target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#imgaa8.jpg"/> The idea seemed to amuse the Governor, for he broke suddenly into a high, neighing laugh, and the two seamen laughed also, but not so heartily, for they remembered that Sharkey was not the last pirate who sailed the western seas, and that as grotesque a fate might come to be their own. Another bottle was broached to drink to a pleasant voyage, and the Governor would drink just one other on the top of it, so that the seamen were glad at last to stagger off – the one to his watch and the other to his bunk. But when after his four hours’ spell the mate came down again, he was amazed to see the Governor in his Ramillies wig, his glasses, and his powdering-gown still seated sedately at the lonely table with his reeking pipe and six black bottles by his side.
“I have drunk with the Governor of St. Kitt’s when he was sick,” said he (я пил с губернатором Сент-Китта, когда он был болен, – сказал он /себе/), “and God forbid that I should ever try to keep pace with him when he is well (но упаси меня Господь когда-нибудь попытаться не отстать от него, когда он выздоровеет; to forbid – запрещать, не позволять; to keep pace – держать шаг, темп; to be well – быть здоровым).”
The voyage of the Morning Star was a successful one (плавание «Утренней звезды» было удачным), and in about three weeks she was at the mouth of the British Channel (и примерно через три недели она была у входа в Ла-Манш; mouth – рот, уста; устье, вход; British Channel – «Британский канал», пролив Ла-Манш). From the first day the infirm Governor had begun to recover his strength (/буквально/ с первого дня /пребывания на судне/ немощный губернатор стал восстанавливать силы; to begin), and before they were half-way across the Atlantic (и прежде чем они прошли полпути через Атлантику) he was, save only for his eyes, as well as any man upon the ship (он был, если не считать его глаз, так же здоров, как и любой другой на судне).
The voyage of the Morning Star was a successful one, and in about three weeks she was at the mouth of the British Channel. From the first day the infirm Governor had begun to recover his strength, and before they were half-way across the Atlantic he was, save only for his eyes, as well as any man upon the ship.
Those who uphold the nourishing qualities of wine (те, кто стоит за полезные свойства вина; to uphold – поддерживать; одобрять; quality – качество; свойство) might point to him in triumph (могли бы, торжествуя, указать на него; in triumph – победоносно), for never a night passed (потому что не проходило ночи) that he did not repeat the performance of his first one (чтобы он не пьянствовал: «не повторял своего поведения» /так же/, как в ту первую ночь; performance – исполнение; поступок, поведение). And yet he would be out upon deck in the early morning (и однако же, всегда рано утром он появлялся на палубе; to be out – появляться; выходить) as fresh and brisk as the best of them (свежий и бодрый, как никто другой: «как лучшие из них»; brisk – живой, проворный), peering about with his weak eyes (оглядывая /все/ вокруг своими слабыми глазами), and asking questions about the sails and the rigging (и задавая вопросы о парусах и такелаже), for he was anxious to learn the ways of the sea (поскольку очень хотел выучиться морскому делу: «обычаям моря»; way – путь, дорога; уклад, обычай).
And he made up for the deficiency of his eyes by obtaining leave from the captain (/пытаясь/ компенсировать недостаток зрения, он получил позволение капитана; to make up for – возмещать, компенсировать) that the New England seaman (чтобы тот матрос из Новой Англии) – he who had been cast away in the boat (которого нашли брошенным в лодке; to cast away – выбрасывать, избавляться) – should lead him about (повсюду сопровождал его; to lead – вести, сопровождать), and above all that he should sit beside him (и прежде всего, должен был сидеть рядом с ним) when he played cards and count the number of the pips (когда тот играет в карты и считает количество очков; pip – очко, картинка масти /на игральных картах/), for unaided he could not tell the king from the knave (поскольку без посторонней помощи тот не мог отличить короля от валета; to tell from – отличать, различать /амер./).
