Harris thought it was lucky for him the man had not mistaken him for a relation, or he would probably have been drowned outright.

Sailing is a thing that wants knowledge and practice too (плавание под парусом — это вещь, которая требует и знаний, и практики) — though, as a boy, I did not think so (хотя, будучи мальчиком/в детстве я так не думал). I had an idea it came natural to a body, like rounders and touch (у меня было представление = я полагал, что оно дается легко, как лапта или салки; to come natural to one — получаться у кого-либо естественно; легко даваться; rounders — раундерз /английская лапта/; touch — прикосновение, осязание; салки /детская игра/). I knew another boy who held this view likewise (я знал одного мальчика, который придерживался того же мнения; likewise — подобно, таким же образом), and so, one windy day, we thought we would try the sport (поэтому в один ветреный день мы решили попробовать это дело: «плавание под парусом»; sport — спорт; отдых, забава, развлечение). We were stopping down at Yarmouth, and we decided we would go for a trip up the Yare (мы остановились /в то время/ в Ярмуте и решили прокатиться по /реке/ Яр). We hired a sailing boat at the yard by the bridge, and started off (наняли парусную шлюпку на /лодочной/ станции у моста и отправились в путь; yard — ярд; внутренний двор; станция, верфь, склад, портовая мастерская). "It's rather a rough day (сегодня довольно суровый/ненастный денек)," said the man to us, as we put off (сказал нам лодочник, когда мы отчаливали): "better take in a reef and luff sharp when you get round the bend (лучше возьмите рифы и идите резко в бейдевинд, когда зайдете за поворот; to take in a reef — брать рифы /уменьшать площадь паруса при сильном ветре/; to luff — идти в бейдевинд, приводить к ветру, стать по ветру)."

We said we would make a point of it, and left him with a cheery "Good-morning (мы сказали, что обязательно так сделаем, и оставили его с = сказали на прощание «Доброе утро/будьте здоровы!»; to make a point of — обратить особое внимание на что-либо; придавать чему-либо большое значение)," wondering to ourselves how you "luffed (спрашивая себя, как это «идти в бейдевинд»)," and where we were to get a "reef" from (и откуда нам взять «рифы»), and what we were to do with it when we had got it (и что нам делать с ними, когда их достанем).

Sailing is a thing that wants knowledge and practice too — though, as a boy, I did not think so. I had an idea it came natural to a body, like rounders and touch. I knew another boy who held this view likewise, and so, one windy day, we thought we would try the sport. We were stopping down at Yarmouth, and we decided we would go for a trip up the Yare. We hired a sailing boat at the yard by the bridge, and started off. "It's rather a rough day," said the man to us, as we put off: "better take in a reef and luff sharp when you get round the bend."

We said we would make a point of it, and left him with a cheery "Good-morning," wondering to ourselves how you "luffed," and where we were to get a "reef" from, and what we were to do with it when we had got it.