Английский язык с Р.Л.Стивенсоном. Остров сокровищ (ASCII-IPA) - Роберт Стивенсон

steering [`stIqrIN] intermittent [Intq`mItqnt] inspired [In`spaIqd] courage [`kArIG]

Meanwhile, the schooner gradually fell off, and filled again upon another tack, sailed swiftly for a minute or so, and brought up once more dead in the wind’s eye. Again and again was this repeated. To and fro, up and down, north, south, east, and west, the Hispaniola sailed by swoops and dashes, and at each repetition ended as she had begun, with idly-flapping canvas. It became plain to me that nobody was steering. And, if so, where were the men? Either they were dead drunk, or had deserted her, I thought, and perhaps if I could get on board, I might return the vessel to her captain.

The current was bearing coracle and schooner southward at an equal rate. As for the latter’s sailing, it was so wild and intermittent, and she hung each time so long in irons, that she certainly gained nothing, if she did not even lose. If only I dared to sit up and paddle, I made sure that I could overhaul her. The scheme had an air of adventure that inspired me, and the thought of the water-breaker beside the fore companion doubled my growing courage.

Up I got, was welcomed almost instantly by another cloud of spray (я поднялся и почти сразу был встречен еще одним облаком брызг), but this time stuck to my purpose (но на этот раз я придерживался своего плана; to stick to — придерживаться, приближаться, следовать; purpose — намерение, замысел, цель); and set myself, with all my strength and caution, to paddle after the unsteered Hispaniola (и принялся со всей силой и осторожностью грести за неуправляемой Испаньолой). Once I shipped a sea so heavy that I had to stop and bale (один раз меня захлестнуло волной так сильно, что мне пришлось остановиться и вычерпывать воду; to ship a sea — получить сильный удар волны), with my heart fluttering like a bird (и мое сердце трепыхалось, словно птица; to flutter — трепетать, порхать, бить крыльями); but gradually I got into the way of the thing (но мало-помалу я освоился с делом = греблей; to get into — войти, влезть, овладеть, начать что-то), and guided my coracle among the waves (и повел челнок среди волн; to guide — вести, направлять, управлять), with only now and then a blow upon her bows and a dash of foam in my face (лишь только время от времени /допускал/ удар /волн/ по его носу и клочья пены /летели/ мне в лицо).

I was now gaining rapidly on the schooner (теперь я стремительно догонял шхуну; to gain on a ship — нагонять, приближаться к судну); I could see the brass glisten on the tiller as it banged about (я /уже/ мог видеть медный блеск на румпеле = сверкание румпеля, когда он поворачивал; to bang about — мотаться, шуметь; румпель — часть рулевого устройства судна в виде рычага, посредством которого поворачивают руль); and still no soul appeared upon her decks (и тем не менее на ее палубах не показалось ни души). I could not choose but suppose she was deserted (я не мог не предположить, что судно брошено; to choose — выбрать, решить, предпочесть; cannot but — не могу не). If not, the men were lying drunk below (если нет, то матросы лежали пьяные внизу = в кубрике), where I might batten them down, perhaps (где я, быть может, мог запереть их; to batten down — задраить, заколотить досками), and do what I chose with the ship (и делать с судном, что захочу).

сaution [`kLSn] fluttering [`flAtqrIN] rapidly [`rxpIdlI] deserted [dI`zq:tId]

Up I got, was welcomed almost instantly by another cloud of spray, but this time stuck to my purpose; and set myself, with all my strength and caution, to paddle after the unsteered Hispaniola. Once I shipped a sea so heavy that I had to stop and bale, with my heart fluttering like a bird; but gradually I got into the way of the thing, and guided my coracle among the waves, with only now and then a blow upon her bows and a dash of foam in my face.

I was now gaining rapidly on the schooner; I could see the brass glisten on the tiller as it banged about; and still no soul appeared upon her decks. I could not choose but suppose she was deserted. If not, the men were lying drunk below, where I might batten them down, perhaps, and do what I chose with the ship.

For some time she had been doing the worst thing possible for me (в течение некоторого времени она делала худшую возможную для меня вещь) — standing still (стояла неподвижно). She headed nearly due south, yawing, of course, all the time (она направилась почти прямо на юг, разумеется, рыская все время). Each time she fell off her sails partly filled (каждый раз, когда шхуна уваливалась под ветер, ее паруса частично наполнялись /ветром/), and these brought her, in a moment, right to the wind again (и они вмиг приводили ее снова прямо к ветру = она снова шла по ветру). I have said this was the worst thing possible for me (я сказал, что это была худшая возможная вещь для меня = ничто не могло быть хуже); for helpless as she looked in this situation (потому что, как ни беспомощна выглядела шхуна в этом случае), with the canvas cracking like cannon (с парусами, трещавшими, словно пушка), and the blocks trundling and banging on the deck (и блоками, катавшимися и громыхавшими по палубе; to trundle — катить/ся/, везти; to bang — ударять, стучать, хлопать), she still continued to run away from me (она, тем не менее, продолжала убегать от меня), not only with the speed of the current (не только со скоростью течения = уносимая течением), but by the whole amount of her leeway, which was naturally great (но и сносимая в сторону /ветром/, что было, естественно, большой /помехой/; the whole amount — все количество, полная величина; leeway — дрейф в подветренную сторону, боковой снос).

But now, at last, I had my chance (но теперь, наконец, мне предоставился удобный случай). The breeze fell, for some seconds, very low (бриз на несколько секунд утих), and the current gradually turning her (и течение понемногу повернуло ее), the Hispaniola revolved slowly round her centre (Испаньола медленно повернулась вокруг своей оси: «центра»), and at last presented me her stern (и наконец повернулась ко мне своей кормой; to present — преподнести, подарить, предъявить), with the cabin window still gaping open (со все еще настежь открытым: «зияющим» иллюминатором каюты), and the lamp over the table still burning on into the day (и со все еще горящей над столом лампой, /хотя/ был уже день: «все еще продолжающей гореть в день»). The main-sail hung drooped like a banner (грот: «главный парус» повис, словно флаг; to droop — поникать, свисать). She was stock-still, but for the current (она была неподвижной, не считая /движения/ по течению; stock-still — совершенно неподвижный, как пень; stock — /уст./ пень; бревно).

For the last little while I had even lost (на какое-то время я даже отстал /от нее/; to lose — nотерять, лишаться, упускать); but now, redoubling my efforts (но теперь, удваивая усилия; to redouble — усилить, увеличить, удвоить; effort — усилие, попытка), I began once more to overhaul the chase (я начал снова ее нагонять; chase — охота, погоня; дичь).

yawing [`jLIN] naturally [`nxtSrqlI] revolved [rI`vOlvd] efforts [`efqts]

For some time she had been doing the worst thing possible for me — standing still. She headed nearly due south, yawing, of course, all the time. Each time she fell off her sails partly filled, and these brought her, in a moment, right to the wind again. I have said this was the worst thing possible for me; for helpless as she looked in this situation, with the canvas cracking like cannon, and the blocks trundling and banging on the deck, she still continued to run away from me, not only with the speed of the current, but by the whole amount of her leeway, which was naturally great.

But now, at last, I had my chance. The breeze fell, for some seconds, very low, and the current gradually turning her, the Hispaniola revolved slowly round her centre, and at last presented me her stern, with the cabin window still gaping open, and the lamp over the table still burning on into the day. The main-sail hung drooped like a banner. She was stock-still, but for the current.

For the last little while I had even lost; but now, redoubling my efforts, I began once more to overhaul the chase.