Английский с А. Конан Дойлем. Пиратские истории / A. Conan Doyle. Tales of Pirates

Дойл Артур Конан

“Here’s rum and biscuits,” said the voice of his late mate (вот ром и галеты, – сказал голос его бывшего помощника). “It’s at the risk of my life, Master Craddock, that I bring them to you (я рискую жизнью, капитан Крэддок, принося это вам).”

 All night he lay in the curve of the bilge listening to the rush of the water and the straining of the timbers which told him that the ship was at sea, and driving fast. In the early morning some one came crawling to him in the darkness over the heaps of sails.

“Here’s rum and biscuits,” said the voice of his late mate. “It’s at the risk of my life, Master Craddock, that I bring them to you.”

“It was you who trapped me and caught me as in a snare!” cried Craddock (это

ты заманил и поймал меня в западню! – воскликнул Крэддок; to catch). “How shall you answer for what you have done (как ты ответишь за то, что совершил)?”

“What I did I did with the point of a knife betwixt my blade-bones (я сделал это с острием ножа между лопатками; betwixt /устар./ = between).”

“God forgive you for a coward, Joshua Hird (Бог простит тебя за трусость, Джошуа Хирд). How came you into their hands (как ты попал к ним в руки)?”

 “It was you who trapped me and caught me as in a snare!” cried Craddock. “How shall you answer for what you have done?”

“What I did I did with the point of a knife betwixt my blade-bones.”

“God forgive you for a coward, Joshua Hird. How came you into their hands?”

“Why, Master Craddock, the pirate ship came back from its careening (да вот, капитан Крэддок, пиратский корабль вернулся после кренгования) upon the very day that you left us (в тот самый день, когда вы покинули нас = когда вы ушли вглубь острова). They laid us aboard (они взяли нас на абордаж; to lay aboard – встать борт о борт к судну для абордажа), and, short-handed as we were, with the best of the men ashore with you (а нас было мало, потому что лучшие люди отправились на берег с вами; short-handed – неукомплектованный штатами, испытывающий недостаток в рабочей силе), we could offer but a poor defence (и мы не могли дать достойный отпор: «мы смогли предложить лишь плохую защиту»; poor – бедный; плохой). Some were cut down, and they were the happiest (некоторых зарубили /сразу/, и они оказались самыми счастливыми). The others were killed afterwards (других убили позже). As to me, I saved my life by signing on with them (а что до меня, я спас свою жизнь, подписав с ними /договор/).”

 “Why, Master Craddock, the pirate ship came back from its careening upon the very day that you left us. They laid us aboard, and, short-handed as we were, with the best of the men ashore with you, we could offer but a poor defence. Some were cut down, and they were the happiest. The others were killed afterwards. As to me, I saved my life by signing on with them.”

“And they scuttled my ship (и они затопили мой корабль)?”

“They scuttled her, and then Sharkey and his men (они

затопили его, а потом Шарки и его люди), who had been watching us from the brushwood (которые наблюдали за нами из леса), came off to the ship (отошли /от берега и направились/ к кораблю; to come off – удалиться, отойти). His main-yard had been cracked and fished last voyage (в последнем плавании его грот-рей треснул и /его/ укрепили накладкой; to fish – соединять накладкой, скреплять стыком), so he had suspicions of us, seeing that ours was whole (так что он = Шарки сразу заподозрил нас, увидев, что наш цел). Then he thought of laying the same trap for you (тогда он и подумал устроить вам ту же ловушку; to lay – класть, положить; ставить капкан, делать засаду) which you had set for him (которую вы готовили ему; to set – ставить, устанавливать).”

Craddock groaned (Крэддок застонал).

 “And they scuttled my ship?”

“They scuttled her, and then Sharkey and his men, who had been watching us from the brushwood, came off to the ship. His main-yard had been cracked and fished last voyage, so he had suspicions of us, seeing that ours was whole. Then he thought of laying the same trap for you which you had set for him.”

Craddock groaned.

“How came I not to see that fished main-yard?” he muttered (и как это я не заметил: «мне не удалось заметить», что грот-рей укреплен? – пробормотал он; to come to do smth. – случиться, удаться). “But whither are we bound (но куда мы направляемся; to be bound – направляться)?”

“We are running north and west (мы идем на северо-запад).”

“North and west (на северо-запад)! Then we are heading back towards Jamaica (значит, мы направляемся назад к Ямайке).”

“With an eight-knot wind (с /попутным/ ветром в восемь узлов).”

“Have you heard what they mean to do with me (ты слышал, что они намерены делать со мною)?”

“I have not heard (не слышал). If you would but sign the articles (если бы вы только подписали договор) – ”

“Enough, Joshua Hird (достаточно, Джошуа Хирд)! I have risked my soul too often (я слишком часто рисковал /бессмертием/ моей души).”

“As you wish (как пожелаете)! I have done what I could (я сделал все, что мог). Farewell (прощайте)!”

 “How came I not to see that fished main-yard?” he muttered. “But whither are we bound?”

“We are running north and west.”

“North and west! Then we are heading back towards Jamaica.”

“With an eight-knot wind.”

“Have you heard what they mean to do with me?”

“I have not heard. If you would but sign the articles – ”

“Enough, Joshua Hird! I have risked my soul too often.”

“As you wish! I have done what I could. Farewell!”