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launch [lɔ:nʧ] solitude [ˈsɔlɪtju:d]

When we got down to the landing-stage, the boatman said:

"Let me see, sir; was yours a steam-launch or a house-boat?"

On our informing him it was a double-sculling skiff, he seemed surprised.

We had a good deal of trouble with steam-launches that morning. It was just before the Henley week, and they were going up in large numbers; some by themselves, some towing houseboats. I do hate steam-launches: I suppose every rowing man does. I never see a steam-launch but I feel I should like to lure it to a lonely part of the river, and there, in the silence and the solitude, strangle it.

There is a blatant bumptiousness about a steam-launch (в паровом баркасе есть что-то вульгарное и самодовольное; blatant — вульгарный, крикливый; bumptious — самоуверенный, надменный) that has the knack of rousing every evil instinct in my nature (что вызывает все дурные инстинкты в моем существе; knack — удачный прием, трюк; ловкость, умение; to have the knack of — уметь делать что-либо, быть специалистом), and I yearn for the good old days, when you could go about and tell people what you thought of them with a hatchet and a bow and arrows (и я тоскую по старым добрым временам, когда можно было расхаживать и говорить людям, что вы о них думаете, с помощью топорика и лука со стрелами). The expression on the face of the man who, with his hands in his pockets, stands by the stern, smoking a cigar (одного выражения лица: «на лице» человека, который, /сунув/ руки в карманы, стоит на корме, куря сигару), is sufficient to excuse a breach of the peace by itself (достаточно, чтобы послужить оправданием нарушения общественного порядка; by itself — само по себе, отдельно); and the lordly whistle for you to get out of the way would, I am confident (а надменный свисток, /говорящий/, чтобы вы убирались с пути, я уверен; lordly — барственный, пышный; высокомерный, гордый), ensure a verdict of "justifiable homicide" from any jury of river men (обеспечил бы приговор «оправданное /обстоятельствами/ убийство» при любом /составе/ присяжных из жителей побережья).

They used to have to whistle for us to get out of their way (им пришлось посвистеть нам, чтобы мы убирались с их пути). If I may do so, without appearing boastful (без того, чтобы показаться хвастливым), I think I can honestly say that our one small boat, during that week (думаю, я могу честно сказать, что одна наша маленькая лодка за эту неделю), caused more annoyance and delay and aggravation to the steam-launches that we came across (причинила больше неприятностей, задержек и хлопот паровым баркасам, что нам встречались; aggravation — ухудшение; раздражение) than all the other craft on the river put together (чем все остальные суда на реке, вместе взятые; to put together — соединять, собирать).

bumptiousness [ˈbʌmpʃǝsnɪs] verdict [ˈvǝ:dɪkt] homicide [ˈhɔmɪsaɪd]

There is a blatant bumptiousness about a steam-launch that has the knack of rousing every evil instinct in my nature, and I yearn for the good old days, when you could go about and tell people what you thought of them with a hatchet and a bow and arrows. The expression on the face of the man who, with his hands in his pockets, stands by the stern, smoking a cigar, is sufficient to excuse a breach of the peace by itself; and the lordly whistle for you to get out of the way would, I am confident, ensure a verdict of "justifiable homicide" from any jury of river men.

They used to have to whistle for us to get out of their way. If I may do so, without appearing boastful, I think I can honestly say that our one small boat, during that week, caused more annoyance and delay and aggravation to the steam-launches that we came across than all the other craft on the river put together.

"Steam-launch, coming (паровой баркас идет)!" one of us would cry out, on sighting the enemy in the distance (кричал один из нас, заметив врага вдали); and, in an instant, everything was got ready to receive her (и в мгновение все было готово встретить его; to receive — получать, принимать). I would take the lines, and Harris and George would sit down beside me (я брал веревки, а Гаррис и Джордж садились рядом со мной), all of us with our backs to the launch (все спинами к баркасу), and the boat would drift out quietly into mid-stream (и лодка тихо, спокойно смещалась на середину реки).

On would come the launch, whistling, and on we would go, drifting (баркас приближался, свистя, а мы продолжали плыть). At about a hundred yards off, she would start whistling like mad (примерно в сотне ярдов от нас он начинал свистеть, как сумасшедший), and the people would come and lean over the side, and roar at us (люди перегибались через борт и орали на нас); but we never heard them (но мы совсем их не слышали)! Harris would be telling us an anecdote about his mother (Гаррис рассказывал нам какой-нибудь случай, /произошедший/ с его матерью), and George and I would not have missed a word of it for worlds (а мы с Джорджем не пропустили бы ни слова ни за что на свете = слушали не отрываясь).

receive [rɪˈsi:v] anecdote [ˈænɪkdǝut]

"Steam-launch, coming!" one of us would cry out, on sighting the enemy in the distance; and, in an instant, everything was got ready to receive her. I would take the lines, and Harris and George would sit down beside me, all of us with our backs to the launch, and the boat would drift out quietly into mid-stream.

On would come the launch, whistling, and on we would go, drifting. At about a hundred yards off, she would start whistling like mad, and the people would come and lean over the side, and roar at us; but we never heard them! Harris would be telling us an anecdote about his mother, and George and I would not have missed a word of it for worlds.

Then that launch would give one final shriek of a whistle that would nearly burst the boiler (тогда этот баркас издавал последний пронзительный свисток, который почти разрывал котел; shriek — пронзительный, резкий, дикий крик; пронзительный свисток /паровоза, локомотива/), and she would reverse her engines, and blow off steam (и давал задний ход, и выпускал пар; to reverse — перевертывать; разворачиваться; давать задний ход; engine — машина; двигатель, мотор), and swing round and get aground (делал поворот и садился на мель); everyone on board of it would rush to the bow and yell at us (все на его борту бежали на нос и орали на нас), and the people on the bank would stand and shout to us (а люди на берегу предупреждали нас криком; shout to — предупреждать, предостерегать /криком, окликом/; громко звать), and all the other passing boats would stop and join in (а все другие проплывавшие лодки останавливались и присоединялись), till the whole river for miles up and down was in a state of frantic commotion (пока вся река на /много/ миль вверх и вниз не приходила в состояние неистового возбуждения; commotion — крайне возбужденное или восторженное состояние, экзальтация). And then Harris would break off in the most interesting part of his narrative (тогда Гаррис внезапно останавливался на самом интересном месте своего рассказа; to break off — внезапно прекращать, обрывать /разговор, дружбу/), and look up with mild surprise, and say to George (и поднимал глаза с кротким удивлением, и говорил Джорджу):

"Why, George, bless me, if here isn't a steam launch (эй, Джордж, да ведь это паровой баркас; bless me — о Боже! выражение удивления, негодования: «благослови меня»)!"

And George would answer (и Джордж отвечал):

"Well, do you know, I thought I heard something (знаешь, мне показалось, я что-то слышал)!"

engine [ˈenʤɪn] narrative [ˈnærǝtɪv]

Then that launch would give one final shriek of a whistle that would nearly burst the boiler, and she would reverse her engines, and blow off steam, and swing round and get aground; everyone on board of it would rush to the bow and yell at us, and the people on the bank would stand and shout to us, and all the other passing boats would stop and join in, till the whole river for miles up and down was in a state of frantic commotion. And then Harris would break off in the most interesting part of his narrative, and look up with mild surprise, and say to George:

"Why, George, bless me, if here isn't a steam launch!"

And George would answer:

"Well, do you know, I thought I heard something!"

Upon which we would get nervous and confused (после чего мы начинали волноваться и приходили в замешательство; confused — смущенный, озадаченный; сбитый с толку), and not know how to get the boat out of the way (и не знали, как убрать лодку с дороги), and the people in the launch would crowd round and instruct us (а люди на баркасе толпились /вокруг/ и указывали нам; to instruct — учить, обучать; отдавать распоряжения):

"Pull your right — you, you idiot (греби направо — ты, идиот)! back with your left (левым — назад). No, not you — the other one (нет, не ты — другой) — leave the lines alone, can't you (оставьте же веревки = руль в покое) — now, both together (теперь оба вместе). NOT that way (не так). Oh, you — (ах вы…)!"

Then they would lower a boat and come to our assistance (потом они спускали лодку и приходили нам на помощь); and, after quarter of an hour's effort (и после пятнадцатиминутных: «четвертьчасовых» усилий), would get us clean out of their way, so that they could go on (они совсем убирали нас со своего пути, так, чтобы можно было продолжать путь); and we would thank them so much, and ask them to give us a tow (и мы горячо их благодарили и просили взять нас на буксир). But they never would (но они никогда не соглашались).

assistance [ǝˈsɪst(ǝ)ns] crowd [kraud]

Upon which we would get nervous and confused, and not know how to get the boat out of the way, and the people in the launch would crowd round and instruct us:

"Pull your right — you, you idiot! back with your left. No, not you — the other one — leave the lines alone, can't you — now, both together. NOT that way. Oh, you — !"

Then they would lower a boat and come to our assistance; and, after quarter of an hour's effort, would get us clean out of their way, so that they could go on; and we would thank them so much, and ask them to give us a tow. But they never would.

Another good way we discovered of irritating the aristocratic type of steam launch (другим хорошим способом раздражать аристократический класс паровых баркасов, который мы нашли), was to mistake them for a beanfeast, and ask them if they were Messrs. Cubit's lot or the Bermondsey Good Templars (принимать их за плавучий ресторан и спрашивать, кто они: компания ли господ Кьюбит или Бермондсейские Квалифицированные Барристеры; beanfeast — ежегодный обед, устраиваемый хозяином для служащих; гулянка, пирушка; Messrs = messieurs; lot — жребий, судьба; группа, компания людей; Templar — тамплиер; адвокат, барристер, живущий или имеющий контору в Темпле), and could they lend us a saucepan (и не могли ли бы они одолжить нам кастрюлю; saucepan: sauce — соус, подливка; pan — сковорода; кастрюля).