I was stroke (я был загребным = сидел у кормы). I did my best (я делал все возможное). I feathered some two feet high (я поднимал весла вверх фута на два; to feather — выносить весло плашмя), and I paused at the end of each stroke to let the blades drip before returning them (и останавливался в конце каждого удара, чтобы позволить воде стечь с лопастей, прежде чем возвращал = вновь опускал их; blade — лезвие, клинок; лопасть; to drip — капать, падать каплями, стекать), and I picked out a smooth bit of water to drop them into again each time (и я выбирал каждый раз гладкое/спокойное место на воде, чтобы опустить туда весла; bit — небольшое количество, кусочек). (Bow said, after a while, that he did not feel himself a sufficiently accomplished oarsman to pull with me (гребец, сидевший на носу, сказал через некоторое время, что не чувствует себя достаточно искусным, чтобы грести со мной; to accomplish — совершать, выполнять; достигать совершенства; oarsman — гребец), but that he would sit still, if I would allow him, and study my stroke (он бы сидел спокойно, если я ему позволю, и изучал бы мой удар = стиль гребли). He said it interested him (он сказал, этот стиль его интересует)). But, notwithstanding all this, and try as I would (но, несмотря на все это, как бы я ни старался), I could not help an occasional flicker of water from going over those dresses (я не мог временами предотвратить попадание брызг на те /их/ платья; to help — помогать; избегать, предотвращать; occasional — редкий, случайный; flicker — мерцание; трепетание, дрожание, рябь).

cushion ['kun] glove [lv] martyr ['m:t]

The first thing was that they thought the boat was not clean. We dusted all the seats for them, and then assured them that it was, but they didn't believe us. One of them rubbed the cushion with the forefinger of her glove, and showed the result to the other, and they both sighed, and sat down, with the air of early Christian martyrs trying to make themselves comfortable up against the stake. You are liable to occasionally splash a little when sculling, and it appeared that a drop of water ruined those costumes. The mark never came out, and a stain was left on the dress for ever.

I was stroke. I did my best. I feathered some two feet high, and I paused at the end of each stroke to let the blades drip before returning them, and I picked out a smooth bit of water to drop them into again each time. (Bow said, after a while, that he did not feel himself a sufficiently accomplished oarsman to pull with me, but that he would sit still, if I would allow him, and study my stroke. He said it interested him.) But, notwithstanding all this, and try as I would, I could not help an occasional flicker of water from going over those dresses.