and on the deck of it shore bushes had taken root, and now flourished thick with flowers. It was a sad sight, but it showed us that the anchorage was calm.
“Now,” said Hands, “look there; there’s a pet bit for to beach a ship in. Fine flat sand, never a catspaw, trees all around of it, and flowers a — blowing like a garding on that old ship.”
“And once beached,” I inquired, “how shall we get her off again?”
“Why, so (почему),” he replied (он ответил): “you take a line ashore there on the other side at low water (протяни канат на берег с другой стороны = на тот берег при отливе; line — линия, шнур, леска, веревка). Take a turn about one o’ them big pines (оберни /его/ вокруг одной из этих больших сосен); bring it back, take a turn round the capstan (принеси /конец/ назад, оберни вокруг шпилевой лебедки), and lie-to for the tide (и ложись в дрейф, ожидая прилива). Come high water, all hands take a pull upon the line (/когда/ придет прилив, вся команда тянет за канат; to pull — тянуть, натягивать, выдергивать), and off she comes as sweet as nature’ (и она /шхуна/ сходит легко /с мели/; sweet — сладкий, приятный, ласковый; nature — природа, естество; нрав, сущность). And now, boy, you stand by (а теперь, парень, приготовься). We’re near the bit now, and she’s too much way on her (мы рядом с мелью, а она идет слишком быстро; bit — небольшое количество, кусочек, частичка, кроха; way — путь, движение). Starboard a little — so — steady — starboard — larboard a little — steady — steady (на правый борт немного — так — спокойно, — правее — немного левее — спокойно — спокойно; starboard — правый борт; larboard — левый борт)!”
So he issued his commands, which I breathlessly obeyed (так он отдавал команды, которые я, запыхавшись, выполнял; breath — дыхание); till, all of a sudden, he cried (пока вдруг он не крикнул), “Now, my hearty, luff (теперь, мой /друг/ сердечный, приводи к ветру)!” And I put the helm hard up (и я налег на руль сильно = изо всей силы; to put up — поднимать, убирать), and the Hispaniola swung round rapidly, and ran stem on for the low wooded shore (и Испаньола повернулась быстро и пошла к низкому лесистому берегу; stem — стебель, черенок, нос, форштевень /крайний носовой брус, заканчивающий корпус судна/).
nature [`neItSq] breathlessly [`breTlIslI] obeyed [q`beId] hearty [`hRtI] luff [lAf]
“Why, so,” he replied: “you take a line ashore there on the other side at low water. Take a turn about one o’ them big pines; bring it back, take a turn round the capstan, and lie-to for the tide. Come high water, all hands take a pull upon the line, and off she comes as sweet as nature’. And now, boy, you stand by. We’re near the bit now, and she’s too much way on her. Starboard a little — so — steady — starboard — larboard a little — steady — steady!”
So he issued his commands, which I breathlessly obeyed; till, all of a sudden, he cried, “Now, my hearty, luff!” And I put the helm hard up, and the Hispaniola swung round rapidly, and ran stem on for the low wooded shore.
The excitement of these last manoeuvres had somewhat interfered with the watch I had kept hitherto (волнение от этих последних маневров отчасти помешало моей бдительности, которую я сохранял до сих пор; somewhat — довольно, до некоторой степени; to interfere with — мешать, вмешиваться; watch — наблюдение, бдительность), sharply enough upon the coxswain (довольно внимательно /наблюдая/ за рулевым). Even then I was still so much interested waiting for the ship to touch (даже тогда я был все еще так сильно поглощен, ожидая, когда корабль коснется /песка/; interested — внимательный, заинтересованный), that I had quite forgot the peril that hung over my head (что совершенно позабыл об опасности, нависшей над моей головой), and stood craning over the starboard bulwarks and watching the ripples spreading wide before the bows (и стоял, вытянувшись = перегнувшись через правый фальшборт и глядя, как рябь расходится широко перед носом; to spread — раскидываться, распространяться, расстилаться). I might have fallen without a struggle for my life (я бы, наверное, погиб без борьбы за свою жизнь), had not a sudden disquietude seized upon me (если бы не внезапное беспокойство, охватившее меня; to seize — схватить, захватить, обуять), and made me turn my head (и заставившее повернуть голову). Perhaps I had heard a creak (может быть, я услышал какой-то скрип), or seen his shadow moving with the tail of my eye (или заметил краем глаза его движущуюся тень); perhaps it was an instinct like a cat’s (возможно, это был инстинкт, вроде кошачьего); but sure enough, when I looked round, there was Hands (но действительно, когда я обернулся, так стоял Хендс), already half-way towards me, with the dirk in his right hand (уже на полпути ко мне = совсем рядом, с кинжалом в правой руке).
