I like to watch an old boatman rowing, especially one who has been hired by the hour (я люблю смотреть, как гребет старый лодочник, особенно тот, которого наняли по часам). There is something so beautifully calm and restful about his method (в его манере /грести/ есть что-то такое великолепно спокойное и тихое). It is so free from that fretful haste, that vehement striving (она свободна от этой раздражительной спешки, этого неистового стремления), that is every day becoming more and more the bane of nineteenth-century life (что каждый день все больше и больше становятся проклятием жизни девятнадцатого века). He is not for ever straining himself to pass all the other boats (он никогда не старается обогнать все остальные лодки; to strain — натягивать/ся/; напрягать/ся/). If another boat overtakes him and passes him it does not annoy him (если другая лодка догоняет и обгоняет его, это не раздражает его); as a matter of fact, they all do overtake him and pass him (в сущности, они все догоняют и обгоняют его) — all those that are going his way (все те, что идут в его сторону = в ту же сторону, что и он). This would trouble and irritate some people (это обеспокоило и рассердило бы некоторых); the sublime equanimity of the hired boatman under the ordeal (величественное спокойствие нанятого лодочника во время этого тяжелого испытания; equanimity — невозмутимость, хладнокровие; спокойствие, самообладание; ordeal — суровое испытание; суд Божий) affords us a beautiful lesson against ambition and uppishness (дает нам превосходный урок относительно честолюбия и чванства; lesson — урок; нотация, нравоучение).

Plain practical rowing of the get-the-boat-along order is not a very difficult art to acquire (простая практичная гребля с целью двигать лодку — не очень сложное искусство /чтобы овладеть/), but it takes a good deal of practice before a man feels comfortable (но оно требует много практики, прежде чем будешь чувствовать себя спокойно), when rowing past girls (когда гребешь мимо девушек). It is the "time" that worries a youngster (именно «такт» беспокоит юношу = начинающего). "It's jolly funny (просто смешно)," he says, as for the twentieth time within five minutes he disentangles his sculls from yours (говорит он, в двадцатый раз за пять минут отцепляя свои весла от ваших; to disentangle — освобождать, распутывать); "I can get on all right when I'm by myself (у меня все получается, когда я один; to get on — делать успехи, преуспевать)!"

vehement ['vmnt] equanimity [,ekw'nmt]

I like to watch an old boatman rowing, especially one who has been hired by the hour. There is something so beautifully calm and restful about his method. It is so free from that fretful haste, that vehement striving, that is every day becoming more and more the bane of nineteenth-century life. He is not for ever straining himself to pass all the other boats. If another boat overtakes him and passes him it does not annoy him; as a matter of fact, they all do overtake him and pass him — all those that are going his way. This would trouble and irritate some people; the sublime equanimity of the hired boatman under the ordeal affords us a beautiful lesson against ambition and uppishness.

Plain practical rowing of the get-the-boat-along order is not a very difficult art to acquire, but it takes a good deal of practice before a man feels comfortable, when rowing past girls. It is the "time" that worries a youngster. "It's jolly funny," he says, as for the twentieth time within five minutes he disentangles his sculls from yours; "I can get on all right when I'm by myself!"