Стивен Ликок - Английский с улыбкой. Брет Гарт, Стивен Ликок. Дефективный детектив / Bret Harte, Stephen Leacock

I contented myself with saying “Very good, sir,” but I could not help thinking it a trifle odd that both the mates should have fallen overboard in the same night.

Surely there was some mystery in this.

Two mornings later the Captain appeared at the breakfast-table with the same shifting and uneasy look in his eye.

“Anything wrong, sir?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered, trying to appear at ease(да, – отвечал он, пытаясь казаться непринужденным) and twisting a fried egg to and fro between his fingers(и катая туда-сюда между пальцев поджаренное яйцо; to twist – скручивать, сплетать; крутить, вращать ) with such nervous force as almost to break it in two(да так нервно: «с такой нервной силой», что чуть не разломил его надвое) – “I regret to say that we have lost the bosun(мне жаль /это/ говорить, но мы лишились боцмана; to lose – терять; утрачивать, лишаться /кого-л./чего-л./; bosun = boatswain – боцман ) .”

“The bosun!” I cried(боцмана! – воскликнул я).

“Yes,” said Captain Bilge more quietly, “he is overboard(да, – сказал капитан Днище /уже/ более спокойно, – он за бортом) . I blame myself for it, partly(я частично виню в этом себя) . It was early this morning(это случилось сегодня рано утром) . I was holding him up in my arms to look at an iceberg(я держал его на руках, чтобы он /мог/ посмотреть на айсберг) and, quite accidentally I assure you – I dropped him overboard(и – совершенно случайно, уверяю вас, – уронил его за борт; to drop – капать, стекать каплями; бросать, ронять ) .”

“Yes,” he answered, trying to appear at ease and twisting a fried egg to and fro between his fingers with such nervous force as almost to break it in two – “I regret to say that we have lost the bosun.”

“The bosun!” I cried.

“Yes,” said Captain Bilge more quietly, “he is overboard. I blame myself for it, partly. It was early this morning. I was holding him up in my arms to look at an iceberg and, quite accidentally I assure you – I dropped him overboard.”

“Captain Bilge,” I asked, “have you taken any steps to recover him(капитан Днище, – спросил я, – вы предприняли какие-то шаги, чтобы спасти его: «вернуть его назад») ?”

“Not as yet,” he replied uneasily(нет пока еще, – ответил он смущенно).

I looked at him fixedly, but said nothing(я пристально на него посмотрел, но ничего не сказал; fixedly – неподвижно, устойчиво; пристально ).

Ten days passed(прошло десять дней).

The mystery thickened(/завеса/ тайны сгущалась) . On Thursday two men of the starboard watch were reported missing(в четверг доложили, что пропали два матроса, /несших/ вахту на правом борте) . On Friday the carpenter’s assistant disappeared(в пятницу исчез помощник плотника) . On the night of Saturday a circumstance occurred(в ночь на субботу произошло событие: «обстоятельство») which, slight as it was, gave me some clue as to what was happening(которое, хоть само по себе и незначительное, дало мне ключ к пониманию того, что происходит; slight – стройный, тонкий; незначительный ).

“Captain Bilge,” I asked, “have you taken any steps to recover him?”

“Not as yet,” he replied uneasily.

I looked at him fixedly, but said nothing.

Ten days passed.

The mystery thickened. On Thursday two men of the starboard watch were reported missing. On Friday the carpenter’s assistant disappeared. On the night of Saturday a circumstance occurred which, slight as it was, gave me some clue as to what was happening.

As I stood at the wheel about midnight(около полуночи, когда я стоял за штурвалом; wheel – колесо; штурвал ) , I saw the Captain approach in the darkness carrying the cabin-boy by the hind leg(я увидел, как в темноте /ко мне/ приближается капитан, волоча юнгу за «заднюю» ногу) . The lad was a bright little fellow(паренек был толковым малым; bright – яркий, блестящий; умный, сметливый ) , whose merry disposition had already endeared him to me(чей веселый нрав уже расположил меня к нему; disposition – расположение, размещение /в каком-л. порядке/; характер, нрав; to endear – внушить любовь ) , and I watched with some interest to see what the Captain would do to him(и я с некоторым интересом следил за тем: «чтобы увидеть», что капитан сделает с ним) . Arrived at the stern of the vessel, Captain Bilge looked cautiously around a moment(добравшись до кормы судна, капитан Днище осторожно осмотрелся) and then dropped the boy into the sea(и затем бросил парня в море) . For a brief instant the lad’s head appeared in the phosphorus of the waves(на какое-то короткое мгновение голова парня показалась в фосфоресцирующих волнах) . The Captain threw a boot at him, sighed deeply, and went below(капитан бросил в него сапогом, глубоко вздохнул и пошел вниз; to throw ).

As I stood at the wheel about midnight, I saw the Captain approach in the darkness carrying the cabin-boy by the hind leg. The lad was a bright little fellow, whose merry disposition had already endeared him to me, and I watched with some interest to see what the Captain would do to him. Arrived at the stern of the vessel, Captain Bilge looked cautiously around a moment and then dropped the boy into the sea. For a brief instant the lad’s head appeared in the phosphorus of the waves. The Captain threw a boot at him, sighed deeply, and went below.