Чтение онлайн

1. So far there was no great harm. No lives were lost, and we could wade

ashore in safety. But there were all our stores at the bottom, and, to make

things worse, only two guns out of five remained in a state for service. Mine I

had snatched from my knees and held over my head, by a sort of instinct. As

for the captain, he had carried his over his shoulder by a bandoleer, and, like

a wise man, lock uppermost. The other three had gone down with the boat.

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2. To add to our concern, we heard voices already drawing near us in the

woods along shore; and we had not only the danger of being cut off from the

stockade in our half-crippled state, but the fear before us whether, if Hunter

and Joyce were attacked by half a dozen, they would have the sense and

conduct to stand firm. Hunter was steady, that we knew; Joyce was a doubtful

case — a pleasant, polite man for a valet, and to brush one's clothes, but not

entirely fitted for a man of war.

3. With all this in our minds, we waded ashore as fast as we could, leaving

behind us the poor jolly-boat, and a good half of all our powder and

provisions.

Chapter XVIII (глава 18)

Narrative Continued by the Doctor (рассказ продолжен доктором):

End of the First Day's Fighting (конец сражения первого дня)

1. WE made our best speed across the strip of wood (мы бежали во весь дух:

«делали нашу лучшую скорость» через полосу леса) that now divided us from

the stockade (которая теперь отделяла нас от частокола); and at every step we

took the voices of the buccaneers rang nearer (и на каждом шагу = с каждым

мигом мы слышали, как голоса пиратов звучали /все/ ближе). Soon we could

hear their footfalls as they ran (вскоре мы могли слышать звук их шагов, когда

они бежали), and the cracking of the branches as they breasted across a bit of

thicket (и треск ветвей, когда они пробирались сквозь рощу; to breast —

стать грудью против чего-то, бороться).

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377

2. I began to see we should have a brush for it in earnest, and looked to my priming

(я начал понимать, что нам предстоит нешуточная схватка, и посмотрел на

свой запал; brush — щетка; стычка, схватка; in earnest — всерьез).

3. 'Captain,' said I, 'Trelawney is the dead shot (Трелони бьет без промаха; dead

shot — меткий, не дающий промаха стрелок: «мертвый выстрел»). Give him

your gun; his own is useless (отдайте ему свое ружье, его собственное —

непригодно /для стрельбы/).'

4. They exchanged guns, and Trelawney (они поменялись ружьями, и Трелони),

silent and cool as he had been since the beginning of the bustle (молчаливый и

холодный, каким он был с начала суматохи), hung a moment on his heel

(застыл на мгновение на каблуке = остановился) to see that all was fit for

service (чтобы посмотреть, что все было пригодно для службы). At the same

time, observing Gray to be unarmed (в то же время, увидев, что Грей

безоружен), I handed him my cutlass (я передал ему свой кортик). It did all our

hearts good to see him spit in his hand, knit his brows (было приятно видеть, как

он поплевал на руку, нахмурил брови; to do heart good — обрадовать,

подбодрить), and make the blade sing through the air (и сделал = заставил

клинок петь через воздух = рассек со свистом клинком воздух). It was plain

from every line of his body (было ясно из каждой линии его тела = по всему

было видно) that our new hand was worth his salt (что наш новый работник

/будет/ хорошо сражаться: «стоит своей соли»; to be worth salt — хорошо

работать, стоить затрат).

breasted [`brestId] useless [`jHslIs] bustle [`bAsl] brows [brauz] blade [bleId]

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378

1. WE made our best speed across the strip of wood that now divided us from

the stockade; and at every step we took the voices of the buccaneers rang