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

By this time Sharkey and Copley Banks had become very excellent friends, for Sharkey loved a wholehearted villain, and he loved a man of metal, and it seemed to him that the two met in the captain of the Ruffling Harry. It was long before he gave his confidence to him, for cold suspicion lay deep in his character. Never once would he trust himself outside his own ship and away from his own men.

But Copley Banks came often on board the Happy Delivery(но Копли Бэнкс часто бывал на борту «Счастливого избавления») , and joined Sharkey in many of his morose debauches(и присоединялся к Шарки во время его мрачных дебошей) , so that at last any lingering misgivings of the latter were set at rest(так что наконец усыпил неослабные опасения последнего; lingering – продолжительный, долгий; медленно проходящий; to set at rest – успокоить: «поместить к покою» ) . He knew nothing of the evil that he had done to his new boon companion(он ничего не знал = Шарки и не подозревал о том зле, которое причинил своему новому собутыльнику) , for of his many victims how could he remember the woman and the two boys(ибо как он мог запомнить среди своих многочисленных жертв женщину и двух мальчиков) whom he had slain with such levity so long ago(которых бездумно убил давным-давно; to slay; levity – ветреность, легкомыслие ) ! When, therefore, he received a challenge to himself and to his quartermaster for a carouse(и поэтому, когда он и его интендант получили приглашение на пирушку; challenge – вызов ) upon the last evening of their stay at the Caicos Bank(в последний вечер их стоянки у берегов Кайкоса) , he saw no reason to refuse(он не видел причин отказываться).

But Copley Banks came often on board the Happy Delivery, and joined Sharkey in many of his morose debauches, so that at last any lingering misgivings of the latter were set at rest. He knew nothing of the evil that he had done to his new boon companion, for of his many victims how could he remember the woman and the two boys whom he had slain with such levity so long ago! When, therefore, he received a challenge to himself and to his quartermaster for a carouse upon the last evening of their stay at the Caicos Bank, he saw no reason to refuse.

A well-found passenger ship had been rifled the week before(неделю назад они захватили пассажирский корабль, имевший на борту все необходимое; to rifle – обыскивать с целью грабежа ) , so their fare was of the best(так что пища у них была лучше не пожелаешь; fare – плата за проезд; пища ) , and after supper five of them drank deeply together(и после ужина они впятером изрядно выпили; to drink ) . There were the two captains, Birthmark Sweetlocks, Ned Galloway(там были оба капитана, Суитлокс Меченый) , and Israel Martin, the old buccaneersman(и Израэль Мартин, старый буканьер) . To wait upon them was the dumb steward(за столом им прислуживал немой стюард; to wait – ждать; прислуживать ) , whose head Sharkey split with his glass(чью голову Шарки разбил своим стаканом; to split – раскалывать ) , because he had been too slow in the filling of it(потому что тот слишком медленно его наполнял).

A well-found passenger ship had been rifled the week before, so their fare was of the best, and after supper five of them drank deeply together. There were the two captains, Birthmark Sweetlocks, Ned Galloway, and Israel Martin, the old buccaneersman. To wait upon them was the dumb steward, whose head Sharkey split with his glass, because he had been too slow in the filling of it.

The quartermaster had slipped Sharkey’s pistols away from him(интендант потихоньку убрал пистолеты Шарки от него подальше; to slip – скользить; перемещать тихонько, незаметно ) , for it was an old joke with him(ибо у того была давняя шутка) to fire them cross-handed under the table(стрелять из них под столом, перекрестив руки) , and see who was the luckiest man(чтобы посмотреть, кто самый счастливый) . It was a pleasantry which had cost his boatswain his leg(эта невинная шалость стоила его боцману ноги; pleasantry – любезность; шутка, комическая выходка ) , so now, when the table was cleared(так что теперь, когда со стола убрали остатки ужина: «когда стол был чист») , they would coax Sharkey’s weapons away from him on the excuse of the heat(Шарки убедили /снять/ с себя оружие, сославшись на жару; to coax – убеждать, упрашивать; добиваться /чего-л./ с помощью уговоров; excuse – извинение; отговорка, предлог ) , and lay them out of his reach(и положить их /пистолеты/ вне его досягаемости = подальше; reach – протягивание /руки/; предел досягаемости ).

The Captain’s cabin of the Ruffling Harry was in a deck-house upon the poop(каюта капитана «Задиры Гарри» примыкала к рубке на корме; deck-house – рубка ) , and a sternchaser gun was mounted at the back of it(а позади нее была установлена кормовая пушка; chaser – преследователь; судовое орудие; stern – корма; to mount – монтировать, устанавливать ).

The quartermaster had slipped Sharkey’s pistols away from him, for it was an old joke with him to fire them cross-handed under the table, and see who was the luckiest man. It was a pleasantry which had cost his boatswain his leg, so now, when the table was cleared, they would coax Sharkey’s weapons away from him on the excuse of the heat, and lay them out of his reach.

The Captain’s cabin of the Ruffling Harry was in a deck-house upon the poop, and a sternchaser gun was mounted at the back of it.

Round shot were racked round the wall(ядра были сложены у стены; to rack – помещать на полку, подставку; round – вокруг; повсюду, на всем протяжении ) , and three great hogsheads of powder made a stand for dishes and for bottles(а три больших бочонка с порохом служили подставками для блюд и бутылок) . In this grim room the five pirates sang and roared and drank(в этой мрачной каюте пятеро пиратов пели, орали и пили; to sing; to drink ) , while the silent steward still filled up their glasses(а безмолвный стюард продолжал наполнять их стаканы; still – до сих пор, по-прежнему ) , and passed the box and the candle round for their tobacco-pipes(и подносить коробку с табаком и свечу, /чтобы они раскуривали/ свои трубки; to pass round – передавать по кругу ).

Hour after hour the talk became fouler, the voices hoarser(час за часом /темы для/ разговоров становились все непристойнее, голоса все грубее) , the curses and shoutings more incoherent(ругань и выкрики все бессвязнее) , until three of the five had closed their blood-shot eyes(пока трое из пяти не закрыли свои налившиеся кровью глаза) , and dropped their swimming heads upon the table(и не уронили свои мотающиеся /из стороны в сторону/ головы на стол; to swim – плавать; кружиться /о голове/ ).

Round shot were racked round the wall, and three great hogsheads of powder made a stand for dishes and for bottles. In this grim room the five pirates sang and roared and drank, while the silent steward still filled up their glasses, and passed the box and the candle round for their tobacco-pipes.

Hour after hour the talk became fouler, the voices hoarser, the curses and shoutings more incoherent, until three of the five had closed their blood-shot eyes, and dropped their swimming heads upon the table.

Copley Banks and Sharkey were left face to face(Копли Бэнкс и Шарки остались лицом к лицу; to leave ) , the one because he had drunk the least(один /держался на ногах,/ потому что выпил меньше всех) , the other because no amount of liquor would ever shake his iron nerve(другой – потому что никакое количество выпивки никогда не расшатало бы его железные нервы; to shake – трясти; ослаблять, расшатывать ) or warm his sluggish blood(и не согрело его медленно текущую кровь; sluggish – пассивный, вялый; медленный, неторопливый; /мед./ вялый /о пульсе, печени и т. п./ ) . Behind him stood the watchful steward(позади него стоял внимательный стюард; to stand ) , for ever filling up his waning glass(постоянно наполнявший его пустеющий стакан; to wane – убывать, идти на убыль; уменьшаться ) . From without came the low lapping of the tide(снаружи доносился негромкий плеск волн; low – низкий, невысокий; тихий; tide – прилив/отлив; море, океан /поэт./ ) , and from over the water a sailor’s chanty from the barque(а с барка над водой /летела/ матросская песня; chanty – хоровая матросская песня /которую поют во время работ/ ).