“The current’s less a’ready, sir (течение уже слабее, сэр),” said the man Gray, who was sitting in the fore-sheets (сказал матрос Грей, который сидел на носовой опалубке); “you can ease her off a bit (вы можете повернуть ее немного /к берегу/; to ease off — ослабить, сбавить ход).”
due [djH] whereas [weq`rxz] slacken [`slxkqn] dodge [dOG]
I tried, and found by experiment that the tide kept sweeping us westward until I had laid her head due east, or just about right angles to the way we ought to go.
“We’ll never get ashore at this rate,” said I.
“If it’s the only course that we can lie, sir, we must even lie it,” returned the captain. “We must keep up-stream. You see, sir,” he went on, “if once we dropped to leeward of the landing-place, it’s hard to say where we should get ashore besides the chance of being boarded by the gigs; whereas, the way we go the current must slacken, and then we can dodge back along the shore.”
“The current’s less a’ready, sir,” said the man Gray, who was sitting in the fore-sheets; “you can ease her off a bit.”
“Thank you, my man (спасибо, любезнейший: «мой человек»),” said I, quite as if nothing had happened (сказал я, совершенно как если бы ничего не произошло); for we had all quietly made up our minds to treat him like one of ourselves (так как мы все тихо = по молчаливому согласию решили обращаться с ним как с одним из нас).
Suddenly the captain spoke up again (вдруг капитан заговорил снова), and I thought his voice was a little changed (и я подумал, его голос немного изменился).
“The gun (пушка)!” said he.
“I have thought of that (я думал об этом),” said I, for I made sure he was thinking of a bombardment of the fort (сказал я, потому как убедился, что он думает о /возможном/ обстреле нашего форта). “They could never get the gun ashore (они никогда не смогут доставить пушку на берег), and if they did, they could never haul it through the woods (а если сумеют, они никогда не смогут перевезти ее через лес; to haul — тянуть, буксировать, транспортировать).”
“Look astern, doctor (поглядите назад, доктор),” replied the captain (ответил капитан).
treat [trJt] bombardment [bOm`bRdmqnt] haul [hLl]
“Thank you, my man,” said I, quite as if nothing had happened; for we had all quietly made up our minds to treat him like one of ourselves.
Suddenly the captain spoke up again, and I thought his voice was a little changed.
“The gun!” said he.
“I have thought of that,” said I, for I made sure he was thinking of a bombardment of the fort. “They could never get the gun ashore, and if they did, they could never haul it through the woods.”
“Look astern, doctor,” replied the captain.
We had entirely forgotten the long nine (мы совсем забыли про девятифунтовую /пушку/); and there, to our horror, were the five rogues busy about her (и там, к нашему ужасу, пятеро негодяев возились вокруг нее), getting off her jacket, as they called the stout tarpaulin cover under which she sailed (снимая с нее «куртку», как они называли прочный брезентовый чехол, под которым она плавала). Not only that, but it flashed into my mind at the same moment (не только это, но в моей памяти вспыхнуло = я вспомнил еще в тот же миг) that the round-shot and the powder for the gun had been left behind (что ядра и порох для пушки были забыты /на корабле/; to leave behind — оставить, позабыть), and a stroke with an axe would put it all into the possession of the evil ones aboard (и удар топором предоставит все это во владение = одним ударом топора злодеи на корабле получат доступ ко всем припасам).
“Israel was Flint’s gunner (Израэль был канониром Флинта),” said Gray, hoarsely (сказал Грей хрипло).
At any risk, we put the boat’s head direct for the landing-place (на свой риск, мы направили нос ялика прямо к месту высадки). By this time we had got so far out of the run of the current (к тому времени мы так далеко вышли из зоны течения) that we kept steerageway even at our necessarily gentle rate of rowing (что мы могли легко управлять яликом, хотя и при нашем неизбежно тихом темпе гребли; steerageway — наименьшая скорость хода, при которой судно начинает слушаться руля), and I could keep her steady for the goal (и я мог держать = вести его устойчиво к цели). But the worst of it was, that with the course I now held (но самым плохим было то, что из-за курса, который я теперь держал), we turned our broadside instead of our stern to the Hispaniola (мы повернули наш борт вместо кормы к Испаньоле), and offered a target like a barn door (и предложили = представляли превосходную мишень: «словно амбарные ворота»).
horror [`hOrq] tarpaulin [tR`pLlIN] possession [pq`zeSn] steerageway [`stIqrIGweI]
We had entirely forgotten the long nine; and there, to our horror, were the five rogues busy about her, getting off her jacket, as they called the stout tarpaulin cover under which she sailed. Not only that, but it flashed into my mind at the same moment that the round-shot and the powder for the gun had been left behind, and a stroke with an axe would put it all into the possession of the evil ones aboard.
“Israel was Flint’s gunner,” said Gray, hoarsely.
At any risk, we put the boat’s head direct for the landing-place. By this time we had got so far out of the run of the current that we kept steerageway even at our necessarily gentle rate of rowing, and I could keep her steady for the goal. But the worst of it was, that with the course I now held, we turned our broadside instead of our stern to the Hispaniola, and offered a target like a barn door.
I could hear, as well as see, that brandy-faced rascal, Israel Hands (я мог слышать, так же как и видеть, как тот красно-рожий мерзавец, Израэль Хендс), plumping down a round-shot on the deck (катил ядро по палубе).
“Who’s the best shot (кто лучший стрелок)?” asked the captain.
“Mr. Trelawney, out and away (мистер Трелони, без сомнения; out and away — несравненно, гораздо),” said I.
“Mr. Trelawney, will you please pick me off one of these men, sir (мистер Трелони, будьте любезны, подстрелите одного из этих /разбойников/, сэр)? Hands, if possible (Хендса, если можно),” said the captain.
Trelawney was as cool as steel (Трелони был холоден как сталь). He looked to the priming of his gun (он посмотрел на запал своего мушкета).
“Now,” cried the captain, “easy with that gun, sir, or you’ll swamp the boat (осторожней с этим мушкетом, сэр, а не то потопите лодку). All hands stand by to trim her when he aims (все приготовьтесь уравновесить ее, когда он будет целиться).”
plumping [`plAmpIN] priming [`praImIN]
I could hear, as well as see, that brandy-faced rascal, Israel Hands, plumping down a round-shot on the deck.
“Who’s the best shot?” asked the captain.
“Mr. Trelawney, out and away,” said I.
“Mr. Trelawney, will you please pick me off one of these men, sir? Hands, if possible,” said the captain.
Trelawney was as cool as steel. He looked to the priming of his gun.
“Now,” cried the captain, “easy with that gun, sir, or you’ll swamp the boat. All hands stand by to trim her when he aims.”
The squire raised his gun, the rowing ceased (сквайр поднял мушкет, гребля прекратилась), and we leaned over to the other side to keep the balance (и мы перегнулись через другую сторону = борт, чтобы сохранить равновесие), and all was so nicely contrived that we did not ship a drop (все /это/ было так хорошо проделано, что мы не зачерпнули ни капли; to contrive — придумать, затеять, изловчиться).
They had the gun, by this time, slewed round upon the swivel (они к тому времени повернули пушку на вертлюге), and Hands, who was at the muzzle with the rammer (и Хендс, который находился у дула с прибойником /прибойник — железный прут для забивания заряда в дуло орудия/; ram — баран; to ram — вбивать, вколачивать), was, in consequence, the most exposed (был, поэтому, наиболее открытым). However, we had no luck (однако нам не повезло); for just as Trelawney fired, down he stooped (потому что когда Трелони выстрелил, он нагнулся), the ball whistled over him, and it was one of the other four who fell (пуля просвистела над ним, и упал один из остальной четверки).