Английский с улыбкой. Брет Гарт, Стивен Ликок. Дефективный детектив

I stood leaning over the gaff of the mainsail and thinking – yes, thinking, dear reader, of my mother. I hope that you will think none the less of me for that. Whenever things look dark, I lean up against something and think of mother. If they get positively black, I stand on one leg and think of father. After that I can face anything.

Did I think, too, of another, younger than mother and fairer than father? Yes, I did.

“Bear up, darling,” I had whispered as she nestled her head beneath my oilskins (не грусти, любимая, – шептал я, когда она пристроила свою головку под моей штормовкой; to bear up – поддерживать, подбадривать; to nestle – вить гнездо; приютиться, примоститься) and kicked out backward with one heel in the agony of her girlish grief (и лягнула пяткой в муках девичьей печали; backward – назад, в обратном направлении; agony – мука, страдание /душевное или физическое/), “in five years the voyage will be over (через пять лет плаванье окончится; voyage – путешествие /обыкн. морское/), and after three more like it, I shall come back with money (а еще после трех подобных ему, я вернусь с деньгами) enough to buy a second-hand fishing-net and settle down on shore (достаточными, чтобы купить подержанную рыболовную сеть и поселиться на побережье).”

Meantime the ship’s preparations were complete (между тем приготовления судна /к отплытию/ были закончены). The masts were all in position, the sails nailed up (все мачты находились на своих местах, паруса были приколочены; position – положение, местоположение), and men with axes were busily chopping away the gangway (и матросы с топорами были заняты тем, что рубили сходни).

“Bear up, darling,” I had whispered as she nestled her head beneath my oilskins and kicked out backward with one heel in the agony of her girlish grief, “in five years the voyage will be over, and after three more like it, I shall come back with money enough to buy a second-hand fishing-net and settle down on shore.”

Meantime the ship’s preparations were complete. The masts were all in position, the sails nailed up, and men with axes were busily chopping away the gangway.

“All ready?” called the Captain (все готово? – крикнул капитан).

“Aye, aye, sir (так точно, сэр; aye – да /устар., диал./; есть! /мор./).”

“Then hoist the anchor in board and send a man down with the key to open the bar (тогда поднять якорь «на борт» и послать матроса с ключом вниз, чтоб открыл буфет).”