personage [`pə:sənɪʤ] haunted [`hɔ:ntɪd] knee [ni:] hedge [heʤ] nightmares [`naɪtmeə]
How that personage haunted my dreams, I need scarcely tell you. On stormy nights, when the wind shook the four corners of the house, and the surf roared along the cove and up the cliffs, I would see him in a thousand forms, and with a thousand diabolical expressions. Now the leg would be cut off at the knee, now at the hip; now he was a monstrous kind of a creature who had never had but the one leg, and that in the middle of his body. To see him leap and run and pursue me over hedge and ditch was the worst of nightmares. And altogether I paid pretty dear for my monthly fourpenny piece, in the shape of these abominable fancies.
But though I was so terrified by the idea of the seafaring man with one leg (хотя я был так напуган мыслью о моряке с одной ногой), I was far less afraid of the captain himself (я гораздо меньше боялся самого капитана) than anybody else who knew him (чем кто-либо другой, кто знал его). There were nights when he took a deal more rum and water (были ночи, когда он выпивал больше рому с водой; to take — взять, употребить; deal — некоторое количество) than his head would carry (чем его голова могла вынести); and then he would sometimes sit and sing (и затем иногда сидел и пел) his wicked, old, wild sea-songs, minding nobody (свои нечестивые, старые, дикие морские песни, не обращая ни на кого внимания; wicked — злой); but sometimes he would call for glasses round (но иногда требовал стаканов /рому/ для всех; round — порция), and force all the trembling company to listen to his stories (и заставлял всю дрожавшую компанию слушать его истории) or bear a chorus to his singing (или поддерживать припев, подпевать его пению: «нести хор к его пению»). Often I have heard the house shaking with (часто я слышал, как дом трясся от /песни/) “Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum;” all the neighbours joining in for dear life (все соседи подхватывали /пение/ изо всех сил: «ради дорогой жизни»; to join in — подхватить, присоединиться), with the fear of death upon them (с боязнью смерти «на них»), and each singing louder than the other, to avoid remark (и каждый пел громче, чем другой, чтобы избежать замечания). For in these fits (так как в этих припадках) he was the most overriding companion ever known (он был наиболее важным = грозным собеседником, чем когда-либо /известный/; overriding — важнейший, доминирующий); he would slap his hand on the table for silence all round (ударял рукой по столу для тишины вокруг); he would fly up in a passion of anger at a question (приходил в ярость при вопросе = когда его спрашивали; to fly up — взлететь, спорхнуть), or sometimes because none was put (или иногда потому, что никакой /вопрос/ не был задан), and so he judged the company was not following his story (поэтому он решал, /что/ компания не следовала его истории = невнимательно слушала). Nor would he allow anyone to leave the inn (также не позволял он кому-либо уйти из трактира; to leave — покидать, оставлять) till he had drunk himself sleepy and reeled off to bed (пока не напивался до дремотного состояния и ковылял к кровати; sleepy — сонный, вялый; to reel off — сматывать, разматывать /трос/).
terrified [`terɪfaɪd] wicked [`wɪkɪd] bear [beə] neighbour [`neɪbə] overriding [əuvə`raɪdɪŋ]
But though I was so terrified by the idea of the seafaring man with one leg, I was far less afraid of the captain himself than anybody else who knew him. There were nights when he took a deal more rum and water than his head would carry; and then he would sometimes sit and sing his wicked, old, wild sea-songs, minding nobody; but sometimes he would call for glasses round, and force all the trembling company to listen to his stories or bear a chorus to his singing. Often I have heard the house shaking with “Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum;” all the neighbours joining in for dear life, with the fear of death upon them, and each singing louder than the other, to avoid remark. For in these fits he was the most overriding companion ever known; he would slap his hand on the table for silence all round; he would fly up in a passion of anger at a question, or sometimes because none was put, and so he judged the company was not following his story. Nor would he allow anyone to leave the inn till he had drunk himself sleepy and reeled off to bed.
His stories were what frightened people worst of all (его истории были /тем/, что пугало людей больше всего). Dreadful stories they were (ужасными историями они были); about hanging (о повешении), and walking the plank (и хождении по доске /в открытое море/ — вид казни: пираты часто заставляли несчастных людей на захваченном корабле идти с завязанными глазами по доске в море), and storms at sea (/о/ штормах на море), and the Dry Tortugas (об /островах/ Драй Тортугас /группа мелких коралловых островов в Мексиканском заливе, на юго-западе Флориды/), and wild deeds and places on the Spanish Main (диких деяниях и местах у испанского материка /в районе Карибского моря/).
By his own account (по его собственному рассказу) he must have lived his life among some of the wickedest men (он, должно быть, прожил жизнь среди /неких/ самых отъявленных людей = злодеев) that God ever allowed upon the sea (которым Господь когда-либо позволял /плавать/ по морю); and the language in which he told these stories (язык, которым он рассказывал эти истории) shocked our plain country people (шокировал наших простых деревенских людей) almost as much as the crimes that he described (почти так же, как и преступления, которые он описывал).
frightened [`fraɪtnd] dreadful [dredful] hanging [`hæŋɪŋ] language [`læŋgwɪʤ]
His stories were what frightened people worst of all. Dreadful stories they were; about hanging, and walking the plank, and storms at sea, and the Dry Tortugas, and wild deeds and places on the Spanish Main.
By his own account he must have lived his life among some of the wickedest men that God ever allowed upon the sea; and the language in which he told these stories shocked our plain country people almost as much as the crimes that he described.
My father was always saying the inn would be ruined (мой отец всегда говорил, /что/ трактир разорится), for people would soon cease coming there (так как люди скоро перестанут приходить туда) to be tyrannized over and put down (чтобы быть = из-за опасности быть деспотически подавленными и униженными), and sent shivering to their beds (идти, дрожа, спать = домой: «и быть отправленными, дрожащими, в свои постели»; to send — посылать, отправлять); but I really believe his presence did us good (но я действительно думал, /что/ его присутствие помогало нам). People were frightened at the time (люди были напуганы в то время), but on looking back they rather liked it (но, обернувшись = вспомнив, им скорее нравилось это); it was a fine excitement in a quiet country life (это было прекрасное волнение в тихой деревенской жизни); and there was even a party of the younger me (была даже группа /людей/ моложе меня) who pretended to admire him (которые делали вид, что восхищаются им), calling him a “true sea-dog,” (называя его «настоящим морским волком») and a “real old salt,” (настоящим бывалым /просоленным/ моряком: «настоящей старой солью») and suchlike names (и /другими/ подобными именами), and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea (говоря, /что/ там был тип человека, который сделал Англию страшной на море = благодаря таким людям Англия стала грозою морей).
sease [si:s] tyrannized [`tɪrənaɪzd] excitement [ɪk`saɪtmənt] admire [əd`maɪə]
My father was always saying the inn would be ruined, for people would soon cease coming there to be tyrannized over and put down, and sent shivering to their beds; but I really believe his presence did us good. People were frightened at the time, but on looking back they rather liked it; it was a fine excitement in a quiet country life; and there was even a party of the younger me who pretended to admire him, calling him a “true sea-dog,” and a “real old salt,” and suchlike names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.
