It is a simple and easily worked plan, and there has been some talk lately of its being made use of by the angling fraternity in general (это простой и легко осуществимый план, и недавно говорили о том, чтобы использовать его всей удящей братией; to make use of — применять, употреблять, использовать; fraternity — братство, община, братия). Indeed, the Committee of the Thames Angler's Association did recommend its adoption about two years ago (комитет Ассоциации удильщиков Темзы действительно рекомендовал принять его около двух лет назад; adoption — усыновление; принятие /закона, резолюции/), but some of the older members opposed it (но некоторые из старших членов воспротивились ему). They said they would consider the idea if the number were doubled, and each fish counted as twenty (они сказали, что рассмотрят этот план, если цифра будет удвоена и каждая рыба будет считаться за двадцать).

religiously [r'lsl] fraternity [fr't:nt]

So, eventually, he made one final arrangement with himself, which he has religiously held to ever since, and that was to count each fish that he caught as ten, and to assume ten to begin with. For example, if he did not catch any fish at all, then he said he had caught ten fish — you could never catch less than ten fish by his system; that was the foundation of it. Then, if by any chance he really did catch one fish, he called it twenty, while two fish would count thirty, three forty, and so on.

It is a simple and easily worked plan, and there has been some talk lately of its being made use of by the angling fraternity in general. Indeed, the Committee of the Thames Angler's Association did recommend its adoption about two years ago, but some of the older members opposed it. They said they would consider the idea if the number were doubled, and each fish counted as twenty.

If ever you have an evening to spare, up the river (если когда-нибудь у вас будет свободный вечер на реке), I should advise you to drop into one of the little village inns, and take a seat in the tap-room (я советую вам заглянуть в один из маленьких деревенских трактиров и сесть в пивной). You will be nearly sure to meet one or two old rod-men, sipping their toddy there (вы почти наверняка встретите нескольких старых удильщиков, потягивающих пунш; to sip — пить маленькими глотками, потягивать, прихлебывать), and they will tell you enough fishy stories, in half an hour, to give you indigestion for a month (и они расскажу вам достаточно рыбных/неправдоподобных историй за полчаса, чтобы вызвать у вас расстройство желудка на месяц; indigestion — несварение желудка; нарушение пищеварения).

George and I — I don't know what had become of Harris (мы с Джорджем — не знаю, что случилось с Гаррисом); he had gone out and had a shave, early in the afternoon (он вышел побриться рано утром), and had then come back and spent full forty minutes in pipeclaying his shoes, we had not seen him since (затем вернулся и потратил целых сорок минут, начищая свои ботинки, и после этого мы его не видели; to spend; to pipeclay — чистить белой глиной; наводить образцовый порядок) — George and I, therefore, and the dog, left to ourselves (поэтому Джордж, я и собака, предоставленные самим себе), went for a walk to Wallingford on the second evening (пошли прогуляться в Уоллингфорд на второй вечер), and, coming home, we called in at a little river-side inn, for a rest, and other things (и, идя домой, мы заскочили в маленький трактир на берегу реки, чтобы отдохнуть и тому подобное).