We rowed until we were out of sight of the town (мы гребли, пока город не скрылся из виду), and then, with a wide stretch of water in front of us (затем, когда широкая полоса воды была перед нами), and the wind blowing a perfect hurricane across it (а ветер дул совершенным ураганом над ней), we felt that the time had come to commence operations (мы решили, что пришло время приступать к действиям).

Hector — I think that was his name — went on pulling while I unrolled the sail (Гектор — думаю, это было его имя = кажется, так его звали — продолжал грести, пока я развертывал парус). It seemed a complicated job, but I accomplished it at length (это оказалось трудной работой, но я справился с ней наконец; to accomplish — выполнять, завершать), and then came the question, which was the top end (и тут возник вопрос — который конец верхний)?

By a sort of natural instinct, we, of course, eventually decided that the bottom was the top (следуя своего рода врожденному инстинкту, мы, конечно, в итоге решили, что нижняя часть — это верхняя), and set to work to fix it upside-down (и принялись устанавливать парус вверх дном; to set to work — браться за работу, приниматься за дело). But it was a long time before we could get it up, either that way or any other way (но прошло много времени, прежде чем мы сумели его хоть как-то поднять). The impression on the mind of the sail seemed to be that we were playing at funerals (представление в уме паруса было = парус, видимо, решил, что мы играем в похороны; impression — ощущение, впечатление; понятие, мнение), and that I was the corpse and itself was the winding-sheet (и что я покойник, а он сам — саван).

hurricane ['hrkn; 'hrken]

We rowed until we were out of sight of the town, and then, with a wide stretch of water in front of us, and the wind blowing a perfect hurricane across it, we felt that the time had come to commence operations.

Hector — I think that was his name — went on pulling while I unrolled the sail. It seemed a complicated job, but I accomplished it at length, and then came the question, which was the top end?

By a sort of natural instinct, we, of course, eventually decided that the bottom was the top, and set to work to fix it upside-down. But it was a long time before we could get it up, either that way or any other way. The impression on the mind of the sail seemed to be that we were playing at funerals, and that I was the corpse and itself was the winding-sheet.

When it found that this was not the idea, it hit me over the head with the boom, and refused to do anything (когда он обнаружил, что это не так, он ударил меня укосиной по голове и отказался делать что-либо; idea — идея; мысль; план, намерение; представление).

"Wet it (намочи его)," said Hector; "drop it over and get it wet (брось его за борт, пусть он намокнет)."