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

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 It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped. At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

      “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.

      “He is a man of some presence,” said the Governor.

      “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil (я всегда считал его безобразным насмешливым негодяем; to understand – понимать; предполагать, полагать; devil – дьявол, сатана; человек, парень /разг./),” remarked the mate (заметил помощник; to remark – замечать, обнаруживать; делать замечание, высказываться).

      “Well, I dare say he could look ugly upon occasions (да, пожалуй, при случае он мог выглядеть безобразным; I dare say – осмелюсь сказать; возможно, пожалуй),” said the Governor.

      “I have heard a New Bedford whaleman say (я слыхал, как один китобой из Нью-Бедфорда рассказывал; to hear) that he could not forget his eyes (что /никак/ не может забыть его глаз),” said Captain Scarrow. “They were of the lightest filmy blue, with red-rimmed lids (они у него были голубые, почти белесые, /мутные, будто/ подернутые пленкой, с красными веками; lightest – самый светлый; filmy – покрытый пленкой; to rim – служить ободом, окаймлять). Was that not so, Sir Charles (это не так, сэр Чарльз)?”

      “Alas, my own eyes will not permit me to know much of those of others (увы, мои собственные глаза не позволяют мне узнать многое о чужих)! But I remember now that the Adjutant-General said (но теперь я припоминаю, как генерал-адъютант сказал) that he had such an eye as you describe (что у него именно такие глаза, как вы описываете; eye – глаз; взгляд), and added that the jury were so foolish (и добавил, будто присяжные оказались настолько глупы) as to be visibly discomposed when it was turned upon them (что заметно переполошились, когда /Шарки/ перевел взгляд на них). It is well for them that he is dead (им повезло: «это хорошо для них», что он мертв), for he was a man who would never forget an injury (поскольку это был человек, который никогда не забудет обиды), and if he had laid hands upon any one of them (и если бы кто-то из них попался ему в руки; to lay hands /up/on – прибирать к рукам, завладевать) he would have stuffed him with straw and hung him for a figure-head (он набил бы его соломой и повесил бы это /чучело/ на носу своего корабля; to hang – вешать, повесить; figure-head – носовое украшение корабля).”

 “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

      “Well, I dare say he could look ugly upon occasions,” said the Governor.

      “I have heard a New Bedford whaleman say that he could not forget his eyes,” said Captain Scarrow. “They were of the lightest filmy blue, with red-rimmed lids. Was that not so, Sir Charles?”

      “Alas, my own eyes will not permit me to know much of those of others! But I remember now that the Adjutant-General said that he had such an eye as you describe, and added that the jury were so foolish as to be visibly discomposed when it was turned upon them. It is well for them that he is dead, for he was a man who would never forget an injury, and if he had laid hands upon any one of them he would have stuffed him with straw and hung him for a figure-head.”

      The idea seemed to amuse the Governor (эта мысль, казалось, позабавила губернатора), for he broke suddenly into a high, neighing laugh (ибо он вдруг разразился резким, /похожим на/ ржание, смехом; to break into – внезапно начинать /делать что-л./; high – высокий; резкий, пронзительный /о звуке/; to neigh – ржать), and the two seamen laughed also, but not so heartily (оба моряка засмеялись тоже, но не так искренне; heartily – сердечно, от всего сердца), for they remembered that Sharkey was not the last pirate (поскольку помнили, что Шарки был не последним пиратом) who sailed the western seas (плавающим = промышляющим в западных морях), and that as grotesque a fate might come to be their own (и что такая же нелепая доля может постичь их самих; to come – приходить; СКАЧАТЬ