Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы

His history went back a long way. Thirty years before, he had been an able seaman on a sailing vessel that was wrecked in those treacherous waters. Two boats managed to get away and eventually hit upon the desert island of Trebucket. This is well out of the line of traffic and it was three years before any ship sighted the castaways.

Sixteen men had landed on the island (шестнадцать человек высадились на остров /после кораблекрушения/; land — земля, суша; to land — высаживаться/на берег/), but when at last a schooner, driven from her course by stress of weather (но когда наконец шхуна, сбившаяся с курса из-за шторма: «согнанная со своего курса бурей»; to drive — гнать, нести; stress of weather — непогода, буря), put in for shelter, no more than five were left (встала на рейде, чтобы укрыться /от шторма/, осталось не более пяти /человек/; to put in — зд. мор. следовать, плыть; заходить в порт, вставать на рейде; shelter — кров, пристанище, убежище). When the storm abated the skipper took four of these on board (когда шторм утих, шкипер = капитан того торгового судна взял на борт четырех /из тех моряков/; to abate — ослаблять; уменьшаться, утихать/чаще о буре, эпидемии и т. п./; to take — брать, хватать; брать, сажать, везти/пассажиров/; board — доска; борт/корабля/) and eventually landed them at Sydney (и в конечном счете высадил их на берег в Сиднее). German Harry refused to go with them (Немец Гарри отказался ехать с ними). He said that during those three years he had seen such terrible things (он сказал, что за время тех трех лет он увидел такие страшные/ужасные вещи; thing — вещь, предмет; вещь, явление) that he had a horror of his fellow-men (что он с отвращением и страхом относился к людям; horror — отвращение и страх, ужас, омерзение; fellow-man /pl. fellow-men/ —ближний, другой человек, собрат) and wished never to live with them again (и больше никогда не хотел жить вместе с ними).

schooner ['sku: nq], skipper ['skIpq], eventually [I'ventSu(q)lI], terrible ['terqbl]

Sixteen men had landed on the island, but when at last a schooner, driven from her course by stress of weather, put in for shelter, no more than five were left. When the storm abated the skipper took four of these on board and eventually landed them at Sydney. German Harry refused to go with them. He said that during those three years he had seen such terrible things that he had a horror of his fellow-men and wished never to live with them again.

He would say no more (больше он ничего не говорил). He was absolutely fixed in his determination to stay, entirely by himself (он был совершенно непоколебим в своем решении остаться в совершенном одиночестве; fixed— неподвижный, закрепленный; постоянный, неменяющийся;determination— решимость, решительность), in that lonely place (в том безлюдном месте; lonely— одинокий; глухой, заброшенный). Though now and then opportunity had been given him to leave he had never taken it (и хотя время от времени ему предоставлялась возможность уехать, он так никогда ею и не воспользовался).

absolutely ["xbsq'lu: tlI], determination [dI" tWmI'neIS(q)n], entirely [In'taIqlI]

He would say no more. He was absolutely fixed in his determination to stay, entirely by himself, in that lonely place. Though now and then opportunity had been given him to leave he had never taken it.