Английский язык с Джеромом К. Джеромом. Трое в лодке, не считая собаки
Шрифт:
accident ['aeksdnt] business ['bzns]
George said he had often longed to take to punting for a change. Punting is not as easy as it looks. As in rowing, you soon learn how to get along and handle the craft, but it takes long practice before you can do this with dignity and without getting the water all up your sleeve.
One young man I knew had a very sad accident happen to him the first time he went punting. He had been getting on so well that he had grown quite cheeky over the business, and was walking up and down the punt, working his pole with a careless grace that was quite fascinating to watch. Up he would march to the head of the punt, plant his pole, and then run along right to the other end, just like an old punter. Oh! it was grand.
And it would all have gone on being grand if he had not unfortunately (и
I could not go to his assistance, because, as ill-luck would have it (я не мог ему помочь, потому что, как назло; assistance — помощь, содействие), we had not taken the proper precaution to bring out a spare pole with us (мы не приняли надлежащие меры предосторожности = не позаботились захватить с собой запасной шест). I could only sit and look at him (я мог только сидеть и смотреть на него). His expression as the pole slowly sank with him I shall never forget (выражение его лица, пока шест медленно опускался вместе с ним, я никогда не забуду; to sink — опускаться, падать, тонуть); there was so much thought in it (в нем было столько задумчивости; thought — мысль, /раз/мышление).
necessity [n'sest] monkey ['mk] precaution [pr'k:n]
And it would all have gone on being grand if he had not unfortunately, while looking round to enjoy the scenery, taken just one step more than there was any necessity for, and walked off the punt altogether. The pole was firmly fixed in the mud, and he was left clinging to it while the punt drifted away. It was an undignified position for him. A rude boy on the bank immediately yelled out to a lagging chum to "hurry up and see real monkey on a stick."
I could not go to his assistance, because, as ill-luck would have it, we had not taken the proper precaution to bring out a spare pole with us. I could only sit and look at him. His expression as the pole slowly sank with him I shall never forget; there was so much thought in it.
I watched him gently let down into the water, and saw him scramble out, sad and wet (я наблюдал, как он тихо опустился в воду, видел, как он выкарабкался /на берег/, печальный и мокрый). I could not help laughing, he looked such a ridiculous figure (я не мог не смеяться, у него был такой смешной вид). I continued to chuckle to myself about it for some time (я продолжал посмеиваться над этим про себя некоторое время), and then it was suddenly forced in upon me that really I had got very little to laugh at when I came to think of it (и
I began to feel very indignant with my friend for having stepped overboard and gone off in that way (я начал сильно возмущаться, что мой приятель шагнул за борт и ушел таким образом). He might, at all events, have left me the pole (он мог бы, во всяком случае, оставить мне шест).
I drifted on for about a quarter of a mile (меня несло примерно с четверть мили), and then I came in sight of a fishing-punt moored in mid-stream, in which sat two old fishermen (а потом я заметил рыбачью плоскодонку, стоящую на якоре посередине реки, в которой сидели два старых рыбака; to moor — причалить; стать на якорь). They saw me bearing down upon them, and they called out to me to keep out of their way (они увидели, что я иду /прямо/ на них, и крикнули, чтобы я свернул в сторону: «держался вне их пути»; to bear down upon — угрожающе близко подходить к кому-либо, чему-либо).
ridiculous [r'dkjuls] indignant [n'dnnt]
I watched him gently let down into the water, and saw him scramble out, sad and wet. I could not help laughing, he looked such a ridiculous figure. I continued to chuckle to myself about it for some time, and then it was suddenly forced in upon me that really I had got very little to laugh at when I came to think of it. Here was I, alone in a punt, without a pole, drifting helplessly down mid-stream — possibly towards a weir.
I began to feel very indignant with my friend for having stepped overboard and gone off in that way. He might, at all events, have left me the pole.
I drifted on for about a quarter of a mile, and then I came in sight of a fishing-punt moored in mid-stream, in which sat two old fishermen. They saw me bearing down upon them, and they called out to me to keep out of their way.
"I can't (не могу)," I shouted back (крикнул я в ответ).
"But you don't try (но вы и не пытаетесь)," they answered.
I explained the matter to them when I got nearer, and they caught me and lent me a pole (я объяснил им, в чем дело, когда подплыл ближе, и они поймали меня и одолжили мне шест; to catch; to lend). The weir was just fifty yards below (плотина была всего лишь в пятидесяти ярдах ниже /меня/). I am glad they happened to be there (я рад, что они оказались там).
The first time I went punting was in company with three other fellows (в первый раз, когда я плавал с шестом, я был в компании с тремя /другими/ приятелями); they were going to show me how to do it (они собирались показать мне, как это делается). We could not all start together, so I said I would go down first and get out the punt (мы не могли отправиться все вместе, поэтому я сказал, что спущусь первым /к реке/ и возьму плоскодонку), and then I could potter about and practice a bit until they came (потом поболтаюсь /по реке/ и поупражняюсь немного, пока они придут; to potter — бездельничать; тратить время попусту, бесцельно слоняться; шататься).