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

That was an under-estimate (это было недооценкой) .

We took up the hoops, and began to drop them into the sockets placed for them (мы взяли дуги и начали вставлять их в расположенные для них гнезда; socket — впадина, гнездо, углубление) . You would not imagine this to be dangerous work (кто бы мог предположить: «вы бы не представили», что это опасная работа) ; but, looking back now, the wonder to me is that any of us are alive to tell the tale (но, вспоминая теперь, удивление для меня = я удивляюсь тому, что все мы живы и /можем/ рассказать эту историю) . They were not hoops, they were demons (это были не дуги, это были дьяволы; demon — демон, дьявол, сатана) . First they would not fit into their sockets at all (сначала они не вставлялись в гнезда вообще) , and we had to jump on them, and kick them (и нам пришлось прыгать по ним, бить их ногами) , and hammer at them with the boat-hook (и стучать по ним багром) ; and, when they were in, it turned out (и, когда они вставились, я обнаружил) that they were the wrong hoops for those particular sockets, and they had to come out again (что они не те дуги для конкретных гнезд = вставлены не туда, и их пришлось вытащить снова; particular — особый; отдельный, одиночный, частный) .

croquet [ˈkrǝukeɪ] demon [ˈdi:mǝn]

That canvas wanted more putting up than I think any of us had bargained for. It looked so simple in the abstract. You took five iron arches, like gigantic croquet hoops, and fitted them up over the boat, and then stretched the canvas over them, and fastened it down: it would take quite ten minutes, we thought.

That was an under-estimate.

We took up the hoops, and began to drop them into the sockets placed for them. You would not imagine this to be dangerous work; but, looking back now, the wonder to me is that any of us are alive to tell the tale. They were not hoops, they were demons. First they would not fit into their sockets at all, and we had to jump on them, and kick them, and hammer at them with the boat-hook; and, when they were in, it turned out that they were the wrong hoops for those particular sockets, and they had to come out again.

But they would not come out, until two of us had gone and struggled with them for five minutes (но они не вытаскивались до тех пор, пока двое из нас не сражались с ними пять минут) , when they would jump up suddenly (после чего они выскакивали внезапно) , and try and throw us into the water and drown us (и пытались сбросить нас в воду и утопить) . They had hinges in the middle, and, when we were not looking (у них были шарниры посередине, и, когда мы не смотрели; hinge — петля, шарнир, крюк) , they nipped us with these hinges in delicate parts of the body (они щипали нас этими шарнирами за нежные/чувствительные части тела) ; and, while we were wrestling with one side of the hoop (и, пока мы боролись с одной стороной дуги) , and endeavouring to persuade it to do its duty (и пытались убедить ее выполнить свой долг) , the other side would come behind us in a cowardly manner, and hit us over the head (другая сторона подходила к нам сзади трусливым образом = коварно и ударяла по голове) .

We got them fixed at last, and then all that was to be done was to arrange the covering over them (мы закрепили их наконец, и теперь все, что оставалось сделать — расположить оболочку поверх них = натянуть на них брезент) . George unrolled it, and fastened one end over the nose of the boat (Джордж развернул его и укрепил один конец на носу лодки) . Harris stood in the middle to take it from George and roll it on to me (Гаррис встал посередине, чтобы взять его у Джорджа и бросить мне) , and I kept by the stern to receive it (а я держался у кормы, чтобы поймать его; to receive — получать; принимать) . It was a long time coming down to me (он долго доходил до меня) . George did his part all right (Джордж сделал свое дело хорошо) , but it was new work to Harris, and he bungled it (но это было новой работой для Гарриса, и он все испортил; to bungle — неумело работать; портить работу, испортить дело) .

wrestling [ˈreslɪŋ] endeavouring [ɪnˈdevǝrɪŋ] persuade [pǝˈsweɪd]

But they would not come out, until two of us had gone and struggled with them for five minutes, when they would jump up suddenly, and try and throw us into the water and drown us. They had hinges in the middle, and, when we were not looking, they nipped us with these hinges in delicate parts of the body; and, while we were wrestling with one side of the hoop, and endeavouring to persuade it to do its duty, the other side would come behind us in a cowardly manner, and hit us over the head.

We got them fixed at last, and then all that was to be done was to arrange the covering over them. George unrolled it, and fastened one end over the nose of the boat. Harris stood in the middle to take it from George and roll it on to me, and I kept by the stern to receive it. It was a long time coming down to me. George did his part all right, but it was new work to Harris, and he bungled it.

How he managed it I do not know, he could not explain himself (как ему это удалось, я не знаю, он и сам не мог объяснить) ; but by some mysterious process or other he succeeded, after ten minutes of superhuman effort (но каким-то таинственным образом он сумел после десяти минут сверхчеловеческих усилий; process — процесс; прием, способ) , in getting himself completely rolled up in it (полностью закататься в нее /в парусину/) . He was so firmly wrapped round and tucked in and folded over, that he could not get out (он был так плотно завернут и закутан в нее, что не мог выбраться; to tuck in — заправить; подоткнуть одеяло; to fold — загибать, складывать; заворачивать) . He, of course, made frantic struggles for freedom (он, конечно, вел яростную борьбу за свободу) — the birthright of every Englishman (право по рождению каждого англичанина) , — and, in doing so (I learned this afterwards), knocked over George (и, борясь /я узнал об этом позже/, сбил с ног Джорджа) ; and then George, swearing at Harris, began to struggle too (и потом Джордж, ругая Гарриса, тоже начал бороться) , and got himself entangled and rolled up (и завернулся и закатался сам /в парусину/; to entangle — запутывать, вовлекать) .

I knew nothing about all this at the time (я ничего не знал обо всем этом в то время) . I did not understand the business at all myself (я вообще не понимал, в чем дело) . I had been told to stand where I was, and wait till the canvas came to me (мне сказали стоять на месте: «где я есть» и ждать, пока брезент не достигнет меня) , and Montmorency and I stood there and waited, both as good as gold (и мы с Монморенси стояли там и ждали послушно: «оба послушные»; both as good as gold — очень хороший, добрый; послушный) . We could see the canvas being violently jerked and tossed about, pretty considerably (мы видели, как брезент резко дергает и бросает из стороны в сторону весьма значительно) ; but we supposed this was part of the method, and did not interfere (но мы полагали, что это часть способа = что так и нужно, и не вмешивались) .

effort [ˈefǝt] considerably [kǝnˈsɪd(ǝ)rǝblɪ] interfere [,ɪntǝˈfɪǝ]

How he managed it I do not know, he could not explain himself; but by some mysterious process or other he succeeded, after ten minutes of superhuman effort, in getting himself completely rolled up in it. He was so firmly wrapped round and tucked in and folded over, that he could not get out. He, of course, made frantic struggles for freedom — the birthright of every Englishman, — and, in doing so (I learned this afterwards), knocked over George; and then George, swearing at Harris, began to struggle too, and got himself entangled and rolled up.

I knew nothing about all this at the time. I did not understand the business at all myself. I had been told to stand where I was, and wait till the canvas came to me, and Montmorency and I stood there and waited, both as good as gold. We could see the canvas being violently jerked and tossed about, pretty considerably; but we supposed this was part of the method, and did not interfere.

We also heard much smothered language coming from underneath it (мы также слышали много приглушенных слов, исходивших = доносившихся из-под него; language — язык, речь) , and we guessed that they were finding the job rather troublesome (мы поняли, что они находят эту работу довольно хлопотной/трудной = работа причиняет им неудобства; to guess — /от/гадать, догадаться; полагать, считать; troublesome — причиняющий беспокойство, трудный, хлопотливый) , and concluded that we would wait until things had got a little simpler before we joined in (и решили, что подождем, пока вещи станут немного проще = пока все немного уляжется, прежде чем присоединиться /к ним/; to conclude — заключить, сделать вывод, решить) .

We waited some time, but matters seemed to get only more and more involved (мы ждали некоторое время, но дело, казалось, только запутывалось все больше и больше; to get involved — вмешиваться, ввязываться) , until, at last, George's head came wriggling out over the side of the boat, and spoke up (пока, наконец, голова Джорджа не вылезла, извиваясь, над бортом лодки, и не проговорила громко; to speak up — говорить громко и отчетливо; высказаться) .