They said nobody could sing it like Herr Slossenn Boschen; he was so intensely serious all through it that you might fancy he was reciting a tragedy, and that, of course, made it all the funnier. They said he never once suggested by his tone or manner that he was singing anything funny — that would spoil it. It was his air of seriousness, almost of pathos, that made it so irresistibly amusing.

We said we yearned to hear it, that we wanted a good laugh; and they went downstairs, and fetched Herr Slossenn Boschen.

He appeared to be quite pleased to sing it, for he came up at once, and sat down to the piano without another word.

"Oh, it will amuse you (это позабавит вас). You will laugh (вы посмеетесь)," whispered the two young men, as they passed through the room (шепнули нам двое молодых людей, проходя через комнату), and took up an unobtrusive position behind the Professor's back (и заняли скромное место за спиной профессора).

Herr Slossenn Boschen accompanied himself (аккомпанировал себе сам). The prelude did not suggest a comic song exactly (вступление совсем не наводило на мысль о комической песне; exactly — точно, как раз; совсем, совершенно). It was a weird, soulful air (это была таинственная, душевная мелодия; air — внешний вид; мелодия, мотив). It quite made one's flesh creep (от нее по телу шли мурашки; flesh — тело; плоть; to creep — ползать; creeps — мурашки; ощущение ужаса); but we murmured to one another that it was the German method, and prepared to enjoy it (но мы прошептали друг другу, что это немецкий способ /петь/, и приготовились наслаждаться).

I don't understand German myself (сам я не понимаю по-немецки). I learned it at school, but forgot every word of it two years after I had left (я изучал его в школе, но забыл каждое его слово = до последнего слова через два года после того, как закончил /ее/; to forget; to leave), and have felt much better ever since (и чувствую себя намного лучше с тех пор). Still, I did not want the people there to guess my ignorance (однако я не хотел, чтобы люди там = присутствующие узнали о моем невежестве; to guess — догадываться; полагать); so I hit upon what I thought to be rather a good idea (поэтому мне пришла, как мне показалось, довольно хорошая мысль; to hit on — найти, прийти к; to hit upon an idea — прийти к мысли). I kept my eye on the two young students, and followed them (я не спускал глаз с двух молодых студентов и следовал за ними = их примеру). When they tittered, I tittered (когда они хихикали, я /тоже/ хихикал); when they roared, I roared (когда они хохотали, я хохотал); and I also threw in a little snigger all by myself now and then (и я также добавлял хихиканье от себя временами; to throw in — добавлять; вставлять /замечание/), as if I had seen a bit of humour that had escaped the others (словно увидел что-то смешное, что ускользнуло от остальных). I considered this particularly artful on my part (я считал это особенно ловким = хорошо придуманным со своей стороны).

unobtrusive [,nb'tru:sv] ignorance ['nrns]

"Oh, it will amuse you. You will laugh," whispered the two young men, as they passed through the room, and took up an unobtrusive position behind the Professor's back.

Herr Slossenn Boschen accompanied himself. The prelude did not suggest a comic song exactly. It was a weird, soulful air. It quite made one's flesh creep; but we murmured to one another that it was the German method, and prepared to enjoy it.