Jerome Jerome - Английский язык с Джеромом К. Джеромом. Трое в лодке, не считая собаки

And yet that German Professor did not seem happy (и все же этот немецкий профессор не казался довольным; happy — счастливый, довольный) . At first, when we began to laugh, the expression of his face was one of intense surprise (сначала, когда мы начали смеяться, выражение его лица было выражением сильного удивления = крайне удивленным) , as if laughter were the very last thing he had expected to be greeted with (словно смех был последней вещью, которой он ожидал быть встреченным = словно он меньше всего ожидал, что его встретят смехом) . We thought this very funny (мы посчитали это очень забавным) : we said his earnest manner was half the humour (сказали /друг другу/, что его серьезное поведение — половина юмора) . The slightest hint on his part that he knew how funny he was would have completely ruined it all (малейший намек с его стороны /на то/, что он знает, как он смешон, полностью испортил бы все) . As we continued to laugh (по мере того, как мы продолжали смеяться) , his surprise gave way to an air of annoyance and indignation (его удивление уступило место выражению досады и негодования; to give way to) , and he scowled fiercely round upon us all (и он окинул яростным взглядом нас всех; to scowl — хмуриться; бросать сердитый взгляд) (except upon the two young men who, being behind him, he could not see) (кроме двоих юношей, сидевших позади него, которых он не мог видеть) . That sent us into convulsions (от этого мы покатились со смеху; to send — посылать, отправлять; приводить в какое-либо состояние; convulsions — конвульсии, приступ; судорожный смех) . We told each other that it would be the death of us, this thing (мы говорили друг другу, что эта песня уморит нас: «будет нашей смертью») . The words alone, we said, were enough to send us into fits (одних слов, сказали мы, достаточно, чтобы довести нас до припадка; fits — судороги, конвульсии) , but added to his mock seriousness — oh, it was too much (а вместе с его притворной серьезностью — о, это было чересчур; to add to — добавлять, усиливать) !

scowled [skauld] annoyance [ǝˈnɔɪǝns]

I noticed, as the song progressed, that a good many other people seemed to have their eye fixed on the two young men, as well as myself. These other people also tittered when the young men tittered, and roared when the young men roared; and, as the two young men tittered and roared and exploded with laughter pretty continuously all through the song, it went exceedingly well.

And yet that German Professor did not seem happy. At first, when we began to laugh, the expression of his face was one of intense surprise, as if laughter were the very last thing he had expected to be greeted with. We thought this very funny: we said his earnest manner was half the humour. The slightest hint on his part that he knew how funny he was would have completely ruined it all. As we continued to laugh, his surprise gave way to an air of annoyance and indignation, and he scowled fiercely round upon us all (except upon the two young men who, being behind him, he could not see). That sent us into convulsions. We told each other that it would be the death of us, this thing. The words alone, we said, were enough to send us into fits, but added to his mock seriousness — oh, it was too much!

In the last verse, he surpassed himself (в последнем куплете он превзошел самого себя) . He glowered round upon us with a look of such concentrated ferocity (он посмотрел на нас с такой сосредоточенной свирепостью; to glower at — сердито смотреть на кого-либо) that, but for our being forewarned as to the German method of comic singing, we should have been nervous (что, если бы мы не были заранее предупреждены относительно немецкого способа = манеры петь комические песни, то мы бы занервничали; nervous — нервный; взволнованный, раздражительный) ; and he threw such a wailing note of agony into the weird music (он вбросил такую скорбную ноту страдания в эту таинственную музыку = в причудливой музыке прозвучали такие горесть и страдание; wail — продолжительный скорбный крик; вопль; причитания, оплакивание; weird — таинственный; причудливый) that, if we had not known it was a funny song, we might have wept (что, если бы мы не знали, что это смешная песня, то заплакали бы; to weep) .

He finished amid a perfect shriek of laughter (он закончил среди всеобщего истерического смеха; perfect — совершенный, безупречный; shriek — пронзительный, резкий крик; визг; истерический, пронзительный хохот) . We said it was the funniest thing we had ever heard in all our lives (мы сказали, что это самая смешная вещь, /какую/ мы когда-либо слышали за всю жизнь) . We said how strange it was that, in the face of things like these (мы сказали, как странно, что, несмотря на подобные вещи = песни; in the face — несмотря на, вопреки; перед лицом) , there should be a popular notion that the Germans hadn't any sense of humour (существует распространенное мнение, что у немцев отсутствует чувство юмора; popular — популярный; доступный, широко известный; notion — понятие, представление, точка зрения) . And we asked the Professor why he didn't translate the song into English (мы спросили профессора, почему он не переведет эту песню на английский язык) , so that the common people could understand it, and hear what a real comic song was like (чтобы простые люди могли понять ее и услышать = узнать, на что похожа настоящая комическая песня) .

ferocity [fǝˈrɔsɪtɪ] forewarned [fɔ:ˈwɔ:nd] weird [wɪǝd]

In the last verse, he surpassed himself. He glowered round upon us with a look of such concentrated ferocity that, but for our being forewarned as to the German method of comic singing, we should have been nervous; and he threw such a wailing note of agony into the weird music that, if we had not known it was a funny song, we might have wept.

He finished amid a perfect shriek of laughter. We said it was the funniest thing we had ever heard in all our lives. We said how strange it was that, in the face of things like these, there should be a popular notion that the Germans hadn't any sense of humour. And we asked the Professor why he didn't translate the song into English, so that the common people could understand it, and hear what a real comic song was like.

Then Herr Slossenn Boschen got up, and went on awful (тут господин Слоссен Бошен поднялся и разразился /бранью/; to go on — продолжать; набрасываться, бранить; awful — страшный, ужасный) . He swore at us in German (which I should judge to be a singularly effective language for that purpose) (он ругал нас по-немецки, который, мне кажется, особенно подходящий язык для этой цели; to swear) , and he danced, and shook his fists, and called us all the English he knew (и он приплясывал, и потрясал кулаками, и обзывал нас всеми английскими словами, /какие/ знал; to shake) . He said he had never been so insulted in all his life (он сказал, что его никогда за всю жизнь так не оскорбляли) .

It appeared that the song was not a comic song at all (оказалось, что песня вообще не была комической) . It was about a young girl who lived in the Hartz Mountains (она была о молодой девушке, которая жила в горах Гарц) , and who had given up her life to save her lover's soul (и которая отказалась от своей жизни = пожертвовала жизнью, чтобы спасти душу своего возлюбленного; to give up) ; and he died, and met her spirit in the air (и он умер, и встретил ее дух/душу в воздухе) ; and then, in the last verse, he jilted her spirit (а потом, в последнем куплете, он бросил ее дух) , and went on with another spirit (и улетел с другим духом) — I'm not quite sure of the details, but it was something very sad, I know (не совсем уверен в деталях, но, знаю, это было что-то очень печальное) . Herr Boschen said he had sung it once before the German Emperor (спел однажды эту песню германскому императору) , and he (the German Emperor) had sobbed like a little child (и он /император/ рыдал, как дитя) . He (Herr Boschen) said it was generally acknowledged to be one of the most tragic and pathetic songs in the German language (он /господин Слоссен Бошен/ сказал, что эта песня считается одной из самых трагических и душераздирающих песен в немецком языке; generally acknowledged — общепризнанный) .

mountain [ˈmauntɪn] language [ˈlæŋɡwɪʤ]

Then Herr Slossenn Boschen got up, and went on awful. He swore at us in German (which I should judge to be a singularly effective language for that purpose), and he danced, and shook his fists, and called us all the English he knew. He said he had never been so insulted in all his life.

It appeared that the song was not a comic song at all. It was about a young girl who lived in the Hartz Mountains, and who had given up her life to save her lover's soul; and he died, and met her spirit in the air; and then, in the last verse, he jilted her spirit, and went on with another spirit — I'm not quite sure of the details, but it was something very sad, I know. Herr Boschen said he had sung it once before the German Emperor, and he (the German Emperor) had sobbed like a little child. He (Herr Boschen) said it was generally acknowledged to be one of the most tragic and pathetic songs in the German language.