Английский язык с Джонатаном Свифтом. Путешествия Гулливера

He had some more questions. Why, he wished to know, did I speak so loudly. I told him I had been used to doing so for the last two years. My conversation in Brobdingnag was rather like standing in the street talking to someone who was looking out from the top of a church steeple. I had been amazed that he and his men seemed to whisper, and yet I was able to hear them.

I tried to explain how it felt to return from a country where everything had been so enormously big. When I had first come aboard his ship I had thought all the sailors were the smallest, silliest creatures I had ever seen in my life. Indeed later on everything on the dinner table had seemed so tiny, the leg of pork, the glasses, even the table itself, that I had being trying hard not to laugh during dinner.

The captain and I became quite good friends during the journey back to England (за время нашего путешествия домой: «назад» в Англию мы с капитаном стали хорошими друзьями). We called at various ports for food and fresh water (несколько раз мы заходили в порты запастись провизией и свежей/пресной водой; various — различный, разный; несколько, не один). I stayed aboard (я ни разу не сходил с корабля: «оставался на борту») until, nine months later on June 3rd, 1706, we arrived in England (пока, девять месяцев спустя, /а именно/ 3 июня 1706 года, мы не прибыли в Англию). I borrowed five shillings from him (я занял у него = капитана пять шиллингов) to pay for the hire of a horse and guide (чтобы нанять лошадь и проводника: «заплатить за наем…»).

On the road home, looking at the size of the trees (наблюдая по дороге домой размеры деревьев), the houses and the cattle (домов и домашнего скота), I began to feel as though I were back in Lilliput (мне стало казаться, что: «я начал себя чувствовать /так/, как будто» я снова оказался в Лилипутии). Even when I came to my own house (даже когда я подошел = подойдя к своему дому) I bent down to go in the door (я нагнулся, чтобы пройти в дверь; to bend), being afraid of banging my head (боясь /иначе/ удариться головой). My wife ran into the hall to embrace me (жена выбежала в прихожую обнять меня). I stooped lower than her knees (я наклонился ниже ее колен), thinking she wouldn't otherwise be able to reach my mouth (полагая, что иначе ей не достать моего лица: «рта»). Feeling that I was a giant (чувствуя себя великаном/гигантом), I tried to lift my daughter up with one hand (я попытался одной рукой поднять свою дочь).

various ['vFqrIqs], embrace [Im'breIs], giant ['GaIqnt]

The captain and I became quite good friends during the journey back to England. We called at various ports for food and fresh water. I stayed aboard until, nine months later on June 3rd, 1706, we arrived in England. I borrowed five shillings from him to pay for the hire of a horse and guide.

On the road home, looking at the size of the trees, the houses and the cattle, I began to feel as though I were back in Lilliput. Even when I came to my own house I bent down to go in the door, being afraid of banging my head. My wife ran into the hall to embrace me. I stooped lower than her knees, thinking she wouldn't otherwise be able to reach my mouth. Feeling that I was a giant, I tried to lift my daughter up with one hand.

I said to my wife that she must have been trying hard to save money (я заметил жене, что она, должно быть, слишком уж старалась сберечь деньги = экономила деньги) and, convinced that my family had grown smaller in size (и, уверенный /в том/, что она и дети стали меньше = уменьшились в размере), I begged them to eat more (я упрашивал их больше есть). For a while they feared that I had gone mad (некоторое время они опасались, что я сошел с ума). Such is the power of habit (такова сила привычки), I really found it very hard to get used to the size of things again (— мне в самом деле было очень трудно заново привыкать к размерам вещей). My family, my friends and I once again learned to understand each other (я, моя семья и друзья опять научились понимать друг друга = находить общий язык друг с другом) and I soon grew used to the world around me (и скоро я освоился с миром вокруг себя). My wife tried to make me promise that I would never go to sea again (жена пыталась заставить/уговорить меня пообещать, что я никогда больше не отправлюсь в море).

But that was a promise I could not make (но такого обещания я дать не мог: «это было обещание, которого я не мог сделать = дать»).

convinced [kqn'vInst], feared [fIqd], promise ['prOmIs]