Английский язык с Джеромом К. Джеромом. Трое в лодке, не считая собаки

I rather pride myself on my packing. Packing is one of those many things that I feel I know more about than any other person living. (It surprises me myself, sometimes, how many of these subjects there are.) I impressed the fact upon George and Harris, and told them that they had better leave the whole matter entirely to me. They fell into the suggestion with a readiness that had something uncanny about it. George put on a pipe and spread himself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table and lit a cigar.

This was hardly what I intended. What I had meant, of course, was, that I should boss the job, and that Harris and George should potter about under my directions, I pushing them aside every now and then with, "Oh, you — !" "Here, let me do it." "There you are, simple enough!" — really teaching them, as you might say. Their taking it in the way they did irritated me. There is nothing does irritate me more than seeing other people sitting about doing nothing when I'm working.

I lived with a man once who used to make me mad that way (я жил с одним человеком как-то, который доводил меня до сумасшествия/бесил таким образом). He would loll on the sofa and watch me doing things by the hour together (он сидел, развалясь на диване, и наблюдал часами, как я работаю: «делаю дела»), following me round the room with his eyes, wherever I went (следуя за мной по комнате взглядом, куда бы я ни шел). He said it did him real good to look on at me, messing about (он говорил, что ему действительно приносит пользу = полезно наблюдать за мной, как я работаю; to mess about — лодырничать, валять дурака; возиться, заниматься чем-либо). He said it made him feel that life was not an idle dream to be gaped and yawned through (он говорил, это заставляет его понимать, что жизнь — не праздная мечта, в течение которой можно глазеть и зевать), but a noble task, full of duty and stern work (а благородная задача, наполненная долгом и суровой работой). He said he often wondered now how he could have gone on before he met me (он говорил, что часто удивляется теперь, как он мог жить до того, как встретил меня; to go on — продолжать путь; обходиться, справляться; to meet), never having anybody to look at while they worked (когда ему было не на кого смотреть, пока тот работал: «те работали»).

Now, I'm not like that (а я не такой). I can't sit still and see another man slaving and working (я не могу сидеть спокойно и смотреть, как другой тяжело работает; to slave — выполнять тяжелую работу, надрываться; slave — раб). I want to get up and superintend (я хочу подняться и руководить), and walk round with my hands in my pockets (расхаживать, /заложив/ руки в карманы), and tell him what to do (и говорить, что делать). It is my energetic nature (такая у меня энергичная, деятельная натура). I can't help it (ничего не могу поделать с этим/я не виноват в этом).

yawned [jɔ:nd] idle [aɪdl] superintend [,s(j)u:p(ǝ)rɪnˈtǝnd]

I lived with a man once who used to make me mad that way. He would loll on the sofa and watch me doing things by the hour together, following me round the room with his eyes, wherever I went. He said it did him real good to look on at me, messing about. He said it made him feel that life was not an idle dream to be gaped and yawned through, but a noble task, full of duty and stern work. He said he often wondered now how he could have gone on before he met me, never having anybody to look at while they worked.

Now, I'm not like that. I can't sit still and see another man slaving and working. I want to get up and superintend, and walk round with my hands in my pockets, and tell him what to do. It is my energetic nature. I can't help it.