Jerome K. Jerome «Three men in a boat» — Ch. XV (11/15)
english-frank.ruДжером К. Джером «Трое в лодке, не считая собаки» — Глава XV
"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).
"I can't," I shouted back.
"But you don't try," they answered.
I explained the matter to them when I got nearer, and they caught me and lent me a pole. The weir was just fifty yards below. I am glad they happened to be there.
The first time I went punting was in company with three other fellows; they were going to show me how to do it. We could not all start together, so I said I would go down first and get out the punt, and then I could potter about and practice a bit until they came.
I could not get a punt out that afternoon, they were all engaged (я не смог взять плоскодонку в тот день, они все были заняты; to engage — нанимать/ся/; быть занятым); so I had nothing else to do but to sit down on the bank (поэтому мне не оставалось ничего другого, как сесть на берегу), watching the river, and waiting for my friends (смотреть на реку и ждать моих товарищей).
I had not been sitting there long before my attention became attracted to a man in a punt (я не сидел там долго = вскоре мое внимание привлек человек в плоскодонке) who, I noticed with some surprise, wore a jacket and cap exactly like mine (который, /как/ я заметил с /некоторым/ удивлением, носил куртку и кепку, как у меня; to wear). He was evidently a novice at punting, and his performance was most interesting (он очевидно был новичком в плавании с шестом, и его действия были очень интересными; performance — исполнение, деятельность). You never knew what was going to happen when he put the pole in (нельзя было знать, что произойдет, когда он опустит шест; to put in — вставлять, всовывать); he evidently did not know himself (он, очевидно, и сам не знал). Sometimes he shot up stream and sometimes he shot down stream (иногда он устремлялся вверх по течению, а иногда вниз; to shoot up — вскочить, взлететь, взмыть), and at other times he simply spun round and came up the other side of the pole (а порой просто крутился на месте и объезжал вокруг шеста: «появлялся с другой стороны шеста»; to spin — прясть; крутиться, вертеться, выписывать круги). And with every result he seemed equally surprised and annoyed (и каждым результатом он, казалось, был одинаково удивлен и раздосадован).
I could not get a punt out that afternoon, they were all engaged; so I had nothing else to do but to sit down on the bank, watching the river, and waiting for my friends.
I had not been sitting there long before my attention became attracted to a man in a punt who, I noticed with some surprise, wore a jacket and cap exactly like mine. He was evidently a novice at punting, and his performance was most interesting. You never knew what was going to happen when he put the pole in; he evidently did not know himself. Sometimes he shot up stream and sometimes he shot down stream, and at other times he simply spun round and came up the other side of the pole. And with every result he seemed equally surprised and annoyed.
The people about the river began to get quite absorbed in him after a while (люди у реки начали с немалым интересом наблюдать за ним через некоторое время; to absorb in — завладевать /вниманием и т. п./; поглощать, занимать /время, внимание/), and to make bets with one another as to what would be the outcome of his next push (и заключать пари друг с другом по поводу того, каким будет результат его следующего толчка; outcome — исход, итог, результат).
In the course of time my friends arrived on the opposite bank (скоро мои приятели пришли на противоположный берег; in the course of time — с течением времени), and they stopped and watched him too (остановились и тоже /стали/ наблюдать за ним). His back was towards them, and they only saw his jacket and cap (его спина была /повернута/ к ним = он стоял к ним спиной, и они видели лишь его куртку и кепку). From this they immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was I, their beloved companion (на основании этого/поэтому они сейчас же сделали вывод, что это я, их любимый товарищ; to jump — прыгать; поспешно, необдуманно приходить к /заключению, выводу и т. п./), who was making an exhibition of himself, and their delight knew no bounds (выставляющий себя на посмешище, и их радость не знала границ; exhibition — выставка, показ; delight — удовольствие, восхищение, наслаждение). They commenced to chaff him unmercifully (они начали дразнить его немилосердно; to chaff — рубить, резать /сено, солому/; подшучивать, дразнить, смеяться).
The people about the river began to get quite absorbed in him after a while, and to make bets with one another as to what would be the outcome of his next push.
In the course of time my friends arrived on the opposite bank, and they stopped and watched him too. His back was towards them, and they only saw his jacket and cap. From this they immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was I, their beloved companion, who was making an exhibition of himself, and their delight knew no bounds. They commenced to chaff him unmercifully.