Jerome K. Jerome «Three men in a boat» — Ch. IV (3/11)
@english_frankДжером К. Джером «Трое в лодке, не считая собаки» — Глава IV
I remember a friend of mine, buying a couple of cheeses at Liverpool (помню, как один мой приятель купил пару сыров в Ливерпуле). Splendid cheeses they were, ripe and mellow (прекрасные это были сыры, выдержанные и зрелые; ripe — зрелый, спелый, выдержанный; mellow — спелый, сочный, мягкий; выдержанный), and with a two hundred horse-power scent about them (с ароматом в двести лошадиных сил) that might have been warranted to carry three miles (который, пожалуй, распространялся на три мили; to warrant — подтверждать, гарантировать), and knock a man over at two hundred yards (и сбивал человека /с ног/ за две сотни ярдов; yard — ярд /91, 4 см/). I was in Liverpool at the time, and my friend said that if I didn't mind (я был в Ливерпуле в то время, и мой приятель сказал, что если я не возражаю) he would get me to take them back with me to London (он попросит меня взять их /сыры/ с собой обратно в Лондон), as he should not be coming up for a day or two himself (поскольку он сам не приедет день или два = вернется через день-два), and he did not think the cheeses ought to be kept much longer (и не думает, /что/ эти сыры следует хранить намного дольше).
"Oh, with pleasure, dear boy (о, с удовольствием, дорогой парень = дружище," I replied (ответил я), "with pleasure."
I remember a friend of mine, buying a couple of cheeses at Liverpool. Splendid cheeses they were, ripe and mellow, and with a two hundred horse-power scent about them that might have been warranted to carry three miles, and knock a man over at two hundred yards. I was in Liverpool at the time, and my friend said that if I didn't mind he would get me to take them back with me to London, as he should not be coming up for a day or two himself, and he did not think the cheeses ought to be kept much longer.
"Oh, with pleasure, dear boy," I replied, "with pleasure."
I called for the cheeses, and took them away in a cab (я зашел за сырами и увез их в кебе; to call for — требовать; заходить за). It was a ramshackle affair, dragged along by a knock-kneed (это была ветхая штука = развалюха, которую тащил колченогий/запинающийся; knock — удар; толчок; knee — колено), broken-winded somnambulist (ослабевший: «со сломанными крыльями» лунатик), which his owner, in a moment of enthusiasm, during conversation, referred to as a horse (которого его хозяин в минуту увлечения во время разговора называл лошадью; to refer to as — именовать, называть; to refer to — ссылаться, относиться к). I put the cheeses on the top, and we started off at a shamble (я положил сыры на крышу, и мы тронулись со скоростью; to start off — трогаться, начинать путешествие; shamble — неуклюжая шаркающая походка) that would have done credit to the swiftest steam-roller ever built (которая сделала бы честь самому быстрому паровому катку, когда-либо построенному /в мире/; to do credit; to build), and all went merry as a funeral bell, until we turned the corner (все шло весело, словно похоронный колокол = как на похоронах, пока мы не свернули за угол). There, the wind carried a whiff from the cheeses full on to our steed (тут ветер донес запах /от/ сыров прямо до нашего коня; whiff — дуновение; слабый запах, душок). It woke him up, and, with a snort of terror (это разбудило его, и, фыркнув от страха: «с фырканьем от страха»; to wake up), he dashed off at three miles an hour (он ринулся /вперед со скоростью/ три мили в час; to dash off — броситься, кинуться). The wind still blew in his direction (ветер по-прежнему дул в его направлении; to blow), and before we reached the end of the street he was laying himself out at the rate of nearly four miles an hour (и, прежде чем мы достигли конца улицы, он стлался /по дороге/ со скоростью почти четыре мили в час; to lay out — выкладывать, выставлять; сваливать, сбивать с ног; at the rate — в размере, на уровне), leaving the cripples and stout old ladies simply nowhere (оставляя калек и тучных пожилых дам далеко позади: «просто нигде»).
It took two porters as well as the driver to hold him in at the station (потребовались /усилия/ двух носильщиков, а также возницы, чтобы остановить его на вокзале; to hold in — удерживать, сдерживать/ся/); and I do not think they would have done it, even then (и я не думаю, /что/ они сделали бы это даже тогда), had not one of the men had the presence of mind to put a handkerchief over his nose (не будь у одного из них присутствия духа/хладнокровия, чтобы накинуть носовой платок на нос /лошади/), and to light a bit of brown paper (и зажечь кусок оберточной бумаги; brown — коричневый, бурый; небеленый).
I called for the cheeses, and took them away in a cab. It was a ramshackle affair, dragged along by a knock-kneed, broken-winded somnambulist, which his owner, in a moment of enthusiasm, during conversation, referred to as a horse. I put the cheeses on the top, and we started off at a shamble that would have done credit to the swiftest steam-roller ever built, and all went merry as a funeral bell, until we turned the corner. There, the wind carried a whiff from the cheeses full on to our steed. It woke him up, and, with a snort of terror, he dashed off at three miles an hour. The wind still blew in his direction, and before we reached the end of the street he was laying himself out at the rate of nearly four miles an hour, leaving the cripples and stout old ladies simply nowhere.
It took two porters as well as the driver to hold him in at the station; and I do not think they would have done it, even then, had not one of the men had the presence of mind to put a handkerchief over his nose, and to light a bit of brown paper.