Английский с улыбкой. Брет Гарт, Стивен Ликок. Дефективный детектив / Bret Harte, Stephen Leacock

Ликок Стивен Батлер

“Yes,” he answered, trying to appear at ease and twisting a fried egg to and fro between his fingers with such nervous force as almost to break it in two – “I regret to say that we have lost the bosun.”

“The bosun!” I cried.

“Yes,” said Captain Bilge more quietly, “he is overboard. I blame myself for it, partly. It was early this morning. I was holding him up in my arms to look at an iceberg and, quite accidentally I assure you – I dropped him overboard.”

“Captain Bilge,” I asked, “have you taken any steps to recover him (капитан

Днище, – спросил я, – вы предприняли какие-то шаги, чтобы спасти его: «вернуть его назад»)?”

“Not as yet,” he replied uneasily (нет пока еще, – ответил он смущенно).

I looked at him fixedly, but said nothing (я пристально на него посмотрел, но ничего не сказал; fixedly – неподвижно, устойчиво; пристально).

Ten days passed (прошло десять дней).

The mystery thickened (/завеса/ тайны сгущалась). On Thursday two men of the starboard watch were reported missing (в четверг доложили, что пропали два матроса, /несших/ вахту на правом борте). On Friday the carpenter’s assistant disappeared (в пятницу исчез помощник плотника). On the night of Saturday a circumstance occurred (в ночь на субботу произошло событие: «обстоятельство») which, slight as it was, gave me some clue as to what was happening (которое, хоть само по себе и незначительное, дало мне ключ к пониманию того, что происходит; slight – стройный, тонкий; незначительный).

“Captain Bilge,” I asked, “have you taken any steps to recover him?”

“Not as yet,” he replied uneasily.

I looked at him fixedly, but said nothing.

Ten days passed.

The mystery thickened. On Thursday two men of the starboard watch were reported missing. On Friday the carpenter’s assistant disappeared. On the night of Saturday a circumstance occurred which, slight as it was, gave me some clue as to what was happening.

As I stood at the wheel about midnight (около полуночи, когда я стоял за штурвалом; wheel – колесо; штурвал), I saw the Captain approach in the darkness carrying the cabin-boy by the hind leg (я увидел, как в темноте /ко мне/ приближается капитан, волоча юнгу за «заднюю» ногу). The lad was a bright little fellow (паренек был толковым малым; bright – яркий, блестящий; умный, сметливый), whose merry disposition had already endeared him to me (чей веселый нрав уже расположил меня к нему; disposition – расположение, размещение /в каком-л. порядке/; характер, нрав; to endear – внушить любовь), and I watched with some interest to see what the Captain would do to him (и я с некоторым интересом следил за тем: «чтобы увидеть», что капитан сделает с ним). Arrived at the stern of the vessel, Captain Bilge looked cautiously around a moment (добравшись до кормы судна, капитан Днище осторожно осмотрелся) and then dropped the boy into the sea (и затем бросил парня в море). For a brief instant the lad’s head appeared in the phosphorus of the waves (на какое-то короткое мгновение голова парня показалась в фосфоресцирующих волнах). The Captain threw a boot at him, sighed deeply, and went below (капитан бросил в него сапогом, глубоко вздохнул и пошел вниз; to throw).

As I stood at the wheel about midnight, I saw the Captain approach in the darkness carrying the cabin-boy by the hind leg. The lad was a bright little fellow, whose merry disposition had already endeared him to me, and I watched with some interest to see what the Captain would do to him. Arrived at the stern of the vessel, Captain Bilge looked cautiously around a moment and then dropped the boy into the sea. For a brief instant the lad’s head appeared in the phosphorus of the waves. The Captain threw a boot at him, sighed deeply, and went below.

Here then was the key to the mystery (значит, вот он ключ к /разгадке/ тайны)! The Captain was throwing the crew overboard (капитан выбрасывает команду за борт). Next morning we met at breakfast as usual (на следующее утро мы как обычно встретились за завтраком; to meet).

“Poor little Williams has fallen overboard (малыш Уильямс, бедняга, упал за борт),” said the Captain, seizing a strip of ship’s bacon (сказал капитан, хватая ломоть корабельного бекона; strip – длинный узкий кусок; полоска) and tearing at it with his teeth as if he almost meant to eat it (и вонзая в него зубы так, будто намеревался съесть его; to tear – рвать, разрывать; пронзать; to mean; almost – почти, едва не).

“Captain,” I said, greatly excited (капитан, – сказал я в сильном волнении), stabbing at a ship’s loaf in my agitation with such ferocity as almost to drive my knife into it (тыча ножом в корабельную буханку с таким остервенением, что почти вогнал в нее свой нож; to stab – колоть, ранить /ножом/; тыкать; agitation – волнение, возбуждение; to drive into – вгонять, всаживать) – “You threw that boy overboard (вы бросили этого мальчика за борт)!”

Here then was the key to the mystery! The Captain was throwing the crew overboard. Next morning we met at breakfast as usual.

“Poor little Williams has fallen overboard,” said the Captain, seizing a strip of ship’s bacon and tearing at it with his teeth as if he almost meant to eat it.

“Captain,” I said, greatly excited, stabbing at a ship’s loaf in my agitation with such ferocity as almost to drive my knife into it – “You threw that boy overboard!”

“I did,” said Captain Bilge, grown suddenly quiet (бросил, – сказал капитан Днище, внезапно успокаиваясь: «становясь спокойным»; to grow), “I threw them all over and intend to throw the rest (я бросил за /борт/ их всех и намерен бросить остальных). Listen, Blowhard, you are young, ambitious, and trustworthy (послушайте, Трепло, вы молоды, честолюбивы и заслуживаете доверия). I will confide in you (я хочу открыть вам /тайну/; to confide – доверять; поверять, сообщать по секрету).”