(Aside to pianist): "It is too low, old man; we'll have that over again, if you don't mind."

[Sings first two lines over again, in a high falsetto this time. Great surprise on the part of the audience. Nervous old lady near the fire begins to cry, and has to be led out.]

HARRIS (continuing):

"I swept the windows and I swept the door,

And I — "

No — no, I cleaned the windows of the big front door (нет-нет, я протирал окна = стекла большой парадной двери). And I polished up the floor (и я полировал/начищал пол) — no, dash it — I beg your pardon (нет, черт! — прошу прощения; to dash — наносить сокрушающий удар, разбивать вдребезги, расколачивать) — funny thing, I can't think of that line (забавно, не могу вспомнить эту строчку). And I — and I — Oh, well, we'll get on to the chorus, and chance it (sings) (ну ладно, мы перейдем к хору и рискнем /поет/):

"And I diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-de,

Till now I am the ruler of the Queen's navee (до сих пор я адмирал королевского флота; ruler — властелин, правитель; navee = navy)."

Now then, chorus — it is the last two lines repeated, you know (а теперь хор — последние две строчки повторяются).

GENERAL CHORUS (общий хор):

No — no, I cleaned the windows of the big front door. And I polished up the floor — no, dash it — I beg your pardon — funny thing, I can't think of that line. And I — and I — Oh, well, we'll get on to the chorus, and chance it (sings):

"And I diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-de,

Till now I am the ruler of the Queen's navee."

Now then, chorus — it is the last two lines repeated, you know.

GENERAL CHORUS:

"And he diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-dee'd,

Till now he is the ruler of the Queen's navee."

And Harris never sees what an ass he is making of himself (а Гаррис никогда не видит, какого осла он из себя делает), and how he is annoying a lot of people who never did him any harm (и как он докучает множеству людей, которые не сделали ему ничего плохого; to do harm — причинять вред, наносить ущерб). He honestly imagines that he has given them a treat (он искренне полагает, что доставил им удовольствие; to imagine — воображать, представлять себе; полагать, думать), and says he will sing another comic song after supper (и говорит, что споет еще одну комическую песню после ужина).

Speaking of comic songs and parties, reminds me of a rather curious incident at which I once assisted (/если/ говорить о куплетах и вечеринках, это напоминает мне об одном довольно любопытном случае, при котором я присутствовал; to assist — помогать, способствовать; to assist at — присутствовать при); which, as it throws much light upon the inner mental working of human nature in general (который, проливая: «бросая» много света на /процесс/ внутренней работы человеческой природы в целом; mental — интеллектуальный, умственный; внутренний /происходящий в сознании/), ought, I think, to be recorded in these pages (думаю, должен быть отмечен на этих страницах; to record — записывать, фиксировать).

honestly ['nstl] incident ['nsdnt]

"And he diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-dee'd,

Till now he is the ruler of the Queen's navee."

And Harris never sees what an ass he is making of himself, and how he is annoying a lot of people who never did him any harm. He honestly imagines that he has given them a treat, and says he will sing another comic song after supper.

Speaking of comic songs and parties, reminds me of a rather curious incident at which I once assisted; which, as it throws much light upon the inner mental working of human nature in general, ought, I think, to be recorded in these pages.