descended [dI`sendId] formidable [`fLmIdqbl] quarter [`kwLtq] strength [streNT]
IT was broad day when I awoke, and found myself tossing at the south-west end of Treasure Island. The sun was up, but was still hid from me behind the great bulk of the Spy-glass, which on this side descended almost to the sea in formidable cliffs.
Haulbowline Head and Mizzen-mast Hill were at my elbow; the hill bare and dark, the head bound with cliffs forty or fifty feet high, and fringed with great masses of fallen rock. I was scarce a quarter of a mile to seaward, and it was my first thought to paddle in and land.
That notion was soon given over. Among the fallen rocks the breakers spouted and bellowed; loud reverberations, heavy sprays flying and falling, succeeded one another from second to second; and I saw myself, if I ventured nearer, dashed to death upon the rough shore, or spending my strength in vain to scale the beetling crags.
Nor was that all (но это было не все); for crawling together on flat tables of rocks (ползавших на плоских столах = плитах скал) or letting themselves drop into the sea with loud reports (или прыгавших в воду с громким звуком), I beheld huge slimy monsters (я увидел огромных скользких чудовищ) — soft snails as it were (как мягкие слизняки они были; snail — улитка), of incredible bigness (невероятной величины) — two or three score of them together (/их было/ сорок или шестьдесят), making the rocks to echo with their barkings (/они/ заставляли скалы оглашаться эхом их лая).
I have understood since that they were sea lions (я узнал впоследствии, что они были морскими львами), and entirely harmless (совершенно безобидными). But the look of them (но их вид), added to the difficulty of the shore (вдобавок к трудности = крутизне берега; to add — добавлять, присоединять, увеличивать) and the high running of the surf (и высокий бег прибоя = бушевавший прибой), was more than enough to disgust me of that landing-place (/этого/ было более, чем достаточно, чтобы внушить мне отвращение к этому месту высадки). I felt willing rather to starve at sea than to confront such perils (я почувствовал, что скорее умру с голоду в море, чем встречусь лицом к лицу с такими опасностями; to will — хотеть, желать).
In the meantime I had a better chance, as I supposed, before me (тем временем мне представился, как я предполагал, лучший шанс). North of Haulbowline Head, the land runs in a long way (к северу от Буксирной Головы берег шел далеко; land — земля, почва; берег, суша), leaving, at low tide, a long stretch of yellow sand (оставляя = обнажая при низком отливе длинную полосу желтого песка). To the north of that, again, there comes another cape (к северу от нее опять же начинается другой мыс) — Cape of the Woods (Мыс Леса), as it was marked upon the chart (как он был обозначен на карте) — buried in tall green pines, which descended to the margin of the sea (покрытый высокими зелеными соснами, которые спускались до самого моря; to bury — хоронить, прятать, зарывать; margin — граница, край, предел).
slimy [`slaImI] harmless [`hRmlIs] starve [stRv] margin [`mRGIn]
Nor was that all; for crawling together on flat tables of rocks or letting themselves drop into the sea with loud reports, I beheld huge slimy monsters — soft snails as it were, of incredible bigness — two or three score of them together, making the rocks to echo with their barkings.
I have understood since that they were sea lions, and entirely harmless. But the look of them, added to the difficulty of the shore and the high running of the surf, was more than enough to disgust me of that landing-place. I felt willing rather to starve at sea than to confront such perils.
In the meantime I had a better chance, as I supposed, before me. North of Haulbowline Head, the land runs in a long way, leaving, at low tide, a long stretch of yellow sand. To the north of that, again, there comes another cape — Cape of the Woods, as it was marked upon the chart — buried in tall green pines, which descended to the margin of the sea.
I remembered what Silver had said about the current (я вспомнил, что Сильвер сказал о течении) that sets northward along the whole west coast of Treasure Island (которое направляется к северу вдоль всего западного побережья Острова Сокровищ); and seeing from my position that I was already under its influence (и видя со своего положения, что я был уже под его влиянием), I preferred to leave Haulbowline Head behind me (я предпочел оставить Буксирную голову за собой = миновать), and reserve my strength for an attempt to land upon the kindlier-looking Cape of the Woods (и сохранить силы для попытки пристать к выглядевшему более приветливо Мысу Леса; kind — добрый, любезный, сердечный).
There was a great, smooth swell upon the sea (на море была большая мерная зыбь; smooth — плавный, спокойный, ровный; swell — выпуклость, волнение, зыбь). The wind blowing steady and gentle from the south (ветер дул постоянно и легко с юга; gentle — знатный, родовитый, благородный; великодушный; легкий, слабый /о ветре, наказании, характере и т. п./), there was no contrariety between that and the current (между ним и течением не было противоречия = ветер дул в ту же сторону, что и течение), and the billows rose and fell unbroken (большие волны поднимались и опускались неразбитыми = равномерно).
Had it been otherwise (будь это иначе), I must long ago have perished (я бы уже давно погиб); but as it was (но и как это было = но и при таком ветре), it is surprising how easily and securely my little and light boat could ride (удивительно, как легко и спокойно моя маленькая и легкая лодка плыла). Often, as I still lay at the bottom (часто, лежа на дне), and kept no more than an eye above the gunwale (и держа не больше, чем глаз над планширом = лишь поглядывая по сторонам), I would see a big blue summit heaving close above me (я видел большую голубую вершину /волны/, нависавшую низко надо мной; to heave — подниматься, вздуваться); yet the coracle would but bounce a little (и все-таки челнок только подпрыгивал немного), dance as if on springs (танцевал, словно на пружинах), and subside on the other side into the trough as lightly as a bird (и опускался с другой стороны /плавно/ на подошву /волны/, словно птица; to subside — падать, оседать, опускаться; trough — корыто; впадина, подошва волны).
gentle [Gentl] contrariety [kOntrq`raIqtI] gunwale [gAnl] trough [trOf]
I remembered what Silver had said about the current that sets northward along the whole west coast of Treasure Island; and seeing from my position that I was already under its influence, I preferred to leave Haulbowline Head behind me, and reserve my strength for an attempt to land upon the kindlier-looking Cape of the Woods.
There was a great, smooth swell upon the sea. The wind blowing steady and gentle from the south, there was no contrariety between that and the current, and the billows rose and fell unbroken.
Had it been otherwise, I must long ago have perished; but as it was, it is surprising how easily and securely my little and light boat could ride. Often, as I still lay at the bottom, and kept no more than an eye above the gunwale, I would see a big blue summit heaving close above me; yet the coracle would but bounce a little, dance as if on springs, and subside on the other side into the trough as lightly as a bird.
I began after a little to grow very bold (мало-помалу я стал очень смелым), and sat up to try my skill at paddling (и сел прямо, чтобы испытать мое умение гребли = попробовал было грести; to paddle). But even a small change in the disposition of the weight (но даже маленькое изменение в расположении /моего/ веса) will produce violent changes in the behaviour of a coracle (вызывало сильные изменения в поведении моего челнока). And I had hardly moved before the boat (едва /только/ я двинулся вперед лодки), giving up at once her gentle dancing movement (теряя = изменяя сразу ее мягкое танцующее движение), ran straight down a slope of water so steep (и /она/ стремительно сошла вниз со склона воды = сорвалась с гребня волны так резко) that it made me giddy (что у меня закружилась голова), and struck her nose, with a spout of spray (и ударила своим носом /в воду, подняв/ сноп брызг; spout — столб, струя, каскад), deep into the side of the next wave (/погрузив его/ глубоко в бок следующей волны).