suit [s(j)u:t] typhoid ['taIfOId] fortnight ['fO:tnaIt]
George said he didn't want any tea, and emptied his cup into the water. Harris did not feel thirsty, either, and followed suit. I had drunk half mine, but I wished I had not.
I asked George if he thought I was likely to have typhoid.
He said: "Oh, no;" he thought I had a very good chance indeed of escaping it. Anyhow, I should know in about a fortnight, whether I had or had not.
We went up the backwater to Wargrave. It is a short cut, leading out of the right-hand bank about half a mile above Marsh Lock, and is well worth taking, being a pretty, shady little piece of stream, besides saving nearly half a mile of distance.
Of course, its entrance is studded with posts and chains (конечно, его вход /в заводь/ утыкан столбами и увешан цепями; to stud with — усеивать, усыпать), and surrounded with notice boards (и окружен предостерегающими надписями), menacing all kinds of torture, imprisonment, and death to everyone who dares set scull upon its waters (грозящими всевозможными пытками, тюремным заключением и смертью всякому, кто осмелится плавать по его водам) — I wonder some of these riparian boors don't claim the air of the river (удивляюсь, что некоторые из этих прибрежных грубиянов не заявляют свои права на речной воздух; boor — грубый, невоспитанный человек, хам, невежа) and threaten everyone with forty shillings fine who breathes it (и не грозят каждому, кто дышит им, сорокашиллинговым штрафом) — but the posts and chains a little skill will easily avoid (но столбы и цепи немного ловкости /позволит/ легко обойти); and as for the boards, you might, if you have five minutes to spare (а что касается щитов с предостерегающими надписями, вы можете, если есть пять минут свободного времени; to spare — беречь, экономить; обходиться без; уделять), and there is nobody about, take one or two of them down and throw them into the river (и никого нет рядом, снять пару штук и бросить их в воду).
Half-way up the backwater, we got out and lunched (/пройдя/ половину пути вверх по заводи, мы вышли /на берег/ и позавтракали); and it was during this lunch that George and I received rather a trying shock (и именно во время этого завтрака мы с Джорджем испытали довольно сильное потрясение; to receive — получать, /при/обретать; получать опыт /чего-либо/; заболевать).
menacing ['menIsIN] breathe [bri:D]
Of course, its entrance is studded with posts and chains, and surrounded with notice boards, menacing all kinds of torture, imprisonment, and death to everyone who dares set scull upon its waters — I wonder some of these riparian boors don't claim the air of the river and threaten everyone with forty shillings fine who breathes it — but the posts and chains a little skill will easily avoid; and as for the boards, you might, if you have five minutes to spare, and there is nobody about, take one or two of them down and throw them into the river.
Half-way up the backwater, we got out and lunched; and it was during this lunch that George and I received rather a trying shock.
Harris received a shock, too (Гаррис тоже испытал потрясение); but I do not think Harris's shock could have been anything like so bad (но не думаю, что потрясение Гарриса было таким сильным; bad — дурной, плохой; вредный; сильный /о боли, холоде и т.д./) as the shock that George and I had over the business (как то, что мы с Джорджем испытали при этом).
You see, it was in this way: we were sitting in a meadow (видите ли, дело было так: мы сидели на лугу), about ten yards from the water's edge (примерно в десяти ярдах от кромки воды), and we had just settled down comfortably to feed (и только что устроились удобно, чтобы /приняться/ за еду; feed — кормление, питание; еда, пища). Harris had the beefsteak pie between his knees, and was carving it (Гаррис зажал мясной пирог между колен и разрезал его), and George and I were waiting with our plates ready (а мы с Джорджем ждали, /держа/ наши тарелки наготове).
"Have you got a spoon there (у вас есть ложка)?" says Harris; "I want a spoon to help the gravy with (мне нужна ложка, чтобы помочь с подливкой = для подливки)."
The hamper was close behind us, and George and I both turned round to reach one out (корзина была сразу за нами, и мы с Джорджем оба обернулись, чтобы взять ложку; to reach out — потянуться, протянуть /руку/). We were not five seconds getting it (мы брали ее пять секунд). When we looked round again, Harris and the pie were gone (когда мы снова повернулись, Гаррис и пирог исчезли)!
business ['bIznIs] meadow ['[email protected]]
Harris received a shock, too; but I do not think Harris's shock could have been anything like so bad as the shock that George and I had over the business.
You see, it was in this way: we were sitting in a meadow, about ten yards from the water's edge, and we had just settled down comfortably to feed. Harris had the beefsteak pie between his knees, and was carving it, and George and I were waiting with our plates ready.
"Have you got a spoon there?" says Harris; "I want a spoon to help the gravy with."
The hamper was close behind us, and George and I both turned round to reach one out. We were not five seconds getting it. When we looked round again, Harris and the pie were gone!
It was a wide, open field (это было широкое открытое поле). There was not a tree or a bit of hedge for hundreds of yards (не было ни деревца, ни кустика на сотни ярдов /вокруг/; hedge — живая изгородь, ограда). He could not have tumbled into the river, because we were on the water side of him (он не мог свалиться в реку, потому что мы были у воды; water side — водяная сторона, берег; сторона, обращенная к воде), and he would have had to climb over us to do it (и ему пришлось бы перелезть через нас, чтобы сделать это).
George and I gazed all about (мы с Джорджем посмотрели кругом). Then we gazed at each other (потом мы поглядели друг на друга).
"Has he been snatched up to heaven (может, его унесли на небо /ангелы/; to snatch — хватать/ся/, вырывать)?" I queried (спросил я).
"They'd hardly have taken the pie too (они бы вряд ли взяли пирог)," said George.
There seemed weight in this objection, and we discarded the heavenly theory (в этом возражении виделась убедительность = оно показалось убедительным, и мы отвергли небесную теорию; weight — вес, масса; авторитет; выразительность, убедительность).
climb [klaIm] heaven ['hev(@)n] theory ['[email protected]]
It was a wide, open field. There was not a tree or a bit of hedge for hundreds of yards. He could not have tumbled into the river, because we were on the water side of him, and he would have had to climb over us to do it.
George and I gazed all about. Then we gazed at each other.
"Has he been snatched up to heaven?" I queried.
"They'd hardly have taken the pie too," said George.
There seemed weight in this objection, and we discarded the heavenly theory.
"I suppose the truth of the matter is (думаю, истинность дела в том = все дело в том)," suggested George, descending to the commonplace and practicable (сказал Джордж, опускаясь к банальному и реально возможному = переходя к более мирской версии; practicable — возможный, реальный, осуществимый), "that there has been an earthquake (что произошло землетрясение)."
And then he added, with a touch of sadness in his voice (и потом он добавил, с оттенком печали в голосе): "I wish he hadn't been carving that pie (жаль, что он резал пирог /в то время/)."
With a sigh, we turned our eyes once more towards the spot where Harris and the pie had last been seen on earth (со вздохом мы снова обратили взоры к месту, где Гарриса и пирог видели в последний раз на земле); and there, as our blood froze in our veins and our hair stood up on end, we saw Harris's head (и тут кровь застыла у нас в жилах и волосы встали дыбом — мы увидели голову Гарриса; to freeze; to stand) — and nothing but his head — sticking bolt upright among the tall grass (и больше ничего, кроме его головы, торчавшей прямо среди высокой травы; bolt upright — прямо; как стрела), the face very red, and bearing upon it an expression of great indignation (лицо было очень красным и несло выражение сильного негодования = выражало сильное негодование)!
George was the first to recover (Джордж опомнился первым; to recover — вновь обретать; оправляться, приходить в себя).
"Speak (говори)!" he cried, "and tell us whether you are alive or dead (скажи нам, ты жив или мертв) — and where is the rest of you (и где остальная часть тебя)?"
descending [dI'sendIN] blood [blVd] grass [grA:s]
"I suppose the truth of the matter is," suggested George, descending to the commonplace and practicable, "that there has been an earthquake."
And then he added, with a touch of sadness in his voice: "I wish he hadn't been carving that pie."
With a sigh, we turned our eyes once more towards the spot where Harris and the pie had last been seen on earth; and there, as our blood froze in our veins and our hair stood up on end, we saw Harris's head — and nothing but his head — sticking bolt upright among the tall grass, the face very red, and bearing upon it an expression of great indignation!
George was the first to recover.
"Speak!" he cried, "and tell us whether you are alive or dead — and where is the rest of you?"
"Oh, don't be a stupid ass (не будь тупым ослом)!" said Harris's head (сказала голова Гарриса). "I believe you did it on purpose (полагаю, вы это сделали нарочно)."
"Did what (сделали что)?" exclaimed George and I (воскликнули мы с Джорджем).
"Why, put me to sit here — darn silly trick (да посадили меня сюда — чертовски глупая выходка; darn — заштопанное место; проклятый, ужасный)! Here, catch hold of the pie (вот, хватайте пирог)."
And out of the middle of the earth, as it seemed to us, rose the pie (и из середины земли, как нам показалось, поднялся пирог; to rise) — very much mixed up and damaged (очень помятый и поврежденный; to mix up — хорошо перемешать; спутать, перепутать); and, after it, scrambled Harris — tumbled, grubby, and wet (и за ним выкарабкался Гаррис — взъерошенный, грязный и мокрый).
"Oh, don't be a stupid ass!" said Harris's head. "I believe you did it on purpose."
"Did what?" exclaimed George and I.
" Why, put me to sit here — darn silly trick! Here, catch hold of the pie."
And out of the middle of the earth, as it seemed to us, rose the pie — very much mixed up and damaged; and, after it, scrambled Harris — tumbled, grubby, and wet.
He had been sitting, without knowing it, on the very verge of a small gully (он сидел, не зная того, на самом краю небольшой вымоины; gully — овражек; канава; ров /образованные потоками воды/; вымоина, размыв), the long grass hiding it from view (скрытой из виду длинной травой); and in leaning a little back he had shot over, pie and all (и, отклоняясь немного назад, он упал в нее с пирогом; to shoot — стрелять; внезапно появиться, пронестись, промелькнуть, промчаться).
