"Yes, sir," replied the genial old fellow (ответил добродушный старик). "I caught him just below the lock — leastways, what was the lock then (я поймал его немного ниже шлюза — по крайней мере, у того, что было шлюзом тогда) — one Friday afternoon; and the remarkable thing about it is that I caught him with a fly (в пятницу после обеда; и удивительно — я поймал ее на муху). I'd gone out pike fishing, bless you, never thinking of a trout (я отправился ловить щук, ей-богу, и не думал о форели), and when I saw that whopper on the end of my line, blest if it didn't quite take me aback (а когда увидел эту громадину на конце лески, то, черт побери, она меня так поразила; to take aback — захватить врасплох; поразить, ошеломить). Well, you see, he weighed twenty-six pound (она весила двадцать шесть фунтов). Good-night, gentlemen, good-night."

genial ['i:nl] pound [paund]

"Ah!" said the carrier, "then, of course, how should you? It was nearly five years ago that I caught that trout."

"Oh! was it you who caught it, then?" said I.

"Yes, sir," replied the genial old fellow. "I caught him just below the lock — leastways, what was the lock then — one Friday afternoon; and the remarkable thing about it is that I caught him with a fly. I'd gone out pike fishing, bless you, never thinking of a trout, and when I saw that whopper on the end of my line, blest if it didn't quite take me aback. Well, you see, he weighed twenty-six pound. Good-night, gentlemen, good-night."

Five minutes afterwards, a third man came in (пять минут спустя третий человек вошел), and described how he had caught it early one morning, with bleak (и описал, как он поймал ее однажды рано утром на уклейку); and then he left, and a stolid, solemn-looking, middle-aged individual came in, and sat down over by the window (потом он ушел, вошел невозмутимый, серьезного вида человек средних лет и сел у окна).

None of us spoke for a while (ни один из нас не говорил ничего некоторое время); but, at length, George turned to the new-comer, and said (но наконец Джордж обратился к новоприбывшему и сказал):

"I beg your pardon, I hope you will forgive the liberty that we (прошу прощения, надеюсь, вы простите бесцеремонность, которую мы; liberty — свобода; бесцеремонность, вольность; дерзость) — perfect strangers in the neighbourhood (совсем чужие люди в этих краях) — are taking, but my friend here and myself would be so much obliged (позволяем себе, но вот мой приятель и я сам были бы очень благодарны) if you would tell us how you caught that trout up there (если бы вы рассказали нам, как поймали вон ту форель)."

"Why, who told you I caught that trout (а кто вам сказал, что я поймал эту форель)!" was the surprised query (был удивленный вопрос).

We said that nobody had told us so (мы сказали, что никто нам этого не говорил), but somehow or other we felt instinctively that it was he who had done it (но мы каким-то образом инстинктивно чувствуем, что именно он это сделал).

solemn ['slm] query ['kwr] instinctively [n'stktvl]

Five minutes afterwards, a third man came in, and described how he had caught it early one morning, with bleak; and then he left, and a stolid, solemn-looking, middle-aged individual came in, and sat down over by the window.

None of us spoke for a while; but, at length, George turned to the new-comer, and said:

"I beg your pardon, I hope you will forgive the liberty that we — perfect strangers in the neighbourhood — are taking, but my friend here and myself would be so much obliged if you would tell us how you caught that trout up there."

"Why, who told you I caught that trout!" was the surprised query.

We said that nobody had told us so, but somehow or other we felt instinctively that it was he who had done it.