We were up early the next morning, as we wanted to be in Oxford by the afternoon (мы встали рано на следующее утро, поскольку хотели быть в Оксфорде к полудню). It is surprising how early one can get up, when camping out (удивительно, как рано человек может подняться, когда ночует на открытом воздухе). One does not yearn for "just another five minutes" nearly so much (он не стремится так сильно «/вздремнуть/ еще только пять минут»), lying wrapped up in a rug on the boards of a boat (лежа, завернувшись в плед, на досках лодки), with a Gladstone bag for a pillow, as one does in a featherbed (положив вместо подушки саквояж, как /тогда, когда/ лежит в теплой постели; featherbed — перина; feather — перо, оперение). We had finished breakfast, and were through Clifton Lock by half-past eight (мы закончили завтракать и прошли Клифтонский шлюз к половине девятого).

wrap [raep] featherbed [,fed'bed]

It would also be a bad house for a drunken man to put up at. There are too many surprises in the way of unexpected steps down into this room and up into that; and as for getting upstairs to his bedroom, or ever finding his bed when he got up, either operation would be an utter impossibility to him.

We were up early the next morning, as we wanted to be in Oxford by the afternoon. It is surprising how early one can get up, when camping out. One does not yearn for "just another five minutes" nearly so much, lying wrapped up in a rug on the boards of a boat, with a Gladstone bag for a pillow, as one does in a featherbed. We had finished breakfast, and were through Clifton Lock by half-past eight.

From Clifton to Culham the river banks are flat, monotonous, and uninteresting (от Клифтона до Калэма берега реки ровные, однообразные и неинтересные), but, after you get through Culham Lock — the coldest and deepest lock on the river — the landscape improves (но после того, как пройдешь Калэмский шлюз — самый холодный и глубокий шлюз на реке — пейзаж улучшается).

At Abingdon, the river passes by the streets (в Абингдоне река течет мимо улиц). Abingdon is a typical country town of the smaller order (Абингдон — типичный провинциальный городок меньшего порядка) — quiet, eminently respectable, clean, and desperately dull (тихий, в высшей степени респектабельный, чистый и безнадежно скучный). It prides itself on being old, but whether it can compare in this respect with Wallingford and Dorchester seems doubtful (гордится тем, что он старинный, но может ли он сравниться в этом отношении с Уоллингфордом и Дорчестером, представляется сомнительным = вряд ли он может…). A famous abbey stood here once (известное аббатство было здесь когда-то), and within what is left of its sanctified walls they brew bitter ale nowadays (а в том, что осталось от его священных стен, варят теперь горький эль; nowadays — в наши дни; теперь; в наше время).

eminently ['emnntl] doubtful ['dautfl] sanctified ['saektfad]

From Clifton to Culham the river banks are flat, monotonous, and uninteresting, but, after you get through Culham Lock — the coldest and deepest lock on the river — the landscape improves.

At Abingdon, the river passes by the streets. Abingdon is a typical country town of the smaller order — quiet, eminently respectable, clean, and desperately dull. It prides itself on being old, but whether it can compare in this respect with Wallingford and Dorchester seems doubtful. A famous abbey stood here once, and within what is left of its sanctified walls they brew bitter ale nowadays.