Английский с улыбкой. Брет Гарт, Стивен Ликок. Дефективный детектив / Bret Harte, Stephen Leacock

On the fourth day a pirate ship appeared. Reader, I do not know if you have ever seen a pirate ship. The sight was one to appal the stoutest heart. The entire ship was painted black, a black flag hung at the masthead, the sails were black, and on the deck people dressed all in black walked up and down arm-in-arm. The words “Pirate Ship” were painted in white letters on the bow. At the sight of it our crew were visibly cowed. It was a spectacle that would have cowed a dog.

The two ships were brought side by side (два корабля сошлись к борту борт; to bring – приносить; сводить /вместе/). They were then lashed tightly together with bag string and binder twine (затем их крепко принайтовили друг к другу бечевой и шпагатом; to lash – связывать; найтовить /мор./; together – вместе; друг с другом), and a gang plank laid between them (и перебросили трап между ними; to lay – класть; gang plank – сходня, трап). In a moment the pirates swarmed upon our deck (через мгновение пираты хлынули на нашу палубу; to swarm – толпиться), rolling their eyes, gnashing their teeth and filing their nails (вращая глазами, скрежеща зубами и полируя себе ногти /пилочками/; to file – шлифовать /напильником/).

Then the fight began (потом начался бой). It lasted two hours – with fifteen minutes off for lunch (длился он два часа, плюс пятнадцать минут на ланч). It was awful (это было ужасно).

The two ships were brought side by side. They were then lashed tightly together with bag string and binder twine, and a gang plank laid between them. In a moment the pirates swarmed upon our deck, rolling their eyes, gnashing their teeth and filing their nails.

Then the fight began. It lasted two hours – with fifteen minutes off for lunch. It was awful.

The men grappled with one another (матросы схватились друг с другом), kicked one another from behind, slapped one another across the face (пинали друг друга сзади, хлестали по щекам: «по лицу»; to slap – хлопать, шлепать), and in many cases completely lost their temper and tried to bite one another (а во многих случаях, совершенно выходя из себя, пытались /даже/ кусать друг друга; to lose one’s temper – выйти из себя). I noticed one gigantic fellow brandishing a knotted towel (я видел, как один здоровяк размахивал скрученным в узел полотенцем; to notice – замечать, обращать внимание; gigantic – гигантский, громадный; fellow – напарник, партнер; человек, парень), and striking right and left among our men (разя наших матросов направо и налево), until Captain Bilge rushed at him (пока капитан Днище не бросился на него) and struck him flat across the mouth with a banana skin (и не ударил кожурой от банана плашмя по губам: «по рту»; skin – кожа /человека/, шкура /животного/; шкурка, кожица /о покрове растений/).