Harris received a shock, too (Гаррис тоже испытал потрясение); but I do not think Harris's shock could have been anything like so bad (но не думаю, что потрясение Гарриса было таким сильным; bad — дурной, плохой; вредный; сильный /о боли, холоде и т.д./) as the shock that George and I had over the business (как то, что мы с Джорджем испытали при этом).

You see, it was in this way: we were sitting in a meadow (видите ли, дело было так: мы сидели на лугу), about ten yards from the water's edge (примерно в десяти ярдах от кромки воды), and we had just settled down comfortably to feed (и только что устроились удобно, чтобы /приняться/ за еду; feed — кормление, питание; еда, пища). Harris had the beefsteak pie between his knees, and was carving it (Гаррис зажал мясной пирог между колен и разрезал его), and George and I were waiting with our plates ready (а мы с Джорджем ждали, /держа/ наши тарелки наготове).

"Have you got a spoon there (у вас есть ложка)?" says Harris; "I want a spoon to help the gravy with (мне нужна ложка, чтобы помочь с подливкой = для подливки)."

The hamper was close behind us, and George and I both turned round to reach one out (корзина была сразу за нами, и мы с Джорджем оба обернулись, чтобы взять ложку; to reach out — потянуться, протянуть /руку/). We were not five seconds getting it (мы брали ее пять секунд). When we looked round again, Harris and the pie were gone (когда мы снова повернулись, Гаррис и пирог исчезли)!

business ['bzns] meadow ['medu]

Harris received a shock, too; but I do not think Harris's shock could have been anything like so bad as the shock that George and I had over the business.

You see, it was in this way: we were sitting in a meadow, about ten yards from the water's edge, and we had just settled down comfortably to feed. Harris had the beefsteak pie between his knees, and was carving it, and George and I were waiting with our plates ready.

"Have you got a spoon there?" says Harris; "I want a spoon to help the gravy with."

The hamper was close behind us, and George and I both turned round to reach one out. We were not five seconds getting it. When we looked round again, Harris and the pie were gone!

It was a wide, open field (это было широкое открытое поле). There was not a tree or a bit of hedge for hundreds of yards (не было ни деревца, ни кустика на сотни ярдов /вокруг/; hedge — живая изгородь, ограда). He could not have tumbled into the river, because we were on the water side of him (он не мог свалиться в реку, потому что мы были у воды; water side — водяная сторона, берег; сторона, обращенная к воде), and he would have had to climb over us to do it (и ему пришлось бы перелезть через нас, чтобы сделать это).

George and I gazed all about (мы с Джорджем посмотрели кругом). Then we gazed at each other (потом мы поглядели друг на друга).

"Has he been snatched up to heaven (может, его унесли на небо /ангелы/; to snatch — хватать/ся/, вырывать)?" I queried (спросил я).

"They'd hardly have taken the pie too (они бы вряд ли взяли пирог)," said George.

There seemed weight in this objection, and we discarded the heavenly theory (в этом возражении виделась убедительность = оно показалось убедительным, и мы отвергли небесную теорию; weight — вес, масса; авторитет; выразительность, убедительность).

climb [klam] heaven ['hevn] theory ['r]

It was a wide, open field. There was not a tree or a bit of hedge for hundreds of yards. He could not have tumbled into the river, because we were on the water side of him, and he would have had to climb over us to do it.

George and I gazed all about. Then we gazed at each other.