Читать интересную книгу Английский язык с Джеромом К. Джеромом. Трое в лодке, не считая собаки - Jerome Jerome

awkward [ˈɔ:kwǝd] quantity [ˈkwɔntɪtɪ]

But the twenty-five per cent plan did not work well at all. He never was able to use it. The greatest number of fish he ever caught in one day was three, and you can't add twenty-five per cent to three — at least, not in fish.

So he increased his percentage to thirty-three-and-a-third; but that, again, was awkward, when he had only caught one or two; so, to simplify matters, he made up his mind to just double the quantity.

He stuck to this arrangement for a couple of months, and then he grew dissatisfied with it. Nobody believed him when he told them that he only doubled, and he, therefore, gained no credit that way whatever, while his moderation put him at a disadvantage among the other anglers. When he had really caught three small fish, and said he had caught six, it used to make him quite jealous to hear a man, whom he knew for a fact had only caught one, going about telling people he had landed two dozen.

So, eventually, he made one final arrangement with himself (поэтому в конце концов он вступил в соглашение с самим собой; to make arrangements with somebody — договариваться, уславливаться с кем-либо), which he has religiously held to ever since (которого строго придерживается с тех пор), and that was to count each fish that he caught as ten, and to assume ten to begin with (считать каждую рыбу, которую он ловит, за десять, и /всегда/ начинать с десяти; to assume — брать на себя /ответственность/; допускать, предполагать; притворяться). For example, if he did not catch any fish at all, then he said he had caught ten fish (например, если он вообще не поймал ни одной рыбы, тогда он говорил, что поймал десять) — you could never catch less than ten fish by his system (нельзя было поймать меньше, чем десять рыб, по его системе); that was the foundation of it (в этом была ее основа). Then, if by any chance he really did catch one fish, he called it twenty (если в действительности он случайно и ловил одну рыбу, то считал ее за двадцать), while two fish would count thirty, three forty, and so on (тогда как две рыбы считал за тридцать, три — за сорок и так далее).

It is a simple and easily worked plan, and there has been some talk lately of its being made use of by the angling fraternity in general (это простой и легко осуществимый план, и недавно говорили о том, чтобы использовать его всей удящей братией; to make use of — применять, употреблять, использовать; fraternity — братство, община, братия). Indeed, the Committee of the Thames Angler's Association did recommend its adoption about two years ago (комитет Ассоциации удильщиков Темзы действительно рекомендовал принять его около двух лет назад; adoption — усыновление; принятие /закона, резолюции/), but some of the older members opposed it (но некоторые из старших членов воспротивились ему). They said they would consider the idea if the number were doubled, and each fish counted as twenty (они сказали, что рассмотрят этот план, если цифра будет удвоена и каждая рыба будет считаться за двадцать).

religiously [rɪˈlɪʤǝslɪ] fraternity [frǝˈtǝ:nɪtɪ]

So, eventually, he made one final arrangement with himself, which he has religiously held to ever since, and that was to count each fish that he caught as ten, and to assume ten to begin with. For example, if he did not catch any fish at all, then he said he had caught ten fish — you could never catch less than ten fish by his system; that was the foundation of it. Then, if by any chance he really did catch one fish, he called it twenty, while two fish would count thirty, three forty, and so on.

It is a simple and easily worked plan, and there has been some talk lately of its being made use of by the angling fraternity in general. Indeed, the Committee of the Thames Angler's Association did recommend its adoption about two years ago, but some of the older members opposed it. They said they would consider the idea if the number were doubled, and each fish counted as twenty.

If ever you have an evening to spare, up the river (если когда-нибудь у вас будет свободный вечер на реке), I should advise you to drop into one of the little village inns, and take a seat in the tap-room (я советую вам заглянуть в один из маленьких деревенских трактиров и сесть в пивной). You will be nearly sure to meet one or two old rod-men, sipping their toddy there (вы почти наверняка встретите нескольких старых удильщиков, потягивающих пунш; to sip — пить маленькими глотками, потягивать, прихлебывать), and they will tell you enough fishy stories, in half an hour, to give you indigestion for a month (и они расскажу вам достаточно рыбных/неправдоподобных историй за полчаса, чтобы вызвать у вас расстройство желудка на месяц; indigestion — несварение желудка; нарушение пищеварения).

George and I — I don't know what had become of Harris (мы с Джорджем — не знаю, что случилось с Гаррисом); he had gone out and had a shave, early in the afternoon (он вышел побриться рано утром), and had then come back and spent full forty minutes in pipeclaying his shoes, we had not seen him since (затем вернулся и потратил целых сорок минут, начищая свои ботинки, и после этого мы его не видели; to spend; to pipeclay — чистить белой глиной; наводить образцовый порядок) — George and I, therefore, and the dog, left to ourselves (поэтому Джордж, я и собака, предоставленные самим себе), went for a walk to Wallingford on the second evening (пошли прогуляться в Уоллингфорд на второй вечер), and, coming home, we called in at a little river-side inn, for a rest, and other things (и, идя домой, мы заскочили в маленький трактир на берегу реки, чтобы отдохнуть и тому подобное).

We went into the parlour and sat down (мы вошли в зал и сели; parlour — гостиная, общая комната /в квартире/; приемная /в гостинице и т. п./; зал). There was an old fellow there, smoking a long clay pipe, and we naturally began chatting (там был старик, куривший длинную глиняную трубку, и мы, естественно, начали беседовать).

indigestion [,ɪndaɪˈʤesʧ(ǝ)n]

If ever you have an evening to spare, up the river, I should advise you to drop into one of the little village inns, and take a seat in the tap-room. You will be nearly sure to meet one or two old rod-men, sipping their toddy there, and they will tell you enough fishy stories, in half an hour, to give you indigestion for a month.

George and I — I don't know what had become of Harris; he had gone out and had a shave, early in the afternoon, and had then come back and spent full forty minutes in pipeclaying his shoes, we had not seen him since — George and I, therefore, and the dog, left to ourselves, went for a walk to Wallingford on the second evening, and, coming home, we called in at a little river-side inn, for a rest, and other things.

We went into the parlour and sat down. There was an old fellow there, smoking a long clay pipe, and we naturally began chatting.

He told us that it had been a fine day to-day (он сказал нам, что сегодня хороший денек), and we told him that it had been a fine day yesterday (мы сказали ему, что вчера /тоже/ был хороший денек), and then we all told each other that we thought it would be a fine day to-morrow (затем мы сказали друг другу, что, думаем, завтра /тоже/ будет погожий денек); and George said the crops seemed to be coming up nicely (Джордж сказал, хлеба, кажется, прекрасно всходят; crops — зерновые; crop — урожай, посев).

After that it came out, somehow or other, that we were strangers in the neighbourhood (потом выяснилось, так или иначе, что мы посторонние в окрестностях = нездешние; to come out — выходить; появляться, обнаруживаться), and that we were going away the next morning (и что уезжаем на следующее утро).

Then a pause ensued in the conversation, during which our eyes wandered round the room (затем в разговоре последовала пауза, во время которой наши глаза блуждали по комнате). They finally rested upon a dusty old glass-case (наконец они остановились на пыльном старом стеклянном ящике; glass-case — витрина), fixed very high up above the chimney-piece, and containing a trout (подвешенном очень высоко над каминной полкой, в котором была форель; to contain — содержать в себе, включать). It rather fascinated me, that trout (она весьма заворожила меня, эта форель); it was such a monstrous fish (такая громадная рыба). In fact, at first glance, I thought it was a cod (действительно, на первый взгляд = сначала я подумал, что это треска).

trout [traut] fascinated [ˈfæsɪneɪtɪd]

He told us that it had been a fine day to-day, and we told him that it had been a fine day yesterday, and then we all told each other that we thought it would be a fine day to-morrow; and George said the crops seemed to be coming up nicely.

After that it came out, somehow or other, that we were strangers in the neighbourhood, and that we were going away the next morning.

Then a pause ensued in the conversation, during which our eyes wandered round the room. They finally rested upon a dusty old glass-case, fixed very high up above the chimney-piece, and containing a trout. It rather fascinated me, that trout; it was such a monstrous fish. In fact, at first glance, I thought it was a cod.

"Ah!" said the old gentleman, following the direction of my gaze (следуя в направлении моего пристального взгляда), "fine fellow that, ain't he (прекрасный экземпляр, не правда ли; fine fellow — молодец, славный парень)?"

"Quite uncommon (совершенно необыкновенный)," I murmured; and George asked the old man how much he thought it weighed (пробормотал я, а Джордж спросил старика, сколько, по его мнению, весит эта рыба).

"Eighteen pounds six ounces (восемнадцать фунтов шесть унций; ounce — унция /28, 3 г/)," said our friend, rising and taking down his coat (сказал наш знакомый, вставая и снимая пиджак). "Yes," he continued (продолжал он), "it wur sixteen year ago, come the third o' next month, that I landed him (это было шестнадцать лет назад; будет третьего числа следующего месяца, как я вытащил ее). I caught him just below the bridge with a minnow (я поймал ее чуть ниже моста, на блесну). They told me he wur in the river, and I said I'd have him, and so I did (мне сказали, что она в реке, а я сказал, что поймаю ее, так и сделал). You don't see many fish that size about here now, I'm thinking (думаю, теперь здесь не увидеть много рыбы такого размера = такой рыбы больше не осталось). Good-night, gentlemen, good-night (спокойной ночи)."

And out he went, and left us alone (он вышел и оставил нас одних).

ounce [auns] caught [kɔ:t]

"Ah!" said the old gentleman, following the direction of my gaze, "fine fellow that, ain't he?"

"Quite uncommon," I murmured; and George asked the old man how much he thought it weighed.

"Eighteen pounds six ounces," said our friend, rising and taking down his coat. "Yes," he continued, "it wur sixteen year ago, come the third o' next month, that I landed him. I caught him just below the bridge with a minnow. They told me he wur in the river, and I said I'd have him, and so I did. You don't see many fish that size about here now, I'm thinking. Good-night, gentlemen, good-night."

And out he went, and left us alone.

We could not take our eyes off the fish after that (мы не могли отвести глаз от рыбы после этого). It really was a remarkably fine fish (это была удивительная, прекрасная рыба: «удивительно прекрасная рыба»). We were still looking at it, when the local carrier, who had just stopped at the inn (мы по-прежнему смотрели на нее, когда местный перевозчик, который только что остановился у трактира), came to the door of the room with a pot of beer in his hand, and he also looked at the fish (подошел к двери комнаты с кружкой пива в руке и тоже посмотрел на рыбу).