charge [tSRG] teetotum [`tJ`tqutqm] length [leNT] might [maIt]
At last, Merry seemed to think a speech might help matters.
“Mates,” says he, “there’s two of them alone there; one’s the old cripple that brought us all here and blundered us down to this; the other’s that cub that I mean to have the heart of. Now, mates—”
He was raising his arm and his voice, and plainly meant to lead a charge. But just then — crack! crack! crack! — three musket-shots flashed out of the thicket. Merry tumbled head foremost into the excavation; the man with the bandage spun round like a teetotum, and fell all his length upon his side, where he lay dead, but still twitching; and the other three turned and ran for it with all their might.
Before you could wink (прежде, чем вы могли бы моргнуть = в одно мгновение), Long John had fired two barrels of a pistol into the struggling Merry (Долговязый Джон выстрелил из обоих стволов пистолета в старавшегося /вылезти/ из ямы Мерри; to struggle — бороться; делать усилия; стараться изо всех сил); and as the man rolled up his eyes at him in the last agony (и когда тот глянул н него в последней агонии; to roll up — закатывать, свертывать), “George (Джордж),” said he (сказал он), “I reckon I settled you (полагаю, мы в расчете; to settle — приводить в порядок, улаживать, устраивать).”
At the same moment the doctor, Gray, and Ben Gunn joined us (в тот же миг доктор, Грей и Бен Ганн присоединились к нам), with smoking muskets, from among the nutmeg trees (с дымящимися мушкетами /вышли/ из зарослей мускатного ореха).
“Forward (вперед)!” cried the doctor (крикнул доктор). “Double quick, my lads (ускоренным маршем, мои ребята). We must head ’em off the boats (мы должны отрезать их от шлюпок; to head off — перехитрить, перехватить, отрезать путь).”
And we set off at a great pace (и мы побежали с большой скоростью), sometimes plunging through the bushes to the chest (иногда пробираясь через кусты, /доходившие/ до груди; to plunge — нырять, погружаться).
I tell you, but Silver was anxious to keep up with us (скажу вам, что Сильвер старался изо всех сил поспевать за нами; to be anxious — стремиться, заботиться, тревожиться; to keep pace with — идти в ногу с, не отставать от). The work that man went through (труд, который проделал этот человек; to go through — выдержать, пережить), leaping on his crutch till the muscles of his chest were fit to burst (прыгая на своем костыле, до тех пор, что мускулы его груди /казалось/ вот-вот разорвутся; to be fit for — годиться, быть пригодным; burst — разрыв, взрыв), was work no sound man ever equaled (был трудом = нагрузкой, которую ни один здоровый человек никогда бы не выдержал; to equal — быть равным, соответствовать); and so thinks the doctor (и так же думает доктор). As it was, he was already thirty yards behind us, and on the verge of strangling (как бы то ни было, он был уже в тридцати футах позади нас и совсем запыхался; on the verge of — на грани, близкий к; to strangle — задушить; задыхаться), when we reached the brow of the slope (когда мы добежали до кромки спуска).
agony [`xgqnI] plunging [`plAnGIN] anxious [`xNkSqs] muscles [`mAslz]
Before you could wink, Long John had fired two barrels of a pistol into the struggling Merry; and as the man rolled up his eyes at him in the last agony, “George,” said he, “I reckon I settled you.”
At the same moment the doctor, Gray, and Ben Gunn joined us, with smoking muskets, from among the nutmeg trees.
“Forward!” cried the doctor. “Double quick, my lads. We must head ’em off the boats.”
And we set off at a great pace, sometimes plunging through the bushes to the chest.
I tell you, but Silver was anxious to keep up with us. The work that man went through, leaping on his crutch till the muscles of his chest were fit to burst, was work no sound man ever equalled; and so thinks the doctor. As it was, he was already thirty yards behind us, and on the verge of strangling, when we reached the brow of the slope.
“Doctor (доктор),” he hailed (он крикнул), “see there (посмотрите)! no hurry (нечего спешить)!”
Sure enough there was no hurry (действительно, спешить было некуда). In a more open part of the plateau (/выйдя/ на более открытую часть плоскогорья), we could see the three survivors still running in the same direction as they had started, right for Mizzen-mast Hill (мы увидели, как трое уцелевших бежали в том же направлении, откуда пришли, прямо к Холму Бизань-мачты). We were already between them and the boats (мы уже находились между ними и лодками); and so we four sat down to breathe (и потому мы сели перевести дыхание), while Long John, mopping his face, came slowly up with us (пока Долговязый Джон, вытирая лицо, медленно подошел к нам; to come up with — поравняться с кем-л., догнать).
“Thank ye kindly, doctor (большое вам спасибо, доктор; ye = you),” says he. “You came in in about the nick, I guess, for me and Hawkins (вы пришли как раз вовремя, чтобы /спасти/ нас с Хокинсом; in the nick — в самый последний момент, вовремя). And so it’s you, Ben Gunn (так это ты, Бен Ганн)!” he added (добавил он). “Well, you’re a nice one to be sure (что ж, ты, конечно, славный малый).”
survivors [sq`vaIvqz] breathe [brJD] guess [ges]
“Doctor,” he hailed, “see there! no hurry!”
Sure enough there was no hurry. In a more open part of the plateau, we could see the three survivors still running in the same direction as they had started, right for Mizzen-mast Hill. We were already between them and the boats; and so we four sat down to breathe, while Long John, mopping his face, came slowly up with us.
“Thank ye kindly, doctor,” says he. “You came in in about the nick, I guess, for me and Hawkins. And so it’s you, Ben Gunn!” he added. “Well, you’re a nice one to be sure.”
“I’m Ben Gunn, I am (я Бен Ганн, да),” replied the maroon, wriggling like an eel in his embarrassment (ответил отшельник, извиваясь как угорь, от смущения). “And,” he added, after a long pause (добавил он после долгой паузы), “how do, Mr. Silver (как поживаете, мистер Сильвер)? Pretty well, I thank ye, says you (довольно хорошо, благодарю, должны бы вы сказать).”
“Ben, Ben (Бен, Бен),” murmured Silver (пробормотал Сильвер), “to think as you’ve done me (подумать /только/, как ты провел меня)!” The doctor sent back Gray for one of the pickaxes (доктор послал Грея за киркой), deserted, in their flight, by the mutineers (брошенной во время бегства бунтовщиками); and then as we proceeded leisurely down hill to where the boats were lying (и затем, пока мы спускались неторопливо по уклону туда, где располагались шлюпки; leisure — досуг, свободное время), related, in a few words, what had taken place (рассказал в нескольких словах, что случилось; to take place — происходить, случаться, иметь место). It was a story that profoundly interested Silver (эта история серьезно: «глубоко» заинтересовала Сильвера); and Ben Gunn, the half-idiot maroon, was the hero from beginning to end (Бен Ганн, полупомешанный отшельник, был главным героем /этой истории/ от начала и до конца; maroon — марон /беглый негр в Вест-Индии и Суринаме/; /перен./ изгой, беглец; отшельник; человек, высаженный на необитаемом острове).
maroon [mq`rHn] wriggling [`rIglIN] pickaxes [`pIkxks] leisurely [`leZqlI]
“I’m Ben Gunn, I am,” replied the maroon, wriggling like an eel in his embarrassment. “And,” he added, after a long pause, “how do, Mr. Silver? Pretty well, I thank ye, says you.”
“Ben, Ben,” murmured Silver, “to think as you’ve done me!” The doctor sent back Gray for one of the pickaxes, deserted, in their flight, by the mutineers; and then as we proceeded leisurely down hill to where the boats were lying, related, in a few words, what had taken place. It was a story that profoundly interested Silver; and Ben Gunn, the half-idiot maroon, was the hero from beginning to end.