Английский язык с Р. Л. Стивенсоном. Остров сокровищ

Ben Gunn was on deck alone (Бен Ганн был на палубе один), and, as soon as we came on board (и, как только мы взошли на борт), he began, with wonderful contortions, to make us a confession (он принялся, поразительно извиваясь, исповедываться нам = каяться; contortion — искажение, вывих, извивание). Silver was gone (Сильвер пропал). The maroon had connived at his escape in a shore boat some hours ago (отшельник помог его бегству на береговой шлюпке несколько часов назад; to connive at — потворствовать, смотреть сквозь пальцы; shore boat — шлюпка, поддерживающая сообщение с берегом, береговая шлюпка), and he now assured us he had only done so to preserve our lives (и теперь он уверял нас, что это сделал лишь, чтобы спасти наши жизни), which would certainly have been forfeit if “that man with the one leg had stayed aboard (которые непременно были бы потеряны, если бы «этот человек с одной ногой остался на борту»).” But this was not all (но это было не все). The sea-cook had not gone empty handed (кок не ушел с пустыми руками). He had cut through a bulkhead unobserved (он проломил переборку незаметно), and had removed one of the sacks of coin, worth, perhaps, three or four hundred guineas (и вытащил один из мешочков с монетами, стоимостью, наверно, три или четыре сотни гиней), to help him on his further wanderings (которые помогут: «чтобы помочь ему» ему в его дальнейших странствиях).

I think we were all pleased to be so cheaply quit of him (думаю, мы все были рады отделаться от него столь дешево). Well, to make a long story short (итак, короче говоря: «чтобы сделать длинную историю короткой»), we got a few hands on board (мы взяли несколько матросов на борт), made a good cruise home (благополучно добрались домой), and the Hispaniola reached Bristol just as Mr. Blandly was beginning to think of fitting out her consort (и Испаньола достигла Бристоля как раз к тому времени, когда мистер Блендли начал думать, не снарядить ли корабль сопровождения /нам на помощь/). Five men only of those who had sailed returned with her (лишь пятеро из тех, кто ушел в плавание, вернулись с ней /на Испаньоле/). “Drink and the devil had done for the rest (пей, а дьявол позаботился обо всем остальном),” with a vengeance (в полном смысле слова = это были пророческие слова; vengeance — месть, мщение); although, to be sure, we were not quite in so bad a case as that other ship they sang about (хотя, конечно, мы не были в таком плохом положении, как другой корабль, о котором они пели):

contortions [kən`tɔ:ʃnz] assured [ə`ʃuəd] forfeit [`fɔ:fɪt] vengeance [`venʤəns]

Ben Gunn was on deck alone, and, as soon as we came on board, he began, with wonderful contortions, to make us a confession. Silver was gone. The maroon had connived at his escape in a shore boat some hours ago, and he now assured us he had only done so to preserve our lives, which would certainly have been forfeit if “that man with the one leg had stayed aboard.” But this was not all. The sea-cook had not gone empty handed. He had cut through a bulkhead unobserved, and had removed one of the sacks of coin, worth, perhaps, three or four hundred guineas, to help him on his further wanderings.

I think we were all pleased to be so cheaply quit of him. Well, to make a long story short, we got a few hands on board, made a good cruise home, and the Hispaniola reached Bristol just as Mr. Blandly was beginning to think of fitting out her consort. Five men only of those who had sailed returned with her. “Drink and the devil had done for the rest,” with a vengeance; although, to be sure, we were not quite in so bad a case as that other ship they sang about: