Jerome K. Jerome «Three men in a boat» — Ch. IX (4/10)
@english_frankДжером К. Джером «Трое в лодке, не считая собаки» — Глава IX
Much of this sort of trouble would be saved (значительной части подобных неприятностей можно было бы избежать; to save — спасать; беречь, экономить; избавлять) if those who are towing would keep remembering that they are towing (если бы те, кто тянет /лодку/, продолжали помнить = не забывали, что они тянут), and give a pretty frequent look round to see how their man is getting on (и почаще оглядывались бы, чтобы посмотреть, как там их человек = спутник; to get on — делать успехи, преуспевать). It is best to let one person tow (самое лучшее — чтобы тянул один человек: «позволить тянуть одному»). When two are doing it, they get chattering, and forget (когда это делают двое, они начинают болтать и забывают), and the boat itself, offering, as it does, but little resistance (а сама лодка, оказывая, фактически, лишь небольшое сопротивление), is of no real service in reminding them of the fact (не особенно в состоянии напомнить им об их занятии/о действительности; of no use — бесполезный; of no effect — безрезультатный, бесполезный и т.д.; fact — факт, обстоятельство; событие; действительность).
As an example of how utterly oblivious a pair of towers can be to their work (как пример того, насколько совершенно невнимательными к своей работе может быть пара тянущих лодку; utterly — крайне, очень; oblivious — забывчивый, рассеянный; не обращающий внимания), George told us, later on in the evening (Джордж рассказал нам, позднее вечером), when we were discussing the subject after supper, of a very curious instance (когда мы обсуждали эту тему после ужина, об одном очень любопытном случае; instance — отдельный пример, случай).
Much of this sort of trouble would be saved if those who are towing would keep remembering that they are towing, and give a pretty frequent look round to see how their man is getting on. It is best to let one person tow. When two are doing it, they get chattering, and forget, and the boat itself, offering, as it does, but little resistance, is of no real service in reminding them of the fact.
As an example of how utterly oblivious a pair of towers can be to their work, George told us, later on in the evening, when we were discussing the subject after supper, of a very curious instance.
He and three other men, so he said, were sculling a very heavily laden boat up from Maidenhead one evening (он и трое других, как он сказал, вели тяжело груженную лодку вверх /по реке/ из Мэйденхеда как-то вечером; to lade — грузить, нагружать), and a little above Cookham lock they noticed a fellow and a girl, walking along the towpath (и несколько выше Кукхэмского шлюза они заметили парня и девушку, шедших по дороге на берегу; towpath — пешеходная дорога на берегу реки, канала), both deep in an apparently interesting and absorbing conversation (оба поглощенные очевидно интересным и увлекательным разговором). They were carrying a boat-hook between them (они несли багор /между собой/), and, attached to the boat-hook was a tow-line (а к багру был привязан канат), which trailed behind them, its end in the water (который волочился за ними, а его конец был в воде = скрылся под водой). No boat was near, no boat was in sight (поблизости не было лодки, и никакой лодки не было в пределах видимости). There must have been a boat attached to that tow-line at some time or other, that was certain (лодка была привязана к этому канату когда-то: «в то или иное время», это было несомненно); but what had become of it, what ghastly fate had overtaken it (но что с ней случилось, какая ужасная участь постигла ее; to overtake-overtook-overtaken; to overtake — догнать, настигнуть; охватить, обрушиться внезапно), and those who had been left in it, was buried in mystery (и тех, кто был оставлен в ней, — было окутано тайной; to bury — хоронить; прятать, укрывать).
Whatever the accident may have been, however (какое бы несчастье ни случилось, тем не менее), it had in no way disturbed the young lady and gentleman, who were towing (оно никоим образом не беспокоило барышню и молодого джентльмена, которые тянули /лодку/). They had the boat-hook and they had the line (у них были багор и веревка), and that seemed to be all that they thought necessary to their work (и это, казалось, все, что они считают необходимым для своей работы = все, что им нужно).
He and three other men, so he said, were sculling a very heavily laden boat up from Maidenhead one evening, and a little above Cookham lock they noticed a fellow and a girl, walking along the towpath, both deep in an apparently interesting and absorbing conversation. They were carrying a boat-hook between them, and, attached to the boat-hook was a tow-line, which trailed behind them, its end in the water. No boat was near, no boat was in sight. There must have been a boat attached to that tow-line at some time or other, that was certain; but what had become of it, what ghastly fate had overtaken it, and those who had been left in it, was buried in mystery.
Whatever the accident may have been, however, it had in no way disturbed the young lady and gentleman, who were towing. They had the boat-hook and they had the line, and that seemed to be all that they thought necessary to their work.