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 ['bmpsns] verdict ['v:dkt] homicide ['hmsad]

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 [r'si:v] anecdote ['aenkdut]

"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.